36C25018R0072-003.docx

36C25018R0072 FedBizOpps Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

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CONTRACTING OFFICE'S

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SOLICITATION NUMBER

RESPONSE DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)

ARCHIVE

DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

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CONTRACTING OFFICE

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* = Required Field FedBizOpps Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice Rev. March 2010 G Health Care for Homeless Veterans - Temporary Shelter 45219 36C25018R0072 04-27-2018 N 624221 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10 260 E. University Avenue Cincinnati OH 45219 Ronald M. Morgan 513-559-3726 45220 ronaldmichael.morgan@va.gov ronaldmichael.morgan@va.gov

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.

DUNS:

DUNS+4:

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. 2/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

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

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

36C25018R0072 04-03 -2018 Ronald Morgan 5135593726 04-27-2018 Noon 12:00 p.m.

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10 260 E. University Avenue Cincinnati OH 45219 x 624221 $11 Million X N/A X See Delivery Schedule

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10 260 E. University Avenue Cincinnati OH 45219

Department of Veterans Affairs

FMS-VA-2(101)

Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-9971 Beds for Homeless Veterans and Their Families 4,380

YR

See Performance Work Statement (PWS) on pages 10 through 28 x Table of Contents

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:

a. CONTRACTOR:

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer (90C)

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10 260 E. University Avenue Cincinnati OH 45219

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor should be mailed to the following address:

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

4. 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.

Department of Veterans Affairs

FMS-VA-2(101)

Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-9971 ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

B.2 SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Under the authority of Public Law 104-262 and 38 USC 8153, the contractor agrees to provide Health Care Resources in accordance with the terms and conditions stated herein, to furnish to and at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, the services and prices specified in the Section entitled Schedule of Supplies/Services of this contract.

1. SERVICES:

a. The services specified in the Sections entitled Schedule of Supplies/Services and Special Contract Requirements may be changed by written modification to this contract.

b. Other necessary personnel for the operation of the services contracted for at the VA will be provided by the VA at levels mutually agreed upon which are compatible with the safety of the patient and personnel and with quality medical care programming.

c. The services to be performed by the contractor will be performed in accordance with VA policies and procedures and the regulations of the medical staff by laws of the VA facility.

2. TERM OF CONTRACT:

This contract is effective one year from date of award plus four (4) one-year options that may be exercised by the VA. The contract is subject to the availability of funds. The contractor shall perform no services after September 30 of any year until the Contracting Officer authorizes such services in writing.

3. QUALIFICATIONS:

Personnel assigned by the Contractor to perform the services covered by this contract shall be licensed in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia. All licenses held by the personnel working on this contract shall be full and unrestricted licenses. The qualifications of such personnel shall also be subject to review by the VA Chief of Staff and approval by the VA Facility Director. Each person assigned to work under this contract shall be licensed by The State of Ohio and/or Kentucky.

4. WORK HOURS:

a. The services covered by this contract shall be furnished by the contractor as defined herein. The contractor will not be required, except in case of emergency, to furnish such services during off-duty hours as described below.

b. The following terms have the following meanings:

(1) Work hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(2) National Holidays: The 10 holidays observed by the Federal Government are:

New Years Day Martin Luther King’s Birthday Presidents Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Christmas AND any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday.

(3) Off-Duty hours: Friday through Monday, 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 a.m.

5. PERSONNEL POLICY:

The contractor shall be responsible for protecting the personnel furnishing services under this contract. To carry out this responsibility, the contractor shall provide the following for these personnel:

- general liability

- workers compensation

- professional liability insurance

- health examinations

- income tax withholding, and

- social security payments.

The parties agree that the contractor, its employees, agents and subcontractors shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose.

6. RECORD KEEPING:

The VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio shall establish and maintain a record keeping system that will record the hours worked by the contractor employee(s). Contractor's employee(s) shall report to Administrative Officer, or designee upon arrival at the Cincinnati, Ohio.

