SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Military Mental Health Education Program
- Notice Date
- 3/19/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, ATTN: MCMR-AAA, 820 Chandler Street, Frederick, MD 21702-5014
- ZIP Code
- 21702-5014
- Solicitation Number
- W81XWH-09-13236
- Response Due
- 3/25/2009
- Archive Date
- 5/24/2009
- Point of Contact
- Barry Sayer, 301-619-1163<br />
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), Health Affairs (HA), and Force Health Protection and Readiness, Psychological Health Strategic Operations are seeking information and recommendations from vendors with the specialized capability and related experience to develop, disseminate and support: (a) a mental health education program that includes an evidence-based assessment component (depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol use/abuse) delivered via both telehealth (i.e., on-line and phone) and in-person (e.g., health fair events) venues, and (b) an evidence-based suicide prevention program in the schools (junior and senior high school) for Service Members and their families. As such, the program serves the entire military family, from school age onward in a confidential yet resource rich manner. Other major components of this initiative are described below. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Neither unsolicited proposals nor any other kinds of offers will be considered in response to this RFI. Responses to this notice are not offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. At this time, questions concerning the composition and requirements for a future Request for Proposal (RFP), as well as those regarding the nature of the products reviewed for this initiative, will not be entertained. BACKGROUND Observances of National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) and National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) have been conducted throughout the DoD since the inception of these community-based screening events in 1991. In the past, each individual installation was responsible for procuring materials from the National Depression and Alcohol Screening organization. The 2006 National Department of Defense Acquisition Act (NDAA 06) issued a requirement for a DoD-wide program. The DoD centralized program began development in Oct 2005 and was implemented starting in January 2006 to an overwhelming response on the part of military bases and National Guard units. To date, thousands of in-person screenings for depression and alcohol abuse/dependence have been conducted at military installations across the United States and around the globe, with weekly numbers of online screening and education requests expanding exponentially as military and general media coverage of the program increased. As a result of the effectiveness and popularity of the program, the 2007 National Department of Defense Acquisition Act (NDAA 07) continued and expanded this program via Sec 730: The DeWine Amendment. Additional components to the in-person events, on-line services and telephone-based self-assessment (available 24/7, in English and Spanish), now include customized referral information (for installations electing this program feature) and experienced in-person mental health consultation to selected hot spot installations. The mental health education component has been developed significantly with the production of a compelling video, A Different Kind of Courage, which incorporates the personal testimony of individual Service Members and military leaders. An evidence-based Suicide Prevention Program has been implemented in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools and is being expanded to High Impact Schools (i.e., community schools that include a high proportion of military dependents) to provide important mental health education to children and parents of children who are affected by Service Members deployment. This program is the only universal school-based suicide prevention program to show a reduction in suicidal behavior in a randomized controlled trial, and a program evaluation is underway to test its effectiveness in DoDEA and High Impact Schools. New graphics and content have been added to the on-line screening platform, including topical webinars delivered by leading experts in military mental health targeted for the education of the end users and for the continuing education of military health professionals, chaplains and family group leaders. A special kit of mental health educational resources designed specifically for readiness groups, chaplains and other groups helping family members has been developed and widely disseminated. Social marketing campaigns in military commissaries with customized products to deliver mental health messages and use of the program have recently been introduced as part of a larger ongoing mental health promotion campaign. DESCRIPTION The provision of a proactive mental health education program is a natural extension of ongoing efforts by the DoD to reach Service Members and their families with mental health information and support services. The program is designed is to help families and service personnel identify their own individual symptoms and access mental health assistance, ideally before a problem becomes urgent. The program is defined the high quality mental health consultation and education capabilities, evidence-based programs and products, and highly skilled technical assistance and customized promotion and outreach services, in addition to: On-line and Telephone Education, Screening and Referral (available 24/7, in English and Spanish); In-Person (Health Fair Events) Education, Screening and Referral (including an adequate number of Spanish-language mental health education kits); Evidence-based Suicide Prevention Program for Adolescents; DVD and other multi-media educational resources. In keeping with expanded program utilization and mental health education goals for FY2010, the program will develop as follows: Novel learning opportunities for users through the addition of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Video Doctor Technology, prompting health education interventions based on feedback from the evidence-based assessments and leading to increased user understanding, greater access to treatment options, and improved patient readiness for treatment. Treatment referral options will be simplified and demystified with the presentation with stepped-care options (i.e., starting with self-care suggestions and progressing through specialized in-patient care as a final step). Users will be educated about the nature of various options as needed and linked with resources. Questions/Items: The Government desires that respondents offer their experience and recommendations on the following questions as well as address their ability to provide the following requirements and suggest any proposed resources and/or materials needed to complete the functions indicated below: A. TECHNICAL SOLUTION: The broad goals of the mental health education program are: (a) to reduce stigma and educate military families and Service Members about mental health and alcohol services provided through the military, and (b) to encourage appropriate help-seeking and treatment of mental health and alcohol problems for military families and Service Members throughout the world, particularly those who have been affected by deployment and mobilization. The continuity and quality of these services must remain at the highest level of availability, confidentiality and trust to ensure Service Members and their families have this form of mental health education and referral available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Given these broadly stated goals, how can the military most effectively and efficiently provide the following program components? 