Attachment 1 - Draft NCC SAH PWS.pdf

Attachment 1

National Call Center (NCC) and Sexual Abuse Hotline (SAH)

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

C.1 PURPOSE:

The purpose of this requirement is to obtain contractor support services to assume the current National Call Center and Sexual Abuse Hotlines (NCC-SAH). The NCC-SAH provide child welfare community-based referrals, post release service (PRS) referrals, and referrals to the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) via Requests for Assistance (RFA) for crisis intervention.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) National Call Center (NCC) provides additional critical functions such as:

• Coordination with child welfare entities,

• Referrals and coordination with PRS providers,

• Referrals and coordination with OTIP,

• Coordination with Aspire,

• Coordination with the National Center for Exploited Children (NCMEC),

• Reporting and coordination with local law enforcement entities, and

• Reporting and coordination with state and local Child Protective Services (CPS) entities.

The ORR Unaccompanied Children (UC) Policy Guide §1.5 Placement Inquiries and 1.5.1 ORR NCC states, “Individuals looking for an unaccompanied alien child who may be in ORR custody may contact the ORR National Call Center, at 1 (800) 203-7001 for information. The ORR National Call Center staff reviews the information to see if the unaccompanied child is currently in ORR custody. The call center staff contacts the caller and notifies them whether the child is in ORR custody, taking safety issues into consideration. The ORR NCC can aid with filing a ‘change of venue’/’change of address’ motion in immigration proceedings and provide vaccination records upon request. The ORR NCC creates safety plans for children or sponsors experiencing domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, self-harm (including suicide attempts), placement disruption, and human trafficking. The ORR NCC reports, as appropriate, matters of concern to ORR, local law enforcement, and/or local child protective services and refers potential victims of human trafficking to the Office on Trafficking in Persons."

C.2 BACKGROUND:

On March 1, 2003, §462 of the Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002 transferred functions under U.S. immigration laws regarding the care and placement of UC from the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Director of ORR. The UC Program was created within ORR to serve this purpose. 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.

Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008, and the Flores Settlement Agreement (No. CV85-4544-RJK (C.D. Cal. 1996)), ORR is responsible for providing care and custody of all UC who have been referred by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security within 72 hours of apprehension. ORR's main function is to provide temporary residential care in the least restrictive setting (UC Policy Guide §1.4.1 Least Restrictive Setting). ORR identifies care options and placements for UC in shelters, group homes, secure facilities, or foster care, according to their specific needs. ORR takes into consideration the unique nature of each child’s situation and incorporates child welfare principles when making placement, clinical, case management, and release decisions that are in the best interest of the child.

On December 24, 2014, the U.S. Department of Health, and Human Services (HHS) published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) under 45 CFR Part 411, Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment Involving Unaccompanied Children. The IFR set forth standards to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in ORR care provider facilities that house UC IAW §1101(c) of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Pub. L. 113-4 (VAWA 2013). Under §411.54 of the IFR, ORR is required to establish a method to receive third-party reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment and make available to the public information on how to report sexual abuse and sexual harassment on behalf of a UC.

In 2015, ORR established the UC SAH to fulfill multiple responsibilities required under the IFR.

The UC SAH provides any child or third party (including family members, sponsors, legal service providers, child advocates, and any other individual with knowledge or suspicion of sexual abuse or harassment occurring at a care provider facility) an avenue to report allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment directly to ORR via the UC SAH.

C.3 SCOPE AND REQUIREMENTS

The NCC plays a pivotal role in locating migrant and migrating children and helping potential sponsors navigate the family reunification process, using ORR policy which states: “The ORR National Call Center staff reviews the information to see if the UC is currently in ORR custody.

The call center staff contacts the caller and notifies them whether the child is in ORR custody, taking safety issues into consideration, as described below.

If the UC is in ORR custody, the call center staff does not provide information to the caller regarding where the child is located or with which care provider until communication is deemed safe and appropriate.

The steps in the process include:

• The call center staff notifies the corresponding care provider with the caller’s name, contact information and relationship to the UC.

• The care provider determines whether the individual is a safe and approved contact. As deemed appropriate and following ORR’s procedures, the care provider may facilitate communication between the caller and the UC.

• The care provider contacts the individual and informs them that the UC is safe and in ORR custody.”

Additionally, the NCC provides vetted community resources and assist with linking UC to assistance as needed upon release from an ORR care provider. Finally, the NCC SAH is an avenue to report allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment directly to ORR.

