NoticeofIntent_NIATx_12-233-SOL-00686_18Aug2012.pdf

Notice Type: Intent to Sole Source

Synopsis: The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) to support the Business Innovations Program -- Process Improvement Leadership Award and Best Practices Diffusion

Solicitation#: 12-233-SOL-00686

Date: August 18, 2012

Notice of Intent:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) intends to negotiate with The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment, The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, University of Wisconsin (NIATx), on a sole source basis in support of the Business Innovations Program. The technical services required by SAMHSA are uniquely available from NIATx.

This task order intends to (1) identify and publicly recognize community based organizations, fiscal intermediaries and states that have achieved notable positive outcomes for improving business operations, with priority placed on improvements that are responsive to the implementation of health care reform; (2) to disseminate the best practices that have been identified to NIATx member organizations and the substance abuse (SA) field through NIATx national and regional conferences and meetings, teleconferencing and online communications channels, and (3) to promote the use of best process improvement and business operations practices through local and/or regional substance abuse treatment provider networks.

The basis for restricting competition is the authority 13.106-1(b) because only one source is reasonably available to satisfy agency requirements.

The activities and deliverables under this contract may include, but may not be limited to, attending a project orientation conference call, developing and submitting a work plan, identifying regional provider networks, identifying regional provider networks expert consultants, reviewing Process Improvement Leadership Award (PILA) applications, submitting a progress report, conducting the Leadership Award Track, and submitting final report.

The period of performance will be September 1, 2012 (or the effective date of contract) through August 30, 2013.

Description:

SAMHSA/CSAT is committed to improving treatment services in substance abuse treatment through improving the capacity of providers to implement improved business practices. Over the past 7 years, NIATx has trained over 1,000 substance abuse treatment providers and 25 Single State Authorities (SSAs) in the use of the NIATx process improvement model to improve client access and retention and the organizational business case. This Purchase Order will continue the NIATx Process Improvement Leadership Award (PILA) Program that was implemented in 2010 as part of the NIATx Annual Summit. With the passage of health care reform in 2010, there is an urgent need to identify and disseminate best practices that improve business operations

Notice of Intent to Sole Source: NIATx to Support the BIP, PILA, and Best Practices Diffusion Solicitation #: 12-233-SOL-00686 capacity of NIATx members, including billing operations, implementing HIT systems, client access to treatment and compliance procedures. In addition, there is a need to disseminate process improvement practices to local and regional treatment provider networks that support business operations capacity development.

The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) was established as part of the CSAT and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2003 to provide support to STAR and Paths to Recovery grantees. NIATx evolved into a national membership organization in 2005 and currently provides training and networking opportunities to a broad range of substance abuse treatment providers, fiscal intermediaries and single state authorities across the country. Since its inception, NIATx member organizations and participating Single State Authorities (SSAs) have generated evidence based practices to improve the quality of addiction treatment across the United States. NIATx has convened an Annual Summit for the past three years that attracts over 700 participants each year. The purpose of this national meeting is to provide evidence based knowledge and implementation tools on process improvement for business system improvement in the substance abuse field. The NIATx Summit is held annually in partnership with the SAAS National Conference and called the SAAS National Conference and NIATx Summit (SAAS/NIATx Conference).

NIATx is uniquely qualified to fulfill the tasks of this task order. NIATx is a pioneering improvement collaborative that developed the process improvement model and demonstrated its effectiveness in improving client access and retention in the substance abuse field. The model was developed under the leadership of Dr. David Gustafson, who is an industrial engineer and Director of the Center for Health Enhancement System Studies (CHESS) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The NIATx process improvement model was demonstrated over a 6 year period. NIATx developed the model and is the only organization that represents and the serves the needs of a provider process improvement network of over 1500 community based substance abuse treatment agencies. By working through its provider network, NIATx is able to identify process improvement best practices and diffuse them throughout the NIATx network and to the substance abuse field. NIATx is the only organization that hosts a national Summit whereby providers implementing process improvement can be recognized and where best practices can be diffused throughout the national network.

Currently, NIATx is the only organization in the substance abuse field with the knowledge, skills and expertise to assess both the opportunities and challenges regarding implementation of the process improvement model in public sector substance abuse treatment organizations and to provide assistance to state and community-based organizations interested in successful implementation of such services. Based on this experience, NIATx is uniquely qualified to manage a process to identify, review and rate efforts by substance abuse community-based treatment organizations and public sector payers, such as single state authorities, counties, etc. to successfully implement process improvement methods and to do so in a comprehensive, equitable, and technically proficient manner. NIATx is also the only national organization that convenes an annual process improvement Summit in which process improvement innovators can be recognized for their best practices and diffused to their peers. In sum, NIATx’s combination of personnel, experience, technical expertise, and its role as a national convener of organizations

Notice of Intent to Sole Source: NIATx to Support the BIP, PILA, and Best Practices Diffusion Solicitation #: 12-233-SOL-00686 implementing process improvement through an annual Summit makes them uniquely qualified to perform the requested tasks.

NIATx has demonstrated its ability to effectively implement a leadership awards and best practices diffusion program through the program they launched in 2009. This purchase order is designed to continue the program and expand the scope of diffusion activity. NIATx has also demonstrated its capacity to disseminate process improvement best practices with other national substance abuse organizations representing treatment providers, (National Council and NIATx), State Authorities (NASADAD) and persons in recovery (Voices and Faces of Recovery). This enhances the potential for broad scale dissemination of the best practices that are identified through this program.

Procurement Classification (Service) Code:

B -- Special studies & analysis - not R&D

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:

813212 -- Voluntary Health Organizations

Contracting Office:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration Program Support Center: Strategic Acquisition Service 12501 Ardennes Avenue, Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20857

Point of Contact:

Ryan Collins, Contract Specialist, SAS/PSC/DAM-B Phone: 301-443-7611 Email: Ryan.Collins@psc.hhs.gov