36C10X26R0001.pdf

PAGE 1 OF 1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NO. 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls) 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR CODE FACILITY CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

TELEPHONE NO. UEI: EFT:

PHONE: FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

ITEM NO. SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________ 29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION (REV. NOV 2021)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

133-26-2-2708-0002

36C10X26R0001 12-08-2025

Brian Kadel Brian.Kadel@va.gov (202)674-8618 01-08-2026

10:00AM ET

36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

X

541110

$16 Million

N/A

X

Caregiver Support Program (12 CSP) Department of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue N.W.

Washington DC 20420

36C10X

Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

VAFSC

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center

PO BOX 149971

(see Section B.3 invoicing/payment) Austin TX 78714-8917

1-(877)-489-6135

See CONTINUATION Page

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Caregiver Support Program Financial and Legal Services

Please see Section B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

All proposal intentions, questions and proposals shall be submitted in accordance with instructions to offerors in Section E.

Questions and Proposal Intentions: 12-17-2025, 10:00AM ET Proposals: See Block 8 above

This solicitation incorporates all VA Class Deviations implementing the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) that are effective as of the solicitation issue date identified in Block 6 above. All other clauses use FAR FAC Number 2025-26, effective 10-01-2025.

See CONTINUATION Page

X X

X 1

36C10X26R0001

Table of Contents

SECTION A

A.1 SF 1449 SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

B.3 PRICE SCHEDULE

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY AND PRIVACY

LANGUAGE FOR INCLUSION IN CONTRACTS

C.2 FAR 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

SECTION D - CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, OR ATTACHMENTS

D.1 ATTACHMENT A – VA CONTRACTOR BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

REQUEST WORKSHEET

D.2 ATTACHMENT B – FY26 VA INFORMATION SECURITY RULES OF BEHAVIOR 38

D.3 ATTACHMENT C – SAMPLE REFERRAL LANGUAGE

D.4 ATTACHMENT D – LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING_CERTIFICATE FOR

SERVICES

D.5 ATTACHMENT E – AFFIRMATION STATEMENT

D.6 ATTACHMENT F – BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT

D.7 ATTACHMENT G – WAGE DETERMINATION

D.8 ATTACHMENT H – PAST PERFORMANCE REFERENCES

D.9 ATTACHMENT J – PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONAIRRE 02

D.10 ATTACHMENT K – PRICE SCHEDULE

SECTION E - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

E.1 PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS/INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

E.2 FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL

SERVICES (DEVIATION) (OCT 2025)

E.3 FAR 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

(FEB 1998)

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

(continuation from Standard Form 1449, block 18A.)

1. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals identified in the Contract Point of Contact List (provided with the final award).

a. This contract will use electronic commerce to the maximum extent possible (IAW RFO

4.002. All correspondence regarding contract administration matters between the Government team (Contracting Officer, Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer’s Representative) and the Contractor will be handled via email using the email addresses listed in the Contract Point of Contact List, inclusive of any updates provided by the responsible Contracting Officer. Email will be the primary method for providing copies of contract documents to the Contractor or other parties. This applies to contract modifications, acceptance of supplies/services, invoice items addressed outside of the electronic invoicing system (currently Tungsten), contractor performance assessments addressed outside CPARS, terminations and any other actions covered by the Contract Terms and Conditions or other Clauses.

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with: 3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

[X] 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award Management

[ ] 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Other Than System for Award Management

[ ] 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

a. Quarterly [ ]

b. Semi-Annually [ ]

c. Other [X] Monthly (upon review and approval by the COR).

In accordance with FAR 52.212-4 (g) only proper invoices that contain documentation of services performed will be accepted.

4. CHANGES: Any changes to the resultant contract and associated tasks shall only be authorized and approved through written correspondence from the Contracting Officer (CO). A copy of each change will be kept in the contract folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the Contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the Contractor.

5. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All Invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

TUNGSTEN (aka OB10) ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION FSC e-INVOICE PROGRAM THRU AUSTIN PORTAL

FSC MANDATORY ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION FOR AUSTIN PAYMENTS

Vendor Electronic Invoice Submission Methods:

Fax, email and scanned documents are not acceptable forms of submission for payment requests. Electronic form means an automated system transmitting information electronically according to the accepted data transmissions below.

Please include in all invoices the Contract/Purchase Order Number, or Task/Delivery Order Number.

All invoices need to also be submitted using the same line item format in the contract or order.