7. CONTRACT PERFORMANCE MONITORING:

Monitoring of contractors time shall be demonstrated through sign-in/ sign-out sheets. The contractor shall be required to sign an attendance log upon reporting to work and departing from work. , shall be the VA official responsible for verifying contract compliance. After contract award, any incidents of contractor noncompliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedures shall be forwarded immediately to the Contracting Officer.

8. KEY PERSONNEL AND TEMPORARY EMERGENCY SUBSTITUTIONS:

The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel:

a. During the first ninety (90) days of performance, the Contractor shall make NO substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required by paragraph (c) below. After the initial 90-day period of the contract, the Contractor shall submit the information required by paragraph (c) to the Contracting Officer at least 15 days prior to making any permanent substitutions.

b. The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutes shall have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on the proposed substitutes. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel.

c. For temporary substitutions where the key person will not be reporting to work for three (3) consecutive work days or more, the Contractor will provide a qualified replacement for the key person. This substitute shall have comparable qualifications to the key person. Any period exceeding two weeks will require the procedure as stated above.

B.3 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING-- MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUN 2011)

This solicitation includes FAR 52.219-4 Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HubZone Small Business Concerns. Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation will include this clause. The contractor is advised in performing contract administration functions, the CO may use the services of a support contractor(s) retained by VA to assist in assessing the contractor's compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirements specified in the clause. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to contractor's offices where the contractor's business records or other proprietary data are retained and to review such business records regarding the contractor's compliance with this requirement. All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an “Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement” to ensure the contractor's business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the CO in assessing the contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs. Furthermore, if VA determines any services the support contractor(s) will perform in assessing compliance are advisory and assistance services as defined in FAR 2.101, Definitions, the support contractor(s) must also enter into an agreement with the contractor to protect proprietary information as required by FAR 9.505-4, obtaining access to proprietary information, paragraph (b). The contractor is required to cooperate fully and make available any records as may be required to enable the CO to assess the contractor's compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirement.

B.4 SUBCONTRACTING COMMITMENTS--MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUN 2011)

This solicitation includes VAAR 852.215-70, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business Evaluation Factors, and VAAR 852.215-71, Evaluation Factor Commitments. Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation will include these clauses. The contractor is advised in performing contract administration functions, the CO may use the services of a support contractor(s) to assist in assessing contractor compliance with the subcontracting commitments incorporated into the contract. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to the contractor's business records or other proprietary data to review such business records regarding contract compliance with this requirement. All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an “Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement” to ensure the contractor's business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the CO in assessing the contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs. Furthermore, if VA determines any services the support contractor(s) will perform in assessing compliance are advisory and assistance services as defined in FAR 2.101, Definitions, the support contractor(s) must also enter into an agreement with the contractor to protect proprietary information as required by FAR 9.505-4, obtaining access to proprietary information, paragraph (b). The contractor is required to cooperate fully and make available any records as may be required to enable the CO to assess the contractor compliance with the subcontracting commitments.

B.5 Price/Cost Schedule Base Year: 1 February 2018 through 31 January 2019

Option Year Two (2): 1 February 2020 through 31 January 2021

Option Year Three (3): 1 February 2021 through 31 January 2022

Option Year Four (4): 1 February 2022 through 31 January 2023

B.6 PERFORMANCE BASED STATEMENT OF WORK

CONTRACT EMERGENCY RESIDENTIAL SERVICES BEDS: SPECIAL POPULATIONS

1. PURPOSE.

1.1. The Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) located in Cincinnati, Ohio. requires Contractors to provide services as part of its Community Based Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program. The goal of the HCHV program is to remove homeless Veteran families from the street or habitation unfit for Veterans and place them in community-based, residential environments with sufficient supportive services to meet their needs and ultimately facilitate the improvement of their housing situation. Veteran families may be comprised of one or more household members.

