Maternal & Infant Health
Research

Request for Proposal: Evaluation of The Great Minds Fellowship program

February 19, 2025
Read time:
Download RFP
Download Fact Sheets
Register now
Share this resource
Subscribe to our Newsletter
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download this as a PDF
The Center for Community Solutions is seeking proposals from qualified vendors/consultants/organizations to provide an evaluation of the Great Minds Fellowship (GMF). We are especially interested in opportunities made possible through the fellowship related to Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) (serving 0-5 year olds). DUE BEFORE 5:00PM March 12.

Purpose

This evaluation seeks to assess the effectiveness of the GMF program in expanding access to meaningful internships, supporting agencies in developing future professionals, and influencing students’ career trajectories. Understanding the program's outcomes will help determine its impact on workforce development, agency capacity, and interest in IECMH careers. Additionally, the evaluation will provide insights into how well the program was communicated to stakeholders and how it can be improved for future cohorts.

Background

IECMH is foundational to lifelong well-being, influencing cognitive, emotional, and social development from birth. The demand for professionals trained in this field continues to grow, yet barriers such as limited internship opportunities and lack of awareness hinder workforce expansion. Evaluating the GMF’s role in addressing these challenges is essential for shaping future investments in the behavioral health workforce and ensuring that young children and families receive the specialized care they need. Understanding the Great Minds Fellowship’s impact on IECMH workforce development will help stakeholders make informed decisions about investing in early childhood mental health services and training opportunities.  

Scope of Work

The evaluation will focus on the following core areas:

1. Program Reach and Participation

  • Number of GMF internships in Cuyahoga County
  • Agencies that have hosted GMF internships
  • Number of IECMH-focused internships
  • Universities where participating students are enrolled

2. Program Communication

  • History and examples of program outreach and promotion
  • Communication process from program announcement to internship completion
  • Perspectives from both program administrators and recipients of communication

3. Impact on Agencies

  • Influence of GMF funding on internship offerings and management
  • Adequacy of support provided to hosting agencies
  • Job offers extended to interns, particularly in IECMH roles
  • Contribution to increasing credentialed employees or pathways to credentialing

4. Impact on Interns

  • Motivations for selecting a GMF internship
  • Availability of alternative paid internship opportunities
  • Influence of the internship on future career decisions

5. Impact on Universities

  • Effect of GMF on student interest in behavioral health fields
  • Challenges or pain points experienced in program participation
  • Instances of students shifting their area of study post-GMF

6. Relationship Development

  • Assist in relationship development with agencies that have a current interest in IECMH and institutions of higher education  

Timeline

We anticipate the project will begin on April 10, 2025, and be completed by August 15.

Submission Instructions

  1. Written Narrative about how RFP respondent will complete the scope of work
  2. Proposed Timeline of activities and deliverables
  3. Price and payment schedule for the project
  4. Description of RFP’s qualifications and experience relative to this project
  5. Samples of work
  6. Contact name, title, affiliated organizations, phone number and email of three references

All final proposals and attachments must be emailed to emuttillo@communitysolutions.com no later than 5:00 pm on Wednesday, March 12th

Contract Award

Anticipated notice of award will be released the week of March 24th  

Frequently asked questions

Scope & Focus of the Evaluation

1. Why is the evaluation focused only on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) careers rather than all careers covered by the Great Minds Fellowship? How was this gap identified?
The focus on IECMH careers was determined based on identified workforce shortages in this field. The goal is to understand the impact of the Great Minds Fellowship in addressing this specific workforce gap and to inform future funding and programmatic decisions.

2. Is this evaluation statewide, or does it focus solely on Cuyahoga County?
This evaluation primarily focuses on Cuyahoga County.

Expectations & Deliverables

3. What is the intended use of the final deliverable? Will it be presented to funders or used to guide future funding alongside the Great Minds Fellowship?
The final deliverable will be used to inform funders and stakeholders about the effectiveness of the Great Minds Fellowship in addressing IECMH workforce needs.  

4. What are the current metrics for the initiative? Are there existing examples of tracking progress for programs or participants that can be reviewed before submitting a proposal?
The Great Minds Fellowship is a new program and current metrics are limited. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Higher Education and Health Impact Ohio have data that can be used to develop metrics.  

5. Will the indicators outlined in each core area already be collected at the time of project initiation?
No

Data Availability & Sources

7. How open is workforce@mha.ohio.gov to providing data for Cuyahoga County Great Minds internships? Or will researchers need to gather data by contacting universities and community behavioral health agencies individually?
Researchers will likely need to engage directly with universities and behavioral health agencies to supplement publicly available data.

