5-Attachment B SOW WellnessProgram 091026.docx

Attachment B: Scope of Work Officer Wellness Program

Purpose The purpose of this solicitation is to identify a qualified Contractor to create and implement an Officer Wellness Program for the Utah Attorney General’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force members. The goal of the proposed programming is to reduce the serious negative effects on professionals who are exposed to child sexual abuse material and help them learn how to recognize and cope with problems before they become severe or permanent. It is expected that this solicitation may result in an award to a single Contractor.

Background The Fiscal Year 1998 Justice Appropriations Act (Pub, L. No. 105-119) directed the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to create a national network of state and local law enforcement cyber units to investigate cases of child sexual exploitation which resulted in the creation of the Internet Crime Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program. The ICAC Program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and heightened online activity by predators seeking unsupervised contact with potential underage victims. Today the number of reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is growing exponentially. The ICAC Task Force program mission was to help state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases. This help encompasses forensic and investigate components, training and technical assistance, victim services and community education.

In Spring 2000, the Utah Attorney General’s Office was awarded an ICAC federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and named as the lead agency for the ICAC task force for the State of Utah. The Utah Attorney General’s Office, ICAC Task Force, covers the entire state of Utah and currently has over 230 task force officers and 101 task force (affiliate) agencies.

Scope of Work - Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Officer Wellness Program The Utah Attorney General, ICAC Task Force’s mission is to investigate, prosecute and prevent Internet-facilitated child sexual exploitation. Child sexual exploitation investigations involve individuals who are possessing, distributing and/or manufacturing images of child pornography; soliciting children online for sexual contact; and/or sex trafficking children. As a result, some personnel from the ICAC Task Force will be exposed on a regular basis to text describing the sexual assault of children, files depicting child erotica, child sexual abuse and/or the graphic sexual assault of children.

According to the literature provided by the Innocent Justice Foundation, "Individuals who are required to view child sexual abuse images at work may experience specific stressors associated with their exposure to images or videos depicting child sexual abuse". Psychological impact of viewing images can result in burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. The potential for negative emotional and stress-related physical effects on personnel is apparent. The Task Force seeks to form a collaborative partnership with a Mental Health Provider (MHP) to create and implement an Officer Wellness Program for all ICAC Task Force members.

The Contractor will:

1. Create and implement an Officer Wellness Program for exposed individuals

2. Reduce the negative impact on task force members and their families

3. Reduce burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma for task force members

4. Maintain a high level of confidentiality for task force members

5. Provide recommendations for preventative care for unit staff

6. Provide resources and/or referrals for overall health and wellness, to include mental/emotional, occupational, physical, nutritional, family/social, financial and world view

7. Create training regarding self-care and stress management

8. Understand the true nature and scope of child sexual abuse images and videos and the impact it has on officers

9. Provide psychological assessments and one-on-one sessions for exposed individuals

10. Create education for supervisors, staff, family members and significant others

11. Team cohesion exercises

12. Experience in dealing with law enforcement-related vicarious trauma

Contractor will work collaboratively with the Utah Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force staff on implementing an Officer Wellness Program based upon Contractor’s proposed plan. Contractor will modify proposed plan to meet goals and objectives as required by the Task Force. Curricula and other materials proposed by Contractor for use must be approved by the Task Force.

Scope of Work – Utah Attorney General’s Office In addition to the Officer Wellness Program established for members of the Utah Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Contractor will make the wellness program and associated mental health and wellness resources available to other eligible employees of the Utah Attorney General’s Office whose duties expose them to the unique stresses, trauma, and emotional demands associated with criminal justice and law enforcement work.

The Utah Attorney General’s Office employs personnel who routinely work with victims of crime, criminal investigations, traumatic evidence, criminal prosecutions, and other matters that may create a significant risk of secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, burnout, and other adverse mental health effects. These personnel may include, but are not limited to, prosecutors, paralegals, victim advocates, criminal analysts, law clerks, investigators, and other professional or support staff.

The Contractor will:

1. Provide access to wellness and mental health resources for eligible Utah Attorney General’s Office employees in addition to ICAC Task Force members.

2. Include employees who qualify as first responders or otherwise qualify for mental health resources under Utah Code Title 53, Chapter 21, including applicable personnel identified in Utah Code § 53-21-101, as amended, and subsequent provisions of the chapter.

3. Provide access to approximately 50 additional Utah Attorney General’s Office employees whose work may expose them to traumatic events, criminal evidence, victims of crime, descriptions or evidence of child sexual abuse, violent crime, or other circumstances associated with secondary or vicarious trauma.

4. Recognize the differing occupational exposures and needs of participating employees. The program shall provide resources appropriate to the employee’s role and exposure rather than limiting services to personnel who directly view child sexual abuse material or perform sworn law enforcement duties.

5. Provide confidential mental health and wellness services, including, as appropriate:

· Mental health assessments;

· Individual counseling or treatment;

· Periodic wellness screenings;

· Peer support resources;

· Stress-management and self-care resources;

· Resources addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and vicarious trauma;

· Family and relationship resources;

· Financial, physical, nutritional, occupational, and other wellness resources; and

· Referrals to additional community or specialized resources when appropriate.

6. Provide education and training tailored to prosecutors, victim advocates, paralegals, criminal analysts, law clerks, investigators, and other participating personnel regarding the recognition and management of secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, burnout, cumulative stress, and other occupational wellness concerns.

7. Provide resources for supervisors and managers to assist them in recognizing potential indicators of employee distress, appropriately responding to wellness concerns, and supporting employees while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.

8. Maintain strict confidentiality concerning participation in the wellness program and any individual mental health or wellness services, consistent with applicable law, professional requirements, and the Contractor’s obligations.

9. Provide services in a manner that does not require an employee to demonstrate a mental health diagnosis or crisis before accessing wellness resources. The program should emphasize prevention, early intervention, resilience, and maintaining long-term occupational and personal wellness.

10. Coordinate the expanded program with the ICAC-specific wellness component so that employees who work directly with ICAC investigations or other particularly traumatic material may access specialized resources appropriate to those exposures.

11. Provide reasonable access to services for employees and, where appropriate and permitted by the program, their immediate family members or significant others, recognizing the impact that criminal justice and law enforcement-related occupational stress can have beyond the workplace.

12. Develop the program in consultation with designated Utah Attorney General’s Office personnel and modify the program as reasonably necessary to address the differing needs of ICAC personnel, investigators, prosecutors, victim advocates, criminal analysts, paralegals, law clerks, and other participating employees.

The intent of this expanded component is to establish a comprehensive employee wellness program for the Utah Attorney General’s Office, while preserving the specialized Officer Wellness Program currently contemplated for ICAC Task Force members. Participation in the expanded program shall not diminish or restrict any mental health resources or protections otherwise available to an employee under Utah law, including Utah Code Title 53, Chapter 21.

Funding Additional scope and costs can be added and funding adjusted with an amendment as required throughout the term of the agreement at the discretion of the agency. The budget will be based on the amount appropriated by the legislature or other funding sources.