1.2. The purpose of this solicitation is to obtain offers from Contractors within 20 miles from the Cincinnati VAMC for services delivered in Hamilton County, Ohio; Campbell County, Kentucky and/or Kenton County, Kentucky who can provide housing, and supportive services to Homeless Veteran families in community-based Contracted Emergency Residential Services (CERS) facilities offering a safe and secure environment that supports their goals for recovery from homelessness. Awards may be based on residential capacity to place Veterans in safe, community-based residences. Multiple awards may be considered. Maximum number of beds funded will not exceed 4380 bed days of care per year. The Contractor will be required to provide a low- barrier therapeutic and rehabilitative milieu and attendant services targeting the underlying factors contributing to homelessness. The Contractor will not be required to provide detoxification or other hospital level treatment.

1.3. Special emphasis on privacy and security must be noted in mixed gender and multifamily facilities. The living environments of HCHV Contract housing must include:

2. Separate and secure sleeping arrangements (unit or wing) for each gender or Veteran Family (separate sleeping arrangements must be available in the unit for children of opposite sex that are 12 years or older),

2.1. Separate and secure bathroom arrangements for each gender or each Veteran family,

2.2. Screening procedures and criteria for sex offenders (mixed gender facility), and

2.3. Common areas (lounges, laundry rooms, group rooms) with appropriate security arrangements.

2.4. Additionally, mixed gender, multifamily facilities that share entrance and common areas (living room, kitchen, dayroom, etc.) must include onsite staffing available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

3. BACKGROUND.

3.1. Through the HCHV program, Cincinnati VAMC provides supportive services to Veterans and facilitates their access to a broad range of medical, mental health, and rehabilitative services. HCHV’s goal is to engage homeless Veterans in treatment and place them in a safe and secure environment that supports their rehabilitation goals.

3.2. The HCHV Program, an essential and critical part of Veterans Healthcare Administration, is vital for providing a gateway to Cincinnati VAMC and community supportive services for eligible Veterans who are homeless. The HCHV Contract Residential Program for homeless Veterans is a vital program focused on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable and at-risk homeless Veterans. Ensuring that Veterans can be placed in community-based programs which provide quality housing and services that meet the needs of this special population is a particular focus of the HCHV program.

4. SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED

4.1. The Contractor will admit single male and/or single women Veterans and/or Veteran families within 24 hours of referral from Cincinnati VAMC Liaison. Services billable to VHA are for Veterans, only. However, the Contractor must demonstrate ability to provide needed services to non-Veteran family members either directly or thru referral as necessary to meet the Veteran’s goals to keep the family intact. The Contractor shall furnish each Veteran who has been approved as eligible by Cincinnati VAMC and admitted for care under this contract with the following basic services:

4.1.1. TASK 1: HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR RAPID PLACEMENT

4.1.2. The Contractor will be responsible for identifying sufficient residential capacity to place single male and/or single women Veterans and/or Veteran families in safe, community-based residences. Identification of suitable residential placement must require:

4.1.3. Sufficient personnel to assure security

4.1.4. Staffing available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. (Requirements and rates will be evaluated based on geographic location and types of services provided by the Contractor)

4.1.5. Access to 3 healthy meals per day; A healthy meal contains foods that give the Veteran nutrients to maintain their health.

4.1.6. Access to laundry facilities and supplies free of charge and adequate for residents to do their own laundry or to have laundry done at minimum one time per week. If providing shared laundry: A laundry facility will include at least 1 washer and 1 dryer shall be provided on-site for each building. Laundry service to include water, electricity, etc., shall be provided at no cost to authorized Veterans.

4.1.7. The ability to place a Veteran and/or Veteran family within 24 hours of a referral from Cincinnati VAMC staff.

4.1.8. Room and Board must be of sufficient size and supply to meet the Veteran family composition needs. Room and board rate for Veteran family with dependents in the Veteran’s custody may be higher than room and board rate for a single Veteran with no dependents in the Veteran’s custody. Bedroom furnishings to include a bed(s) and other furnishings such as a dresser, storage, and linen for the bed(s) of appropriate quantity to meet the need of Veteran family composition.

4.1.9. The facility must allow Veteran to receive mail. The mail will be kept secure until pick-up for Veteran. (At times, Veterans will need to receive medications by mail and/or important documents- all which ensure successful transition to permanent housing). The Contractor must demonstrate practice to ensure Veterans access to mail including medications in a secure manner.

