Attachment_1_-_Statement_of_Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM

BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION

A. BACKGROUND

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is committed to creating positive, safe, and culturally relevant learning environments where students can gain the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic there has been a significant need for comprehensive behavioral health and wellness services at a multitude of bureau-funded schools, dormitories, colleges, and universities.

The BIE is responsible for providing quality educational opportunities from early childhood through adulthood in accordance with federal trust responsibilities for approximately 43,000 students. The BIE funds 183 elementary, secondary, and residential schools across 64 reservations and 23 states. Of these, 53 are BIE-operated and 130 are Tribally operated. Additionally, BIE directly operates two post-secondary institutions and funds and/or operates off-reservation boarding schools and peripheral dormitories near reservations for students attending public schools. The BIE also serves many American Indian and Alaska Native post-secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding for Tribal colleges and universities.

While there is already an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) service contract in place through the Department of Interior (DOI), it does not cover tribal schools, staff, and students.

BIE created the Behavioral Health and Wellness Program (BHWP) to address the mental health and wellness needs of students and staff at all Bureau-funded institutions including Bureau operated schools (BOS), Tribally Controlled Schools (TCS), post-secondary institutions, and Tribal colleges and universities. The BHWP’s counseling program is designed to provide short-term, solution -focused brief therapy, and care coordination via a tele-health platform and crisis support via an available 24/7 crisis response hotline and limited on-site crisis response teams.

B. OBJECTIVE

The objective of the BHWP is to provide support to all bureau-funded entities through technical assistance, training, immediate behavioral health and crisis support, clinical counseling services, crisis care coordination, and communication support related to various behavioral health and wellness related issues.

The tasks in this Statement of Work (SOW) are structured around clearly defined activities and allow for flexibility to rapidly address new and emerging issues, with particular importance to addressing mental health, suicide prevention, crisis services, and other top behavioral health and wellness priorities of BIE through an Indigenous lens.

C. SCOPE

This program will be accessible to students and staff at all bureau-funded institutions including Bureau-operated schools, Tribally Controlled schools, Navajo District schools, Post-Secondary Institutions operated by BIE, Tribal Colleges and Universities funded by BIE, and all programs/departments within

BIE.

D. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall account for project funding necessary to meet all requirements specified in Section E, including but not limited to activities supporting IT security and privacy and Section 508 compliance.

1. Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, labor, equipment, software, services, materials, and supplies, except as otherwise noted specifically herein to perform the work set forth below.

2. All work under this contract/task order will be monitored by the BIE, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and BIE Student Health Program Specialist (Program Lead).

The following subsections provide details of various considerations for the program.

1. BIE Orientation: The contractor shall participate in a general orientation facilitated by BIE prior to service delivery. BIE will provide a comprehensive orientation highlighting the history, structure, demographics, challenges/barriers, strengths, needs, and programs of the organization.

2. Non-Personal Services: The BIE shall neither supervise contractor employees nor control the method by which the contractor performs the required tasks. Under no circumstances shall the BIE assign tasks to, or prepare work schedules for, individual contract employees.

It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to manage its employees and to guard against any actions that are of the nature of personal services or give the perception of personal services. If the contractor believes that any actions constitute, or are perceived to constitute personal services, it shall be the contractor's responsibility to notify the BIE immediately.

3. Business Relations: The contractor shall successfully integrate and coordinate all actions needed to execute the requirement. The contractor shall manage the timeliness, completeness, and quality of problem identification. The contractor shall provide corrective action plans, proposal submittals, timely identification of issues, and capable management of subcontractors. The contractor shall seek to ensure customer satisfaction as well as maintain high levels of professional and ethical behavior for all contractor personnel.

4. Contract Management and Administration: The contractor shall establish clear organizational lines of authority and responsibility to ensure efficient management of the resources assigned to the requirement. The contractor must maintain continuity of the support operations at the BIE and the contractor's offices. The contractor shall establish processes and assign appropriate resources to administer the requirement effectively. The contractor shall respond to BIE requests for contractual actions in a timely fashion and as required by the contracting officer. The contractor shall have a single point of contact between the BIE and Contractor personnel assigned to support contracts or task orders. The contractor shall assign work effort and maintain proper and accurate time keeping records of personnel assigned to work on the requirement.

