urine sample collection for drug and alcohol testing...

County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services

Urine Sample Collection for Drug and Alcohol Testing Services

RESPONSES TO BIDDER’S QUESTIONS/COMMENTS

RECEIVED AS OF AUGUST 9, 2018

September 2018

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

i | P a g e

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL .................................................................................................. 1

SOLICITATION ........................................................................................... 8

CONTRACT .............................................................................................. 12

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) .............................................................. 17


1 | P a g e

GENERAL

1. QUESTION: A) Who is the current vendor? B) Is the current contract available? If so, where (link to site)?

RESPONSE: A) The current vendor is Pacific Toxicology Laboratories, Inc. B) http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/99172.pdf

2. QUESTION: Which laboratory is currently performing the drugs/alcohol screen confirmations?

RESPONSE: Pacific Toxicology Laboratories, Inc. is the current laboratory performing these tasks.

3. QUESTION: How many expert witness testimonies were required to appear in court over the last year?

RESPONSE: LA County does not have that information. The Contractor is unlikely to be asked to testify as an expert witness, however, the Contractor’s staff may be subpoenaed to testify in Juvenile Court as a witness.

4. QUESTION: How many urine alcohol test were performed last year?

RESPONSE: 685 Urine Alcohol Only tests were performed for 2017.

5. QUESTION: How many urine testing for both drug and alcohol were performed last year?

RESPONSE: 124,197 Drug and Alcohol Combined tests were performed for 2017.

6. QUESTION: Who is the current contractor for your drug and alcohol testing services?

RESPONSE: Please see Question #1A above.

7. QUESTION: Can you please provide the addresses of the current collection sites?

RESPONSE:

SPA 1_________________________________________________________________ New Directions Alcohol & Drug Services Two Lifestyles 1331 W. Ave. J, Suite 206 1224 East Ave. S, Suite C Lancaster, CA 93534 Palmdale, California 93550

http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/99172.pdf


2 | P a g e

SPA 2_________________________________________________________________ California Diversion Programs National Council on Alcoholism and 21054 Sherman Way #205 Drug Dependence (NCADD-Santa Clarita Canoga Park, CA 91303 24460 Lyons Ave.

Santa Clarita, CA 91321 US HealthWorks 25733 Rye Canyon Rd. Driver Safety School Family Harmony Valencia, CA 91355 6740 Kester Ave., Suite 206 Van Nuys, Ca 91405 Interagency Drug Abuse Recovery Program- (I-ADARP) US HealthWorks 8330 Lankershim Blvd. 16300 Roscoe Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91605 Van Nuys, CA 91406

SPA 3_________________________________________________________________

Altadena Recovery Center Azusa Medical Mental Health 3025 N. Lincoln Ave. 472 South Citrus Ave. Altadena, CA 91101 Azusa, CA 91702 National Council on Alcoholism Healthpointe and Drug Dependence (NCADD) 5345 N. Irwindale Ave. 4626 North Grand Ave. Irwindale, CA 91706 Covina, CA 91724 NCADD New Perception To Living 656 N. Park Ave. 404 North Gibbs St. Pomona, CA 91768 Pomona, CA 91767 US HealthWorks 801 Corporate Center Dr. Pomona, CA 91768

SPA 4_________________________________________________________________ Clinica Romero 2032 Marengo St. Los Angeles, CA 90033

SPA 5_________________________________________________________________ The Ness Counseling Center Driver Safety School Family Harmony 8512 Whitworth Dr. 4323 Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 Culver City, CA 90230

SPA 6_________________________________________________________________

Family Source Center Shields Place of Family 1212 E. 108th St. 9307 S. Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90059 Los Angeles, CA 90003 MJB Transitional Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Education 11152 South Main St. 3756 Santa Rosalia Dr., #617 Los Angeles, CA 90061 Los Angeles, CA 90008 Mount Carmel 801 West 70th St. Los Angeles, CA 90044


3 | P a g e

SPA 7_________________________________________________________________ Clinica Familiar San Lucas L.A.C.A.D.A 11050 South Atlantic Ave. 11015 Bloomfield Ave. Lynwood, CA 90262 Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 Mela Counseling Services Center, Inc. 5723 Whittier Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90022

SPA 8_________________________________________________________________ Catalina Island Medical Tarzana Treatment Center 100 Falls Canyon Rd. 5190 Atlantic Ave. Avalon, CA 90704 Long Beach, CA 90805 West Health Medical Group Care On Site 1035 South Prairie Ave., Unit 1 1250 Pacific Ave. Inglewood, CA 90301 Long Beach, CA 90813

8. QUESTION: A) How much are you currently paying per urine alcohol test?

B) How much are you currently paying per urine testing for both drug and alcohol?

C) How much are you currently being charged for observed collections?

