36C26027Q0065 0001.pdf

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 6

0001 10-26-2026

36C260

NCO 20 Network Contracting Office

ATTN: V4CONT

1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd Bldg.17, Suite B428 Vancouver WA 98661

36C260

NCO 20 Network Contracting Office

ATTN: V4CONT

1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd Bldg.17, Suite B428 Vancouver WA 98661

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C463

36C26027Q0065

X

X X

** HOUR & DATE for Receipt of Offers is EXTENDED to: 04-28-2026 0900 PDT x

a. Amendment 0001 to Solicitation 36C26027Q0065, Alaska VA Police Psychological Testing is to answer questions regarding the solicitation, correct the applicable Wage Determination, and extend the closing date.

b. The solicitation closing date has been extended to 10/30/2026 at 0900 am pacific

c. Answers to questions are on pages 2-6

d. All other terms and conditions in this solicitation remain the same.

Brian Millington

Alaska VAHCS VA Police Psychological Evaluation

Question 1: Will the VA permit psychological and Fitness-for-Duty evaluations to be conducted through secure, real-time audiovisual telehealth platforms by appropriately licensed psychologists, provided all applicable clinical, privacy, and testing requirements are satisfied?

Answer:

Yes, the VA permits psychological and Fitness-for-Duty (FFD) evaluations for VA police to be conducted via secure, real-time telehealth platforms. Psychological Evaluations of VA Police Officers, both initial/pre-employment, annual periodic evaluations, and directed FFD assessments are allowed via telepsychology at the government's discretion.

Question 2: Would the VA accept a telehealth-first delivery model, allowing evaluations to be conducted remotely when clinically appropriate, with in-person evaluations arranged at an Anchorage-area clinical location when specifically requested by the VA or clinically necessary?

Answer:

Yes, the VA permits psychological and Fitness-for-Duty (FFD) evaluations for VA police to be conducted via secure, real-time telehealth platforms. Psychological Evaluations of VA Police Officers, both initial/pre-employment, annual periodic evaluations, and directed FFD assessments are allowed via telepsychology at the government's discretion.

Question 3: May an established healthcare services organization serve as the prime contractor, providing clinical coordination, scheduling, contract administration, quality assurance, and program oversight, while utilizing appropriately licensed, credentialed, and VA-approved psychologists to perform the evaluations?

Answer:

Yes

Question 4: The solicitation includes police applicant psychological testing, annual psychological examinations, and ad-hoc neuropsychological evaluations. Depending on the referral questions, clinical complexity, and assessment objectives, different psychological or neuropsychological instruments may be required, resulting in substantially different testing requirements and costs.

Could the VA identify the anticipated or mandatory testing instruments for each evaluation category, including any required personality, psychopathology, cognitive, or neuropsychological assessments?

Additionally, would the VA consider establishing separate pricing categories or CLINs for routine psychological evaluations, comprehensive neuropsychological assessments, and specialized testing when clinically indicated?

Requiring a single fixed price across evaluations with substantially different clinical requirements may not produce the most accurate or advantageous pricing for the Government. Greater specificity would allow offerors to develop more competitive, transparent, and clinically appropriate pricing, potentially reducing unnecessary costs to the VA.

Per SOW Sections 6.2.2 and 6.4, testing shall be based on the referral requirements and the evaluating psychologist's clinical judgment. No specific testing instruments are identified in the SOW. The current SOW does not establish separate pricing categories for specialized testing.

Question 5: Could the VA clarify whether the five-business-day reporting requirement applies uniformly to all evaluations, including complex Fitness-for-Duty and neuropsychological assessments? Would the VA consider a flexible reporting framework that allows:

Routine evaluations: Approximately 10 business days for report completion.

Complex forensic or neuropsychological evaluations: Up to three to four weeks when clinically justified.

Urgent evaluations: Expedited scheduling and reporting, coordinated with the VA based on clinical feasibility and operational urgency.

Answer:

Per SOW Section 6.6, the Contractor shall fax all completed examination reports to the VA within five (5) business days of completing the examination. All examination reports must be signed by the examiner. The SOW does not establish separate reporting timelines for complex Fitness-for-Duty or neuropsychological evaluations.

Question 6: . Is there an incumbent or a prior contract for these services? If so, please provide the contract number and period of performance.

Answer:

Information regarding any prior contract, including the contract number, incumbent contractor, and period of performance, will be provided by the Contracting Officer if applicable and available for release.

Question 7: Is a Service Contract Labor Standards wage determination applicable to this requirement? None was attached.

Answer:

The Contracting Officer will determine whether an applicable wage determination is required and will incorporate any required wage determination and associated contract clauses into the solicitation.

Question 8: SOW 6.3 requires the contractor to "schedule appointments for examinations within two weeks of requests." Does this mean the appointment must be booked within two weeks, or that the examination must take place within two weeks of the request?

Scheduled within two weeks, completed as soon as practicable.

Question 9: The B.3 line items include ad-hoc neuropsychological testing. Does the VA require psychologists with specific neuropsychology training or credentials, or does a licensed psychologist meeting SOW 6.7 through 6.12 satisfy the requirement?