4.1.10. The facility should be in close proximity (1/2 mile) to public transportation. The Contractor must ensure Veterans have access to transportation and for Veterans that have their own transportation, adequate parking space where the residential facility is located. Transportation may be provided by the Contractor directly, thru a community agency partnership or arrangements with public transportation. Access to public transportation shall be provided in the form of a bus token, bus card, taxi fare, gas card or other approved means as approved by the HCHV Coordinator or designee.

4.1.11. The contract facility must have a current occupancy permit or license required by the authority having jurisdiction.

4.1.12. The facility must be operational within 2 weeks of award notification.

4.1.13. All residential facilities must be inspected and approved for Veteran residence by VHA staff responsible for inspections for HCHV Contract Programs prior to Veteran admission to HCHV. Facility inspections will be conducted at least annually, but may be inspected more frequently.

5. Contractor will be responsible for planning and coordinating all activities associated with providing safe and appropriate residential care. This includes, but is not limited to, the elements described in the preceding paragraph. Any associated expenses should be broken out on a line item basis and included as “other direct costs” within the Contractor’s daily Fixed Price proposal.

6. During the screening process, HCHV program staff will determine eligibility and the contracted provider will evaluate the suitability and appropriateness of the level of care. When a Veteran is determined to be ineligible or if the level of care is not appropriate, the HCHV program staff will collaborate with the Veteran and the contracted provider to make every effort to arrange for provision of care through other Cincinnati VAMC or community resources. Every effort will also be made to minimize access barriers into the program.

7. Veterans cannot be denied entry to HCHV Contracted Residential Services based solely upon length of current abstinence from alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substances, the number of previous treatment episodes, the time interval since the last program entry, the use of prescribed controlled substances, or legal history. The screening process must consider each of these special circumstances and determine whether the program can meet the individual Veteran's needs while maintaining the program's safety, security, and integrity.

8. Task 1 Deliverables:

8.1. The provision of residential beds specific to the needs of the HCHV program. Contractor will be responsible for providing Cincinnati VAMC a written summary of size, location, and condition of the available residential beds.

9. TASK 2: DELIVERY OF SUPPORT SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES

9.1.1. Therapeutic and Rehabilitative Services: Each Veteran will have an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) completed by the Contractor with input from the Veteran and Cincinnati VAMC Homeless Program Coordinator (or Designee). Therapeutic and rehabilitative services will be stated in the plan of care. Services which the Contractor must be able to furnish or provide will include:

9.1.2. Group Activities: Structured group activities, as appropriate, shall occur two times per month – examples include group therapy, life skills training, social skills training, financial workshops, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, vocational counseling and physical activities as appropriate. For the purposes of this contract “House Meetings” and Cincinnati VAMC Housing Resource Groups may not be counted, as a structured group activity should have a therapeutic value and facilitation shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. Should a Veteran have mental health, medical, family and/or employment obligations which directly conflicts with this requirement alternate group activates will be arranged and/or the Contractor will clearly document efforts made to accommodate the Veteran.

9.1.3. Cincinnati VAMC Coordination: Collaboration and coordination with Cincinnati VAMC program staff, as needed, will include coordination of supportive psychosocial services. In particular, coordinated efforts must be made with the VA Liaison around medical, mental health, admission and discharge needs.

9.1.4. Case Management: A thorough written Individualized Service Plan (ISP) will be developed within one week of admission for each Veteran. This will include structured individual case management, at minimum, weekly including counseling on self-care skills, adaptive coping skills, financial planning, permanent housing search, written care plan, referral for financial benefits. Additional counseling may include, professional and vocational rehabilitation counseling in collaboration with Cincinnati VAMC programs and community resources. In addition, special attention will be made to address High Suicide Risk (HSR) Veterans as identified by Cincinnati VAMC Liaison, Cincinnati VAMC Mental Health Staff, or contracted case manager. On a weekly basis, the contracted case manager will be required to update the Cincinnati VAMC Liaison on Veteran progress and/or safety concerns for HSR Veterans. Contracted case manager will review the HSR Safety Plans with the Veteran on a bi-weekly basis. HSR Safety plan reviews and a copy of the Veteran’s Safety Plan will be documented in the chart. All Veterans will be referred to Cincinnati VAMC for Primary Care and Mental Health appointments and Contractors will support Veterans in making initial and subsequent appointments. Efforts will be documented in the Veterans ISP and reviewed by the Cincinnati VAMC Liaison at least monthly. All Contractors will provide proper documentation verifying services and case management efforts by all team members including, but not limited to housing, benefit and employment specialists, and program management staff. There will be an expectation that notes are written professionally in a format that utilizes the clear settings of goals and documents progress towards those goals (e.g. SNAP, SOAP, or SMART notes).