The ORR UC Program requires the non-personal services of a contractor to assume the current hotline number(s), e-mail(s), and instant messaging/voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) account(s) to maintain an NCC and SAH to provide child welfare community-based referrals, post-release service referrals, crisis intervention, and safety planning to eligible UC and children formerly in an ORR care provider facility. Additionally, the Contractor shall be responsible to intake and report concerns that may include allegations of sexual and/or other abuse, sexual harassment, behavioral concerns, potential trafficking concerns, child abuse and neglect allegations, sponsor fraud attempts, change of location of children formerly in ORR custody, and issues with respect to care provided by ORR care provider facilities.

The Contractor shall receive calls from various parties, gather information via phone interviews, and make reports to ORR, state, and local authorities. The Contractor shall elevate safety concerns and collaborate, as needed, with ORR to inform UC, children formerly in ORR custody, and their sponsors of relevant resources. The Contractor shall process callers in search of migrant UC, vaccination requests, verification of release form and/or card requests, and safety and well-being calls. Information and statistics gathered from calls are reported on a routine and ad hoc basis. The Contractor shall use call volume information to adjust staffing patterns as appropriate with the expectation of managing a call center with an approximate call volume of 25,000 incoming calls per month.

The Contractor shall ensure the NCC and SAH are available to support UC, children formerly in ORR custody, sponsors, and relevant stakeholders seeking help in connecting with ORR and community resources. Contractor call center responsibilities shall include at a minimum the items listed below:

• Maintain, operate, and staff the NCC-SAH 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week, 365 days a year, including differentiated staff planning for peak call times.

• Assume the current toll-free hotline numbers to ensure consistency and continuity.

• Provide toll-free services for answering and logging calls from UC, children formerly in ORR custody, parents, legal guardians, other family members, sponsors, stakeholders, attorneys, community service providers, care provider facility staff, or any other individual.

• Provide “live answer” on the calls, as required, based on identified needs and ensure wait time does not exceed 2 minutes, and dropped / abandoned call rate does not exceed 1%. A message prompting the caller to leave a message for a call back is prohibited to ensure the confidentiality and safety of the caller.

• Staff NCC and SAH with qualified individuals who are bilingual in English and Spanish.

Qualifications must include knowledge of and/or experience with providing Trauma-Informed Care, as well as in-depth knowledge of indicators of child welfare, Labor and Sex Trafficking, and Exploitation. At least two (2) Supervisory Call Specialists are required per shift and must be a licensed Clinician experienced in assessing immediate risk to callers who are current or previous UC. All call center specialists shall have one (1) year of child welfare experience and minimum bachelor’s degree such as psychology, social work, mental health, or related field for successful performance of this contract.

• Provide live interpretation/translation services for callers who speak languages other than Spanish and English, such as Mandarin, Punjabi, etc. For dialects for which live interpretation services are unavailable, transcription and translation services may be utilized after a call is recorded.

• Establish a general assessment for all calls to determine if any additional safety concerns are present (sexual and/or other abuse, sexual harassment, behavioral concerns, potential trafficking concerns, child abuse and neglect allegations trafficking, etc.) and provide referrals and reporting as per requirements.

• Maintain a confidential database of call information and data.

• Maintain and provide transcription and recordings of all calls upon request.

• Provide ORR with regular reports of compiled hotline data.

• Receive and process calls from families and stakeholders searching for migrating UC.

Processing calls includes searching for UC in the UC Portal database, communicating contact information to the care provider caring for the UC, and protecting UC whereabouts and personal information from unvetted callers. An unvetted caller is a person of interest or caller looking to gather information from ORR either looking for their child or a family member. The caller’s information is routed by call center personnel to the appropriate care provider if the UC is still in ORR custody. The care provider will then verify (vet) the person through the safety assessment to prove person calling the NCC is not a risk to the UC.

• Provide resources and address concerns related to post release services, including creating safety plans for children or sponsors experiencing domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, UC behavioral issues, self-harm (including suicide attempts), placement disruption, and human trafficking. Contractors are required to develop their own safety plan to use with UC and their families. A safety plan is a written arrangement a family would follow that establishes strategies to control safety threats that place a child in danger of ongoing or immediate serious harm.

• Establish and execute follow-up procedures for any callers with whom a safety plan has been created to assess the effectiveness of the safety plan and need for additional safety planning and/or referrals.

• Communicate with ORR care provider programs and provide copies of immunization records.

• The contractor is required to notify ORR and ORR care providers of calls from children and/or sponsors regarding Verification of Release (VOR) forms and/or cards. The contractor explains the purpose of the VOR form and/or card to entities calling to validate or authenticate the VOR form and/or card and confirms to the requesting entity whether a specific child was released from ORR custody, without disclosing any other information about the child. The contractor receives, documents, and notifies the ORR care provider of calls from released children and/or sponsors reporting if their VOR card does not arrive within 10 calendar days, they identify errors on the VOR card, the VOR card has been lost or destroyed, or they need to update their address on the VOR card. The contractor also documents and notifies ORR via the required weekly report.