Answer A licensed psychologist without neuropsychology training would not be able to conduct and interpret the scope of neuropsychology tests that may be appropriate for the VA Police positions.

Question 10: SOW 6.2.1 and 6.6 require receipt and return of records by secure fax. Is a HIPAA-compliant electronic fax service acceptable, or is a physical fax machine required?

Yes

Question 11: SOW 6.7 requires review by the medical executive board and approval by the facility director before work begins, and SOW 5 requires readiness to accept the first request within 30 days of award. When may credentialing packages be submitted, and what is the typical review time? Will the 30-day readiness period be measured from award or from credentialing approval?

Answer:

Credentialing would be initiated when Credentialing is notified of the award. The Credentialing staff send out packets within 5 days of notification. The candidate must return the completed packet and submit in VetPro for the process to continue

Question 12: Please confirm whether the contractor may use subcontractors to perform the clinical services, and whether the contractor's own personnel must also hold the clinical credentials listed in SOW 6.7 through 6.12, per Section E.2, Part III(c).

The psychologists performing under this contract must hold the credentials.

Question 13: This is a total small business set-aside, but FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, does not appear in the clause lists. Does the limitation on subcontracting under FAR 52.219-14 and 13 CFR 125.6 apply to this award?

No

Question 14: 13. SOW 9 states that contractor employees will not have access to VA sensitive information, while the contractor receives confidential employee medical records, and clause 852.211-76 addresses sensitive personal information. Please clarify the expected data handling and storage requirements for these records.

Answer:

Per SOW Sections 6.2.7, 6.5, and 7, the Contractor shall maintain the confidentiality of medical records, comply with applicable federal and state privacy requirements, and retain pertinent evaluation documentation. Records shall not be released without the employee's written Release of Information.

Question 15: Will the contractor be responsible for performing medical examinations via a physician certified in Occupational Medicine?

Answer:

Per SOW Section 6.2.1.2, the Contractor will receive medical examination findings from a physician certified in Occupational Medicine as part of the documentation provided by VA Anchorage Employee Health Service. The SOW requires the Contractor to provide psychological evaluation services and does not specify that the Contractor must perform the underlying Occupational Medicine examinations.

Question 16: Does “ad-hoc neuropsychological testing” mean comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, brief cognitive screening, or testing within a psychological fitness-for-duty evaluation? Are there any examples of this testing that can be offered for clarity?

Answer:

Per SOW Sections 6.2.2 and 6.4, testing shall be based on the referral questions and clinical necessity. The SOW does not define a standard neuropsychological testing battery. Additional specialized testing may be recommended in accordance with Section 6.2.5.2.1.

Question 17: In reference to this Specific Task, “Discusses findings with the employee without explicitly or implicitly postulating what the agency’s hiring decision will or “should” be.” Can you detail what findings the contractor will need to discuss directly with the employee?

Contractor may discuss testing results but cannot discuss hiring decision.

Question 18: could you please clarify whether the VA would accept a licensed physician (M.D.), specifically a psychiatrist, to perform the required evaluations, or if the solicitation strictly requires a licensed psychologist (Ph.D. or Psy.D.)?

Answer:

Per SOW Sections 6.7 through 6.12, personnel performing psychological evaluations must meet the specified qualifications for psychologists. Section 6.8 requires psychologists performing under the contract to be board certified or board eligible, having completed a residency program in Psychology. The SOW does not expressly authorize a psychiatrist (M.D.) to substitute for a psychologist.

Question:19: Provide proof vendor or subcontractor if used, has requisite certifications and is licensed to conduct evaluations and testing as required by the SOW

Per SOW Sections 6.7 through 6.10, personnel assigned to perform services must be appropriately licensed and/or certified at the location where services are provided. Personnel qualifications are subject to review by the facility's medical executive board and approval by the VA facility director prior to beginning work. Psychologists may also be required to provide verifiable evidence of their educational and training experiences.

Question 20: May a small-business prime that is not itself a licensed psychologist submit a quote and perform contract administration, invoicing, and quality control, while a subcontractor’s licensed, board-certified or board-eligible psychologist performs the evaluations at the subcontractor’s offsite office in the Anchorage metropolitan area?

Yes, however, both the Prime and Subcontractor must be qualified to perform evaluations.

Question 21: If the prime must independently hold those qualifications, please confirm that a non-clinical prime would be ineligible even with a fully qualified Anchorage subcontractor.

See Question 20

Question 22: Does this role require comprehensive full neuropsychological evaluations (i.e., the contract is specifically looking for a neuropsychologist - These are very long cognitively focused batteries that look into behavioral effects of neurological conditions), or will comprehensive psychological evaluations relevant to referral questions suffice?

Answer:

Per SOW Sections 6.2.2 and 6.4, evaluations shall address the specific referral questions and clinical concerns. The SOW does not require comprehensive neuropsychological testing for every evaluation. Additional specialized evaluation may be recommended when clinically indicated under Section 6.2.5.2.1.