Vendor Electronic Invoice Submission Methods:

Fax, email and scanned documents are not acceptable forms of submission for payment requests. Electronic form means an automated system transmitting information electronically according to the accepted data transmissions below.

1. VA’s Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment System – The Financial Services Center (FSC) in Austin, TX uses a third-party contractor, Tungsten, to transition vendors from paper to electronic invoice submission. Please go to this website: www.tungsten-network.com/customer-campaigns/veteransaffairs to begin submitting electronic invoices, free of charge.

2. A system that conforms to the X12 electronic data interchange (EDI) formats established by the Accredited Standards Center (ASC) chartered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The X12 EDI Web site is http://www.x12.org.

Vendor e-invoice Set-up information:

Please contact Tungsten at the phone number or email address listed below to begin submitting your electronic invoices to the VA Financial Services Center in Austin, TX for payment processing. If you have questions about the payment status of a properly submitted invoice, the e-invoicing program, or Tungsten, please contact the FSC at the phone number or email address listed below.

Tungsten e-Invoice setup information: 1-877-489-6135 Tungsten e-Invoice email: VA.Registration@tungsten-network.com VA TUNGSTEN Number: AAA544240062 FSC e-Invoice contact information: 1-877-353-9791 FSC e-Invoice email: vafsccshd@va.gov http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp

COMMUNICATIONS:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/11/27/2012-28612/va-acquisition-regulation-electronic-submission-of-payment-requests http://fcw.com/articles/2012/11/27/va-epayments.aspx?s=fcwdaily

Additional Tungsten assistance or information, including detailed articles and video tutorials which cover most frequently addressed topics, is available on the Tungsten Help Center.

Vendors may “Submit a Case” to obtain Tungsten e-Invoice Network - Technical Support.

Tungsten Help Center: https://tungsten-network.my.site.com/contactCustomerSupport/s/?language=en_US

Submit a Case - Technical Support: https://tungsten-network.my.site.com/contactCustomerSupport/s/contactcustomersupporthome?languag e=en_US

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

AMENDMENT NO DATE

B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The mission of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to honor America’s Veterans by providing exceptional care that improves their health and well-being. VHA will continue to be the benchmark for excellence and value in health care and benefits by providing exemplary services that are both patient-centered and evidence based.

On June 6, 2018, the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018 or the VA MISSION Act of 2018, Public Law 115-182, was signed into law. Section 161 of the MISSION Act of 2018 expanded eligibility for VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). This law, among other things, expanded eligibility for PCAFC to eligible Veterans with a serious injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service before September 11, 2001, in two phases. This law also established new benefits for designated Primary Family Caregivers of eligible Veterans under the PCAFC. Under 38 U.S.C. 1720G(a)(3)(A)(ii)(VI), as established by section 161(a)(3) of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, the VA is required to provide designated Primary Family Caregivers:

(1) financial planning services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their caregivers;

and

(2) legal services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their caregivers.

Under the law, these services must be provided through the use of contracts with, or the provision of grants to, public or private entities.

Please see the following link for detailed guidance provided in the attached final rule:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/31/2020-15931/program-of-comprehensiveassistance-for-family-caregivers-improvements-and-amendments-under-the-va.

The following table provides the estimated participant projected volumes. These numbers represent the Primary Family Caregiver only and do not include the corresponding Veteran.

Primary Family Caregiver Estimated Participant Projected Volume:

PCAFC Projections (Financial & Legal) **showing projections for first 5 years with estimated similar trending moving forward (note: historically, of the entitlements requested, the results are approximately: ~87% have been legal and ~13% have been financial type of requests).

Primary Family Caregiver Estimated Participant Projected Volume

PCAFC

Projections

PCAFC projected Finance and Legal Services Usage (10% rate)

Base Period / 2026 59,113 5,911 Option Period 1 / 2027 69,804 6,980 Option Period 2 / 2028 71,282 7,128 Option Period 3 / 2029 72,970 7,297 Option Period 4 / 2030 76,247 7,625

2.0 SCOPE

The scope of this requirement is for the program in support of legal and financial services for designated Primary Family Caregivers enrolled in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The Contractor shall provide these services to all VA markets to include all fifty (50) United States and territories to include Guam, Northern Marianna Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Under 38 U.S.C. 1720G(a)(3)(A)(ii)(VI), as amended by section 161(a)(3) of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, the VA is required to provide designated Primary Family Caregivers these services to include the following: financial planning services which shall be provided--relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers; and (2) legal services: relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers. The live services will be provided in English and/or in other languages as requested by the Primary Family Caregiver/Veteran. The other languages may be provided through a translation service (3-way call) for live interactions. Written materials may be requested for translation into other languages at the request (or upon approval if requested by a Veteran/caregiver) of (by) the Program Manager (PM)/Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Webinars will be provided in English and posted to the YouTube Channel and must use structure to enable the language translations of the subtitles and closed captioning.

