36C24118Q9162-002.doc

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Safe Haven Model Demonstration Project

Healthcare for Homeless Veterans(HCHV) Contract Residential Care

Bedford VAMC

1. INTRODUCTION: The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) “Breakthrough Initiative 8 to continue progress to end Veteran’s homelessness” calls for enhancing current homeless service capacity as well as developing new programs and initiatives in concert with community and federal partners. The intent of this Performance Work Statement (PWS) is for VA medical centers to engage community provider(s) to offer homeless Veterans services through a “Safe Haven” model of residential care.

1.1 Purpose: Under the contract authority of VA’s Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Contract Residential Care programs, VA medical centers will solicit community organizations to provide “Safe Haven” services as a ‘specialty model.’ This model of HCHV residential care will offer the minimal services under the HCHV Contract Residential Care program enhanced by the services as defined below. These services must be put forth in the solicitation. Significant deviation from these services can dilute the model as prescribed, and thus disrupt program evaluation and fidelity studies. The National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans will provide training for initial program development for both the provider and VA staff. Additionally, the Center will formulate the evaluation protocol and program fidelity measures. VA medical centers will contract through procedures in line with their own business practices and contracting services. Costs associated with Veteran care will be determined by bed days of care, per month.

1.2 Policy: The Secretary of the VA has set a zero-tolerance policy for homelessness within the Veteran population. As part of the Breakthrough Initiative 8, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) intends to increase both capacity of existing programs and services offered to program participants. This plan calls for utilizing new models of care, not previously offered by VA.

1.3 Background: The VA has been providing direct and specialized services for homeless Veterans for over 20 years. Beginning in 1987 with 43 pilot programs that provided street outreach and residential community services, VA Homeless Programs have developed and expanded to become the largest integrated provider of homeless services in the country. Despite these resources, on any given night HUD estimates that there are still over 57,000 Veterans who are homeless.

Recent national trends in service provision for the homeless outside of the VA system include the utilization of Safe Havens as an alternative to shelter care or as a placement post unsuccessful discharge from an inpatient or residential treatment program due to relapse-related issues. A Safe Haven is a form of supportive housing that serves hard-to-reach homeless persons with severe mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders who are on the streets and have been unable or unwilling to participate in more traditional supportive services. VA is limited by current grant authorities and existing program structures and practices and cannot fund harm-reduction treatment models. VA has been unable to provide the types of services focused on shelter diversion and early stabilization in community-based environments and has been criticized by outside organizations for not having this component of the continuum of care. The period of performance shall be for one (1) 12 Month Base Year with four (4) Option Years. The Period of Performance reads as follows:

10/1/2018 to 9/30/2019 Base Period

10/1/2019 to 9/30/2020 Option Period 1

10/1/2020 to 9/30/2021 Option Period 2

10/1/2021 to 9/30/2022 Option Period 3

10/1/2022 to 9/30/2023 Option Period 4

1.4. Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at the Contractors facility which must pass inspection by VA Personnel(see attached inspection sheet)

1.5 Type of Contract: The Veterans Affairs will award a Firm Fixed Price Contract with estimated quantites.

1.6 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Veterans Affairs personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the contractor of how the Veterans Affairs views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise the Veterans Affairs of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Veterans Affairs.

2. SCOPE OF WORK:

2.1 Safe Haven provider will offer a 24-hour staffed transitional residence in Massachusetts within a one hour driving radius of Bedford, MA. The residence must have 20 private areas for Veterans. The residence must provide onsite laundry, three meals/day, and computer access for Veterans. Each facility must have a full-time program manager dedicated to the program and present on-site 40 hrs/wk.

2.2 Safe Haven provider will ensure that there is at least one awake staff member on-duty and on-site at the facility 24 hours a day, 7 days every week. Safe Haven provider must make accomodations to have staffing on-site during transport times or any other instance that staff is required to be off-site.

2.3 Safe Haven provider will provide transportation of Veterans to VA and non-VA medical, substance use, and mental health appointments. This transportation must be made available Monday through Saturday. Transportation must also be provided for Veterans to access VA supported employment programs such as CWT and VCT.

Safe Haven provider facilities that are within walking distance of City of Boston bus and underground subway systems are approved to provide each Veteran with funding to utilize public transportation in order to enable residents of the program to access medical, mental health, or substance abuse-related appointments. Public transportation accommodations cannot be used as the primary transportation option provided to Veterans at any of the Safe Haven sites that do not have this type of direct access to City of Boston public transportation.

2.4 Safe Haven provider will provide housing and supportive services to female Veterans and under this contract is required to ensure the safety and privacy of these Veterans. Men and women must have separate bathroom facilities. The facility must have female residential rooms or sections that are securely segregated or restricted from men to ensure safety and privacy. If the facility cannot accommodate both male and female Veterans at one location, the provider must make available equivalent facilities and services for the opposite gender that meet the terms of the contract for facilities and services.

