Request for Information

February 2008

 

Title: The Design and Operation of Service Centers for Independent Living/Independent Living Centers

 

The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) of the New York State Education Department (NYSED) is seeking Information for the Design and Operation of Service Centers for Independent Living/Independent Living Centers in locations across New York State .  We are seeking information on entities that currently meet the requirements or are willing to meet the requirements outlined under the Mandatory Requirements section and are interested in providing the services specified. 

 

Current Independent Living Centers are not eligible to respond.

 

Using information gathered from responses to this RFI, NYSED may issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to bidders interested in providing the Design and Operation of Service Centers for Independent Living/Independent Living Centers.  Nothing in this document shall be construed as obligating NYSED to issue an RFP.  No contract will be awarded based on responses to this RFI.

 

Questions regarding the request must be submitted by E-mail to Rkennedy@mail.nysed.gov  no later than the close of business April 7, 2008.   A Questions and Answers Summary will be posted to http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/rfp/home.html no later than April 14, 2008

 

 

Background

 

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 under Title VII authorized the establishment of independent living centers (ILC).  Federal funding for these centers was approved in 1978, and between 1978 and 1987 thirty-four ILCs opened across New York State ; today there are thirty-six NYS funded ILCs.

 

Each Center provides a diversity of services by and for persons with disabilities, and to the broader community where it is located.  However, the underlying composition and core services of each Center adhere to the basic intent of the original designers and the legislation that provided funding for the Centers.

 

However, the ILCs do not provide housing or residential services, nor do they duplicate existing services that are available and open to persons with disabilities.  Their major effort is linking consumers to those services, requiring that the staff and Board at each ILC be thoroughly familiar with a community’s programs and services.

 

 

 

Services Provided

 

The core services that the ILCs provide are as follows:

 

·         peer counseling

·         housing assistance

·         information and assistance in obtaining or coordinating delivery of services from other sources

·         service referral including attendant, reader, transportation and employment referral

·         individual and systems advocacy

·         transportation services

·         independent living skills counseling and training

·         equipment maintenance and repair

·         telecommunication relay services

·         health care and homemaker services

·         job training

·         plan for delivery of technical assistance to be provided to the community

 

For more detail on core services see http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/ilc/brochure.htm

 

Consumers Served

 

The Centers serve the following consumers;

 

• People with all physical and mental disabilities.
• People with disabilities of all ages.
• Parents, spouses, siblings, and significant others of people with disabilities.
• People with disabilities living in their own homes, supported living arrangements, institutional settings, and elsewhere.
• School personnel
• Business and industry
• Local government agencies
• Human Service organizations
• Volunteer sector organizations
• Hospitals, health organizations, and the medical community
• Civic organizations

 

Mandatory Requirements

 

Mandatory Corporate Structure

 

ILCs must have the following corporate structure;

 

• Must be an existing 501-(c) -3 organization in full compliance with NYS Education Law Article 23-A and Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Part 248(Found at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/ilc/toolbox.htm ) ;

• Must be a fully incorporated private not-for-profit organization, according to  the requirements in Section 102-1-5 of the NFP Corporation Law (See Attachment 1);
• Must have no less than 51% of the individual ILC Board members are persons with disabilities;
• Program must be non-residential;
• Must be located in New York State .

 

Mandatory Service Area

 

The entities responding must be located within New York State .

 

Submission Requirements

 

Please provide a narrative and supporting materials that describes your organization and the services that it provides.

 

Please provide succinct answers to the following questions:

 

Does your current corporate structure meet the requirements outlined under the section titled Mandatory Corporate Structure?

 

If your current corporate structure does not meet the requirements outlined under the section titled Mandatory Corporate Structure – can you meet these requirements within ninety (90) days? Please provide a time line outlining the steps.

 

Is your current location in New York State ? - Please provide County and specific address.

 

Vendors must transmit their response by April 21, 2008 via postal mail to:

 

NYS Education Department

Attn: Robert Kennedy

Bureau of Fiscal Management

Contract Administration Unit

89 Washington Avenue ,

Room 505W EB

Albany , NY    12234

 

Note: Responses to this RFI will be reviewed by the Department for informational purposes only, and will not be considered as an offer to be accepted by the Department to form a binding contract. Failure to respond to this RFI will not exclude you from bidding on an RFP.

NYSED will not reimburse vendors for any costs in connection with their responses to this RFI.

 

 

Attachment 1 

NFP Corporate Law

Section 102-1-5

§ 102. Definitions.

    (a)  As  used  in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,

  the term:

    (1) "Bonds" includes secured  and  unsecured  bonds,  debentures,  and

  notes.

    (2)  "By-laws"  means  the  code  or  codes  of  rules adopted for the

  regulation or management of the affairs of the corporation  irrespective

  of the name or names by which such rules are designated.

    (3)   "Certificate   of   incorporation"  includes  (A)  the  original

  certificate of incorporation or any other  instrument  filed  or  issued

  under any statute to form a domestic or foreign corporation, as amended,

  supplemented  or  restated  by  certificates  of  amendment,  merger  or

  consolidation or other certificates or instruments filed or issued under

  any statute; or (B) a special act or  charter  creating  a  domestic  or

  foreign corporation, as amended, supplemented or restated.

    (4)  "Conducting  of activities" of a corporation means the operations

  for the conduct of which such corporation is formed and  may  constitute

  "doing of business" or "transaction of business" as those terms are used

  in the statutes of this state.

    (5)  "Corporation"  or  "domestic corporation" means a corporation (1)

  formed under this  chapter,  or  existing  on  its  effective  date  and

  theretofore formed under any other general statute or by any special act

  of  this state, exclusively for a purpose or purposes, not for pecuniary

  profit or financial gain, for which a corporation may  be  formed  under

  this  chapter,  and (2) no part of the assets, income or profit of which

  is distributable to, or enures to the benefit of, its members, directors

  or officers except to the extent permitted under this statute.