3.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 CONTRACT TYPE

This will be a single-award hybrid type contract with Firm-Fixed Price Line Item Numbers (LINs) and Time and Materials (T&M) LINs for Other Direct Costs (ODCs).

3.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance will include one 12-month base period of performance, anticipated to begin on March 30, 2026 – March 29, 2027, with four, 12-month option periods.

3.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Services shall be performed at the Contractor’s facilities (off-site) or virtually.

3.4 OTHER DIRECT COSTS (ODCs)

The Government anticipates that Other Direct Costs (ODCs) may be needed to address this requirement, particularly for Task 5.1.2.a - Identity theft, Task 5.5 - Referral Resource Tool (also see 4.4 below), Task 5.7 - Translation Services and shipping of any materials via USPS Priority mail. The primary source of providing completed and/or draft documents will be either in person (where applicable) or via email. In the event the caregiver/Veteran requests mailed copies (of any of the prepared documents/drafts/templates/surveys), the Contractor will mail via USPS Priority mail with tracking. ODC Line Items for these tasks are included in the Price Schedule accordingly. ODCs will be reimbursed at Contractor direct cost. No indirect costs will be reimbursed. The Contractor shall perform due diligence to ensure it incurs most-favorable pricing prior to passing these costs on to the Government. The Contractor shall submit projected costs for Task 5.1.2.a - Identity Theft for review and approval. The Contractor shall submit with their invoice, copies of all receipts that support the ODCs claimed in the invoice and written substantiation for the incurred costs (to also include COR pre-approval where applicable for identity theft pre-approval); any invoice missing these receipts and written documentation will be rejected.

4.0 KICK-OFF MEETING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN AND TIMELINE

4.1 Kick-Off Meeting

The Kick-Off Meeting shall occur within five business days after contract award or as stipulated by VA’s Program Managers (PM)/COR and may be held virtually. The Contractor shall hold a Project Kick-Off Meeting with the PM/COR, and key stakeholders and subject matter experts (SME) to be identified by the VA PM/COR. The Contractor shall also provide completed standard administrative tasks at Kick-Off Meeting (e.g., background investigation forms, staff roster, mandatory training).

4.2 Project Management Plan

The Contractor shall present the details of initial Project Management Plan (PMP) five business days after contract award, which shall include the Contractor’s intended approach and work plan and project schedule including deliverable dates with major milestones for review and approval by the VA PM/COR. The VA PM/COR will review and provide feedback on the initial (draft) Project Management Plan within 10 days. The contractor shall discuss any feedback or clarifications from the VA PM/COR as necessary prior to final PMP due date. The final PMP is due the first day of the period of performance. Work shall not commence until the VA PM/COR approves the PMP (i.e., approach/methodology, work plan and schedule with major milestones).

Milestones will also include phased implementation schedule for the live services.

4.3 Timeline

The Government anticipates contract award 30-days prior to contract performance start date.

The contractor shall provide a phased implementation approach with implementation of all services (including live services, call center, documents, templates, training videos, etc.) no later than 30-days from contract award (i.e. Day 1 of contract Period of Performance). Within the first week post award, the contractor shall submit the required training and background check paperwork per section 9.2 for contract onboarding (initial background check processing takes a minimum of two weeks before personnel can start work). In addition, the contractor will provide the process flow for how the services will be provided for review/approval by the PM/COR.

The contractor shall submit all deliverables in full compliance with the Revised Section 508 Standards guidance as published in the Federal Register notice available at:

https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ict-final-rule.pdf. See also the Section 508 final rule (https://www.access-board.gov/ict/); https://www.section508.gov/develop/applicability-conformance/ and the VA 508 internet site is https://digital.va.gov/section-508/.

It will be the contractor’s sole responsibility to fully incorporate these requirements into all documents/services, ensure they meet these standards and, at a minimum, leverage and adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 level AA criteria and VA's Section 508 office supplemental requirements, for reviewing, assessing, and addressing all issues failing WCAG 2.0 and not meeting supplemental requirements of VA's Section 508 office on all documents created as part of this contracted effort. The VA Section 508 office supplemental requirements also includes addressing issues identified as violations by VA's HTML scanning appliance(s). The contractor shall resolve all accessibility deficiencies for each deliverable to the Government’s satisfaction and acceptance in alignment with all legal requirements.

