SOLICITATION NOTICE
Q -- HCHV Services- New VoA Contract to replace RSSM Services
- Notice Date
- 6/10/2010
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 624229
— Other Community Housing Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veteran Affairs;VA Medical Center (90 CSC);1481 West Tenth Street;Indianapolis IN 46202
- ZIP Code
- 46202
- Solicitation Number
- VA25110RP0246
- Response Due
- 6/20/2010
- Archive Date
- 7/20/2010
- Point of Contact
- Lisa Frymier
- E-Mail Address
-
ical
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Battle Creek, Michigan VA Medical Center, 5500 Armstrong Road, Battle Creek, Michigan intends to negotiate with Volunteers of America- Michigan to provide services as part of its Community Based Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program. The proposed action is for the HCHV program, which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one (1) source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1(a)(2). The Government believes that only one (1) responsible source can provide the services that will satisfy the agency requirements. The goal of the HCHV program is to remove homeless Veterans from the street or habitation unfit for Veterans and place them in community-based, residential environments with sufficient therapeutic services to meet the needs of those Veterans. Through the HCHV program, VA provides case management services to Veterans and facilitates their access to a broad range of medical, mental health, and rehabilitative services. The purpose of the solicitation will be to obtain proposals from contractors who can provide care, treatment and rehabilitative services to veterans suffering from serious mental illness, including veterans who are homeless, in community-based treatment facilities offering a safe and secure environment that supports their rehabilitation goals. The Contractor will be required to provide therapeutic and rehabilitative services, but will not be required to provide detoxification or other hospital level treatment - those services will be provided by the VA at VA facilities. Due to the urgent nature of this requirement, contractors will be required to demonstrate their ability to provide services within a 2-week period after contract award. Initial contract awards are expected to be on or about June 25, 2010. __________ Statement of Work A.General Objectives and Requirements Title of Project: Transitional Living Program Purpose of Project: This collaborative project will offer shelter, meals, employment related services, substance abuse referral, and referral to other services as needed, as coordinated by a case manager that address the causes and effects of homelessness in a community-based setting. Requirements include provision of direct services in a safe, sober environment, which supports recovery and meets the needs of homeless Veterans. Background Information: Volunteers of America Michigan (VOAMI) is the provider of three Homeless Programs for Veterans: 1) 18-bed Grant & Per Diem Program which provides transitional housing to homeless veterans for up to 24 months, and 2); 22-bed expansion Program which provides transitional housing to homeless Veterans for up to 24 months; 3) and a 16-bed Contract Residential Program which provides homeless housing for up to 6 months to severely mentally ill homeless Veterans as well as those Veterans who reside in homeless shelters and/or places not fit for human habitation. This Program is uniquely designed to provide homeless housing to female Veterans as well as provide intensive case management services to homeless Veterans whose mental health is fragile. Because the Homeless Programs are located on-site on the same campus it allows for an easy transition of Veterans from the Contract Residential Program to the Grant & Per Diem Programs, when clinically determined, which ensures continued engagement and easy transition of the Veterans from one level of care to another. This set up is less disruptive to treatment and serves to ensure that the personal and community supports established by the Veterans are maintained and/or enhanced. The service will be provided in the 18-bed facility managed by Volunteers of America Michigan (VOAMI) which currently service Berrien, Cass and Van Buren County veterans first then veterans come from other areas in Michigan and Indiana. Collaborating Agencies: Volunteers of America Michigan is uniquely positioned, having developed partnerships with several community agencies to provide services to homeless Veterans. Services include medical and disability services, Veteran benefits planning, life skills training, dental care, emergency shelter, support groups, money management techniques, substance abuse treatment, income entitlements, educational and employment training. Volunteers of America-Michigan are located at the hub of homeless services for Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties all of which are in the catchments area of Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center. B.Scope and Methodology Scope: This collaborative partnership will provide services to homeless Veterans from the Berrien County and surrounding areas. The services will be provided in the 18-bed facility managed by Volunteers of America-Michigan. Collaboration with