SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Legal Services Providers
- Notice Date
- 6/15/2015
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541199
— All Other Legal Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Division of Acquisition Management, 12501 Ardennes Avenue, Suite 400, Rockville, Maryland, 20857, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20857
- Solicitation Number
- RFP15-233-SOL-00264
- Archive Date
- 7/30/2015
- Point of Contact
- Shanelle Jackson, Phone: 3014432367
- E-Mail Address
-
Shanelle.Jackson@psc.hhs.gov
(Shanelle.Jackson@psc.hhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The proposed acquisition listed herein is unrestricted. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Program Support Center, Acquisition Management Services intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) on behalf of the Office Of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) for a fixed price/time and material contract for legal service providers. The RFP number is 15-233-SOL-00264. The NAICS code is 541199. Background: On March 1, 2002, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, §462, 6 U.S.C. § 279, transferred the functions under U.S. immigration laws regarding the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children (UC) from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The Division of Unaccompanied Children's Services (DUCS) was created within ORR to serve this purpose, in 2011 ORR reorganized and the UC program was brought under the newly formed Division of Children's Services (DCS). The UC population includes those who: (1) have no lawful immigration status in the United States; (2) have not attained 18 years of age; and (3) with respect to whom - (i) there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States; or (ii) no parent or legal guardian in the United States is available to provide care and physical custody. On December 23, 2008, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA) was passed. The law modified and expanded HHS' role in the care of UC. Relevant to this Statement of Work, section 235(c)(5) of the (TVPRA), 8 U.S.C. § 1232(c)(5) states, "[t]he Secretary of Health and Human Services shall ensure, to the greatest extent practicable and consistent with section 292 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1362), that all unaccompanied alien children who are or have been in the custody of the Secretary [of HHS] or the Secretary of Homeland Security... have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings... To the greatest extent practicable, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall make every effort to utilize the services of pro bono counsel who agree to provide representation to such children without charge." ORR identifies care options and placements for UC in licensed shelters, group homes, secure facilities, or foster care, according to their specific needs. In making placements, ORR is guided by the principles that all UC should be treated with dignity, respect, and special concern for their particular vulnerability, all UC must be placed in the least restrictive setting that is in the best interest of the UC, and each UC shall be provided care and services free from discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, or political belief. UC are particularly vulnerable, having faced traumatic situations in their home countries, such as dire poverty, war, forced military or gang recruitment, human trafficking, domestic violence, abuse, familial separation and government neglect. Some are also very young, most have little or no formal education, and are primarily non-English speaking. After apprehension by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and transfer to ORR, these children face a complicated legal system. Over 90% of UC were released to the custody of a sponsor in FY14 while awaiting their immigration proceedings; most UC immigration cases are not resolved until after they are released from ORR. Therefore, in addition to the legal services provided while in custody, post-release pro-bono and direct representation are an essential part of the continuity of legal services to be performed by the contractor. Professional legal counsel assists in educating the children of their rights, determining if the children qualify for any immigration relief from removal back to their home countries, and applying for identified relief. Continuity of legal representation for UC improves efficiency in ORR facilities and in the immigration court system. It also increases the ability of UC to obtain the relief for which they qualify. Purpose: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) requires Contractors to implement regional programs providing legal services to unaccompanied alien children (UC). One or more contracts will be awarded per region where there are a large number of ORR bed capacity and released UC. Each Contractor will provide legal services directly to UC within region(s) in order to ensure comprehensive and efficient delivery of legal services within the region(s). Each Contractor will be required to coordinate with ORR and with other Contractors from different regions to ensure seamless, consistent, quality legal services across the nation. The UC legal services to be delivered in each region will include the following activities for UC who are either in ORR custody or formerly were in ORR custody: • Pro Bono legal representation to the greatest extent practicable; • Direct representation to the greatest extent practicable; • Screenings for legal relief and for human trafficking concerns; • Friends of the court services where applicable and allowed under local immigration court rules; and • Know Your Rights (KYR) presentations. In addition, each Contractor shall collaborate with the Executive Office For Immigration Review (EOIR) in providing legal orientation presentations to sponsors' of UC. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is seeking procurement of up to six (6) contracts for the following entities: • Region A: Region A covers the states within HHS Region 6. This includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. • Region B: Region B covers the states within HHS Regions 9 and 10. This includes California; Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii. • Region C: Region C covers the states within HHS Regions 5, 7, and 8. This includes Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, and Utah. • Region D: Region D covers the states within HHS Region 4. This includes Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. • Region E: Region E covers the states with HHS Region 3. This includes Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C. Maryland, and Pennsylvania. • Region F: Region F covers the states within HHS Regions 1 and 2. This includes New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. The period of performance is anticipated to be a base with four (4) option periods. The RFP will be made available electronically at https://www.fbo.gov immediately following the issuance of this notice. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. The closing date will be approximately 30 days after issuance of the RFP.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/PSC/DAM/RFP15-233-SOL-00264/listing.html)
- Record
- SN03764348-W 20150617/150615234424-4036d8f2ed1ab30a7049845f1d6c4461 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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