RESPONSE: A) $8.50 each B) $13.75 each C) All tests performed are observed. There is not a separate charge for the test being observed as it is a contract requirement.

9. QUESTION: Can you please provide the volume of referrals for each SPA?

RESPONSE:

10. QUESTION: Is MRO services required in order to rule out false positives that might occur

due to the use of prescription medications?

RESPONSE: Medical Review Officer (MRO) services are not required.

Service Planning Area (SPA)

Total of Referrals in 2017

ONE 8,844

TWO 11,375

THREE 11,953

FOUR 6,446

FIVE 1,206

SIX 13,470

SEVEN 11,676

EIGHT 10,103


4 | P a g e

11. QUESTION: Is DCFS interested in qualitative (instant) testing methodology?

RESPONSE: Not at this time.

12. QUESTION: Ross Health Care used to do 400-650 collections a month. We are in zip code 90040. I do not see it anywhere in the zip code list. Can you let me know if we qualify within the zip code range?

RESPONSE: No, 90040 is not a required zip code at this time.

13. QUESTION: What is the process to get 90035 (SPA 5) listed in the “Designated Zip Code Areas for Collection Sites Monday – Friday” and “Saturday or Sunday?” 90035 is centrally located, currently services DCFS clients from a wide range of zip codes, has plenty of convenient public transportation and a lot of free street parking.

RESPONSE: Currently, there is not a process to have a zip code added. The zip codes are identified based on the needs of the County.

14. QUESTION: Will the County please provide a list of people who attended the mandatory

bidders’ conference (including vendors/companies and County staff with titles)?

RESPONSE: No, the sign-in sheet containing the list of people who attended the Mandatory Bidders’ Conference will not be provided before the conclusion of the solicitation because this is a competitive bid process, whereby the County is seeking the lowest priced bidder. Documents being withheld during the IFB process may be requested after the recommendation for a contract is made to the Board of Supervisors.

15. QUESTION: A) Will the County please provide positivity rates for 1) urine testing for alcohol, 2) urine testing for both alcohol and drugs, and 3) urine testing for D/L isomer test?

B) Have positivity rates increased over time or stayed relatively steady?

RESPONSE: A) Data is currently only available for positive rates for Drug and Alcohol Testing. The positive rates have fluctuated between 14%-17% during the

term of the contract. County is uncertain of the positive rate for the D/L Isomer tests.

B) The positivity rates have fluctuated between 14%-17% during the term of the contract.

16. QUESTION: Is the current contract available for examination (including any

addenda/extensions)?

RESPONSE: Contract: http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/99172.pdf



5 | P a g e

Amendment 2: http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/118107.pdf For Amendment 1 and extensions, please request by email: [email protected]

17. QUESTION: A) What was the annual sample volume for the past 3 years? B) Can this be further broken down by the 3 testing types?

RESPONSE: A & B)

D/L Isomer Test: Total from January – August of 2018 is 1,886.

18. QUESTION: Can the County please provide historical or expected number of samples at

each collection site? This will greatly aid in the calculation of staffing costs.

RESPONSE: County does not have this information. However, please refer to Question #9 for additional information.

19. QUESTION: How many times in the last 3 years has the County needed the vendor’s expert

witness to testify/attend court?

RESPONSE: LA County does not have that information. The Contractor is unlikely to be asked to testify as an expert witness, however, the Contractor’s staff may be subpoenaed to testify in Juvenile Court as a witness.

20. QUESTION: What is DCFS’ current positive rate?

RESPONSE: As of July 31, 2018, the positive rate was 17%.

21. QUESTION: Does the County have any requirements for the vendor’s laboratory to undergo external proficiency testing, such as proficiency testing performed by the Association of American Bioanalysts (AAB) or College of American Pathologists (CAP)?

RESPONSE: All drug analyses shall be conducted by a laboratory that is certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or is accredited by the College of American Pathologists Forensic Urine Drug Testing (CAP/FUDT). Please refer to Appendix B Statement of Work, Section 10.0 – Specimen Screening, Analysis, and Certification.

Drug & Alcohol

Alcohol Only

Tests Tests Total

Total for 2016 106,414 895 107,309

Total for 2017 124,197 685 124,882

Total for 2018 (January - July) 76,620 279

76,899


mailto:[email protected]


6 | P a g e

22. QUESTION: Does the County have any interest in vendors offering oral fluid testing options

as part of their response?


23. QUESTION: Does the County have any interest in vendors offering any other specialty drug tests (such as Fentanyl, Heroin, Synthetic Cannabinoids, Gabapentin, etc.) as part of their response?

RESPONSE: Not as a part of this contract.