numerous area agencies will lend diversified support services. Referral Methodology: Veterans eligible for the Contract Residential Treatment Program are those who are identified as being homeless. This may include Veterans with a service-connected chronic mental health diagnosis (who must be accorded highest priority), Veterans with any service-connected disability, or Veterans with a non- service-connected disability. These Veterans will be identified by the treatment teams working in the community, in shelters, in missions, or in the streets. Eligibility/Admissions Criteria: 1.Homelessness is defined as: a.An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; b.An individual who has a primary night time residence that is- i.A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill; ii.An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or iii.A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. 2.Are diagnosed with a serious mental illness or substance use disorder, 3.Are eligible for VA medical care, and 4.Are vulnerable and living in unsafe conditions. 5.Additional criteria to be considered under good clinical judgment: a.Mental health is stable: Suicidal or homicidal ideations or behaviors must be addressed and stabilized prior to consideration for admission. b.Physical health is stable: Medical concerns requiring hospitalization must be addressed prior to consideration for admission. c.Nominal sobriety: The Veteran may require detoxification prior to consideration for admission. 6.Priority ranking for treatment: (primarily Veterans most in need) a.Chronicity: The episodes or duration of homelessness, b.Vulnerability: The lack of protection from danger or the risk a Veteran faces due to the Veteran's homelessness which is compounded by the Veteran's mental illness and substance abuse NOTE: For purposes of this act, the term "homeless" or "homeless individual" does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of Congress or a State law. Length of Stay: HCHV Contract Residential Program contract funds are available for short and intermediate term placements in residential treatment facilities. Depending upon the needs of the Veteran, or as mutually determined by the Veteran and the HCHV Program treatment team, the length of stay at VA cost may be authorized for up to 6 months. In rare instances, more than 6 months of contract-supported residential treatment may be provided with the approval of the Coordinator of the HCHV Program under the authority of the Chief of Social Work Service at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center. 1.Length of stay at VA cost will be initially authorized for up to 6 months, depending upon the needs of the patient as mutually determined by the: a.Patient, b.Residential treatment staff, and c.VA HCHV treatment team. 2.The Chief of the responsible service may recommend an additional 6 months of contract-supported residential treatment with the Chief of Staff's approval with such funding as is authorized. This authorization may be delegated as appropriate by the Chief of Staff. 3.The Contract Residential Treatment Program is a distinct program from the Grant and Per Diem Program and those funding streams are to remain separate and distinct. C.Service Methodology 1.An interdisciplinary VA team consisting of a social worker, nurse, an engineering service safety officer and, as appropriate, other designees of the VA Medical Center Director must conduct a survey of the Contract Residential Treatment Program prior to the award of a contract. 2.Individualized treatment plans are developed through a joint effort of the Veteran, contract facility staff and the HCHV Program staff. Treatment plans must be developed for each Veteran based on input from HCHV Program staff assessments, other VA clinical data, and the Veteran. 3.Individual treatment plans and discharge summaries must be maintained by the Contract Residential Treatment Program on each Veteran provided treatment under the HCHV contract. Within 1 month of a Veteran's discharge from a Contract Residential Treatment Program, the program will provide the VA medical care facility with a copy of the Veteran's treatment plan and discharge summary for incorporation into the Veteran's VA medical record. 4.Therapeutic and rehabilitative services must be provided by the contract facility as described in the treatment plan. In some cases, VA may complement the residential treatment facility's program with added treatment services such as participation in VA Outpatient programs (i.e., CWT, Incentive Therapy, Mental Health Clinic, Substance Abuse treatment, etc.). D.Tasks 1.Volunteers of America Michigan will comply with the following VA standards, which are based on 38 CFR, Section 17.53b. a.Legal: i.Both residential and ambulatory care settings must meet: ii.The standards of the Life Safety Code (National Fire Protection Association (NFPA #101) iii.The fire and safety code imposed by the State law; and iv.City, State, and Federal requirements concerning licensing and health codes. 