SOURCES SOUGHT
U -- National Resource Center on Homelessness (NRCH)
- Notice Date
- 2/21/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Choke Cherry, 1 Choke Cherry Road Room 7-1051, Rockville, MD, 20857
- ZIP Code
- 20857
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-280-06-0150
- Response Due
- 3/9/2006
- Description
- This is not a solicitation announcement. This is a sources sought synopsis only. The purpose of this sources sought synopsis is to gain knowledge of potential qualified small business sources and their size classifications (HUBZone 8(a), 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-owned, Veteran-Owned, and Small Disadvantaged Business) relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. Responses to this sources sought synopsis will be used by the Government to make appropriate determinations about potential sources only. Businesses that are not considered small under the NAICS code should not submit responses to this sources sought synopsis. BACKGROUND: Homelessness in the U. S. continues to be a social problem as well as a major public health concern. Approximately 2.1 million adults and 1.3 million children experience homelessness in any given year (Burt, M.R., Aron, L.Y., Lee, E., & Valente, J. [2001]. Helping America?s homeless: Emergency Shelter or Affordable Housing? Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press). In 2004, the Council of Mayors reported that 23% of the requests for emergency shelter went unmet (NAEH, 2005). Individuals with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders are at particularly high risk, experiencing homelessness more often and for longer periods than other subgroups. The individual and societal costs of homelessness are profound and demand targeted and informed strategies for preventing and ending homelessness. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) must continue to excel in its leadership role to assure the success of the Administration?s goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2012, especially for people with mental or substance use disorders. SAMHSA is committed to ensuring the transformation goals of states? mental health service systems are met. These goals, outlined in the Policy Academies? (2003 through 2006) strategic planning process must be realized through the implementation of those 10-year plans. The Corporation for Supportive Housing said late last year, ?It is crucial that the federal government ensure that these efforts [to end chronic homelessness by 2012] are coordinated with essential targeted federal programs, like McKinney-Vento grants, as well as ?mainstream? programs such as Section 8, CDBG, and safety net resources, including Medicaid.? In order to continue to provide States and communities with innovative support and assistance, the Homeless Programs Branch (HPB), Division of Systems and Services Improvement (DSSI), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), SAMHSA, will develop an innovative National Resource Center on Homelessness (NRCH). The NRCH will rely on technology and imaginative support services to promote the agenda of the States? Strategic Plans to end Homelessness and to move those plans to the implementation stage. To do so will require an NRCH that is focused on working in collaboration with States to provide innovative solutions to barriers to the full implementation and realization of States? Strategic goals and plans. The NRCH must spearhead the dissemination of best practices and policies through training and technical assistance issues not yet implemented in the field. The NRCH will also coordinate the synthesis of knowledge around emerging issues on Homelessness, putting together expert panels, developing of state-of-the-art policy papers, developing workforce-related curricula, training and manuals as the need arises. The NRCH is envisioned as a collaborative effort, putting together a consortium of experts, led by a steering committee made up of public, private and consumer entities, focused on providing States the assistance and energy they need to realize the implementation of the States? ten (10)-year strategic plans and to provide the tools for successful realization of the goal of ending chronic homelessness in the next decade. CMHS?s HPB also serves as the lead within SAMHSA and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for administering programs and interdepartmental initiatives that meet the treatment, support service, and housing needs of persons who are homeless with serious mental illnesses and/or co-occurring substance abuse disorders. The HPB has initiated a broad array of service delivery, knowledge development and application, technical assistance, and national leadership projects to assist States and localities in meeting the needs of this population. As part of the Fiscal Year 1991 reauthorization of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the President signed legislation creating the Projects for Assistance in the Transition from Homelessness (PATH) formula grant program. The PATH program provides funds to each State, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federal Territory of the Virgin Islands for the provision of services to individuals who have serious mental illnesses, or co-occurring serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders, and who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless (hereafter referred to as the ?Client Population?). Eligible services to be provided under PATH include: outreach services; screening and diagnostic treatment services; habilitation and rehabilitation services; community mental health services; alcohol or drug treatment services; staff training; case management services; supportive and supervisory services in residential settings; referrals for primary health services, job training, and educational services; and relevant housing services. In addition, to improve coordination of services and housing for the target population, a limited set of housing services may be funded. Among the provisions of the PATH legislation is the requirement that the Secretary of DHHS, ??provide technical assistance to eligible entities in planning, developing, and operating programs...?. This initiative constitutes the implementation of this statutory requirement. ?Eligible entities? in this instance are the 56 State and Territorial mental health authorities that receive formula grant funds under the program. Each State/Territory has designated a primary contact person responsible for operation of the PATH program. This person is referred to as the State PATH Contact. Overall, this initiative is intended to support the HPB by developing a National Resource Center on Homelessness and enhancing the quality of life for homeless people with mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse disorders by encouraging the field to provide housing, treatment and appropriate supportive services to maintain housing stability through the PATH program. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The focus of this procurement will be to: (1) Establish a National Resource Center on Homelessness (NRCH); (2) Assist the HPB in transforming existing systems of care to better address homelessness; (3) Create a learning community between stakeholders that will foster an environment of change and stimulate service system improvement; (4) Convene a Steering Committee made up of public, private and consumer-based representatives to draft a strategic plan for the first three years of the NRCH; (5) Propose innovative solutions to promote the 10-year strategic plans developed by the States during recent Policy Academies to end Chronic Homelessness and to ensure the successful implementation of those plans; (6) Update and maintain a national database of literature in the field; (7) Establish and maintain a toll-free ?800? number for responding to information requests; (8) Maintain a website on homelessness; (9) Organize, provide logistic support and conduct annual PATH meetings and a biennial national training conference on homelessness; (10) Provide logistic support and implement workshops and trainings; (11) Provide technical assistance for services and systems improvement; (12) Develop training materials; (13) Develop curricula to support homeless services? workforce (i.e., providing online credentialed coursework, obtaining SAMHSA clearances, as necessary, developing web enabled coursework, maintaining the site, providing web-trends data, and providing an interface for the field with various credentialing organizations); (14) Prepare OMB clearance package -- prepare, submit, and revise (as necessary) an OMB clearance package that will ensure that the evaluation satisfies the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act; (15) Provide support to the HPB to identify emerging individual and systems issues pertaining to people who are homeless and who have serious mental illness and substance use disorders; (16) Synthesize existing knowledge and information (e.g., research, best practices) and disseminate to the service providers, policy makers, and research communities; (17) Assist States/Territories and local provider entities to adopt evidence based, exemplary, and promising practices and improve the effective implementation of the PATH program; and, (18) Analyze PATH Data and Report Results -- Prepare analytic data files; write statistical programs; statistically analyze data; conduct literature searches; write and edit technical reports and related products; develop written and oral presentation materials; respond to a variety of requests for information with quick turnaround times; provide consultation on statistical and analytic methods; and present information about the project to a variety of audiences, both orally and through written materials. Your responses to the questions provided below will assist the Government in selecting the appropriate acquisition method. Page limit: Maximum 11 pages (font size 10 or larger). In addition, a copy of the company capability statement will be accepted (not subject to the 11-page limit noted above). The anticipated period of performance is 12 months with four (4) 12-month option periods. After review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and formal solicitation may be published in the Federal Business Opportunities. Response to this notice shall include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to the NAICS code, and must respond to the following questions: (1) Is your business a small business under the NAICS code? (2) Does your firm qualify as a small disadvantaged business? (3) If disadvantaged, specify if your firm is certified under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act? (4) Are you considered a certified HUBZone firm? (5) Are you considered woman-owned or operated business? (6) Are you a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned or Veteran-Owned business? (7) Describe your proven capability for working collaboratively with States, Federal staff, and other stakeholders in an efficient manner to establish a National Resource Center on Homelessness. (8) Describe your proven capability for identifying, hiring, and convening consumers who have been homeless and other expert consultants to assist in establishing a learning community. (9) Describe your proven capability for working with multiple stakeholders to convene a Steering Committee made up of public, private and consumer-based representatives to draft a strategic work plan for the NRCH. (10) Describe your proven capability for working with multiple States, policy makers and other stakeholders who attended SAMHSA policy academies and the strategic plans developed to end homelessness within the States. (11) Describe your proven capability for updating and maintaining large national databases of literature. (12) Describe your proven capability for maintaining and redesigning a website. (13) Describe your proven capability for establishing and maintaining customer service through a toll-free number to respond to information requests from the public and private sectors. (14) Describe your proven capability for writing and submitting successful OMB clearance packages to ensure that the PATH data collections meet the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act. (15) Describe your proven capability and current in-house capacity for creating, managing, and documenting databases and ensuring the security and integrity of data. (16) Describe your proven capability and current in-house capacity to provide logistic support to organize a biennial national training meeting and an annual PATH meeting. (17) Describe your proven capability for designing and current in-house capacity to provide logistic support and implement workshops and training. (18) Describe your proven capability for designing and current in-house capacity to provide technical assistance for services and systems improvement. (19) Describe your proven capability for designing and current in-house capacity to provide training materials and curricula to support the development of homeless services? workforce. (20) Describe your proven capability for designing and current in-house capacity to provide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance to support the HPB to identify emerging individual and systems issues pertaining to people who are homeless and who have serious mental illness and substance use disorders. (21) Describe your proven capability for and current in-house capacity to synthesize existing knowledge and disseminate to service providers, policy makers and research communities. (22) Describe your proven capability for and current in-house capacity to provide on an ongoing basis to States and the Federal government on systems improvement relevant to transformation of State mental health and related systems. (23) Describe your proven capability to assist States and local provider entities to adopt evidence based, exemplary, and promising practices and improve effective implementation of programs. (24) Describe your proven capability and current in-house capacity to prepare analytic data files, write statistical programs; statistically analyze data, conduct literature searches, write and edit technical reports and related products, develop written and oral presentation materials, respond to a variety of requests for information with quick turnaround. This is not a request for proposals and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. Responses to this notice shall be mailed to: Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of Program Services, Division of Contracts Management, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 7-1057, Rockville, MD 20857, Attn: James Whitt; or by facsimile to (240) 276-1510. Responses must be received in writing, by no later than March 9, 2006, 3:00 PM, local time. If mailed, one (1) original and two (2) copies of your response are required. Telephone and email responses will not be accepted. No solicitation is currently available. Responses to this sources sought synopsis will not be considered adequate responses to the solicitation, a request to be added to a prospective offerors list, nor a request to receive a copy of the solicitation. Reference No. 280-06-0150.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Contractor facility and work in the field.
- Record
- SN00991606-W 20060223/060221211730 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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