9.1.5. Staffing: Staff is defined as a paid professional or para-professional and does not include interns. The Contractor will provide a detailed staffing plan including who will be providing services. The Contractor will notify Cincinnati VAMC staff of potential changes in staffing patterns as soon as possible.

9.1.6. Permanent Housing Search: Programs are required to provide Veterans with direct and ongoing assistance in achieving permanent housing. As a primary goal of the HCHV program, plans for Veterans’ transition to permanent housing placements must be clearly reflected in each ISP and in weekly case management notes. As part of this plan, Veterans’ housing history and needs must be assessed through a formal and thorough Housing Assessment completed within 72 business hours of program admission. Housing Assessments must identify Veterans’ housing history, strengths (i.e. positive prior rental history), and barriers (i.e. Unlawful Detainers). Should Veteran refuse to engage with program staff regarding plans for permanent housing transition, motivational interviewing and other therapeutic techniques will be used to address Veteran ambivalence. All efforts to engage Veteran regarding housing plans, options, and resources shall be clearly documented and include any therapeutic techniques utilized. Contractor staff must provide direct assistance to Veterans in developing permanent housing plans and accessing appropriate housing resources. These services shall be provided weekly through one to one case management. Examples of expected housing services include: 1) assistance obtaining and reviewing Veteran’s free credit report, identifying housing strengths and/or barriers associated with current credit status; 2) Creating a Tenant Portfolio with Veteran that contains all relevant documents required in the rental process, including a completed sample rental application for Veteran, income verification documents, identification, applicable subsidies, etc.; 3) Reviewing affordable housing rental options and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program offerings, and assisting Veterans with making appropriate rental inquiries and submitting completed rental applications; 4) Conducting regular and individualized housing advocacy efforts, including transportation, assistance scheduling, meeting, and communicating with property managers and landlords, and engage in troubleshooting where rental barriers or denials occur in the housing search process and 5) exploring housing options in low-rent areas. All housing efforts by Contractor shall be documented clearly and presented to Cincinnati VAMC Liaison upon request. Mere communication with Veterans regarding housing, without subsequent Contractor staff action and follow-up, shall not on its own meet the above requirements.

9.1.7. Financial Planning: Referral to and follow up on all potential financial resources the Veteran may be eligible for (e.g. SSI, SSDI, Food Stamps, NSC pension, GA, etc.). Case Managers will document all structured activities that support Veteran in developing a short and long term plan to understand and address their current financial situation and how to improve it. Financial planning efforts may be accomplished in group but preferably through one on one case management services. At minimum four financial planning activities appropriate to the Veterans individual circumstance must be documented monthly.

9.1.8. Employment Services: Referral to all relevant employment opportunities the Veteran is eligible for and interested in, Case managers will document all structured activities that support Veteran in applying for employment as appropriate based on needs of Veteran as identified in the assessment.

9.1.9. Recovery: Support for an alcohol/drug abuse-free lifestyle provided in an environment conducive to social interaction and the fullest development of the resident’s rehabilitative potential. Assistance to gain and to apply knowledge of the recovery process in an environment supportive of recovery models including a focus on Harm Reduction rather than strict abstinence and supportive of a Housing First approach. Pursuant to these principles, drug testing may not be used to discharge or discipline a Veteran but may be used as a clinical intervention to modify behavior.

