Agenda Item
c. RFP 26-735 for Behavior Intervention Services (Year 1 of 5) (Not to Exceed $1,000,000)
Summary: Presented by: Mrs. Kiana King, Interim Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education approve contracts through RFP 26-735 for the following ten (10) vendors: American Medical Staffing, CBR Therapy Consultants (Total Communication Therapy), Delta -T Group, Applied ABC, Aequor Healthcare, Ellsworth Healthcare, Kelly Pediatric Therapy, AMN Allied Services LLC, ESS Clinical, GA Behavior Assoc, as the most responsive and responsible bidders to provide behavior intervention services for more than $100,000 per vendor but not to exceed the total contract amount of $1,000,000.
Why: DCSD supports students who require intensive individualized behavior intervention and additional classroom support and expertise. Students with disabilities (SWDs), such as those with autism and other behavioral needs, require a specifically designed program that incorporates current, effective, peer-reviewed, research-based practices and instructional modifications that are implemented through the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and which also may require oversight and direction from Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). A BCBA has a graduate level certification in behavior analysis, which is an approach to human behavior. There has been an increased demand for BCBAs in the field of education, as well as in DeKalb County School District (DCSD).
Details: The request for proposals for RFP 26-735 was issued May 7, 2026, with responses received on June 9, 2026. The approved DCSD RFP process was followed. Twenty (20) vendors responded and ten (10) 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 ten (10) selected vendors were as follows: American Medical Staffing, CBR Therapy Consultants (Total Communication Therapy), Delta -T Group, Applied ABC, Aequor Healthcare, Ellsworth Healthcare, Kelly Pediatric Therapy, AMN Allied Services LLC, ESS Clinical, GA Behavior Assoc.
No single company has been able to provide enough BCBAs to cover students’ needs. This initial approval will include four (4) one (1) year contract extension options contingent upon DCSD’s offer to such extension, the successful offeror’s acceptance and the approval of the DeKalb County Board of Education to extend the contract.
Financial impact: General budget will be $1,000,000.00
Charge code:
100.2100.530000.00011.7340.2021.8010.904.0000)
The financial impact is contingent upon the number of students that require specialized support as well as the number of BCBAs provided by each contracted vendor.
Contact: Mrs. Kiana King, Interim Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services, 678.676.1079
Dr. Erin Broyard Baptiste, Interim Executive Director of Exceptional Education, Student Services, 678.676.1814
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
ADDENDUM OF THE AGENDA ITEM
RFP 26-735 Behavior Intervention Services
There are an increasing number of students with mental health and social-emotional challenges. The
need for highly qualified and capable behavior intervention providers to provide behavioral consultative
and direct services to students with disabilities that are enrolled in DeKalb County School District (DCSD)
has continued to increase. DCSD employs full-time special education liaisons who provide itinerant
services for students with disabilities that demonstrate significant behavioral concerns. However, due
the increasing number of students requiring these services, there is a need for additional service
providers who can provide supplemental behavioral consultative and direct services for student who
require them. These services include, but are not limited to, in-school consultations, program
development, trainings, various types of behavioral analysis and interpretation. DCSD does not currently
employ a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The District hired a BCBA during the 2020-2021 school;
however, that position has been vacant since January 2021. Private vendors continue to be required to
provide this level of support. As a result, DCSD’s Department of Exceptional Education has contracted with
private vendors to meet this very important need. Currently, there are seven (7) behavior liaisons that are
district employees. There are four (4) private vendors that currently support the District with meeting this
need. The total year-to-date cost incurred by these vendors for the 2025-2026 school year, due to the hourly
rate and number of BCBAs needed, is $572,328.75. Request for Proposals for 26-735 were issued May 7,
2026. As part of the Pre-Award process, the Department of Exceptional Education conducted a review and
evaluation of twenty (20) responsive proposals during the week of July 6, 2026. The review and evaluation of
the proposals resulted in ten (10) vendors being recommended to provide behavior intervention services for
students with disabilities.