• Assist sponsors and UCs in completing required ORR paperwork, including: the Family Reunification Application (FRP); assistance with the Change of Address / Change of Venue (COA/COV) form and assisting with requesting UC case file records.

• Upon requests from prospective sponsors, distribute and provide assistance with completing the FRP.

• Receive calls from UCs and sponsors makes assessment to determine eligibility and refer eligible children and sponsors for post-release services, as needed. The ORR NCC is responsible for adding “flags” in UC Portal to document areas of concern. Flagging ensures identified concerns or potential concerns are properly considered and elevated for additional review, as appropriate. Concerns are entered for UC currently in ORR care and for those that were released to a sponsor. NCC reports incidents to relevant state and local child welfare entities and law enforcement, as applicable by state regulations.

• Report allegations of abuse, neglect, and UC runaways to CPS, law enforcement, and the NCMEC. If a child in ORR care runs away from their current placement or a child formerly in ORR care (“released child”) goes missing or runs away from their sponsor’s residence, ORR NCC may share certain information with the NCMEC. NCMEC is a is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. NCMEC works with families, governments, and law enforcement to find and recover missing children and prevent child exploitation.

• Reports all concerns entered as flags in the ORR NCC Weekly Safety Reports provided to

ORR.

• Conduct safety and wellbeing or child welfare calls, as needed, to UC and their sponsors.

Safety and Well-being Follow Up Call and establish a Service Delivery protocol that includes “warm hand offs” to services and follow-up with callers on certain types of cases (child abuse, trafficking, safety concerns, etc.).

In addition, the Contractor may share certain information with investigative agencies who have jurisdiction over a missing child case. Such agencies include:

• Local law enforcement

• State licensing agencies

• CPS

• Other investigative agencies (e.g., HHS Office of Inspector General) who have jurisdiction over missing child cases.

A released child who has gone missing, regardless of whether the child has been referred for PRS, may be reported to ORR as missing through the NCC. The NCC Contractor shall file a Notification of Concern to appropriate investigative agencies (including local law enforcement and CPS), as applicable for reports of missing released children and report missing released children to NCMEC. If a released child is receiving PRS, and the PRS worker becomes aware of the child’s disappearance, the PRS provider submits a Notification of Concern according to Section 6.1 Summary of Resources and Services Available After Release from ORR Care. The PRS provider will advise the sponsor to contact NCMEC. If the sponsor does not contact NCMEC, the PRS provider will report the missing released child to NCMEC.

The Contractor shall provide the following categories of information to NCMEC, local law enforcement, or other investigative agencies with jurisdiction over a missing child case immediately upon initial report of a missing child, or in follow up to an initial report without going through the case file request process when sharing this information is in the best interest and safety and wellbeing of the child.

• The child’s full name and/or any alternative spellings and any known aliases.

• The child’s identification number (“A” number).

• The child’s date of birth.

• The child’s country of birth.

• Recent photograph of the child.

• The child’s address (includes the ORR care provider facility address they were housed in or the sponsor’s address or other post-release address for a released child).

• All contact information for family and sponsors in the United States; and

• All contact information for family in the UC’s country of origin.

In addition to above categories of information, the Contractor shall provide any additional relevant information that may assist NCMEC and/or the investigative agency in their efforts to find a missing child as part of ongoing consultation and case management on a missing child case. The Contractor shall provide information about the circumstances of the child’s disappearance that may assist NCMEC or the investigative agency in finding the child’s whereabouts. The Contractor shall provide summaries of the following information, which includes but is not limited to:

• Descriptive information about the child’s appearance

• The child’s primary language

• Child endangerments or risk factors (such as potential trafficking indicators)

• Child’s history of communication with contacts online

• Other circumstantial information surrounding the child’s disappearance

• Requests for case file records (included but not limited to: case management notes and assessments, clinical notes, and trafficking eligibility letters); however, must only be provided to NCMEC, local law enforcement, or other investigative agencies with jurisdiction over a missing child case via the case file request process in Section 5.10.1 UC Case File Request Process, in which provision of a warrant, investigation number, subpoena, or other documentation to indicate they have jurisdiction over a missing child case is required as supporting documentation to the request. Further, mental health and medical case files records must not be provided without obtaining appropriate consent as noted in Section 5.9.2 Protecting Confidentiality of Mental Health and Medical Records and must only be provided if it is within the scope of the investigative agency’s authority and the UC Program Director provides consent that the records are shared.