24. QUESTION: A) Will all collections for this contract be performed by the vendor (i.e. third party collections) or will County staff be performing any of the collections? B) If the latter, what percentage or volume of specimens are anticipated to be collected by County staff?

RESPONSE: A) All Collection Sites are under the oversight of the vendor. B) N/A

25. QUESTION: Would the County consider allowing the vendor to staff a County site to provide collections as opposed to having an off-site location? This could assist with cost savings.


26. QUESTION: A) Does the DCFS ever require court testimony from the Vendor? B) If so, will the DCFS allow for court fees such as fees for affidavits, telephonic/web testimony, or in-person testimony?

RESPONSE: A & B) The Contractor is unlikely to be asked to testify as an expert witness, however, the Contractor’s staff may be subpoenaed to testify in Juvenile Court as a witness. If the vendor is subpoenaed to testify in Juvenile Court as a witness, vendor is to incur all associated costs. DCFS will likely pay only if Contractor is asked by DCFS to be an expert witness.

27. QUESTION: Will the County please provide current pricing paid for 1) urine testing for

alcohol, 2) urine testing for both alcohol and drugs, and 3) urine testing for D/L isomer test?

RESPONSE: Alcohol only: $8.50 each Drug and Alcohol: $13.75 each D/L Isomer confirmation test: $10 each

28. QUESTION: Any data on actual Pricing Schedule?

RESPONSE: Please see Question #27 above.


7 | P a g e

29. QUESTION: Will the County provide a list of the current collection sites, including

addresses?

RESPONSE: See Question #7 above.

30. QUESTION: A) Will the DCFS allow awarded contractors a start-up window from award to contract roll-out to get certain items set up, such as implementation of any collection sites or training to County employees regarding the use of the Contractor’s systems?

B) What length of time will the DCFS allow for roll-over?

RESPONSE: A & B) The expectation is for the Contractor to be fully operational by the time of contract start date. Once the contract is awarded, DCFS will begin to work with the winning Contractor on the necessary tasks until fully implemented.


8 | P a g e

SOLICITATION

1. QUESTION: Would the County offer a DVBE preference of some sort if the Contractor

subcontracts specific services such as collections through a DVBE-certified vendor?

RESPONSE: No, the Contractor must be certified as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) by the State of California or Veterans Administration. Additionally, Contractor must be certified by the Department of Consumer Business Affairs as a DVBE. Please review IFB, 1.39 Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Preference Program.

2. QUESTION: Would the County allow for bidders to provide electronic signatures, either through DocuSign or a scanned signature, instead of wet signatures on proposals?

RESPONSE: No, County will not allow for bidders to provide electronic signatures.

3. QUESTION: We see that the County is interested in looking only at the lowest price bidder and seeing if that bidder meets qualifications before assessing the next lowest bidder and so forth. A) Is there any way that the County would review all of the bids and look for

the most beneficial proposal first, then consider price? B) Or perhaps evaluate X number of bids that are within X% of each other

pricewise? We are concerned that the DCFS might miss out on opportunities to partner with companies offering a more advantageous web system or collection network, etc. by limiting themselves to the very lowest cost provider meeting the minimum requirements.

RESPONSE: A & B) No, the County will award the contract to the lowest-priced responsive and responsible bidder.

4. QUESTION: Do vendors need to fill out the CPD and ALT on section 5.0 (page 114 of the

pdf, page 5 or the SOW) or just fill out Exhibit E?

RESPONSE: Please fill out Exhibit E only.

5. QUESTION: If vendors have a few collection sites that are not established currently but they intend to lease space for one or multiple collection sites following award, A) Would this be acceptable to the DCFS? B) How should vendors indicate this on Exhibit A-7


9 | P a g e

RESPONSE: A) Yes it is acceptable, but collection sites must be established and Exhibit A-7 Listing of Collection Sites, must be completed and submitted to DCFS prior to contract execution.

B) Please indicate evidence of efforts made to secure collection sites.

6. QUESTION: Regarding Required Form 6 Prospective Bidder List of Contracts, our agency holds hundreds of contracts and also has thousands of clients who are utilizing our services without an official contract. Further, due to our confidentiality policies, we do not typically provide any client contract information without first getting permission from the client.

Would the DCFS allow vendors to only provide a specific number such as the five shown on the form of their current contracts instead of listing all contracts?

RESPONSE: Please provide listing of all contractual relationship. See IFB, 2.8.4 Bidder’s Qualifications, B. Bidder’s References (Section B.2).

7. QUESTION: Regarding the requirement for an audited financial statement, if vendors are

publicly traded entities would the DCFS allow for vendors to provide only the consolidated financial notes with their bid response and reference a website or “upon request” for the rest of the document?

Publicly traded entities undergo audits by independent auditors on a yearly basis and these are posted online by the SEC for the public to view; these documents can be hundreds of pages long and we would like to keep in line with green policies by not printing all of these pages to include with our submittal.