5. Personnel Administration: The contractor shall provide for employees during designated Government non-work days or other periods where Government offices close due to weather or security conditions. The contractor shall maintain the currency of their employees by providing initial and refresher training as required to meet the SOW requirements. The Contractor shall make necessary travel arrangements for employees. The contractor shall provide the necessary infrastructure to support contract tasks unless otherwise indicated. The contractor shall provide administrative support to employees in a timely fashion (timekeeping, leave processing, pay, emergency needs).

Travel: Any travel under the tasks specified in this SOW will be paid separately under the travel CLIN and will require prior authorization by submitting a Request for Authorization to Travel in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations. The Crisis Action Team will have an accelerated process which will be provided after award.

6. Subcontract Management: The contractor shall be responsible for any subcontract management that is necessary to integrate the needed work for the BHWP. The Contractor shall be responsible and accountable for subcontractor performance on this requirement. The prime contractor shall manage work distribution to ensure there is no Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI). Contractors may add subcontractors to their team after notification and approval from BIE.

7. Contractor Personnel, Disciplines, and Specialties: The contractor shall accomplish the assigned work by employing and utilizing qualified personnel with appropriate combinations of licensure, education, training, and experience. The contractor shall match personnel skills to the activity or task with a minimum of under/over the employment of resources. The contractor shall provide the necessary resources and infrastructure to manage, perform, and administer the contract.

8. Location and Hours of Work: Normal workdays are Monday through Friday except US Federal Holidays. Workers typically work eight (8) hours per day, 40 hours per week, except for the toll-free telephone number operations. Contractor should note that BIE funded entities are located across varying time zones and the expectation is to provide services reflective of varying time zones. The BIE requires that the toll-free telephone number be available 24/7 despite any natural or human-made disasters. In the event of a catastrophe, the toll-free phone number and website shall serve as the primary information source for clients.

The contractor shall demonstrate the capability for disaster recovery capacity and redundancy to ensure continuity of services.

E. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

All tasks (tasks 1-9) described in the section will focus on a holistic, culturally relevant, trauma-informed approach that is evidence-based and focused on behavioral health and wellness standards. All school, program, or institution-specific requests for services will consider readiness level, need assessments, cultural considerations, and local resources. Services will promote resiliency, wellness, and prevention, directed toward healing and the Tribal communities BIE serves.

Task 1: Management and Administration

The management responsibilities of the BHWP shall govern the overall coordination of all aspects of support to the BHWP including, clinical support, care coordination, crisis support, training, and technical assistance.

The Contractor will establish a governance structure that ensures compliance with all relevant, policies and procedures, utilizes a community focused and person-centered approach, and incorporates perspectives from key partners across the education, mental health, and crisis continuums, reflect an equity framework, and incorporate lived experiences.

Task 1.1 Authoritative Guidance

The Contractor shall provide expert and timely advice to BIE, the COR, and the Program Lead on all content and management areas of the contract in a proactive and collaborative manner.

Task 1.2 Kickoff meeting

Within seven to ten (7-10) days of the Date of Award, the Contractor shall meet virtually with the COR and the CO, or a designated representative, and the Program Lead to discuss the SOW and review BIE expectations of the contract, deliverables, lines of communication and reporting produces.

Task 1.3 Project Meetings

The Contractor shall meet with the COR, Program Lead, and other relevant BIE staff, on a weekly basis (meetings will be virtual) to review the status of each task and project milestone. Contractor shall develop and submit a meeting agenda to the COR one day prior to the meeting and minutes will be submitted within three days following the meeting. Additional meetings, as needed, shall be convened as indicated by the COR or Program Lead.

Task 1.4 Work Plan

Within two (2) weeks after the date of award, the Contractor shall meet with the COR and Program Lead to discuss the development of the work plan for the SOW. No later than three (3) weeks after the initial Kick Off meeting, the Contractor shall submit a draft work plan for COR’s and Program Lead’s review and approval. The work plan should define the process that the Contractor shall utilize for scheduling tasks defined in the SOW and obtaining necessary resources to complete the required tasks. No later than two (2) weeks after approval of a draft work plan, the final work plan shall be submitted to the COR and Program Lead. After COR and Program Lead approval, the work plan shall govern the conduct of tasks for the remainder of that contract year. Upon completion of the final work plan, one (1) electronic copy of the final work plan and budget estimate shall be sent to the COR and the Program Lead.