8. If data are available, can you provide insight into their nature (e.g., quantitative vs. qualitative, unit of analysis, time unit, etc.)?
The publicly available data is provided by ODHE and OMHAS through their data dashboards. Additional data may be obtained through the Community Behavioral Health Centers that host fellows and colleges & Universities who offer the fellowship.  

9. Are there pre- and post-data available for the indicators to assess change over time (e.g., the effect of GMF on student interest in behavioral health fields and students shifting their area of study post-GMF)?
We are not aware of any pre and post indicator data.

Budget & Timeline

11. Is there an approved budget or budget range for this work?

The maximum budget for this project is $28,000.  

12. What is the expected timeline for this research initiative from start to finish?
The project is expected to be completed within five months. Specific deadlines will be established in consultation with the selected evaluator.

Other Considerations

13. Is there concern that not all Great Minds funds were spent or that insufficient funds were allocated to Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health in 2024/2025?
The evaluation aims to assess how funding has been allocated and whether it has effectively addressed IECMH workforce needs. Any concerns about unspent or misallocated funds will be explored as part of the analysis.

14. Why is the Center for Community Solutions not conducting this evaluation?
The evaluation is part of a larger initiative focused on strengthening the IECMH workforce in Cuyahoga County. Community Solutions is managing the implementation of the initiative and does not have capacity to conduct this evaluation.  

15. Are you seeking a specific credential or educational background to conduct this work?

No specific credentials or educational backgrounds are required to conduct this work.  

Download FAQ

Download Fact Sheets

Ohio Statewide Data

Download

Wood County

Download

Wyandot County

Download

Williams County

Download

Washington County

Download

Vinton County

Download

Wayne County

Download

Warren County

Download

Van Wert County

Download

Union County

Download

Tuscarawas County

Download

Stark County

Download

Summit County

Download

Trumbull County

Download

Shelby County

Download

Seneca County

Download

Scioto County

Download

Ross County

Download

Sandusky County

Download

Richland County

Download

Putnam County

Download

Huron County

Download

Portage County

Download

Preble County

Download

Pike County

Download

Pickaway County

Download

Perry County

Download

Noble County

Download

Paulding County

Download

Ottawa County

Download

Morrow County

Download

Muskingum County

Download

Morgan County

Download

Montgomery County

Download

Meigs County

Download

Monroe County

Download

Miami County

Download

Mercer County

Download

Marion County

Download

Madison County

Download

Medina County

Download

Mahoning County

Download

Lucas County

Download

Lorain County

Download

Logan County

Download

Licking County

Download

Lawrence County

Download

Lake County

Download

Holmes County

Download

Jackson County

Download

Knox County

Download

Jefferson County

Download

Hocking County

Download

Henry County

Download

Highland County

Download

Harrison County

Download

Hancock County

Download

Hardin County

Download

Greene County

Download

Geauga County

Download

Guernsey County

Download

Hamilton County

Download

Gallia County

Download

Fayette County

Download

Fulton County

Download

Franklin County

Download

Fairfield County

Download

Erie County

Download

Darke County

Download

Defiance County

Download

Coshocton County

Download

Delaware County

Download

Cuyahoga County

Download

Crawford County

Download

Columbiana County

Download

Clinton County

Download

Clermont County

Download

Clark County

Download

Champaign County

Download

Carroll County

Download

Athens County

Download

Ashtabula County

Download

Brown County

Download

Butler County

Download

Belmont County

Download

Auglaize County

Download

Ashland County

Download

Allen County

Download

Adams County

Download

Lake County

Download

Geauga County

Download

Cuyahoga County

Download

All Municipalities Geauga County

Download

All Municipalities Lake County

Download

All Municipalities Cuyahoga County

Download

Thompson

Download

South Russell

Download

Russell

Download

Parkman

Download
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download report

Subscribe to our newsletter

5 Things you need to know arrives on Mondays with the latest articles, events, and advocacy developments in Ohio

Explore the fact sheets

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

No Related Fact Sheets

Explore Topics

Browse articles, research, and testimony.

Poverty & Safety Net
Research

Want a recession-resilient economy? Protect SNAP

Rachel Cahill
March 31, 2025
Maternal & Infant Health
Research

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Comparing three professional credentials

Natasha Takyi-Micah
March 24, 2025
Poverty & Safety Net
Research

Federal funding by Ohio Congressional District

Suzanna Thiese
March 17, 2025
Poverty & Safety Net
Research

Summer EBT: A snapshot of parent experiences in Ohio

Community Solutions Team
February 14, 2025
Poverty & Safety Net
Research

Human Services 101

Kyle Thompson
February 6, 2025