9.1.10. Discharge Planning: Securing permanent housing will be the primary discharge goal for every Veteran. All Veterans must have a discharge plan within two weeks of admission which integrates items included above. Compliance with all VA regulations regarding discharges and timeliness of reporting discharges is required by Contractor. Case Managers will provide assistance with discharge planning for every Veteran and report all discharges via email within 24 business hours using a secured process (e.g. HOMES ID number or encrypted email). Paperwork required for discharging a Veteran from any HCHV program is required via fax within 24 business hours from known discharge. Housing needs will be assessed upon acceptance to the program (within 72 business hours) and resources will be coordinated for discharge to a successful community placement throughout the duration of the Veteran’s stay. A negative discharge for undesirable behavior is a committee decision that must include the Cincinnati VAMC Liaison prior to discharge. All Veterans scheduled for discharge based on behavior must meet with the treatment team and work with team to determine most therapeutic option for Veteran. This does not include violations for safety reasons or verbal abuse. Please note: Profanity does not in and of itself constitute abuse and shall not exclusively be considered grounds for discharge. Any and all actual or threatened violence will be grounds for discharge. Veterans may be discharged for safety reasons at any time. All negative discharges will be subject to a full team debriefing, including Cincinnati VAMC Liaison, to look for opportunities missed to intervene sooner. All discharges are subject to the Contractors grievance procedures and must allow clients the opportunity to be represented by the Cincinnati VAMC Liaison in the grievance process. Reasonable efforts must be made to coordinate with the Liaison in order to schedule an appeal.

9.1.11. Grievance Procedures: Programs must have an internal grievance process that Veterans can use to resolve conflicts within the program. Programs must have written policies and procedures for resolving grievances, including a statement regarding the client’s right to request reasonable accommodation, Each Veteran shall receive a copy of the grievance policies and procedures, upon intake and upon receiving a warning or discharge notice.

9.1.12. Intake Packets: All Veterans must receive an intake packet at the time of admission which includes, at minimum, the following information:

9.1.12.1. Description of the Contractors services

9.1.12.2. Grievance Policy

9.1.12.3. Emergency procedures

9.1.12.4. Patient rights and Reasonable Accommodation

9.1.13. Extensions- All extensions beyond 60 days must be approved in writing by HCHV Coordinator or Designee.

9.1.14. Medication Management: Medications and narcotics shall be properly stored, controlled, issued and recorded in compliance with physician’s orders. Contractor shall establish procedures for insuring Veterans confidentiality in the storage of and keeping of records concerning medication. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) cannot be used to rule out Veterans participation in an HCHV Program. This includes prescribed use of Vicodin, morphine, methadone oxygen, etc. Reasonable accommodation for individuals in MAT is required provided the requested accommodation does not require major financial or administrative commitments that would be considered an “undue burden.” Examples of reasonable accommodations include:

9.1.15. Arranging for the individual to take medication at their clinic, physician’s office, or another off-site location – when consistent with the individual’s treatment plan.

9.1.16. Storing an individual’s MAT medication in a lock box in the program and having the individual be personally responsible for it.

9.1.17. Arranging to have the housing facility keep MAT medications in a locked cabinet (Copies of Inspection Packet requirements relating to medication management are available upon request).

9.1.18. Timeliness of Response- Contractor is expected to have a dedicated phone line for Cincinnati VAMC inquiries and referrals. Return calls from the program are expected within 4 hours during business hours Monday through Friday. This includes calls from Cincinnati VAMC Staff or the Liaison to the program.

