Inactive

This is a potential 5-year contract so please send in SAM active registration along with your stated socio-economic preference and technical cabilities for this sources sought notice via email to addl... This is a potential 5-year contract so please send in SAM active registration along with your stated socio-economic preference and technical cabilities for this sources sought notice via email to addlene.williams@va.gov 1. Eligibility and Duration The contractor shall furnish community-based residential and treatment services to veterans with chronic mental illness as specifically authorized by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) for a period yearly basis (12 months). An extension of an additional one year will be considered after for yearly basis with option year to extend on a five-year extension basis. All extensions will require justification and approval from the veteran’s treating physician and the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative, subject to the availability of funds. It is understood the chronically mentally ill veterans to be cared for under this contract will require services over and above closed facility room and board. Residential housing services must be “community-based” whereby veterans are housed within an integrated housing community consisting of veterans and non-veterans. To be eligible for placement in the community-based housing unit, all Veterans must be diagnosed as chronically mentally ill, e.g., condition of schizophrenia, major affective disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety, homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless and be eligible and registered for VA services. Within the limits of city and state laws, the contractor agrees to accept Veterans from a variety of backgrounds, including those being released from jail or prison. The contractor will be prepared to accept admissions upon short notice, sometimes during nights and weekends. 2. The contractor shall furnish each Veteran authorized care under this contract with the following basic services: a. Residential Room and Board (1) The residential housing unit shall be community-based, integrated with residents from the general population. Veterans should have access to a phone line and should be able to access their voicemails/phone messages at regular intervals. The contractor shall ensure that nutritious meals are provided for veteran program participants. Food shall be prepared, served and stored under sanitary conditions. The housing unit shall provide refrigerated storage space in each room for veterans to store personal food. The housing unit shall establish and maintain sanitary procedures for washing dishes, cleaning equipment and work areas, and disposing of waste. At least three nutritious meals or their equivalent shall be served daily at regular times with not more than a 14-hour span between evening meal and breakfast of the following day. Snacks of nourishing quality, i.e. fruits, shall be offered between meals or bedtime. Veterans have the right to wear their own clothing. (2) Room and shower configuration. The housing unit shall provide private rooms consistent with other non-veteran resident living quarters within the housing unit. Bathrooms and showers may be shared as clinically appropriate, provided the safety of Veterans is assured. The housing unit shall further ensure that the safety, privacy and personal dignity of both female and male Veterans is assured. Rooms shall be equipped with linens provided by the housing unit consistent with health life and safety standards. (3) Be kept clean free of dirt, grime, mold, or other hazardous substances and damaged noticeably detract from the overall appearance. (4) Be equipped with first aid equipment and written disaster plan that is written in coordination with local emergency response unit. (5) Have an aggressive on-going plan to address bed bug infestation consistent with city code and state law. On-going bed bug infestation will be grounds for immediate discharge of Veterans from the facility. (6) The building must meet the requirements of the applicable residential occupancy chapters of the current version of NFPA 101, National Fire Protection Association's Life Safety Code. Any equivalencies or variances must be approved by SFVAHCS Director. (7) Fire exit drills must be held at least monthly. Residents must be instructed in evacuation procedures when the primary and/or secondary exits are blocked. A written fire plan for evacuation in the event of fire shall be developed and reviewed annually. The plan shall outline the duties, responsibilities and actions to be taken by the staff and residents in the event of a fire emergency. This plan shall be implemented during fire exit drills. (8) A written policy regarding tobacco smoking in the housing unit shall be established and enforced. (9) Portable fire extinguishers shall be installed at the housing unit. Use NFPA 10, Portable Fire Extinguishers, as guidance in selection and location requirements of extinguishers. (10) Requirements for fire protection equipment and systems shall be in accordance with NFPA 101. All fire protection systems and equipment, such as the fire alarm system, smoke detectors, and portable extinguishers, shall be inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the applicable NFPA fire codes and the results documented. (11) For this request the delivery of performance is from April 01, 2023 thru September 30, 2023 with the option to extend on a yearly basis for five years through September 30, 2027. b. Laundry Laundry facilities shall be provided for residents to do their own laundry. c. Therapeutic Services The contractor will provide individualized housing, treatment and recovery services determined to be needed by the veteran in a plan developed by the contractor in consultation with the Veteran and the VA treatment coordinator and/or other appropriate VA staff. Services which the contractor must be able to furnish, either directly or by referral to VA or community resources, include: (1) On-site Case Management including: Individual counseling, therapeutic groups, substance abuse