Task 1.5 Cost Breakdown Report

The Contractor shall provide the COR and Program Lead with a cost breakdown of each task reported in the monthly progress report on expenditures. If, at any time during the contract, the Contractor anticipates not being able to remain within or below the budgeted cost estimates for the project, the COR and Program Lead must be notified immediately.

Task 1.6 Staff Plan and Onboarding

The contractor shall ensure adequate and complete onboarding of all staff and any subcontract staff, to include the successful completion of the BIE Electronic Accessed Request Coordinating Uniform Background Suitability (BEARCUBS), e-QIP Background Check, and Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) training by BIE, which are required for all staff.

The contractor shall complete a comprehensive staffing plan identifying leadership personnel such as: A Senior Program Director, Deputy Project Manager, Communication Manager, Behavioral Health Clinical Manager, Virtual Events Manager, Lead Education Specialist, Crisis Support Manager, etc. Additionally, a detailed Level of Effort Chart shall be included with proposal submission detailing the proposed roles and level of effort to accomplish each task and subtask of this SOW.

Task 1.7 Privacy/Security Meeting and IT Work Plan

Within two (2) weeks after the contract award, the Contractor shall meet with the COR, Program Lead, Privacy Office, Information System Security Officer, and any additional BIE personnel for a Privacy and Security Kick Off meeting led by the Program Lead, to plan an implementation and continuous meeting schedule that attains an Authorization to Operate (ATO) prior to system entering the production stage. These meetings can be held virtually, the Program Lead will record sessions and detailed minutes will be taken for all meetings by the Contractor and provided to the COR and Program Lead within three (3) days of the meeting for review and approval.

Within four (4) weeks after the contract award, the Contractor shall create and submit the BHWP system’s Privacy Impact Assessment and Security Materials for the data that is being stored, processed, and transmitted within the system.

The contractor is responsible for submitting all required materials 30 days prior to the ATO anniversary date for review by the BIE Security team, and the contractor must follow BIE’s continuous privacy, security, and IT monitoring schedules.

Task 1.8 Subcontracting Management

The Contractor shall research any potential subcontractor; vet, interview and negotiate any subcontracts with any subcontractors; and finalize and monitor all needed subcontracts. All activities in this subtask must be in compliance with Section D of the SOW.

Task 1.9 Infrastructure

The Contractor shall maintain and provide to the COR and Program Lead upon request, all Infrastructure and Points of Contact Information. The Contractor shall maintain a Staff roster and certifications for all staff.

Task 1.10 Presentations and Communications Approvals

Prior to any meeting or presentation, the Contractor shall provide updates on program activities and status reports within ten (10) business days prior to the COR and Program Lead for approval. The Contractor shall provide the final updates and status reports within two (2) business days after receipt of approval from the COR and/or Program Lead. Occasionally, significant edits may be necessary after a final update and report is delivered. In such cases, the Contractor shall be prepared to provide urgent turnaround within one to two (1-2) business days. For the inclusion of graphics tasks, the Contractor shall allow three to five (3-5) business days for approval by the COR and/or Program Lead and be prepared to provide a four (4) business day production cycle, from the draft approval to final update and status reports. All reports under this contract shall be produced using MS Word and Excel for program and financial status reports. Reports shall be forwarded to the COR and Program Lead by e-mail within due dates established by the BIE.

Task 2: Counseling Services

The Contractor shall, upon initial award and annually thereafter, use a variety of methods to provide counseling services to staff and students from BIE–funded entities.

Task 2.1 Short-Term, Solution – Focused Virtual Counseling Services

Contractor shall initiate counseling services within three (3) weeks of obtaining BIE approval.

Counseling services will be available to all staff and students from a BIE-funded school, college, university, program, and/or department and must be appropriate for virtual, short-term, and solution-focused counseling. Services will consist of one to six (1-6) virtual sessions administered through a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant platform. Additionally, all virtual counseling sessions must be conducted by a master’s level, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, psychologist, or other types of fully licensed behavioral health professionals.

