36C10E18Q9374-001.docx

Department of Veterans Affairs

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

1. Background

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), Muskogee Regional Office is committed to ensuring that employees have access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Services. This statement of work is designed to obtain the services, labor, materials, and equipment necessary for Employee Assistance Program (EAP) service that provides confidentiality and prevents unauthorized disclosure of information. The VA intends to make a fee-for-service award for a 12 month base period with four option years. The evaluation criteria are Price and Past Performance.

2. Scope

This Statement of Work delineates the various tasks, deliverables, and activities required for individual, face-to-face and as needed counseling for alcohol/substance abuse, trauma, mental illness, relationship/family conflicts, financial, stress, and job problems.

3. General Requirement

Non-Personal Services: The Government shall neither supervise contractor employees nor control the method by which the contractor performs the required tasks. It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to manage its employees and to guard against any actions that are of the nature of personal services, or give the perception of personal services. If the contractor believes that any actions constitute, or are perceived to constitute personal services, it shall be the contractor’s responsibility to notify the Contracting Officer (CO) immediately.

4. Tasks

4.1 The Contractor shall perform the following tasks.

4.1.1 Clinical services shall include diagnostic evaluations, treatment planning and short-term counseling. Services may include trauma debriefings, referrals, monitoring, and follow-up services to clients as clinically indicated.

4.1.2 The contractor shall maintain the VA’s need for non-traditional EAP counseling services. This shall be a fee-for-service rate. The contractor shall provide an initial screening and up to three hours of counseling sessions, if needed, each contract year, to each employee that wishes to utilize this contract. Payment for any additional sessions shall be the responsibility of the employee and shall not be considered part of this contract.

4.1.3 Counseling shall be face-to-face for, as needed for a maximum of four sessions. Evaluation and counseling services shall be performed at the contractor's facility. The contractor must have the ability to provide services in the Muskogee, Oklahoma area as to prevent undue hardship on employees and the VARO. The hardships noted include loss of employee time and travel expenses as a burden to the employees. If additional counseling is necessary a referral to a community facility or the patient’s primary care physician shall be provided. In most cases, VA employees shall be responsible for payment of any referred services.

4.1.4 The contractor shall allow the VA to authorize additional sessions upon review of the case, at the request of the contractor or VA.

4.1.5 The contractor is expected to see the VA employee within 2 work days of the initial call, unless it is more convenient of the VA employee to come at a later time. However, contractor shall be available 24 hours/day to respond to calls from VA employees. Although the EAP should not be seen as an emergency service, support is provided on an immediate basis to individuals experiencing an emergency situation. An employee's call shall result in either reaching an EAP counselor or staff member, or a call back the next business day. In no case shall a call from an employee be returned later than the next business day. A scheduled appointment must be made within 2 working days.

4.1.6 The contractor shall maintain a listing of appropriate local referral sources.

4.1.7 The contractor shall contact the employee 14 calendar days after the referral is given to ascertain its appropriateness.

4.1.8 The contractor shall have a quality assurance plan in place to assure only the highest quality referrals are utilized.

4.1.9 The contractor shall observe the same holidays as the Federal agencies serviced. If any primary staff member is unavailable due to vacation, conferences, and so forth, a qualified substitute must be provided.

4.1.10 The contractor shall provide no less than two (2) designated points of contact (names, email addresses, and telephone numbers) to the VBA Muskogee Regional Office Human Resources team. The two contractor designated points of contacts shall provide as needed guidance and/or assistance with difficult employee issues. This contact info will only be provided to contracting personnel at the VARO.

4.1.11 The contractor shall maintain malpractice coverage on any clinical staff involved in this contract and is solely responsible for all clinical recommendations. The contractor shall hold & save the Government free from damages due to the provision of counseling services in connection with EAP, except for damages due to the fault or negligence of the Government.

5. Period of Performance

The period of performance is one (1) Base Year with four (4), twelve month Option Years, from the date of the award.

6. Confidentiality: The acceptance and success of the Employee Assistance Program depends upon protecting the confidentiality of all participates. Every person contacting the Employee Assistance Program is assured, within the limitations of the law; the information shared with the EAP shall not be disclosed to another person without their written consent. In addition, the program is designed to ensure that employees who voluntarily contact the EAP shall not have their job security or promotional opportunities jeopardized because of a request for assistance. Any voluntary contact with the EAP is in no way reflected in the employee's personnel record. The contractor can speak with the employer only at the employee's request and with their written permission. In these cases, the contractor obtains a "Release of Information" statement for the employee. In most cases, the employee realizes that by sharing this information with the supervisor or manager, the contractor is often able to work out a specific plan of action regarding expectations on the job. The type of information relayed during such a conversation would include presenting the program, the possibility of a leave of absence for residential treatment programs, or confirmation of attendance. If the employee chooses not to sign the "Release of Information", information cannot be shared. There are exceptions to confidentiality when illegality, abuse or threat of harm to an individual is evident. Confidentiality in these situations is defined by law and the contractor is mandated to report such information to the appropriate authorities.

7. Place of Performance

The contractor shall perform the face-face counseling sessions in offices which are located within the Muskogee, OK area only. The VBA Muskogee Regional offices address is 125 South Main, Muskogee, OK 74401. “Within the Muskogee, OK area” is defined as a facility located within a short driving distance for the employee. The driving distance aforementioned has historically been within ten minutes and should be taken into consideration by the contractor.

8. Federal Holidays

The ten Federal Holidays recognized by the Federal Government are New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

9. Government Furnished Property or Material (GFP/GFE/GFI). N/A

10. Qualifications

Personnel assigned by the contractor to perform the services covered by this contract shall be Board Certified in their profession and/or hold a current certification related to their practice. Counselors shall, at minimum, have a Master's Degree in a Mental Health related field. Contractor shall be insured per local, state and federal laws.

11. Changes to the Statement of Work

Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the Contracting Officer. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the Contracting Officer shall be borne by the contractor.

12. Point of contact

TBA

13. Deliverables

Within one week from contract award the contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer the point of contact information of the two designated contractor employees, the completed rules of behavior and VA Information Security Awareness training certificates.

14. Security Requirements

14.1 All work performed under this contract shall comply with health and safety regulations to include but not limited to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other pertinent Federal requirements. The contractor shall assure the confidentiality of all information connected with an employee's use of the program in accordance with P.L. 98-24; 42CFR Part 2, "Confidentiality of “Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records," revised June 9, 1987, and the Privacy Act of 1974. Case files shall be maintained on all employees seen in counseling and shall be the property and responsibility of the Contractor. Case records shall be maintained for at least three years after termination of the client case, or longer if required by state law.

14.2 Current rules and regulations applicable to the premises, where the work shall be performed, shall apply to the contractor and its employees while working on the premises. These regulations include but are not limited to, escort by VBA officials, presenting valid identification, smoking restriction and any safety procedures as outlined in the site regulations. Upon arrival, the contractor's employee(s) shall report to the identified point of contact at the VBA where services shall be rendered. The contractor’s employee(s) shall also speak with the identified point of contact prior to their departure.

14.3 The C&A requirements do not apply and a Security Accreditation Package is not required. No background investigation required.