4.4 Referral for services

a. For all services/tasks (such as live support, legal/financial advice/support or document preparation support, etc.), an initial referral must be validated to determine eligibility for the individual requesting the service. The initial referral shall be made either directly to the vendor’s toll-free number (via call from eligible Veterans, caregivers and/or VA staff for an eligible caregiver/Veteran) and/or via an approved referral submission process provided by the Contractor where VA staff may submit requests on behalf of the caregiver/Veteran (see 4.4b below). Once validated, if additional services are requested, the contractor may assume valid eligibility for additional service during the initial 45-business day service provision under the initial referral so long as there are services being actively provided. Any additional services requested after previous services have ended (no active services ongoing) or the 45 days has lapsed, require another referral/verification confirmed through the Vendor Portal (also referred to as the CARMA lookup tool). Eligibility shall be validated at the start of any requests for services, whether from the local CSP support team or self-referrals (this confirmation can be obtained primarily via the CARMA lookup tool used by the Contractor to verify eligibility and as a backup by the VAMC CSP Teams). Of note, for referrals for live services, after three attempts by phone to schedule the live services over a 2-week period, the referral can be closed and any new contact will require a new referral.

b. Referral tool (and survey tool) provided/utilized to accept referrals (and surveys) by the vendor, must be in compliance with all HIPAA and Business Associate Agreement requirements. Ensure the tool used includes privacy protections to ensure any sub-contracts/tools used comply with the covered entity requirements and use an account that is in compliance with HIPAA, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act for 2009, Public Law 111-005 (“HITECH Act”), and HIPAA Regulations under other applicable laws (including state, federal, contractual, and VA Business Associate Agreement requirements).

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall perform Financial Planning services on a non-personal services basis. VA organizations will not provide supervision of contractor personnel. Contractor personnel shall at no time allow an employer-employee relationship to develop with VA organizations or their staff.

VA organizations will refrain from any activities that create the appearance of such a relationship. Contractors shall not perform inherently governmental functions including decision-making, supervision of Government employees, supervision of other contractors on other contracts, or activities that create the appearance of performing such functions.

The contractor shall ensure corresponding professional credentials for the provision of legal and financial services. The contractor shall ensure all attorneys are licensed, active and in good standing in at least one State bar and are in good standing regardless of active status in all State bars to which they have been admitted (properly licensed). The contractor shall also ensure financial counselors maintain a certification through a national financial counseling organization such as the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC), Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE), or Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC). Financial planning credentials through organizations such as Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) are not accepted since services are limited to counseling, coaching and education. The contractor shall describe how it will meet legal and financial licensure/certification requirements to enable provision of services across all geographical areas covered under this contract. These areas include all VA markets to include all fifty (50) United States and territories to include Guam, Northern Marianna Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Contractor will ensure staff availability to support the expected volume/need for such services among the caregivers on a national level. The Contractor will ensure that every licensed attorney supporting the contract maintains a minimum of $300,000.00 in annual malpractice insurance for legal services or the minimum required by each state, whichever is higher. In addition, the Contractor shall maintain $1M miscellaneous professional liabilities insurance for financial services. The call center staff who serve in the role of “concierges” to help navigate the Veteran/caregiver to the appropriate service(s) will be, at a minimum, paraprofessionals (financial/para-legal).

For any referrals to community resources, the contractor will provide notification to the caregiver/Veteran that these subsequent services will be provided at their own expense/determination and are outside the purview of the VA. The contractor shall use language essentially the same or similar (covering the same main points) as that provided in Attachment C Sample Referral Language to notify each caregiver/Veteran upon referral for services outside of scope (or continuation of services outside of allotted time/scope of this contract).

5.1 TASK 1 – LEGAL SERVICES

5.1.1 LEGAL SERVICES

The contractor shall provide legal services including legal advice and consultation, relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers. The legal services include provision of legal advice and consultation relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their designated Primary Family Caregivers. The contractor shall provide general legal supportive services for eligible Primary Family Caregivers (and the corresponding Veterans) to develop items such as legal documents (instruments), provide education, and provide support referrals to community resources. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment C Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources. This contract will not include any legal support that entails court appearance. The deliverables shall include, at a minimum, the following at the request of the eligible Primary Family Caregiver (and the corresponding Veterans) and approved by VA (See Task 5.5). Note: Exclusion: No criminal nor tort law cases. For services covered under the contract: if the contractor is unable to provide legal consultation due to refusal by attorneys to take on the case (i.e. due to lack of merit), and they demonstrate due diligence in attempting to secure services within a minimum of seven requests to attorneys, then the contractor will forward request/documentation to the COR to verify attempts and close the request upon approval of the PM/COR.