9.1.19.1 Falls

9.1.18.1. Assault (to Veteran or Staff)

9.1.18.2. Elderly/Dependent Adult Abuse or Neglect

9.1.18.3. Sexual Assault

9.1.18.4. Fire (Veteran Involved)

9.1.18.5. Medical/Psychiatric Emergency (911 Calls)

9.1.18.6. Hospitalization

9.1.18.7. Suicide or Suicide Attempt

9.1.18.8. Homicide

9.1.18.9. Death

9.1.18.10. Infectious Control (TB, etc.)

9.1.18.11. Active Substance Abuse

9.1.18.12. Observation/ Possession of Weapons

9.1.19. Critical Incident Reporting- All critical incidents will be reported within 24 hours. This includes the following:

10. TASK 3: STATUS REPORTS

10.1. Contractor shall be responsible for billing the invoice that identifies Veterans and dates of service. Contractor will have an expectation for maintaining their own records related to program performance that may be reviewed as part of the performance monitoring, but there is no standard practice for this. The Contractor will be monitored by the performance measures in the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The following measures must be met in order to receive the highest performance rating. These include the following:

10.2. HCHV1 (Percent Exits to Permanent Housing) 45% or above

10.3. HCHV2 (Percent Negative Exits) 25% or below

10.4. Cumulative Bed Occupancy Rate > 80%

10.5. Average Length of Stay ≤ 60 Days

11. Task 3 Deliverables:

11.1. The Contractor shall make available to Cincinnati VAMC, documentation deemed necessary by Cincinnati VAMC to conduct utilization review audits for the mandated national evaluation study as required by Section 2 of Public Law 100-6-32; to verify quality of patient care for Veterans, to assure confidentiality of care for Veterans, to assure confidentiality of patient record information, and to determine the completeness and accuracy of financial records. The Contractor shall comply with the VA Patient’s Bill of Rights as set forth in Section 17.34a, Title 38, Code Federal Regulations. The Contractor shall comply with applicable requirements of the Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records (42 CFR Part II) and the Confidentiality of Certain Medical Records (38 USC 7332).

11.2. The Contractor will maintain and securely share with the HCHV Coordinator or designee a daily census and provide any required discharge forms within 24 hours.

11.3. Veterans served through Cincinnati VAMC HCHV residential contract program must have client level data entered by the Contractor into the local community Continuum of Care’s (CoC) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Data entered must include, at a minimum, the Universal Data Elements from the 2016 HMIS Data Standards.

11.4. The Contractor shall provide treatment and discharge planning reflecting a team assessment of health, social and vocational needs and the involvement of the Veteran, the VA staff and appropriate community resources in resolving problems and setting goals. An ISP will be required to be completed with each Veteran placed in residential services within one (1) week of admission. ISPs are developed through a joint effort of the Veteran, the contracted provider, and the HCHV staff. ISPs must be developed for each Veteran based on input from HCHV program staff assessments, other Cincinnati VAMC clinical data, and the Veteran.

11.5. The Contractor is expected to provide HCHV staff with regular reports on changes in Veteran’s status, including all changes and observations concerning the Veteran’s needs.

11.6. RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: The Contractor shall have reasonable rules governing day-to-day life and activities in the facility. Such rules clearly inform Veterans of the obligations upon which their continued participation in the program depends and the consequences for non-compliance. Veterans will be provided a copy of the rules at intake or upon Veterans request. These rules must include detailed Patient Rights and the procedures that the Contractor has in place to protect the Veterans rights and dignity. Veterans must be permitted to exercise these rights without fear of reprisal. If requested, Contractors must reasonably accommodate Veterans whose compliance with program rules is limited by the Veterans’ physical or mental disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, including those requirements covering reasonable accommodations for disabilities and the use of assistance animals, and all other applicable State or Federal laws. Contractor must equally apply all rules, policies and procedures to Veterans, unless a Veteran has asked for a reasonable accommodation due to his/her disability.

12. PROCEDURES FOR NEGATIVE DISCHARGE OR SANCTION: Contractor must post rules in the Veterans Case Manager’s Office and provide Veteran with the rules which specify the reasons or conditions for which a Veteran may be sanctioned or discharged, including those behaviors which constitute gross misconduct and are grounds for immediate discharge from the program and those which would prompt a written warning if violated and potential discharge if violated repeatedly. Contractor will describe the formal appeal procedures through which clients may appeal program regulations, sanctions or discharges. This information must be provided to clients in writing upon intake and must be clear and easily understandable by clients.

