08DOA-S3171-Scope-of-Work~1.docx

Scope of Work RFP DOA-S3171 - Employee Assistance Program

PROGRAM MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Explain in detail, how services will satisfy the program minimum requirements. Indicate your organization’s willingness to accept these terms of programmatic requirements.

Provide counseling services

Assessment, short-term counseling, referral (as appropriate) and follow-up services to address personal and work-related issues 24 hours per day, 7 days per week telephonic consultation access

Intake assessments performed by Master’s-level clinicians.

Alternative contact method to telephone (e.g., web-based live chat) for situations in which telephonic contact is not viable.

One (1) assessment session (not including phone intake/assessment) and two (2) additional counseling sessions per each qualifying employee and dependents per issue per the State of Nevada’s fiscal year (July 1 through June 30)

Alternative session communication model (e.g., video) for when in-person sessions are not viable

Limited Coverage for retired police officers, firefighters, and correctional officers (as outlined in Nevada Revised Statute 281.800, see NRS and NAC Regulations attachment): Up to a maximum of 2 hours of counseling (to discuss the symptoms, prevention, mitigation and treatment of mental health issues, including, without limitation, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and acute stress) for a maximum of 3 months after their date of retirement with a mental health professional. This limited retirement coverage is restricted to police officers, firefighters and correctional officers.

At implementation, a network of providers that are capable of providing timely service to all State employees.

Critical incident stress management services. Explain any exceptions, limitations, or additional associated costs.

Requests for critical incident services shall require authorization/approval by DHRM’s designated contact.

At no additional cost, provide pre-printed and electronic outreach and educational materials for distribution to State of Nevada (State) employees and dependents regarding the benefit. At minimum, to include brochures and posters.

Material content is subject to DHRM’s approval.

Provide examples of materials, can be included as an attachment.

Provide mandatory not regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (non-DOT) alcohol and substance abuse evaluations (required by Nevada Revised Statutes 284.4062 for alcohol and substance abuse violations) to include evaluation, referral, case management and follow up to meet current State statutory and regulatory criteria, see NRS and NAC Regulations Attachment and Section 4.4 of the Scope of Work. Non-DOT alcohol and substance abuse evaluation costs shall be part of this contract.

Have providers who possess knowledge, training and required certifications to provide United States Department of Transportation (DOT) qualified Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP) services in compliance with United States Department of Transportation drug and alcohol testing requirements. DOT SAP costs shall not be part of this contract.

Comply with all applicable federal and State statutes and regulations. DHRM will endeavor to provide vendor with reasonable notice of applicable State statutory and regulatory changes.

Quarterly reporting with breakdowns per agency (approximately 37 agencies):

Total program usage Primary issue Referral source (e.g., self, management, mandatory) Qualifying employee utilization Dependent utilization Qualifying retiree utilization (see Section 1.2.4 regarding limited retiree coverage) Average number of sessions per individual Referrals to outside resources Critical incident stress debriefings, if applicable Training, if applicable

Referrals made to appropriately licensed, certified, and accredited professionals, programs, and facilities.

When applicable, provide transition assistance as requested by DHRM to facilitate transfer of services to a new vendor to include technical and service support.

Provide a transition plan 90 days in advance of the contract end date to ensure continuity of services for State employees and their dependents.

Verify all licenses and/or certifications as required by the relevant state for each specific treatment area including certification requirements for individuals performing assessments. If service is provided to out of state qualifying employees, qualifying employees’ dependents or qualifying retirees (see Section 1.2.4 regarding limited retiree coverage), individuals doing assessments shall be licensed or certified by the applicable state in their specific treatment area. Credentials must be kept current and provided to DHRM upon request.

All qualifying employees, qualifying employee’s dependents or qualifying retirees (see Section 1.2.4 regarding limited retiree coverage) records and billing related to service provided through the employee assistance program and/or other referral resources shall be guaranteed as confidential material and handled in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Confirm that your organization certifies that it is in full compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) regulations protecting the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).

Comply with ADA accessibility rules for all services to include documents, telephone, web-based, and network provided services.