If NCMEC or an investigative agency with jurisdiction over a missing child’s case needs verification of the UC’s name, family members’ names, contact information, or other circumstantial information concerning the child’s disappearance after initial report of the missing child, The Contractor may provide consultation and clarification as necessary to validate this information.

1. If a child is deemed a long-term missing child case by the NCMEC, local law enforcement, or another investigative agency with jurisdiction over a missing child case, the investigative agencies may request biometric data as the case progresses in age. A long-term missing child case is a case in which all viable leads have been thoroughly investigated, but the child has not been recovered. In the case of a long-term missing child case, or in the instance that NCMEC or law enforcement has identified a deceased child that matches the profile of the missing child, NCMEC or law enforcement may request medical and dental records of the child for the purpose of identifying a deceased child. Under these circumstances, the Contractor shall forward the request to ORR. ORR will evaluate such requests upon receipt and provide consent for the release of records based on the best interest of the child. Medical or mental health information must only be provided if it is within the scope of the investigative agency’s authority and the UC Program Director provides consent that the records are shared.

C.4. TASK REQUIREMENTS:

Task 1.0 Program Management

Subtask 1.1 Contract Program Management The Contractor shall provide the technical and functional activities needed for the program management of this PWS. The Contactor shall provide a Project Manager, responsible for all work performed under this contract. The Project Manager shall be the primary point of contact for the Contracting Officer (CO) and designated Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The Project Manager shall have the resources and authority to ensure efficient and timely program execution and shall be the Contractor’s focal point for all required program tasks. The Project Manager shall be always prepared to present and discuss the status of contract activities, requirements, and issues. The name of this person and the name of any alternate who shall act for the Contractor when the Project Manager is absent shall be submitted in writing to the CO five (5) working days prior to the contract start date. During any absence of the Project Manager, only one (1) alternate shall serve as the Government contact point.

The Project Manager, and any designated alternates, shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The Project Manager shall keep the CO and COR informed of any performance issues, cost or financial concerns, and potential problems that, if unresolved, will adversely affect the Contractor’s performance, schedule, or costs. The Manager shall take all appropriate measures to mitigate adverse impact to the contract.

Subtask 1.2 Quality Control Plan The Contractor shall develop, implement, and maintain an effective Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure services are performed IAW this PWS. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor's QCP is how it assures that the work provided complies with the requirements of the contract.

The Contractor’s QCP shall be submitted to the CO and the COR for review within ten (10) days after date of Contract award.

The Government shall review and either notify the Contractor in writing of acceptance of the plan or return their comments to the Contractor within ten (10) days. If the Government has provided comments, the Contractor shall then have three (3) days to submit a final QCP. After receipt of the final QCP, the Contractor may receive the CO acceptance in writing. Any proposed changes to the accepted QCP are required to be resubmitted through the Contract COR to CO for acceptance no later than thirty (30) days prior to the anticipated change and before implementation by the Contractor. The timeline noted above shall apply for review and acceptance of proposed changes. At a minimum, the QCP shall include and answer the following to be acceptable:

a. A chart showing the organizational structure and lines of authority, the names, qualifications, duties, responsibilities, and classification of each member of the Contractor's Quality Control Team.

b. The Contractor’s plan to monitor work to ensure that performance complies with all deliverables (etc. timelines, deadlines, and goals).

c. The Contractor’s plan to monitor work to ensure that performance complies with all specifications and requirements of the contract, including clauses.

d. The Contractor’s plan to identify, investigate, and correct any non-conforming performance and prevent similar deficiencies in the future and projected timeline for achieving compliance.

e. The Contractor’s plan to file and save all Quality Control related documents for the life of the contract plus 6 years

Subtask 1.2.1 Case Management Reporting/Incident Reporting The Contractor shall inform the COR of issues or potential issues that might affect performance within two (2) working hours of identifying those issues. Verbal reports shall be followed up by written reports within three (3) days.

Subtask 1.3 Project Plan As part of the proposal, the Contractor shall provide a Project Plan that proposes timeframes for specific tasks to be performed, as described in this PWS. The Project Plan shall include technical approach, staffing recommendations (including position descriptions) and management controls to meet the cost, performance, and schedule requirements of this contract. The Project Plan shall also identify a location for the NCC and SAH as well as a Disaster Recovery site if the main call center location is compromised due to a disaster (either natural or man-made). Following the kickoff meeting described in Subtask 1.4, the Contractor shall provide an updated draft Project Plan to the COR within seven (7) days of contract award and the final Project Plan within fourteen

(14) days of contract award.

The Contractor shall update the Project Plan and submit to the COR and CO a minimum of 90 days prior to the start of the next option period.