This information will include:

12.1. Immediate contact with Cincinnati VAMC liaison

12.2. Timely due process provisions which should include two warning notices for violations which do not result in immediate discharge prior to issuance of a discharge notice and an opportunity for a case conference after warning is issued to the client

12.3. Notice of, and access to, formal appeal procedures

12.4. Notice of the conditions or process for re-admission to the program.

12.5. Reasonable efforts to provide an appropriate referral to another facility or appropriate level of care as needed

12.6. This does not apply to Veterans who are discharged for danger to self or others

12.7. The Contractor must have policy and procedure in place for addressing domestic violence for Veteran Family participants. When a Veteran with dependents is required to leave due to violence of threats of violence the Contractor must provide appropriate referrals to alternative community resources to meet the family’s needs. As Cincinnati VAMC does not pay for services provided to non-Veteran family members, services to the Veteran, including room and board, are not billable to Cincinnati VAMC once the Veteran is discharged.

13. DELIVERABLE TIMETABLE

13.1. A contract is formed in accordance when the parties agree to be bound by the IDIQ. Upon acceptance by the contractor of beneficiaries of the Cincinnati VAMC, all terms and conditions of this contract shall apply during such time as a Cincinnati VAMC patient remains in that facility at the expense of the Cincinnati VAMC. Upon acceptance of a Cincinnati VAMC patient by the contractor facility, if and when requested by the Contracting officer or authorized representative, the contractor shall furnish all supplies and services herein described, at the rate specified below.

14. ADDITIONAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

14.1. PERSONNEL: The Contractor will employ sufficient personnel to carry out the policies, contract responsibilities, and the program for the facility. Case management staff must have appropriate and commensurate coverage for staff using authorized and unauthorized leave (e.g. holidays, sick leave, family care, etc.). There must be, at a minimum, one staff member on duty and available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, there is an expectation that there is an administrative/clinical Designee that will be available for consultation for emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Contractor shall assign personnel that by education, training and when required, certification or licensure qualified to provide the Basic Services and Supplemental Services required by this Statement of Work.

14.1.19. Staff Training: Contractor will provide at least one staff person on duty and available for emergencies at all times who has had training and orientation on the following topics. Staff shall receive and document—at a minimum—one-time training per year on these subjects.

14.1.20. CPR

14.1.21. First Aid

14.1.22. Crisis intervention

14.1.23. Cultural sensitivity

14.1.24. Sexual harassment

14.1.25. Sensitivity to wider issues of homelessness

14.1.26. Universal Precautions (disease transmission prevention)

14.1.27. Child abuse/neglect reporting laws

14.1.28. Adult abuse/neglect reporting laws

14.1.29. Harm Reduction philosophy

14.1.30. Suicide Prevention

14.1.31. Medication management

14.1.32. State and Federal Fair Housing Law and ADA Requirements

14.1.33. Conflict resolution

14.1.34. De-escalation techniques

14.1.35. Contractor will perform criminal background checks on all staff members that work with children. Contractors will agree not to hire staff who is currently enrolled in a Cincinnati VAMC Homeless Program or who have ended participation in a Cincinnati VAMC Homeless Program within the past two years. Contractor must have a policy prohibiting staff from establishing sexual relationships with program clients.

14.1.36. The Contractor must identify each person functioning as “Key Personnel” under this contract, and provide to the Cincinnati VAMC a description of the services to be provided by such person, together with a resume summarizing that person’s relevant skills and experience.

14.1.37. During the first ninety (90) calendar days of contract performance, the Contractor shall make NO substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. Within 14 days after substitutions necessitated by situations described above, the Contractor shall provide resumes for the substitute key personnel. The Cincinnati VAMC reserves the right to refuse or revoke acceptance of key personnel if personal or professional conduct, or lack of required skills or experience, jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility.

14.1.38. Temporary substitutions of key personnel shall be permitted in accordance with the Contractor’s contingency plan. The Contractor’s contingency plan to be utilized if personnel leave Contractor’s employment or are unable to continue performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resulting contract must be submitted as part of the Contractor’s offer.

15. REFERRALS, ADMISSIONS AND ELIGIBILITY: Contractor must utilize an admission process that…