RESPONSE: If the Audited Financial Statements are online, please indicate so on bid submission and provide a document with the web address to those financial statements.

8. QUESTION: A) Regarding Required Form 14, how granular does “revenue source” need to

be? B) If bidders are solely in the line of drug testing, is this a single source? C) The DCFS is not asking for a listing of every client, correct?

RESPONSE: A) Please be as detailed as possible.

B) Yes, you may list sources of revenue in terms of activities. C) Correct.

9. QUESTION: Regarding Required Form 14 and 15, may publicly-traded companies simply

refer to their SEC 10-K filing?

RESPONSE: No, please complete the forms with required information.


10 | P a g e

10. QUESTION: We do not understand the pricing schedule tables on Required Form 1 (page 173 of the pdf) and how this pricing will be logistically enacted. Are prices to be applied for the year sequentially i.e. tests from 0-1500 would be priced X, and subsequent volume from 1501-3000 would be priced Y, etc.? Or is the DCFS intending to set an anticipated volume and be charged that price point based on the total anticipated cumulative volume of tests?

RESPONSE: DCFS intends to have a set price point for all tests no matter the volume. Exhibit B1, Pricing Schedule, will be revised and posted by Addendum Three.

11. QUESTION: In either case noted above (Question #11), adding the extended cost cells up

into a total sum for the “All Samples” line doesn’t make sense for instance, if vendors are supposed to multiply the unit cost by the highest quantity in Column A, the volumes from 0-1500 would be counted again on the 1501-3000 extended cost, and again on the 3001-4500 cost, etc. Would the DCFS remove the “All Samples” line, or only have vendors multiple each unit cost by 1500 for each line to account for the different ranges at different prices?

RESPONSE: Exhibit B1, Pricing Schedule, will be revised and posted by Addendum Three.

12. QUESTION: Can the DCFS please explain why Required Form 2 (page 175 of the pdf) Sample Line Item Budget is necessary? If bidders are creating unit costs to cover all overheads and cannot charge for additional items, it seems unnecessary to break down into any further itemizations for that unit price.

RESPONSE: The Line Item Budget is necessary to evaluate and monitor Contractor’s appropriation of funds.

13. QUESTION: Regarding section 1.33.1.3 of Encryption Standards (page 23 of the pdf) and

section 9.5.4 Data Encryption Standard (page 104 of the pdf), would the County please define what they require for certification? We would like to understand expectations.

RESPONSE: Please refer to IFB 1.33.1.1 Stored Data and 1.33.1.2 Transmitted Data, as well as Sample Contract 9.5.2 Stored Data and 9.5.3 Transmitted Data which outlines the Encryption Standards required for certification as well as the policies.

14. QUESTION: In section 1.4.2 Bidder’s Minimum Requirement (page 8 of the pdf), the DCFS indicates that the required lab certification is SAMHSA, CAP/FUDT, or a similar accreditation, but in section 10.5 Specimen Screening, Analysis and Certification (page 122 of pdf), the DCFS only indicates SAMHSA or CAP/FUDT.

Would the DCFS consider a laboratory certified by CLIA, which is another federally-regulated industry certification, to qualify as similar accreditation.


11 | P a g e

RESPONSE: No, CLIA is not acceptable as a source of accreditation.

15. QUESTION: Will the DCFS consider any requests for modifications to the sample contract terms and conditions as part of the proposal, or will this disqualify a vendor?

RESPONSE: No, DCFS will not consider any requests for modifications to the sample

contract terms and conditions as part of the proposal. DCFS has the discretion to reject any bidder who does not accept County terms and conditions as stated in the IFB document.

16. QUESTION: We see that on Appendix D Required Form 1 the DCFS has provided a range

of tests from 0 to many thousands of tests for each category (Alcohol, Alcohol & Drugs, D/L Isomer).

What are the anticipated annual volumes of each test? We understand volumes can fluctuate, but we would appreciate a rough estimate or perhaps a total of each from the last full fiscal year to get a sense of the true volumes.

RESPONSE:

D/L Isomer Test: Total from January – August of 2018 is 1,886..

Drug & Alcohol

Alcohol Only

Tests Tests Total

Total for 2016 106,414 895 107,309

Total for 2017 124,197 685 124,882

Total for 2018 (January - July) 76,620 279

76,899


12 | P a g e

CONTRACT

1. QUESTION: What is the anticipated annual spend on this contract?

RESPONSE: The anticipated contract amount will be determined based on the winning bid

amount as well as taking into consideration past spending.

2. QUESTION: Is there a not-to-exceed amount already establish by the DCFS’ budget, or will this be determined based on the awarded bidder’s pricing?