Subtask 1.4 Kickoff Meeting

Within seven (7) calendar days of contract award, or as otherwise directed by the COR, the Contractor shall conduct kickoff meeting with ORR staff. Required topics for this briefing include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Introduction of both Contractor and government personnel performing work related to this tasking.

• Brief overview of contract and task administration and reporting.

• Discussion of substantive risks and issues that may impact the delivery of the services and the contractor’s methods for tracking and mitigation.

• Review of the contents of the Project Management Plan to detail the specific activities and tasks to be associated with the period of performance specified in the PWS.

• Review by the Contractor of its understanding of the work to be accomplished under the

PWS to ensure the Contractor has a sufficient understanding of the work to be performed and of the respective responsibilities and obligations of the parties.

The Contractor shall provide a written summary of the kickoff meeting to the COR within 14 days of completion of the Kickoff meeting. The summary shall include a brief synopsis of discussions that occurred along with any decisions reached and action steps agreed upon.

Subtask 1.5 Progress Reports The Contractor shall deliver weekly and monthly progress reports to the COR as stated in the Deliverables Table C.19. The weekly progress reports shall identify barriers, problems encountered, solutions, and other information deemed necessary by the COR.

Subtask 1.6 Equipment & Supplies The Contractor shall provide all equipment and supplies for the NCC and SAH. The Contractor shall maintain the current NCC and SAH numbers to ensure consistency and continuity of services. These numbers shall be operational 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week, 365 days a year. The NCC and SAH shall allow for concurrent calls.

Subtask 1.7 Communication Plan with COR The Contractor and COR shall establish clear lines of reporting and communication as required by ORR or as needed for the efficient operation of the program after discussion between the COR and Contractor. The Contractor shall maintain a clear and independent supervisory structure with their organization for all personnel issues including, among others, evaluation of job performance, designation of work responsibilities, work schedules, personal and sick leave, and professional development, etc. Contractor is required to submit a full staffing and management plan showing positions, contact information and hierarchy at the kickoff meeting.

The Contractor shall submit a written communication plan to the COR no later than 20 days after award.

Subtask 1.8 Key Personnel The following personnel are considered key personnel by the government: Project Manager, Assistant Project Manager Supervisory Call Specialists and System Administrators. The contractor shall appoint a Project Manager and an assistant who shall act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the CO. The Project Manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract.

The Project Manager and Assistant Project Manager shall have a Masters’ degree or higher in Social Work, or a social science related discipline, and at least five years of demonstrated child welfare experience. Experience working with immigrant youth and families and underserved populations is strongly encouraged.

The Project Manager and Assistant Project Manager shall be the Contractor's primary point of contact for the COR and shall oversee staffing, management, and reporting. Based on direction from ORR, the Program Project and Assistant Project Manager shall direct work priorities to maintain a professionally managed program. The Project Manager or supervisory designee shall oversee compliance with the contract, ORR requirements, timely performance of tasks and deliverables, collaboration with ORR and stakeholders, and training needs.

Supervisory Call Specialists shall have a master’s degree in social work (MSW) and a minimum of 5 years of postgraduate direct service delivery experience working with youth and trauma-informed care; or a master’s degree in psychology, counseling, or other relevant behavioral science in which clinical training and experience is a program requirement. Licensure and supervisory experience are required. There must be a minimum of two (2) Supervisory Call Specialist per shift.

System Administrators monitor and configure internal systems to ensure optimum performance.

Provide troubleshooting assistance and help with diagnosing technical issues within the system.

Identify the need for updates and upgrades and implement them to the network infrastructure. Shall possess a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.

Professional certifications such as CompTIA Server+, Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), or Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) are advantageous. A minimum of five (5) years of related experience is required.

If the Contractor needs to change out Key Personnel, they are required to submit the resume(s) to the COR for verification that the recommended individual meets the qualifications specified in this

PWS.

Subtask 1.9 Background Investigations:

All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees shall obtain a background investigation commensurate with their position sensitivity designation that complies with Parts 1400 and 731 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The following position sensitivity designation levels apply to this contract: Tier: 2, Non-sensitive Public Trust (Moderate Risk). The minimum Government investigation to receive Elevated Privilege (any access beyond normal email or data entry) is Tier 4, Non-sensitive Public Trust (High Risk).

Background and CAN checks will be conducted by the Contractor. ORR will ensure receipt of background checks for NCC staff. If required for contract performance, HHS will process Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) PIV background investigations for all Contractor staff and the ORR COR will provide instructions for completing this process. All costs shall be borne by HHS; however, the Contractor will be responsible for maintaining and tracking all applicant submissions, coordinating with the HHS Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) coordinator, and ensuring compliance with the PWS, ORR Policy and Field Guidance and HSPD-12 requirements. The Contractor must be able to provide a list of all the status of all background checks upon request from the COR. The Contractor must maintain a roster of active, demobilized, and terminated employees. This list must be made available to ORR upon request.