5.1.1 DELIVERABLES (one each per eligible Primary Family Caregiver and one each per corresponding Veteran per base/option period – see exception below):

Exception: In the rare event a Primary Family Caregiver is the primary caregiver for more than one Veteran (e.g., father and mother; father and brother; etc.) the “one each per eligible caregiver” will allow for one of each deliverable for each of the Veterans that caregiver supports.

a. Estate Planning

i. Drafting of a last will and testament

ii. Designating beneficiaries

iii. Finalize instruments

b. Advanced Directives

i. Finalize instruments

c. Up to one of each of the types of Power of Attorney (POA) as follows (every 12-months):

POA, Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPOAHC), and Durable Financial Power of Attorney (DFPOA)

i. Review and educate on the types of POAs

ii. Draft POA

iii. Finalize POA

d. Guardian of Veteran (guardianship of person or emergency guardianship)

i. Review and educate on the types of guardianship

ii. Provide overarching guidance on the required steps for guardianship

iii. Draft guardianship instruments

e. Referrals to community resources for individual representation and attorneys for legal assistance or representation in other legal matters (related to the personal legal needs of the eligible Veteran and the Primary Family Caregiver that are not covered in the above sections). This excludes assistance with matters in which the eligible Veteran or Primary Family Caregiver is taking or has taken adversarial legal action against the United States Government and disputes between the eligible Veteran and the Primary Family Caregiver.

Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment C Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources.

f. Educational programs relevant to Advanced Directives, Simple Wills and Guardianship will be available on demand utilizing the VA YouTube approved channel/approved through the VA YouTube request process to obtain the corresponding link. Each webinar will be approximately 30 minutes in length and will cover at a minimum the below three topics in unique webinars (3 unique 30-minute webinars covering topics i, ii, and iii.). The content (and recorded webinar) will be reviewed and updated on a minimum of an annual basis and will be available within 30 days of contract award. Unique nuances by state will be provided through webinars, templates, guidance documents, and general information. All videos (developed under this and any other corresponding tasks) will be pre-approved by the COR prior to launch. (All videos, templates, and training documents shall be available to be posted on a caregiver site/VA site at discretion of the VA)

i. Advanced Directives

ii. Simple Wills

iii. Guardianship

g. One, thirty (30) minute live session per topic per each eligible Primary Family Caregiver and corresponding Veteran with an attorney to provide consultation and support in completing each of items a. through d. above. Up to two additional 30-minute sessions may be offered per task (item 5.1(1) a-d above with supporting documentation reflecting justification for request of additional services/sessions. If the caregiver requires additional services beyond the specific 30-minute sessions, then the Contractor may refer the caregiver to resources to provide additional support to be funded by the caregiver. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment C Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources.

5.1.2 OPTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES (Deliverable 5.1.2.a will be invoiced as an Other Direct Costs | Deliverable 5.1.2.b and 5.1.2.c, if required will be priced and exercised together)

Optional Legal Services shall provide additional legal support relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their designated Primary Family Caregivers to include support in areas such as the development of additional legal documents, and provision of additional phone consultation, and education on preventative action support and restorative services in response to personal data breaches and known identity theft.

5.1.2 DELIVERABLES:

a. Identity theft (see Section 3.4 Other Direct Costs (ODCs))

i. Review and educate on the types of identity theft

ii. Provide support for taking preventative steps in cases of personal data compromise.

iii. Provide 90-day restorative services support for known identity theft occurrences.

b. Draft up to two (2) documents pertaining to credit reporting agencies, businesses, and debt collector notifications

c. Up to two letters prepared or reviewed and/or two phone calls made or received by plan attorney to assist in resolving civil disputes in the following areas (not to exceed 30 minutes per each of the two phone calls):

i. Contractual disputes (excluding real estate)

ii. Defaults on loans

iii. Insurance such as disability insurance, life insurance, or health insurance (excluding insurance issues arising out of tort)

v. Neighbor disputes (excluding HOA)

vi. Product liability

vii. Warranties

viii. Collections

ix. Garnishments

Other types of disputes that aren’t otherwise expressly prohibited per paragraph 5.1(1)e would be handled as a single 30-minute consultation as described in sub paragraph a. above.