All data is the property of the State. Data cannot be shared, distributed, or used outside contract specifications without permission from DHRM. Subject to federal and State law, all data must be made available upon DHRM’s request.

ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS

DHRM is seeking a vendor who can provide the most comprehensive program within budgetary constraints. If applicable, describe ability to provide the following services:

Legal consultation, resources, and referrals Financial consultation, resources, and referrals Work/life component “Soft skills” (e.g., communication, teamwork) training programs. Provide a sample of training materials, presentations, and other educational materials. For online components, disclose all information regarding webinar hosting, including platform, any third-party or sub-contractor involvement, and how PII and other collected data will be protected.

Access to a national network of providers Additional session models Other available options, please explain.

DESCRIPTION OF COMPONENTS AND PROCEDURES

Describe your implementation plan to meet an anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. Include steps required to implement the program such as notification to qualifying employees, providers, and other vendors and milestone dates. Please note that no implementation steps can be taken prior to contract approval by the State Board of Examiners.

Describe how you will provide a smooth transition with minimal impact to service for qualifying employees and dependents utilizing the service at the time of the transition.

Provide dates/timelines and resources that will be utilized.

Provide details on the roles and responsibilities of your organization and staff of DHRM in the implementation process.

Describe the most frequent problems your organization has encountered during previous transitions for plans of this size. How were these resolved?

Describe the minimum qualifications of your:

Intake staff (e.g., answering initial calls) Counselors If applicable, trainers If applicable, financial consultation staff If applicable, legal consultation staff If applicable, work-life consultation staff

Describe how qualifying employees (and their dependents) with a need for additional counseling beyond the program benefit will be transitioned into ongoing or long-term care.

Will an employee’s or dependent’s insurance provider network be considered when making the initial referral for services?

Will an employee’s or dependent’s insurance provider network be considered when making a referral for continuing/long-term care?

Describe in detail the steps in the process from the time of the initial contact through any subsequent follow-up following the counseling sessions. Address the following issues:

Describe any identification/authentication process Describe the information that is provided to the qualifying employee or dependent on initial contact, assessment, each session, and referral.

Who performs the various functions?

Which, if any, functions are performed by an initial telephone contact representative and not by a licensed counselor?

Do you refer any services to a third-party organization? If yes, identify the organization referred to and the service(s) provided.

Outline timeframes involved in and between initial contact and referral for applicable services (standards and actual timeframes), including average time from the first request for services to a first visit with a program provider. Data regarding telephone consultations should be provided separately from data regarding onsite visits to local providers.

In an emergency, how quickly can you provide a counselor who can talk to a qualifying employee or dependent?

Explain how progress monitoring and follow up after referral shall be conducted.

Explain the EAP’s role as liaison with relevant community services (e.g., domestic shelters).

Describe how confidentiality is maintained and monitored regarding your own organization, subcontractors (if applicable), and providers. Address the following issues:

Written records/documentation Electronic records Authorizing release of information

Please describe your quality assurance/control programs, specifically regarding:

Staff Intake staff (e.g., call center staff) Local providers Customer satisfaction

Describe your disaster preparedness plan. Alternatively, the plan may be submitted as an attachment.

Is there a charge for ad hoc reporting?

Will your organization be able to assist DHRM in developing and conducting outcome studies (i.e., correlations to improved employee performance, decreased health insurance claims)?

What are your critical incident procedures?

Explain how utilization rates are calculated (e.g., how a case is defined, what clinical mediums are included (e.g., internet, phone contact, referral)).

Please describe your experience providing services to staff in:

Public entities Law enforcement Correctional facilities Hospitals/nursing homes Psychiatric facilities In Nevada

What are the minimum training/education requirements of:

Intake staff (e.g., call center staff) Counselors Local providers

Do you obtain primary source documentation for licenses, board certifications, malpractice coverage, etc.?

Do you currently have in Nevada:

A local representative?

An established network of providers? Submit a list of current Nevada providers; this can be included as an attachment to your proposal.

Some qualifying employees are in areas where access to services is very limited. Describe, in detail, ability to provide services in Nevada rural areas at implementation.