Applicants must complete the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Optional Form (OF) 306 and Standard Form (SF) 86C documents and provide fingerprints as a part of their onboarding process within 14 days. Once those steps have been completed, the contract vetting team must notify ORR that the client record should be forwarded to Program Support Center (PSC) to initiate an e-QIP. The e-QIP must be returned to PSC within 5 days of notification to submit. The contractor will also be responsible for timely responses from all staff submissions of documents including fingerprints, completed forms, and participate in interviews with investigators, as applicable. Contractors must ensure the employees whose names they submit have a reasonable chance for access approval. In some cases, employees with existing background investigations commensurate with sensitivity designations will expedite performance. This requirement applies to all subcontractors supporting ORR programs. The Contractor is responsible for the custody and control of all forms of HSPD-12 Credentials issued by HHS to Contractor employees, including all subcontractor employees. The Contractor must notify the Project Manager within 24 hours when a Contractor or subcontractor employee no longer requires agency access due to transfer, completion of a project, retirement, removal from work on the contract, or termination of employment. This change must be reflected in the staff roster the Contractor is required to maintain. The Contractor shall also ensure that Contractor or subcontractor employees comply with HHS requirements concerning the renewal, loss, theft, or damage of an ID card. Failure to comply with the requirements for custody and control of HHS issued ID cards may result in a delay in withholding final payment or contract termination, based on the potential for serious harm caused by inappropriate access to HHS facilities, sensitive information, information systems or other HHS resources.

IAW OMB Memorandum M-05-24, federal agencies must have verified and/or completed background investigations for contractors who require access to HHS information, IT systems, other than occasional or intermittent access to HHS-controlled facilities, or any combination of these three. To gain the required access and successful award, the Contractor shall comply with HSPD-12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, and with the personal identity verification and investigation procedures contained in:

• HHS Information Security Program Policy, https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asa/ ocio/cybersecurity/information-securityprivacyprogram/index.html.

• HHS Continued Implementation for the HSPD-12 Program, dated January 13, 2017

• OPM Final Credentialing Standard, dated June 2008

• OMB M-05-24, dated August 5, 2005, Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 --Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors

• Executive Order 13467

Additionally, contracted personnel who are determined to provide services for or on behalf of the ORR UC Program must undergo a suitability determination investigation to evaluate a person’s character and conduct that may impact the integrity and efficiency of the federal service.

The Contractor shall ensure applicants are appropriately screened in the hiring and selection process. The Contractor shall ask all applicants about previous misconduct in written applications or interviews and impose upon employees and contractors a continuing affirmative duty to disclose any misconduct that arises after being hired, whether the conduct occurs on or off duty.

Misconduct includes any criminal behavior, abuse, and/or neglect investigation, charge, arrest, civil adjudication, administrative adjudication, or conviction. Material omissions regarding such misconduct or the provision of false information by the applicant, staff, contractor, or volunteer shall be grounds for termination or withdrawal of an offer of employment, as appropriate.

The Contractor shall make best efforts to contact all prior care provider facilities, other institutions, and/or other former childcare employers of an applicant to obtain information on substantiated allegations of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or inappropriate sexual behavior or any resignation during a pending investigation of alleged sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or inappropriate sexual behavior. The Contractor’s efforts to ask applicants about previous misconduct and the employee’s response as well as efforts to contact past employers and the results shall be documented in the employee’s personnel file. The Contractor is prohibited from hiring or utilizing the services of any applicant, contractor, or volunteer who has engaged in, attempted to engage in, or has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or any type of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Subtask 1.10 Proposed Staffing Plan In their proposal, the Contractor shall provide a staffing plan to include structure and level of expertise sufficient to discharge contractual responsibilities for the NCC and SAH.

Task 2.0 Services Provided by NCC and SAH

Subtask 2.1 Operations The Contractor shall maintain, operate, and staff a physical toll-free 24/7 National Call Center operation 365 days a year for answering and logging an average of 25, 000 calls per month to include differentiated staff planning for peak call times. The Contractor shall maintain the same telephone numbers currently in use for both the NCC and the SAH lines to ensure consistency and continuity of services. The Contractor shall be responsible for the intake of calls from UC, children formerly in ORR custody, parents, legal guardians, other family members, sponsors, stakeholders, attorney, community service providers, care provider staff, or any other individual.

Subtask 2.2 Live Answer The Contractor shall provide “live answer” intake for telephone calls to the hotline and ensure wait time does not exceed 2 minutes and dropped / abandoned call rate does not exceed 1%.