5.2 TASK 5.2 – FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES

5.2.1 FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES

Financial planning services shall include the provision of financial planning services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers which shall provide support in areas such as household budgeting, debt management, retirement planning, insurance review/education and financial counselor consultation to assist the Primary Family Caregiver (and the corresponding Veterans). The Contractor shall ensure all financial planning recommendations are provided based on the best interest of the caregiver and the Veteran they serve. These services shall include, at a minimum, the following deliverables will be provided at the request of the eligible Primary Family Caregiver (and the corresponding Veterans) and approved by VA (See Task 5.5):

5.2.1 DELIVERABLES (one each per Primary Family Caregiver and one each per corresponding Veteran per base/option period – see exception below):

Exception: In the rare event a Primary Family Caregiver is the primary caregiver for more than one Veteran (e.g., father and mother; father and brother; etc.) the “one each per eligible caregiver” will allow for one of each deliverable for each of the Veterans that caregiver supports.

a. Household Budgeting

i. Creating a personal budget/financial plan to reduce, eliminate, and avoid debt and to achieve solvency and stability

ii. Learning to balance a checkbook

iii. Learning to pay bills

iv. Teaching money management techniques

v. Managing income changes or increased expenses

b. Debt Management (not including bankruptcy proceedings)

i. Assistance with establishing payments with creditors

ii. Negotiating with Creditors

iii. Dealing with collection agencies and delinquencies

c. Retirement planning review and education

i. Educate on retirement planning and investment options

d. Insurance review and education

i. Educate on current insurance policies

ii. Educate on alternative insurance options to include health, automobile, life and homeowners/renters

e. One, thirty (30) minute session per topic per each eligible Primary Family Caregiver and corresponding Veteran with a Financial Counselor(s) to provide consultation and support in completing each of items 5.2.1.a. through d. above. Up to two additional 30-minute sessions may be offered per task with supporting documentation reflecting justification for request of additional services/sessions. If the caregiver/Veteran requires additional services beyond the specific 30-minute sessions, then the Contractor may refer the caregiver to resources to provide additional support (to be funded by the caregiver).

5.2.2 OPTIONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES

The optional financial services shall provide enhanced support relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers in relation to topics such as mortgage loan/refinancing education, referrals to community resources, on demand webinars, credit management and other planning/education services. Each on-demand webinar (a minimum of one approximately 30-minute on-demand video (each) per corresponding topics listed a-f below) will be available within 30-days of contract award. The corresponding topics will be submitted for approval by the contractor and, upon approval by the COR and VA YouTube request process, will be made available on demand with a link utilizing the VA YouTube approved channel/approved through the VA YouTube request process (all videos, templates, and training documents shall be available to be posted on a caregiver site/VA site at discretion of the VA).

The content (and recorded webinar) will be reviewed and updated on a minimum of an annual basis and will be available within 30 days of contract award. Note: Refer to section “5.

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment C Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources. All videos will be pre-approved by the COR prior to launch. All videos will be updated a minimum of annually.

All optional financial services shall be priced at time of award (must be included in any proposal submitted in response to the solicitation). However, these services shall only be performed if the associated Price Schedule line item(s) are exercised, and funds obligated by the Contracting Officer via a contract modification. The Government does not guarantee the exercise of these optional services or deliverables. Options will be exercised based on the Government’s needs and availability of funds.

These services will include at a minimum the following below deliverables (all of the below deliverables will be exercised by this optional task):

5.2.2 DELIVERABLES (OPTIONAL – If exercised will include all items/sub items identified in a-f, below):

a. Mortgage loans and refinancing

i. Educate on types of mortgages available

ii. On Demand webinars with approximate length of 30 minutes to one hour per topic.

b. Extensive Financial Coaching (Optional)

i. Provision of 90-day telephonic coaching program to assist in developing and implementing an action plan (optional)

c. Referrals to community resources. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment C Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources.

(Optional) d Six additional on demand money management webinars

e. Credit Management (Optional)

i. Understanding credit, finance charges, interest rates, and the implications of only paying the minimum amount each month

ii. Educating Primary Family Caregivers and their families on the importance of maintaining excellent credit histories and ratings. Teaching Primary Family

Caregivers and their families how to establish, monitor, and protect their credit

iii. On-demand webinars with approximate length of 30-minutes per topic covering at least three unique topics.

f. Planning for college expenses and addressing student loans (Optional) Educate on the types of college savings plans for Primary Family Caregiver/dependents and the Veterans the serve/dependents.

i. On-demand webinars with approximate length of 30-minutes to one hour per topic.