support, family interventions, social skills training, self-care and adaptive coping skills training, vocational counseling, recreational activities, coordination of medical care, discharge planning. These services are provided in collaboration with VA programs and community resources. (2) On-Site Behavioral Services including: Behavioral assessment, needs assessment, behavioral interventions, conduct modification training, motivational enhancement, independent living skills training, financial readiness training, housing services, financial and benefit counseling, transportation training, and facilitating community engagement activities (which may include community outings/events facilitated by program staff as well as encouraging individual participation in communities outside the program relevant to client preferences (guitar classes, student clubs, religious communities, LGBTQ organizations, Parkinson's support group, senior centers, meeting with friends), and discharge planning. (3) VA Coordinating services: Coordination and referral to appropriate Veterans Affairs health, mental health, and other services, including VA residential treatment programs for addiction, homelessness, and/or PTSD, as well as outpatient treatment as recommended by VA providers. Staff will assist Veterans in accessing VA care and overcoming technology, organization, and transportation barriers. Contractor will communicate in a timely way with VA staff about notable clinical events, such as new medical or mental health symptoms, unexpected departure from the facility, intoxication, etc. At a minimum, contractor must notify Contracting Officer’s Representative within one calendar day d. Discharge Planning: The contractor’s program staff, in conjunction with the VA Mental Health Treatment Coordinators / Mental Health staff, will aid with discharge planning. Housing needs will be assessed upon arrival and resources will be coordinated for discharge to a successful permanent, community-based housing placement. Mental health treatment coordinators include physicians, licensed clinical social workers, and psychologists, who ensure Veteran mental health needs are properly addressed. 1. The Program is expected to assist with the formulation of an initial discharge plan within thirty days of admission to the program, that includes identified objectives and target dates for task completion(s), and for which progress shall be evaluated and documented on an ongoing basis for the duration of the veteran’s admission. 2. At the time of discharge, whether planned or unplanned, the program will follow the appropriate procedure for handling and documenting Veteran discharges. This includes: notifying the identified VA MHTC or designee within 24 business hours that a discharge has occurred. A written report of the discharge that contains follow up contact information for the veteran, a summary of goals completed/not completed, should be submitted to VA MHTC or designee within 48 business hours of discharge. e. Management of Medications: Medications and narcotics shall be properly stored, controlled, issued, and recorded in compliance with physicians’ orders. Medications will be stored and distributed according to Joint Commission Medication Security Standards; and under proper medical supervision by properly licensed and credentialed staff; as defined by law and by regulation of the jurisdiction in which the housing unit is constructed. Contractor is expected to provide, at a minimum, a means of securely and properly storing all medications brought into the program for Veteran use. Veterans may self-administer medications, but storage should ensure that no other residents are able to access an individual Veterans medication. Any suspicion or concern of misuse is to be reported to VA Clinician immediately following incident reporting protocol. f. Clinical Issues: 1. A written protocol will be established and reviewed with SFVAMC by phone or in person clinicians with a plan for managing medical and behavioral emergencies, including severe psychiatric symptoms, self-harm and violence, severe alcohol withdrawal (delirium tremens), and management of intoxication. 2. Veterans are not to be accepted into a VA contracted bed without receipt and review of all referring documentation, including a mental health evaluation and TB screening documentation. g. Transportation: 1. Transportation: The Contractor shall support the Veterans with finding solutions for their local transportation needs (e.g., to scheduled meetings, appointments, etc.) At a minimum, the Contractor will be expected to help the Veteran by providing information and instructions necessary to enable Veterans to utilize public transportation. If VA or contractor staff determines that adequate public transportation is not available or appropriate for a Veteran, the Contractor shall engage Veteran in problem solving effort to identify and utilize alternative methods of transportation. 3. Billing Unless specifically excluded in this contract, the per diem rate established will include the services listed in this document and will also include all services or supplies normally provided other residents by the facility without extra charge. Payments made by the VA under this contract shall constitute the TOTAL cost of care and housing of the homeless Veterans. If a beneficiary is admitted to or discharged from the program on the same calendar day, payment will not be authorized. Absences of the Veteran from the residential housing unit for more than 2 days will not be reimbursed. 