1)Provision of year-round, voluntary, anonymous interactive on-line, telephone and in-person mental health and alcohol screening and referrals customized by location: Individual screening must use trusted, evaluated population-based assessment instruments and tailored feedback based on individualized assessment and referral recommendations. In-person events will coincide with National Alcohol and National Depression Screening Days. All registration, educational kit preparation, installation staff training and consultation will be provided for these days, or days elected by installations. All content included in the program must be provided in English and Spanish. 2)Provision of a nationally recognized, evidence-based suicide prevention and education program to Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS) and Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS). The program designed must address the unique mental health needs of military children and their families. 3)Provision of an interactive, online assessment to help parents to assess the mental health symptoms of their children and to provide parents with guidance for next steps. 4)Development of interactive streaming video and IVR technology to enhance Service Member and family treatment readiness and to guide follow-up referral process. The technology must incorporate branching decision-tree logic for clinical interviewing. 5)Development of on-line workbooks for each screened problem (depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use/abuse) as a self-help alternative in a stepped-care model of treatment. 6)Development of associated educational information material in diverse formats to support providers and end users, to include workbooks, webinars, and complimentary follow-up video production (using Service Member and military leader testimonials) to support, enhance, and expand previously offered program components and media (i.e.,A Different Kind of Courage, described above). 7)Development and implementation of a promotional campaign and adjunct materials (including PSAs, flyers, posters, direct mailings, etc.) to ensure Service Members and their families are aware of the Mental Health Education Program world-wide. Vendors are requested to provide creative and innovative approaches that could meet the requirements, objectives, and considerations summarized above, taking into consideration that educational content, business processes, websites, self-assessment systems etc., currently in use by the military are proprietary and copyrighted by the current vendor and would have to be recreated originally to provide at least the existing level of service. To demonstrate the vendors capabilities and experience, the Government requests examples of current or past programs including: (1) anonymous on-line, telephone, and in-person mental health assessment (with population-based instruments); world-wide (in English and Spanish), involving customized referrals; (2) national recognition and experience in creating, registering, promoting and staff training for mental health prevention; (3) evidence-based suicide prevention program development and implementation (in both Junior and Senior High Schools); (4) mental health education materials production and dissemination capabilities world-wide (i.e., video, kit, workbook, webinar, website and production); (5) mental health consultation and teaching capabilities; (6) interactive streaming video and IVR technology development and implementation to enhance healthcare treatment engagement and referral; (7) marketing and promotional campaigns for mental health programs. The vendor shall specify their specific role in all programs described (e.g., technical and content development) and their current capability to develop, support and sustain such programs world-wide, continuously, confidentially, and readily accessible on a 24-hour basis. B. BENEFITS: What are the functional, educational and technical benefits (both qualitative and quantitative) of the recommended solution(s) relative to the other possible solutions? C. TIMELINE: What is a feasible and realistic implementation timeline for the recommended solution(s)? D. COST DRIVERS: To the degree practicable, please discuss the cost drivers and components associated with the proposed solution(s)? How do these costs compare to other potential solutions? E. RISKS: What are the most significant risks involved with the recommended solution(s)? How do these risks compare to other alternatives? How will the risks for the proposed solution(s) be mitigated? F. GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT APPROACH: What type of governance model and organizational structure would you recommend for this effort? Consider technical and non-technical aspects and provide examples of comparable efforts. G. ACQUISITION STRATEGY: What type of acquisition strategy would you recommend for these types of solution(s)? Include pricing strategies in your response. Please consider the pros and cons of alternative approaches. H. LESSONS LEARNED: What lessons-learned would you offer the DoD in implementing and adding value to the comprehensive mental health education program as currently implemented (see Background Section). Submission Procedures: Please follow the steps described below when submitting a response to this RFI: Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) may be submitted via email or on CD in Word format (2000 or later format) no later than March 25, 2009, as follows: jill.carty@ha.osd.mil; rodonda.thompson@tma.osd.mil or mail to the attention of TMA Procurement Support Attn: RoDonda Thompson, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Suite 810, Falls Church VA 22041. The information obtained shall be used for market research purposes and is not intended to substitute as a request for proposals. Please limit your responses to 15 pages. As this is only a Request for Information, any and all submissions will be accepted from all sources. Submissions should specify the RFI identifier on the package as well as on all documents submitted. Please direct any questions or comments to both Jill Carty and RoDonda Thompson at the e-mail addresses above. No telephonic questions will be accepted. All information submitted in response to this RFI is subject to public release; proprietary or trade secret information should not be submitted. The Contracting Officer does not have any additional information for this RFI.
- Web Link
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FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=089503f8173baa20c5680b6a6a2c58b7&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: TRICARE Management Activity ATTN: Psychological Health Strategic Operations, 5111 Leesburg Pike, Suite 810 Falls Church VA<br />
- Zip Code: 22041<br />
- Zip Code: 22041<br />
- Record
- SN01773773-W 20090321/090319221257-089503f8173baa20c5680b6a6a2c58b7 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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