2.5 Safe Haven provider will target chronically homeless Veterans (as defined by HUD) with serious mental illness (as defined by VHA) and substance use problems. Safe Haven provider must take all eligible Veterans as determined by the VA standards, barring any state or local residency requirements.

2.6 Safe Haven provider will allow VA staff to inspect the facility and/or review Veteran participant treatment protocols annually and at any time determined necessary by VA. Safe Haven provider will allow VA staff to proceed with unannounced inspections of the facility/facilities and/or review Veteran participant treatment protocols at any time determined necessary by the VA liaison or leadership.

2.7 Safe Haven provider will offer a low-demand environment with a minimum set of rules designed to re-establish trust in the chronically homeless Veteran and engage the Veteran in needed treatment services.

a.

Acceptance of treatment cannot be a condition of admission or continued stay.

b.

Abstinence from alcohol or drugs cannot be a condition of treatment or continued stay.

c.

Infractions of rules should be used as opportunities for engagement.

2.8 Outreach will be conducted by the Safe Haven provider and VA HCHV staff.

2.9 The provider must have the ability to accommodate immediate admissions 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. All admissions must have concurrence of VA. If a Veteran presents at the facility during weekends or at night, the Safe Haven provider may accept the Veteran, however, VA staff have right of approval/disapproval for payment for that Veteran.

3.0 Safe Haven staff will develop a highly individualized treatment plan with each Veteran consistent with low-demand program goals.

3.1 Safe Haven provider will work with Veterans on obtaining permanent housing within six months of admission. All extensions beyond six months will require approval of the VA

3.2 Safe Haven provider will collect and maintain evaluation data required by the VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans for the Safe Haven Model Demonstration Project.

3.3 Safe Haven provider will ensure facility meets all applicable life/safety codes and other standards/compliance requirements as determined by VA, including American with Disabilities Act accessibility. Safe Haven provider must provide adequate means of ventilation in resident rooms from either fans or air conditioning units at the program during warmer seasons.

3.4 Safe Haven provider will create a cool-down area or “Safe Room” for appropriate de-escalation needs of the residents at the program. This would be an area that would separate residents from the rest of the community of the household. Safe Haven provider staff must be able to observe the residents in this cool-down area and the residents’ stay in the room is strictly voluntary.

3.5 Safe Haven Provider will be knowledgeable of local VA and non-VA Homeless Programs and maintain a willingness to collaborate with other Providers as it benefits the Veterans.

3.6 Safe Haven provider selected for the demonstration project must have at least two years of direct experience as a provider of a Safe Haven Program or program demonstrating the low-demand model. Safe Haven provider selected for the demonstration project must be able to provide onsite office space for one full-time VA Safe Haven Coordinator.

3.7 Safe Haven Provider will provide newly admitted Veterans with all necessary furnishings and clean linens. Basic toiletries will be provided for all Veteran residents by the Safe Haven providers.

3.8 Safe Haven Provider will ensure that all meals provided are nutritious and that food items will remain available throughout the day. Safe Haven Provider will make available healthy options such as fresh fruit and fresh vegetables for all of the Veterans at the program. All expired food must be disposed of appropriately by the Safe Haven Provider. Enough food must be provided to allow all Veterans at the program to minimally prepare three meals daily.

3.9 Safe Haven Provider will ensure that the facilities are well maintained and clean.

4.0 Safe Have Provider will participate in and provide transportation for residents to annual homeless events sponsored by the VAMC, i.e. Local Stand Down Events.

4.1 Safe Haven Provider will have a site currently available to implement the Safe Haven Model.

4.2 Safe Haven Provider will be willing to participate in data collection activities which will assist in monitoring the effectiveness of the program as well as determine any needed modifications.

3. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

3.1 General: The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment and services required to perform all tasks within the performance work statement.

4. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY:

The contractor service requirements are summarized into performance objectives that relate directly to mission essential items. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are critical to mission success.

Performance Objective

(The Service required—usually a shall statement)

Method of Surveillance

PRS # 1.

The contractor shall provide individual private areas in safe and appropriate facility/facilities for Veterans to stay in for up to one year without the requirement of residents to be clean and sober within the Bedford VA catchment area (PWS para 2.1) The contractor will have an appropriate facility with private areas ready for Veterans to move into upon the start of the contract.

PRS# 2

The contractor shall provide healthy, nutritious, and appropriate food including fresh food for the residents that meet the requirements of the Nutrition department at Bedford VA. (PWS para 3.8)

PRS# 3

The contractor shall provide transportation for residents to Bedford VA for medical, substance use, and mental health care appointments and for CWT/VCT as needed (PWS para 2.3).

PRS# 4

The contractor shall provide 24/7 awake staffing at the facility/facilities housing the Safe Haven Veterans. (PWS para 2.2)

PRS#5

The contractor will assist Safe Haven residents with transitioning into permanent housing upon discharge. (PWS para 3.1)

5. DELIVERABLES SCHEDULE

N/A

Jim Chaplin/Chris Field