RESPONSE: The amount will be determined based on the awarded bidders’ pricing as well

as taking into consideration past spending.

3. QUESTION: What is the anticipated award date for this contract?

RESPONSE: Anticipated award date will be towards the end of 2018.

4. QUESTION: What is the anticipated start date for this contract?

RESPONSE: Anticipated start date for the contract is early 2019.

5. QUESTION: Regarding sample contract section 5.2 (page 53 of the pdf), our agency keeps track of monthly invoices, including payments made and owed, but does not have a standard practice whereby we notify our clients that they have reached a certain threshold. Is this an absolute requirement? It seems like County should be able to identify this based on the amounts in each monthly invoice.

RESPONSE: Yes, this is standard Countywide policy and contract language that must be maintained in all County agreements.

6. QUESTION: Regarding section 5.5 (page 54 of the pdf) of the sample contract, would the

DCFS agree to make payment within 30 days of receipt of an invoice?

RESPONSE: DCFS will attempt to process payment as soon as invoices received.

7. QUESTION: Regarding section 4.5 of the sample contract (page 53 of the pdf), what is the purpose of this requirement? Both the County and the awarded vendor should be able to identify the date where the contract is 6 months from expiration based on the contract start date.

RESPONSE: This is standard Countywide policy and contract language that must be maintained in all County agreements.

8. QUESTION: Regarding section 7.2 of the sample contract (page 58 of the pdf), would the

County consider striking this requirement? This term essentially gives the


13 | P a g e

County authority over decisions which should be determined by the business itself.

RESPONSE: No, County will not strike this requirement. This standard Countywide policy and contract language that must be maintained in all County agreements and is reserved for those instances where contractor staff performs work on County property.

9. QUESTION: Regarding section 7.4.1 Background & Security Investigations (page 59 of the

pdf), what type of staff is considered to be in a “designated sensitive position?” Is this just collection staff that will be in direct contact with donors, or does this include laboratory staff at an off-site laboratory who never come into contact with donors?

RESPONSE: A designated sensitive position is defined as all individuals who come into contact with a donor’s personal information. This includes Collection Site staff and laboratory staff.

10. QUESTION: Also regarding section 7.4.1 Background & Security, our employees are

screened upon hiring. If there is an additional requirement for screening, the Contractor should not be responsible for the payment of those checks. Would the County consider paying for these background checks?

RESPONSE: No, the County will not provide payment for background checks.

11. QUESTION: Regarding section 7.5.8 of the sample contract (page 61 of the pdf), would the County allow for 5 business days instead of 24 hours for notification?

RESPONSE: No, the Contractor must notify the County in writing within 24 hours.

12. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.2.2 Assignment and Delegation (page 62 of the pdf), would the County allow modification of this clause to indicate that consent shall not be unreasonably withheld?

RESPONSE: No, County will not allow any modification of this clause. This is standard Countywide contract language that must be maintained in all County agreements.

13. QUESTION: Also regarding section 8.2.2, would the County allow for the following

paragraph to be inserted after the first sentence?: The foregoing shall not apply to any work to be performed by an affiliate of Contractor, where affiliate means any corporation, firm, limited liability company, partnership or other entity that directly or indirectly controls or is controlled by or is under common control with Contractor.

RESPONSE: No, this is standard Countywide contract language that must be maintained in all County agreements.


14 | P a g e

14. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.24, Indemnification (page 77 of the pdf):

A) Would the County consider modification of the 6th line to read “arising from

and/or relating to the Contractor’s performance of this Contract?” B) Would the County also consider striking the word “sole” before negligence? C) And would the County consider adding the following sentence to the end of

the section?”: Despite the above, in no event shall contractor be obligated to indemnify defend and save harmless the County its officer, officials, employees, contractors, agents to the exent that any action claim or loss occurs or results, in whole or in part, from the acts or omissions of the County its officers, officials, employees, contractors, agents, or third parties.

RESPONSE: A, B, & C) No, this is standard Countywide indemnification language that must

be maintained in all County agreements.

15. QUESTION: Would the County consider removing section 8.27 Liquidated Damages (page 84 of the pdf)?

RESPONSE: No, the County intends to retain this section for instances of non-compliance by Contractor where it is difficult to calculate actual damages to County.

16. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.39 Record Retention and Inspection/Audit Settlement

(page 89 of the pdf), would the County consider removing the following from the last sentence?: “the Contractor shall pay the County for travel, per diem, and other costs incurred by the County to examine, audit, excerpt, copy, or transcribe such material at such other location.” The County knowingly enters into an agreement with a company outside the County. Any audit or request for materials shall be paid by the County. Of course, the Contractor would be happy to work with the County on any such requests, but it will not be liable for travel, per diem, etc.

