PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT ANNOUNCES
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR DEVELOPING STANDARDS FOR EVALUATIONS AND REPORT WRITING
FOR GUARDIANS AD LITEM/EVALUATORS PURSUANT TO G.L. c. 215,
§ 56A
The Probate and Family Court Administrative Office(AOPFC)
is soliciting bid responses from qualified vendors to serve
as the Lead Agency, Person or Persons to develop comprehensive
standards for evaluations and report writing for guardians
ad litem/evaluators. Federal grant funds have been allocated
by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts through an
application to the Department of Health and Human Services
to assist in this process. The RFP
may be viewed 
at either http://www.state.ma.us/courts
or http://www.comm-pass.com
and may be obtained from the AOPFC.
The focus of this bid will be to select a Lead Agency, Person
or Persons that will examine existing standards for guardians
ad litem/investigators developed by AOPFC as well as those
from other states and agencies, while considering the appropriate
Massachusetts statutory, court rules and case law mandates
and develop comprehensive standards relating to the evaluation
of allegations raised in any proceeding including child
welfare, divorce, custody, visitation, paternity, guardianship,
adoption and termination of parental rights cases pending
in the court involving allegations of, for example, unfitness,
child sexual abuse, domestic violence and substance abuse
which arise in care, custody and child access cases. The
Lead Agency, Person or Persons must also develop a training
module and curriculum materials incorporating the new standards
for evaluations and report writing to be used to orientate
the mental health professionals receiving these appointments
under Category E pursuant to Supreme Judicial Court Rule
1:07 as well as judges, court staff, and attorneys as to
the use of the standards.