2.All residential treatment settings must be licensed as required for the particular setting under State or Federal authority. a.Accreditation and Licensing: Accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and/or Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF ) is evidence of internal quality assurance mechanisms and is desirable, but is not required. Where applicable, the residential treatment setting must have a current occupancy permit issued by the authority having jurisdiction. b.Privacy Act: The notification and contract clauses entitled "Privacy Act Notification," as specified in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 52.224-1 and 52.224-2, shall be incorporated into this contract by the contracting officer. 3.Basic Services which must be provided include the following: a.A supervised environment which will be staffed on a 24-hour basis; b.Room and board; c.Laundry facilities available for residents to do their own laundry; and 4.Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Services including: a.Structured activities; i.e., resident participation in group sessions dependent upon resident preference and the VA case manager and residential treatment setting staff recommendations; b.A variety of group activities, including physical activities, as appropriate; c.Health and personal hygiene counseling; d.Monitoring of medications; e.Supportive social service, in collaboration with the case managers, VA or other community resources; f.Professional counseling as required, including emphasis on self care skills, adaptive coping skills and, as appropriate, vocational counseling, in collaboration with VA or community resources; g.Opportunities for immediate learning and/or development of independent living skills with a goal of achieving a more adaptive level of psychosocial functioning; h.Support for an alcohol and/or drug-free lifestyle; and i.Opportunities for: i.Learning, and internalizing knowledge of the illness and/or recovery process; ii.Improving social skills; and iii.Improving personal relationships. 5.Discharge from Contract Residential Treatment: discharge from a Contract Residential Treatment Program is based on individual treatment outcomes and are either planned or unplanned discharges: 6.Planned discharges are usually accomplished with those veterans who have achieved treatment goals, obtained employment or income, or found housing. 7.Veterans may be discharged due to non-compliance with the Contract Residential Treatment Program or local HCHV Program rules (i.e., substance abuse, violation of treatment contract, administrative removal for violation or program rules, threatening and/or violent behavior towards Veterans and/or staff, etc.). 8.Should a patient referred to a residential care setting be absent in an unauthorized manner, payment for services for that Veteran to the residential treatment setting may be continued for a period of 2 days, provided there is an active outreach attempt on the part of the Contract Residential Treatment Program staff to return the Veteran to the program and a strong likelihood that the patient will return. E.Oversight 1.Records and Reports: a.An individual clinical record will be developed with the assistance of the HCHV staff and maintained by the residential treatment staff on each veteran receiving treatment under this contract. b.The Residential Treatment Program must comply with the requirements of the "Confidentiality of Certain Medical Records" (38 U.S.C. 7332), and the "Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patients Records" (42 CFR, Part II) when appropriate, and shall be part of the contract. c.All case records will be maintained with such security and confidentiality as required, and will be made available on a need-to-know basis to appropriate VA staff members involved with the treatment program of the veterans concerned. d.The clinical record maintained by the Contract Residential Treatment Program will include: i.Reasons for referral; ii.Essential identifying data relevant to the Veteran and Veteran's family; iii.Data relating to the Veteran's admission, to include the targeted individual goals for constructive changes which are to be attained during the veteran's stay at the residential treatment setting; iv.Record or log of medical prescriptions issued by physicians; v.Reports of periodic reevaluation by program staff, to include any measures of movement toward rehabilitation goals; and vi.Final summaries on each Veteran who leaves the program, to include a description of beneficial changes realized during the residential period, reasons for leaving, the veteran's future plans, and, if possible, follow-up locator information. e.In addition to the clinical record maintained by the Contract Residential Treatment Program staff, a consolidated health record (CHR) will be maintained in the local VA Mental Health Outpatient Program for each Veteran in contract placement and those seen by on-going outreach efforts. These records will meet the standards required by the Mental Health Service. All community-based visits will be recorded and monitored separately for reporting purposes for the duration of the project and will be included in the VA medical center's workload reporting. f.VA case managers will assist in the development and maintenance of clinical records established by both the VA medical center and the residential treatment setting. g.Treatment plans will be completed by VA HCHV teams in conjunction with the non-VA residential treatment program and the Veteran working together to develop a plan that is acceptable to all involved. The non-VA program will send a copy of the final summary to the VA medical center within 1 month of the Veteran leaving the non-VA residential treatment program. 