RESPONSE: No, this is standard contract language of the County of Los Angeles’ service contracts.

17. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.39.3 (page 90 of the pdf), would the County allow the

Contractor to conduct its own audit to refute any miscalculations of the County’s auditors?

RESPONSE: Yes, Contractor is entitled to its own audits to refute, however, County will not provide payment for the cost of those audits.

18. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.43 Termination for Convenience (page 93 of the pdf),

would the County consider modifying the section to allow for reciprocal termination language?


15 | P a g e


19. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.44 Termination for Default (page 94 of the pdf), would the

County consider changing the fourth bullet to allow 10 business days instead of 5?


20. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.25.1.1 of the sample contract (page 77-78 of the pdf), we

are not able to provide copies of our full policies due to the confidential nature of these policies, which are carried by our parent company. However, we are happy to provide a certificate of insurance showing coverage limits and financial statements demonstrating that our company has financial solvency.

RESPONSE: Please see Appendix A, Sample Contract, 8.25.1 – Evidence of Coverage and Notice to County for requirements.

21. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.25.1.3 (page 78 of the pdf), our company does not disclose

deductibles, however the County is invited to view the financials of our parent company as evidence of our ability to assume large deductibles. Is this acceptable to the DCFS?

RESPONSE: Please see Appendix A, Sample Contract, 8.25.1 – Evidence of Coverage and Notice to County for requirements.

22. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.25.2 Additional Insured Status and Scope of Coverage

(page 79 of the pdf), the application of limits to the additional insured will be determined by the insurer at the time of a claim. Is this acceptable to the DCFS?

RESPONSE: Please see Appendix A, Sample Contract, 8.25.2 – Additional Insured Status and Scope of Coverage for requirements.

23. QUESTION: Also regarding section 8.25.2, there is no additional insured provision on our

Professional Liability and Cyber Liability policies. Is this acceptable to the DCFS?

RESPONSE: Please see Appendix A, Sample Contract, 8.25.2 – Additional Insured Status and Scope of Coverage for requirements.

24. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.25.7 Waivers of Subrogation (page 80 of the pdf), our

Professional Liability and Cyber Liability policies do not provide a waiver of subrogation. Is this acceptable to DCFS?


16 | P a g e

RESPONSE: Please see Appendix A, Sample Contract, 8.25.7 – Waivers of Subrogation for requirements.

25. QUESTION: Regarding section 8.26.1 Insurance Coverage (page 82 of the pdf), our General

Liability coverage is written on a Claims Made basis. Is this acceptable to the DCFS? We may be able to secure a tail if this is a concern.

RESPONSE: Yes, this is acceptable.

26. QUESTION: Regarding Sexual Misconduct Liability (page 83 of the pdf), our company does not carry such insurance. If we subcontract our collection services (the only part of the contract where sexual misconduct would be feasible), would it be acceptable to the DCFS if all subcontractors carried this insurance on their policies without the contractor carrying such insurance on their policy?

RESPONSE: The Sexual Misconduct Liability requirement will be removed and posted by Addendum Three.

27. QUESTION: Please verify that all services and tests under this contract will be billed to the

DCFS directly and not through a third-party payor such as Medicaid.

RESPONSE: Yes, all services and tests under this contract will be invoiced to DCFS directly.

28. QUESTION: Regarding Exhibit A-8 (page 149 of the pdf), would the DCFS allow for other

formats for invoicing? For example, our invoice contains the date of the result, the donor’s ID (name and unique number assigned by the DCFS), the accession number, the test code, description of the test, and the amount per test. All other information would be included in the donor profile or on the test result which would be available online through our web portal. Would this be acceptable?

RESPONSE: No, please refer to Appendix B Statement of Work, Section 16.3 - Monthly Invoice.


17 | P a g e

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

1. QUESTION: A) 10.11 – Confirming that collections must be lab within 5 hours of 7PM Collection Site closing. So by midnight each day?

B) Is there an exception for Catalina?

RESPONSE: A) Specimens need to be picked up and delivered to the laboratory the same day they are collected. B) No, there is no exception.

2. QUESTION: A) 13.0 – Expanding call in times to 7PM, will DCFS be staffed after 5PM to field calls?

B) How is additional staff defined?

RESPONSE: A) The County would like the Contractor to be available until 7 P.M.(PST) for Social Workers to be able to contact the Contractor until closing of the Collection Sites. B) Additional staff is defined as the staff required to meet the needs of the clients served, as stated in Appendix B Statement of Work, Section 13.0 – Warm Line, to accommodate potentially 4000 Social Workers who may need assistance from the Contractor.

3. QUESTION: Collection Site List 12, 13, and 14 are redundant.

RESPONSE: There was an error. The Collection Site List should read: Wateridge South 90002 90018 90037 Exhibit A-7 Listing of Collection Sites will be revised and posted by Addendum

Three.

