Agenda Item
b. RFP 20-187 Speech-Language, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Services Extension (Year 3 of 4) - (Speech-Language, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Services for more than $50,000.00 per vendor but not to exceed the total contracted amount of $9,000,000)
Summary: Presented by: Ms. Stacy E. Stepney, Chief Academic Officer, Division of Curriculum & Instruction
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the contract extensions of RFP 20-187 for Progressus Therapy; Community Rehabilitation Associates, Incorporated; Cobb Pediatric/Stepping Stones Group (EBS is now part of the Stepping Stones Group); Comprehensive Therapy Consultants; Pediatric Developmental; Orange Tree Staffing; Atlanta Pediatric Therapy; EDU Healthcare; and Soliant as the most responsive and responsible bidders to provide speech-language, occupational therapy, and physical therapy services for more than $50,000.00 per vendor but not to exceed the total contracted amount of $9,000,000.00.
Why: Speech-language impairment is a disability area as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Currently, 5,194 students receive speech services from a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD). In addition, IDEA mandates the inclusion of Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) for students whose Individual Education Program (IEP) direct these services for them to access their education. DCSD has contracted with vendors to provide speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists when the school district cannot hire them directly. The request for an increase in the contracted amount from $7,000,000 to $9,000,000 is a result of the need to extend contractual staff hours to cover student IEP services, additional vacancies requiring contract staff, and vendor rate increases.
Details: The Request for Proposals (RFP) 20-187 for Speech-Language, Occupational, and Physical Therapy services was issued on November 14, 2019, and approved by the Board on February 10, 2020. The approved DCSD RFP process was followed. Nine of the nineteen vendors that responded were selected based on the following criteria for providing services to students with disabilities in a public school setting: ability to provide needed staff, hourly rates, and experience with school-based settings. The nine selected vendors were Progressus Therapy; Community Rehabilitation Associates, Incorporated; Cobb Pediatric/Stepping Stones Group; Comprehensive Therapy Consultants; Pediatric Developmental; Orange Tree Staffing; Atlanta Pediatric Therapy; EDU Healthcare; and Soliant.
No single company has been able to provide a sufficient number of speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists to cover students’ needs.
Financial impact: The financial impact is contingent upon the number of therapists provided through contracted services. The proposed hourly rates for the new contracted vendors are $50.00 - $67.50.
Contact: Ms. Stacy E. Stepney, Chief Academic Officer, Division of Curriculum & Instruction, 678.676.0731
Ms. Michele Summerlin, Executive Director, Exceptional Education, Division of Curriculum & Instruction 678. 676.2163
Effective: May 1, 2023 - April 30, 2024
Status: Attorney approval not required
CHRONOLOGY OF THE AGENDA ITEM
RFP 20-187 (Speech-Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy)
Extension – continuation; extend the period
Vacancies of therapists have increased nationally over the last few years. No single company
has been able to provide enough speech-language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists
(OTs), and physical therapists (PTs) to cover DeKalb’s needs. DeKalb County School District
(DCSD) has been unable to fill all vacancies when employees resign or retire. Currently, there
are 55 full-time SLPs and two retired, part-time SLPs who are district employees in addition to
the positions currently filled by contracted employees. The cost incurred by these vendors, due
to the hourly rate and number of speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and
physical therapists needed, exceeded $50,000 for the 2021-22 school year. Year to date 2022-
23 cost is approximately $321,899.21. This amount includes invoice amounts yet to be paid.
It is anticipated that the number of contracted therapists for the 2023-24 school year will
increase from the past school year. The number of contracted therapists required may be
higher if the District is unable to hire employees as replacements for those who resign or retire
from the District.
The chart below provides a historical perspective of the number of contracted staff from each
agency that has been required to meet student needs.
History of Contracted Services for Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy
AGENCY 2022 - 2023 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020
Atlanta Ped. 7 6 2 0
Therapy/Applied
Pediatrics
Cobb Pediatric 32 22 24 27
Community 1 2 0 0
Rehab Assoc.
Comprehensive 0 1 1 0
Therapy
*EBS N/A 14 22 19
EDU Healthcare 2 1 2 1
(Providastaff)
Orange Tree 1 1 2 0
PDS/Therapy 4 1 3 0
Spot
Progressus 3 5 8 9
Invohealthcare
Soliant/TIF 5 3 2 0
Solutions
Totals: 55 56 66 56
Financial $608,025.28 $4, 450,271.79 $4,781,143.84 $4,141,203.00
Impact:
*EBS is no longer a vendor due to merging with Cobb Pediatrics (The Stepping Stone
Group)