A message prompting the caller to leave a message for call back is prohibited to ensure the confidentiality and safety of the caller.

The Contractor shall create, establish, and maintain a searchable database and provide transcription of all calls, upon request from the COR.

a. Staff a multi-line switchboard receive and direct all incoming calls to requested department(s) (i.e., Intakes hotline, Prevention of Sexual Abuse, UC Grievances, Medical Emergencies, Federal Field Specialists, On Call, etc.)

b. Contractor shall be able to provide reports on types of calls received by date and time, in .csv format upon request of the COR

Subtask 2.3 Interpretation/Translation Services The Contractor shall provide live interpretation/translation services for callers who speak languages other than English and Spanish through language line services and/or other live translation methods.

The Contractor shall provide solutions for ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of the caller when using interpretation/translation services. For dialects where live interpretation services are unavailable, the Contractor may record and transcribe the call and then translate the transcription in lieu of live interpretation services. The Contractor’s proposal may also recommend other methods to provide interpretation/translation service for these dialects.

Subtask 2.4 Call Processing The Contractor shall receive and process calls from families and stakeholders searching for migrating UC. Processing calls includes searching for children in the UC Portal database, communicating contact information to the shelter caring for the UC, and protecting UC whereabouts and personal information. The call center staff shall not provide any information regarding the location of a child until the identity of the individual has been verified and there are no safety concerns identified.

Subtask 2.5 Community Organizations The Contractor shall identify and establish connections with community organizations that provide services to UC, children formerly in ORR custody, sponsors, and relevant stakeholders.

The Contractor shall maintain a dynamic list and/or database of community referrals nationwide. The Contractor shall stringently vet community resources for relevance and accuracy to ensure they are appropriate resources with proven ability to serve UC and their families. The Contractor shall organize resources by both location and type of service provided.

The Contractor shall provide this resource list to ORR upon COR request in a sortable/searchable Excel table. Types of community resources at a minimum shall include education, medical care, religious, juvenile justice, concrete services (homeless shelters, food pantries, clothing banks, libraries, etc.), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or gender expansive, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+), substance use, legal support and safety, CPS, and local law enforcement.

The Contractor shall establish a collaboration framework for engaging with the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). The framework should include regularly scheduled convenings, communication pathways, shared expectations, workflows, and teamwork to ensure Contractor staff are appropriately identifying and serving the needs of UC, children formerly in ORR custody, and sponsors who are victimized by labor and/or sex trafficking.

Subtask 2.6 Child Behavioral Issues The Contractor shall assess child behavioral issues of a child formerly in ORR custody, including running away, suicidal ideation, depression, violence, involvement with drugs, or gangs, inappropriate relationships, problems at school, child abuse and neglect.

The Contractor shall provide recommendations and assistance including on-call crisis intervention, as needed, if a UC, or child formerly in ORR custody, is currently in danger and in need of immediate help. The Contractor shall provide community referrals to callers for wrap around support including education, medical care, juvenile justice, substance abuse, legal support, and safety. The Contractor shall contact and/or refer the caller to local law enforcement and/or local CPS, as appropriate.

Subtask 2.7 Safety Plans The Contractor shall create safety plans for children calling the NCC and SAH who were formerly in ORR custody and their families during the following instances:

a. Trafficking allegations and/or concerns

b. Threat of or in event of placement displacement including a child going missing from placement

c. Domestic Violence

d. Self-Harm, including suicide attempts and prevention

e. Child abuse and/or neglect

Safety Plans created by NCC Call Specialist must be reviewed and approved by the Licensed Clinician or Master Social Work (MSW) level Supervisory staff.

Subtask 2.8 Shelter Programs The Contractor shall communicate with ORR shelter programs and assist sponsors with completing and submitting to ORR, the Authorization for Release of Records (ARR) form to request copies of UC immunization records, as needed. Create and maintain Program Protocol that describes, in detail, how the Contractor shall protect the privacy of records IAW federal laws and regulations Immunization records created by shelters that cared for UC and children formerly in ORR custody shall either be uploaded on the UC Portal database and/or within the child’s case file. The Contractor shall retrieve immunization records from the UC Portal database, and contact shelters, as needed, if immunization information is missing from the UC Portal database.

Subtask 2.9 ORR Paperwork The Contractor shall assist callers in completing required ORR paperwork:

a. FRP

b. COA/COV form

c. Case file requests

Subtask 2.10 NCC and SAH Call Specialist Required Task

a. Distribute FRP to potential sponsors, as needed.

b. Screen and refer eligible UC for ORR funded post-release services.

c. Complete RFA in UC experiencing trafficking concerns.

d. Conduct safety and wellbeing calls, as needed, to UC.