5.3 TASK 5.3 – MONITORING AND DATA REPORTING

The contractor shall deliver a monthly data file and summary report via secure method (if any PII included) by the 10th of each month to include (at the minimum) individual customer level interaction/event information for each subsection in “Task 5.3 Deliverables” and “Task 5.4 Survey” below (contractor shall also report/provide narrative in the monthly report on any metrics not met due to caregiver/Veteran delays and shall not include those caregiver/Veteran specific causes for delays within the below monthly metrics):

TASK 5.3 DELIVERABLES:

(1) Finance data to be produced by contractor:

a. Total number of referred eligible Primary Family Caregivers and Veterans using service

b. Status of referrals by Veteran and Primary Family Caregiver (requested, in progress, completed: monthly, Fiscal Year (FY) roll up)

c. Count of Type(s) of each service(s) received, by Veteran and Primary Family Caregiver (provided using unique identifier) and added fields for corresponding VAMC and VISN

d. Survey results after receiving financial services will be compiled to include a summary of outcomes as a result of services in order to monitor program goals. At a minimum, the survey summary will include: quantity surveyed, quantity responded, benefit from the service, level of improvement on ability to manage personal finances, caregivers level of agreement to quality standards met, and whether the services increased financial capability.

e. Additional metrics to be included at the request of the COR/PM will be implemented within 30-days of the request reported monthly after approval by PM/COR and, if leading to change in the survey, after approval from Office of Management and Budget (OMB) such as a breakout of services provided during a specified period of time and/or by geographical region.

f. Narrative summary/details of each of the reported data sets as well as annotation describing reason/corrective action to address any deviation from the standard.

g. FY rollup summary

1) monthly FY rollup

2) end of year roll up summary (to include metrics by VAMC/VISN)

i. rollup of all monthly data points

ii. rollup of quality metrics to include time to answer

iii. corresponding annual summary narrative report

h. Total to date (rollup of monthly data points for entire contract)

(2) Legal data to be produced by contractor:

a. Total number of referred eligible Primary Family Caregivers and Veterans using service

b. Status of referrals (requested, in progress, completed: monthly, FY roll up)

c. Count of Type(s) of service(s) received, by Veteran and caregiver (provided using unique identifier) and added fields for corresponding VAMC and VISN

d. Survey results after receiving Legal services will be compiled to include a summary of outcomes as a result of services in order to monitor program goals. At a minimum, the survey summary will include: quantity surveyed, quantity responded, benefit from the service, level of improvement on ability to manage personal legal topics, and whether the services increased ability to manage the corresponding legal situation/request.

e. Additional metrics to be included at the request of the PM/COR will be implemented within 30-days of the request (reported monthly after approval by PM/COR, and if leading to change in the survey, after approval from OMB.

f. Number of caregiver referred to other resources.

g. Narrative summary/details of each of the reported data sets as well as annotation describing reason/corrective action to address any deviation from the standard

h. FY rollup summary

1) monthly FY rollup

2) end of year roll up summary (to include metrics by VAMC/VISN)

i. rollup of all monthly data points

ii. rollup of quality metrics to include time to answer

iii. corresponding annual summary narrative report

i. Total to date (rollup of monthly data points for entire contract)

(3) Additional monthly monitoring/data:

The contractor shall develop and provide ad hoc reports as requested by the PM/COR to address elements such as (but not limited to):

a. Number of Primary Family Caregivers and Veterans who have newly started to receive services since the last designated period/range and/or number of caregivers and Veterans who are using the services

b. Breakdown by method of contact;

c. Total number of completed phone calls (including a breakdown by language)

d. Utilization trends of the services provided broken down by financial and legal services;

e. Persistence/consistency of use of contracted services and completion rates broken down by state and VAMC location;

f. Customer service center statistics;

g. Best practices reports (identifying key internal and external processes that are working well and those that need refinement--such as the referral procedures or other mechanisms/approaches to provide services); and

h. Specialty reports as it relates to Primary Family Caregivers/Veterans not captured above.

5.4 TASK 5.4 – SURVEY

The contractor shall develop and institute a survey that will capture a summary of results of services received related to finance and legal services. Prior to administration, the survey will be approved by the PM/COR as well as approved by the OMB to meet the requirements/review in support of the Paperwork Reduction Act. During the review process, it is possible that OMB will require additional changes/updates to the survey prior to approval. The survey will be sent to the caregiver within two weeks of completed services provided. At a minimum, the survey will capture the number surveyed (100% of those who received finance and/or legal services), the number who responded, and the results of the survey. The results shall capture, at a minimum, if the services provided the following: overall benefit from the service, improvement in ability to manage finances, and whether the services helped to increase financial capability. [See 5.3 above for monthly reporting requirements after approval of by PM/COR and OMB]. The survey will be provided using an authorized (HIPAA and Business Associate Agreement (BAA) approved survey tool mechanism) and/or by mail when requested by vendor, Veteran, or caregiver (see 4.4b) and the contractor will ensure full compliance in accordance with OMB approval as applicable.