4. QUESTION: What are the required cutoff values for the added synthetic opiods?

RESPONSE: The cutoff for each drug being tested is not specified in the IFB. The County is seeking drug testing to be performed at one of more certified laboratories accredited by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or the College of American Pathologists Forensic Urine Drug Testing (CAP/FUDT) or similar accreditation of equal or greater technical rigor, and in accordance with standards and regulations set by SAMSHA, CAP/FUDT, or similar accreditation organization. The cutoff levels are to be listed in the final confirmation report.

5. QUESTION: For random testing hot/warmline, are “COLORS” acceptable substitute for

“ALPHABETS” announced on the automated/recorded messages?



18 | P a g e

6. QUESTION: In regards to the required information, does this have to be available online or by request only?

RESPONSE: This information would need to be available online, as it would be listed in the

drug test results. 7. QUESTION: There are 2 types of alcohol testing: 1) parent alcohol and 2) EtG/Ets

biomarker/metabolites. Parent alcohol testing is limited to approximately 8-12 hours post-consumption. EtG/EtS are metabolites that can indicate ethanol exposure from as soon as 2 hours and up to 96 hours post-consumption. What type of alcohol testing does the County prefer?

RESPONSE: The County has determined that Ethanol Alcohol testing is sufficient.

8. QUESTION: Would the County please provide the current script and options heard by the testing participant when they call the 800 number?

RESPONSE: “You have reached the Department of Children and Family Services for English

press one and for Spanish press two. (This is then repeated in Spanish) Press one for random and two for weekly. If your last name begins with the letter (insert) Please report to the Collection

Site (insert) on (date).” 9. QUESTION: “…first letter of the last name of those individuals who must report…testing”

Use of the “first letter of the last name” does not result in truly random testing. For example, the same people will show up for testing on the same day. The County will get better outcomes, decreased costs, and added compliance (deterrence and therapeutic) if it adopts truly randomized testing. Would the County consider a truly random alternative to the “first letter of the last name” testing schedule?


10. QUESTION: “…after 7:00 P.M”

The timing of this recorded message would require the vendor’s staff to stay after normal business hours. A) Can the vendor interpret “after 7:00 P.M.” to include 6-7 A.M. the following

day? B) What is the rationale behind this timing?

RESPONSE: A) No, it cannot be the following day.


19 | P a g e

B) The letters are recorded for the client to be informed if they are to test or not the next day.

11. QUESTION: How many users will need access to the web results portal?

RESPONSE: The portal would need to accommodate potentially 4000 users. 12. QUESTION: Please confirm that the County wants specimens picked up from collection sites

every day of the week. RESPONSE: The County requires for samples to be picked up each day the Collection Sites

are open. 13. QUESTION: Would the County please elaborate how court-ordered, on-demand referral

testing currently works?

RESPONSE: During Court proceedings, the Court may order an On-Demand test for the client to test the same day or order tests to be completed on an On-Demand basis. 14. QUESTION: Are there situations where clients may be in multiple testing panels, i.e.

Could one person be in both pricing category A and B? 55-58 ask again

RESPONSE: No. The client would either be testing for Alcohol Only or Drug and Alcohol Combined. 15. QUESTION: Regarding section 13.1 Warm Line, please clarify whether phone inquiries must

be responded to from 10:00am to 5:00pm or from 8:00am to 7:00pm. If both, please explain the distinction between the “warm line” and other inquiries.

RESPONSE: The Warm Line is to respond to phone inquiries from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M. (PST). County has identified 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. (PST) as peak hours when the highest volume of call are received. 16. QUESTION: A) How often and in what scenario does the DCFS request a D/L Isomer test?

B) Is this required on every positive Amphetamine test, or only upon request?

RESPONSE: A) The D/L Isomer is used as a confirmation for positive tests. B) The D/L Isomer would only be used when there is a positive test.

17. QUESTION: Regarding section 9.9 Collection Process (page 121 of the pdf), would the

County count these business days from the time the laboratory receives the specimen? For instance, if a specimen is collected on Monday and delivered overnight to the lab on Tuesday, results would need to be reported for negatives by Wednesday and for positive by Friday?


20 | P a g e

RESPONSE: Yes, that is correct. 18. QUESTION: To clarify, is the type of alcohol testing required ethanol testing or is it ethyl

glucuronide (EtG alcohol metabolite) testing? Ethanol is direct alcohol and often does not appear in urine for more than a few hours after ingestion, whereas EtG testing will detect the alcohol metabolite for up to 80 hours after ingestion.