Subtask 2.11 Program Protocol The Contractor shall create and maintain Program Protocol that describes, in detail, how the Contractor is to proceed during different types of calls. Areas to be addressed in the Program Protocol, at a minimum, shall include:

• Crisis intervention, de-escalation, and reporting

• Caller information documentation

• Calls from consulates

• Requests for community and/or ORR resources, or documentation

• Help with COA/COV and other ORR forms

• FRP and Sponsor Notification Calls

• Vaccination/Immunization record requests

• Case file requests

• Verification of Release form and/or VOR card requests

• Evaluating and referring for post-release services

• Finding, vetting, and maintaining community resources nationwide

• Cases already receiving Post-Release Services

• Child Abuse and Neglect Allegations

• Grievances occurring at ORR care provider facilities

• Human Trafficking allegations (labor trafficking and/or sex trafficking)

• Sponsor fraud attempts

• Help with different behavioral problems, or misunderstandings in the home, e.g., suicidal ideation, self-harming,

• drug use and/or addiction, and inappropriate sexual relationships

• Domestic violence

• Missing children change of caregiver and/or location

• Allegations against U.S. government entities

• Client confidentiality and records management

• Safety planning

• Sexual Abuse and/or sexual harassment

• Follow up calls

• Safety and wellbeing calls

• Media requests

• Data collection, tracking and reporting

• Quality Assurance, Program Evaluation and Employee Evaluation

Subtask 2.12 Call Information Reporting The Contractor shall ensure that all call information is properly reported, as appropriate, to ORR, state and local authorities, and other entities within required timeframes as directed by ORR.

Contractor shall collect and submit weekly and monthly reports. Contractor shall follow guidelines outlined by ORR.

Subtask 2.13 Instant Messaging The contractor shall assume control of and utilize the Government-owned account for a freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging, and voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) service. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content. The messaging service provides end-to-end encryption and ensures that the communication remains secure and private, protecting users from unauthorized access or interception.

Task 3.0 Data Collection, Tracking and Reporting

Subtask 3.1 Records Maintenance The Contractor is responsible for maintaining all call center and hotline records IAW UC Policy Guide 5.6.3 Records Management, Retention and Safe Keeping.

The Contractor shall ensure that all records are maintained and protected so that confidential information and data are secure and not accessed, used, or disclosed to unauthorized parties or improperly altered. The Contractor must establish administrative and physical controls to prevent unauthorized access to both electronic and paper records. Electronic records, including those in UC Portal, cannot be accessed outside of the United States by any entity within or outside of ORR. The Contractor’s internal policies shall be consistent with ORR’s policy not to utilize UC Portal outside of the United States. The Contractor’s policies and procedures shall also address preventing the physical damage or destruction of records. For sensitive UC information pertaining to sexual abuse or clinical records, the Contractor shall implement appropriate controls on the dissemination of such information in order to ensure that sensitive information is not exploited to the UC’s detriment by staff or other children or youth.

The Contractor shall also complete the timely entry of all required information into the UC Portal. For specific timeframes related to assessment of UC and potential sponsors, reporting, and release, refer to the following sections of the UC Policy Guide:

• Section 2.2.3, The Application for Release

• Section 3.3.1, UC Assessment and Case Review

• Section 3.4.2, Initial Medical Exam

• Section 3.4.5, Responding to Medical Emergencies

• Section 4.8.1, Assessment for Risk

• Section 2.8.2, Transfer of Physical Custody

• Section 2.8.3, Closing the Case File

The Contractor shall provide timely and unrestricted access of all files to ORR or an individual or entity that ORR designates to have access.

The Contractor shall establish an internal file review system to periodically (once per quarter, at the minimum) review individual case files for completeness and accuracy.

Active and closed case files must be maintained in a locked file cabinet when not in use. At the minimum, the Contractor shall ensure:

• Records, both paper and electronic, are protected from public access,

• The area where paper records or electronic storage equipment is stored is supervised and/or securely locked during business hours to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing the records,

• Records are inaccessible to unauthorized persons,

• Records are not shared with unauthorized persons or under unauthorized circumstances in either oral or written form,

• Safeguards are in place to prevent the misuse of documents,

• All NCC/SAH subcontractors, consultants, and outside parties are prohibited from using or disclosing information regarding the program for any purpose other than those detailed in the governing contract,

• Subcontractors or consultants return all ORR documents or destroy non-ORR documents at the completion of the contract, and

• ORR consent is obtained prior to destroying any documentation (disposable documents must be properly disposed of by shredding or by hiring a reputable company to take care of proper disposal).

All NCC and SAH records maintained by the Contractor are the property of the US Government.

The Contractor shall not release files or any other information about individual UC or sponsors to anyone without the prior…