Describe any materials/media that will be available for marketing/outreach purposes. Provide sample materials/media.

Describe how you plan to reach out to dependents and make them aware of program benefits they are able to access through the program. Outline any associated costs.

Will any online services be offered? If online services are offered, provide three (3) logins/passwords to a sample for evaluation purposes.

SPECIFIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The State will provide on-site service locations only for critical incident services.

Should an assigned counselor be perceived as discourteous, rude, or incompatible with a qualifying employee, qualifying employee’s dependent or qualifying retiree (see Section 1.2.4 regarding limited retiree coverage), DHRM reserves the right to have another counselor assigned upon request.

DHRM must approve the person selected as account manager.

The Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) and Nevada Administrative Code (NAC), see NRS and NAC Regulations attachment, outline required interaction with an EAP under certain circumstances. For an employee who is referred to the EAP due to the reasons outlined in NAC 284.892 (e.g., positive result on a screening test, driving under the influence, unlawful acts involving controlled substances), an EAP provider must timely provide the following:

Written documentation of the employee’s attendance at EAP appointment(s).

Written recommendation(s) for the employee’s rehabilitation.

Written documentation that the employee can return to duty and perform the essential functions of his/her job, if the employee is able to perform the essential functions of his/her job and return to duty within the contractually agreed upon number of EAP sessions. If the provider determines that the employee is not able to return to duty and perform the essential functions of his/her job at the end of the contractually agreed upon number of EAP sessions, the provider will refer the employee to a program/provider that will be able to provide this documentation when (and if) appropriate.

Written documentation of any recommendations relating to treatment on a monthly basis (this may be provided by a recommended rehabilitation program).

Written documentation of completion of a rehabilitation program (this may be provided by a recommended rehabilitation program).

It is the employee’s responsibility to physically provide the documentation referenced in Section 4 of the Scope of Work to the employer. The EAP provider will give this documentation to the employee and the employee will be responsible for delivering the documentation to the employer.

There are State employees in the major cities and towns in Nevada and most rural areas; therefore, EAP services must be available statewide. Employees are located in the following:

The approximate number of qualifying employees that will be eligible to use the EAP services provided by the resultant contract are provided in the table above. However, there are fluctuations in the number of employees. The fluctuations are due, in part, to bi-annual or special legislative sessions (approximately 339 additional between January and June of each odd year) and temporary and seasonal employees.

A small number of State employees are also located nationally and (on a temporary basis) internationally.

Cost Schedule

The State is looking to enter into a fixed cost contract. Only a fixed cost program will be considered (e.g., cost per qualifying employee per month, monthly fixed cost, yearly fixed cost). If the fixed cost provided by the vendor is based upon per qualifying employee per month, the vendor will assume a base number of qualifying employees of 17,753 for cost evaluation only. Vendors must provide detailed fixed prices for all costs associated with the responsibilities and related services. Include implementation costs, programmatic costs, marketing costs and any other costs associated with the life of this contract. All costs/prices are assumed guaranteed unless otherwise noted. List any other related services that you offer that have not been requested. Provide charges and fees for these services. Cost breakdowns must be provided in the format indicated in the Cost Schedule attachment.

If travel is required for the administration of this contract, the State uses the United States General Services Administration rates. Vendors must be willing to accept these rates as reimbursable for necessary travel. All vendors are required to include costs associated with travel in their proposal, if applicable.

DHRM will assume that the fees that are submitted include all services and supplies that could reasonably be expected to be provided to the State during the term of this contract.

The cost of additional counseling/treatment sessions beyond the contract number of sessions shall be the sole responsibility of the qualifying employee, qualifying employee’s dependent or qualifying retiree (see Section 1.2.4 regarding limited retiree coverage), with due consideration given to the employee’s, dependent’s or qualifying retiree’s (see Section 1.2.4 regarding limited retiree coverage) medical benefits.

If vendor anticipates costs prior to the program’s start, all anticipated costs must be clearly identified and outlined in cost proposal.

Provide costs in the Cost Schedule attachment.

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