4. Staffing a. The contractor shall employ sufficient professional staff and other personnel to carry out the policies and procedures of the program. There must be at a minimum: Full-time program manager, responsible for the overall functioning of the program including assurance that all policies and procedures are being followed, coordination of weekly staff meetings, management of staff and be available by phone 24 hours daily, 7 days a week. Part-time behavioral health specialist with a minimum of a bachelor’s level education in psychology, social work, or other human services related field to carry a maximum caseload of 30 veterans each. The behavioral specialist will provide on-site behavioral groups and individual services. Those with experience working with Veterans with mental health and/or substance use disorders should be given preference. Part-time case manager with a minimum of a bachelor’s level education in psychology, social work, or other human services-related field to carry a maximum caseload of 30 veterans each. The case manager will provide on-site case management, therapeutic and skills groups, as well as support Veteran access to medical care and transportation, and referral services to VA and community organizations. Those with experience in homeless service coordination and working with Veterans with mental health and/or substance use disorders will be given preference. Program Monitor(s) to complement staff so that the facility has an employee on-duty, available for emergencies, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The employee on duty may be any staff able to respond to a medical or safety emergency and ensure residential housing unit evacuation in the event of an emergency. b. Staff providing clinical services will be appropriately licensed and credentialed, with licensed supervision consistent with laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which the residential housing unit is constructed. c. The VA reserves the right to refuse or revoke acceptance of key personnel and request alternatives if personal or professional conduct, or lack of required skills or experience, jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. d. Once work has begun under this contract, Contractor personnel shall be expected to treat referred Veterans with dignity and respect and abides by standards of conduct mirroring those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. e. Temporary substitutions of key personnel shall be permitted in accordance with the Contractor’s contingency plan. The Contractor’s contingency plan to be utilized if personnel leave Contractor’s employment or are unable to continue performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. 5. Records and Reports The contractor shall make available to the VA, documentary information deemed necessary by the VA to conduct utilization review audits for the mandated national evaluation study as required by Section 2 of Public Law 100-6; to verify quality of care for Veterans, to assure confidentiality of care for Veterans, to assure confidentiality of Veteran record information, and to determine the completeness and accuracy of financial records. The contractor shall maintain an individual client record on each Veteran admitted under this contract. The contractor shall comply with the requirement of the “Confidentiality of Certain Medical Records (38 USC 4132) and the “Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient” (42 CFR, Part II). All case records shall be secured and confidential. Records will be made available on a need-to-know basis to appropriate VA staff members involved with the treatment program of the Veterans concerned. The files shall include: a. Reasons for referral. b. All essential identifying data relevant to the resident and his/her family including a socio-cultural assessment, weekly progress reports or notes, TB screening results, and documentation of any case management interventions or patient care conferences. c. Copies of any medical prescriptions issued by physicians, including orders, if any, for medications to be taken. d. Final summaries on each resident who leaves the program, to include reasons for leaving, urine toxicology results as indicated, the resident’s future, and follow-up locator information. e. Veterans served through VA’s HCHV residential contract/emergency housing program must have client level data entered the local community Continuum of Care’s (Coca) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Data entered must include, at a minimum, the Universal Data Elements from the 2010 HMIS Data Standards. 6. Fire, Safety, and Sanitation Practices a. The housing unit shall conform to the standards of the Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association #101, Chapters 10 and 11. For additional information, or to obtain copies, contact NFPA: http://www.nfpa.org, NFPA Headquarters address: National Fire Protection Association, 1 Battery march park, Quincy, MA 02269, Phone: 617-770-3000 Fax: 617-770-0700. The housing unit shall meet the requirements of Public Law 100-336, 42 USC 12101-12213, Americans with Disabilities Act pertaining to handicapped accessibility in effect on the date of contract award. The housing unit shall also conform to the fire and safety code imposed by the State which adequately protects residents. b. The housing unit shall conform to building occupancy limits as determined by relevant local authorities in the jurisdiction in which the housing unit was constructed. c. The housing unit shall conform to Joint Commission and VA pest control practices (to include bedbug protocols) as enumerated in M-1, Part VII, Chapter 2, Pest Management Operations: The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Public Law 92-516 dated October 21, 1972, as amended. CFR, Title 40, Part 171.11 (C) (2)., or local and state regulations as applicable. e. The housing unit shall ensure safe conditions in electrical and ventilation systems consistent with Joint Commission, state, and local regulations, as applicable. f. The housing unit shall comply with infection control (to include pest control, such as bedbugs) hazardous materials management and other environment of care standards as outlined by Joint Commission Standards. The housing unit generally will comply with any other Joint Commission standards, as applicable. 7. VA Patient’s Bill of Rights The contractor shall comply with the VA Patient’s Bill of Rights as set forth in Section 17.34a, Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations. 8. The VA and contractor may seek mutually agreeable contract modifications through the VA Contracting Officer; as allowed under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and relevant VA acquisition regulation, subject to availability of funds.