5.5 TASK 5.5 –REFERRAL PROCESS, DOCUMENTS, AND VIDEOS (see Section 3.4 Other Direct Costs (ODCs)).

a. The contractor will provide a HIPAA compliant electronic referral tool to enable submissions of referral requests to the contractor for eligible Primary Family Caregivers by CSP staff (ODC). See 4.4b for minimum compliance requirements.

b. Referral processes, training materials, documents, and videos shall all be 508 compliant (to include closed captioning and 508 standards) and follow VHA/VA guidance and criteria. These training materials and downloaded documents must be provided in English. Closed captioning will be provided for the videos. The Video translation to Spanish is acceptable as a translated closed captioning.

c. The contractor will draft training slides (and be available for questions on field calls if applicable/upon request of PM/COR) to provide overview of items such as steps to general services through the call center (target audience Caregiver Support Coordinators), referral processes, and general frequently asked questions/answers refence documents.

d. In addition to the current standards, the Contractor will ensure ongoing compliance with the below references or any updated VA/VHA/Governmental guidance to ensure compliance with current standards (to maintain compliance with any updated requirements). The guidance provided in VA 6102 Handbook which can be found at https://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=1055&FType=2t and other sites such as the VA Web Best Practices Guide found at https://digital.va.gov/web-governance/standards-and-policies/web-policies/ for items such as Branding and style to follow TR1 styling guidelines.

e. The contract team will utilize the VA CARMA Lookup confirmation tool to confirm caregiver and correlated Veteran eligibility for these services (per VA guidance on eligibility for finance/legal serves); all referrals (whether it be self-referrals or referrals from the Caregiver Support Team) will be validated by the contractor through the VA tool where the contractor can log in to the VA tool and enter key data and receive confirmation of eligibility. In the unexpected case where the CARMA Lookup tool (Vendor portal) is unavailable, the Contractor can confirm with the corresponding Caregiver Support Team members.)

f. Note: If any of the referenced documents have been updated the vendor will reference the most recently published version. If a document has been rescinded, then the vendor must reference the publication replacing the rescinded document.

g. Note: Some terms and wording have changed since the publication of VA Handbook

6500.6 March 12, 2010. Ensure reference/usage of the current approved VA guidance upon any updates.

h. VA Directive and VA Handbook (HB) 6500 have both been updated and published 24 Feb 21. A previous update to VA6500 Directive Jan 19, 2020, Rescinded VA 6500.1 HB and the recent update to 6500HB rescinded VA 6500.3 HB.

5.6 TASK 5.6 – CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL CENTER/CONCIERGE

The contractor shall provide a United States based customer service center to provide corresponding services through staffing, processes, procedures, and technological infrastructure necessary to manage and operate financial and legal services program for Primary Family Caregivers and corresponding Veterans. The customer service center shall provide services 24 hours per day/7 days per week/365 days per year in all VA markets to include all fifty (50) United States and territories to include Guam, Northern Marianna Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Services must be provided via a toll-free number, e-mail, postal, live video, chat, other modalities, and face to face (upon request if in the local vicinity and available with the vendor) and be Section 508 compliant to include offering Teletype - Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TTY-TDD). The customer service center shall offer translation services upon request of caller through a live 3-way call with translation service. The call center will be staffed with paraprofessionals serving in a concierge role to review the caregiver/Veteran’s requests for service and coordinate the provision of these services. These concierges will continue to support the caregiver/Veteran through the course of the services and provide a single point of contact to help the caregiver/Veteran smoothly navigate the system. The concierges will be, at a minimum, paralegals or financial paraprofessionals respective to the service they are requesting (financial/legal) to help navigate the Veteran/caregiver to the appropriate service. If an eligible caregiver/Veteran requests both finance and legal services, they would have one of each type of concierge helping them navigate the support services.

The Contractor is to follow the guidance provided in VA 6102 Handbook which can be found at https://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=1055&FType=2t. The Contractor will confirm eligibility of participants and provide Financial and Legal services to these eligible participants in accordance with this PWS (refer to…