2.Inspections: Annual inspections of the Transitional Living Program at Volunteers of America Michigan shall be made on a yearly basis by an interdisciplinary team including such VA medical facility personnel as the Director considers necessary to ensure that the setting provides quality care in a safe environment. As site visits are accomplished by VA program personnel, attention will be directed to the adequacy of Veterans' records, and include a review of patient records to ensure contractor invoices accurately reflect the Veterans' length of stay. 3.There will be a minimum of four (quarterly) meetings annually between the Battle Creek VAMC staff and the VOAMI staff. 4.The program will conform to CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) standards although not required. F.Qualitative Analysis 1.Consumer satisfaction with program and services. Veterans will complete an anonymous NEPEC Satisfaction Survey Form following 30 days in the program to be included with other monthly NEPEC reports. 2.Volunteers of America Michigan shall make documented information available to the VA, as deemed necessary to: a.Conduct utilization review audits for the mandated national evaluation study, b.Verify quality of patient care for Veterans, c.Ensure confidentiality of patient record information, and d.Determine the completeness and accuracy of financial records 3.Assessment of treatment outcome at periodic intervals is of value to case management teams. Veterans provided placement at Volunteers of America Michigan under the HCHV program, must be included in VA program follow-up activities as part of the continuing support and monitoring of the quality of care by the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Such visits will be recorded as community-based visits and tracked in the same manner as the other outreach visits. 4.Staffing: sufficient staff must be provided (i.e., in numbers and position residential qualifications) to carry out the policies, responsibilities, and therapeutic activities of the treatment program. a.In residential treatment settings there must be at a minimum a full-time staff member or designee available for emergencies 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. b.In those instances where a supervised residential setting is linked to a geographically distinct rehabilitation and/or socialization day program, sufficient staff must be provided to staff the necessary therapeutic activities to ensure a meaningful integration of these efforts with those provided in the residential setting. 5.Student Internship: Student training at the MSW level is an important responsibility of Social Work Service and the Battle Creek VAMC. Our general objective is to ensure that our contract community partners provide comprehensive field work training for students that will enable them to function with competence at the beginning level of their social work specialty. 6.There shall be a one-to-one ratio of student to social worker to ensure that appropriate clinical supervision is given to the student, and to ensure that appropriate clinical care is provided to Veterans. Student training requires close cooperation between the school and the field agency. Together, the goal is threefold: a.To develop attitudes that will enable students to think and act professionally. b.To develop knowledge which will enable students to think and act logically and systematically. c.To acquire skills for transferring attitudes and knowledge into practice. Student Selection: 1.Second-year students: a.Student has a good background in theoretical concepts of human growth and development and if possible, some knowledge of pathology. b.Student has a solid background in treatment. c.Student has a strong interest in entering the Social Work Health Care Field. d.Student impresses us as having the maturity and stability in past performance to successfully function in a psychiatric setting. 2.First-year students: The same as above, except that we would expect the student to be enrolled in classes teaching theoretical concepts of treatment. __________ This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government. Responses received on or before June 19, 2010, will be considered. To be eligible for consideration, contractors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration data base at www.ccr.gov. The NAICS Code is 624229. Registration is free and potential offerors are encouraged to visit that CCR website and register as soon as possible to avoid delays should they be selected for a contract award. Questions concerning this announcement should be directed to the Contract Specialist using the e-mail link provided. Responses must be submitted in writing to the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Attention: Lisa Frymier, Contracting Specialist (90CSC), 1481 W. 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, email at Lisa.Frymier@va.gov or fax at 317-988-1809. Responses must be received no later than 4:00pm, June 10, 2010. No telephone inquiries will be accepted.
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