RESPONSE: The County has determined that Ethanol Alcohol testing is sufficient. 19. QUESTION: Regarding the Five Panel Drug Test (section 3.14 on page 112 of the pdf) does

the County require specific Hydromorphone and Oxymorphone tests to be included in the screen, or is it acceptable for these to be grouped into a general Oxycodone screen (where they will be detected but are not the specific target drug) with Hydromorphone and Oxymorphone broken out specifically during confirmation?

RESPONSE: Yes, it is acceptable for these to be grouped into a general Oxycodone screen. Hydromorphone and Oxymorphone must be broken out specifically, during confirmation. 20. QUESTION: Regarding section 10.1 Specimen Screening, Analysis and Certification (page

122 of the pdf) we want to make sure that all vendors are responding to the specifications at the same level. Please verify that all testing including the initial screen must be performed via a laboratory certified by SAMHSA, CAP/FUDT, or comparable qualification. We are trying to establish that uncertified “tabletop analyzers” will not be utilized for screens with only the positive specimens sent out for confirmation to a certified lab.

RESPONSE: All drug analyses shall be conducted by a laboratory that is certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or is accredited by the College of American Pathologists Forensic Urine Drug Testing (CAP/FUDT). Please refer to Appendix B Statement of Work, Section 10.0 – Specimen Screening, Analysis, and Certification. 21. QUESTION: Regarding section 14.0 Toll-Free Number (page 124 of the pdf) would the

DCFS consider a 800 Number call-in system that uses individual donor call-in codes instead of calling groups by first letter of last name or by testing schedule?

Our system identifies the call-in code entered by the donor and indicates whether or not the donor should report in for testing the next day. Each donor simply enters their unique code to see if they need to come in for testing. This also allows our system to track whether or not donors are even calling in and captures this information for authorized users to view. This also would allow for fluidity when schedules are changed for specific donors.


21 | P a g e

RESPONSE: No. The County is interested in maintaining the current method of sorting by the first letter of the client’s last name. Please refer to Appendix B Statement of Work, Section 14.0 Toll Free Number for DCFS Clients for Random and Weekly Testing. 22. QUESTION: Regarding the “Random Testing” group (defined in section 3.20 on page 112

of the pdf), we’re not sure we understand the reference to a “ten-day workday schedule.” Would the DCFS allow this to be set as randomly scheduled testing twice per month, weekdays only?

RESPONSE: Yes, DCFS would allow. 23. QUESTION: A) Would the DCFS allow for groups that are separated by type of test and

scheduling instead of just by scheduling? B) And for individualized test schedules (not groups) for other donors? C) For example, could vendors create the following groups: Random – Alcohol

Only, Random – Drug & Alc, Weekly – Alcohol Only, Weekly – Drug & Alc. On-Demand and Specialized testers could be scheduled on a donor-specific level using our system. Would this be acceptable?

RESPONSE: A, B, & C) Not at this time.

24. QUESTION: Regarding section 9.7 of the Scope of Work (page 121 of the pdf), what kind of documentation is currently provided to clients unable to test? This is not an industry standard practice. Typically, if the client cannot provide a specimen, it is counted the same as a “no show” where the client does not even appear for testing.

RESPONSE: A “no show” report would be generated that has the client’s identifying information (name, D.O.B., test date) and it will state that the client did no show for testing. 25. QUESTION: Regarding section 6.1.5 Referral Process (page 115 of the pdf), would the

DCFS allow for slight procedural change where referrals could be stored or processed via the vendor’s web-based system instead of attached to the chain of custody?

RESPONSE: County is open to slight procedural changes to increase efficiency.

26. QUESTION: 10.3.1 of SOW, “All urine drug tests that yield positive for amphetamines should be conducted by utilizing the D/L Isomer test.”

Change “Should” to either “must” or “will”?

RESPONSE: County will revise to “must” and post by Addendum Three.


22 | P a g e

27. QUESTION: Will you accept mobile collection sites?

RESPONSE: No, we will not accept mobile collection sites. 28. QUESTION: Can collection sites be outside of LA County?

RESPONSE: No, collection sites must satisfy zip codes within LA County. 29. QUESTION: 13.0 Warm Line, hours are now 8PM to 7PM. Will DCFS staff be available and

on-hand for technical support from 5PM to 7PM?

RESPONSE: The County would like the Contractor to be available until 7 P.M. (PST) to enable Social Workers to be in contact with the vendor until the closing time of the Collection Sites. 30. QUESTION: A) What is the process on Department’s special drug testing that are not part

of the standard panel? B) How often do you perform other tests?

RESPONSE: A) The County has internal funding available to meet this need.

B) The current drug panel is the NIDA 5 panel drug test. From the data gathered for the time period of June 2017 to May 2018, there were approximately 100 tests performed that were not a part of the substances listed in the current contract.