Services for students will be based on referral by the school point of contact (POC). Services for college students and adult staff will be based on self-referrals. The contractor shall train and inform POCs on tasks and responsibilities. BIE will provide a POC for all clients’ grievances related to the BHWP and BIE will also provide support for resolution.

Contractor will develop the capacity where appropriate to indigenize services and build school, BHWP, and BIE capacity to provide best practice care for Native populations. Counseling services may also include webinars, resources such as factsheets and websites, onsite assessment, limited crisis support, Talking Circles, and additional support as determined necessary and approved by the Program Lead.

Note to Offeror: The confidentiality of counseling sessions is governed by national, federal, and state ethical laws and standards. Confidentiality and limits of confidentiality shall be explained to the client prior to or at the beginning of the initial counseling session. The contractor shall ensure providers of counseling services render professional services free from discrimination based on age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status/partnership, language preference, socioeconomic status, or any other bases according to the applicable laws. The contractor shall utilize a case management system that protects client confidentiality/privacy and satisfy client preferences regarding age, gender, culture, and language when providing referrals for counseling. Additionally, all national, federal, and state laws regarding the reporting of any suspected cases of abuse/neglect and human trafficking shall be followed.

Task 2.2 Counseling and Clinical Support Policy Development and Compliance

The contractor will develop, maintain, train, and enforce policies and procedures for providing counseling and clinical support under this contract for BIE approval. Policies and procedures will be submitted to the contractor’s and BIE’s legal teams for review; and revised as needed following review.

Initiation of counseling services is contingent on BIE and contractor legal review and approval of policies and procedures, including all applicable confidentiality rules and policies (e.g., FERPA, Maintenance and Control of Student Records in Bureau Schools (25 CFR Part 43); HIPAA;

Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records (42 CFR Part 2), and any applicable state or federal laws and licensure requirements and/or regulations). BIE will provide Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) training prior to initiation of counseling services.

The contractor shall identify a HIPAA compliant, high-quality behavioral health counseling privacy and compliance training for the BHWP. This program shall comply with all industry standards and applicable laws for the behavioral health industry related to the safekeeping of client files and records and ensuring the protection of all personally identifiable information of BHWP users. All staff and subcontractors shall be fully trained prior to initiating any counseling services for the BHWP and documentation shall be provided to the Program Lead and COR.

Task 3: On-Site Crisis Support

The contractor shall develop a three (3) person Crisis Support Team, comprised of at least two clinicians and one counselor technician, cultural support specialist, consultant, education specialist, prevention specialist, or behavioral health trained staff member, to provide virtual or onsite crisis support, including short-term, solution – focused counseling, and critical incident debriefing sessions, for school/workplace trauma when notified by the Program Lead. Contractor shall initiate crisis support services within three

(3) weeks of obtaining BIE approval. School/workplace trauma includes but is not limited to the death of a student or staff member, natural disaster, workplace violence, or another similar situation. The Crisis Team should be able to provide support on-site for up to three (3) weeks per month. Requests for crisis support services must come through the Program Lead.

Contractor and Program Lead will coordinate services in consultation with the impacted school, college, university, program, and/or department point of contact and the BHWP Crisis Support Team. Crisis response services may include webinars, resources such as factsheets and websites, onsite assessment, limited counseling support, Talking Circles, and additional support as determined necessary and approved by the Program Lead.

The contractor shall respond as quickly as the circumstances, or the traumatic incident allows, and travel is approved by the COR and Program Lead. The contractor shall be prepared for expedited and extended travel onsite.

Additionally, the Crisis Support Team will work with and support the 24/7 crisis hotline and assist with the implementation and execution of postvention plans as appropriate.

Initiation of crisis support services are contingent on BIE and contractor legal review and approval of policies and procedures, including all applicable confidentiality rules and policies (e.g., FERPA, Maintenance and Control of Student Records in Bureau Schools (25 CFR Part 43); HIPAA;

Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records (42 CFR Part 2), and any applicable state or federal laws and licensure requirements and/or regulations).

The contractor shall identify a HIPAA compliant, high-quality behavioral health counseling privacy and compliance training for the BHWP. This program shall comply with all industry standards and applicable laws for the behavioral health industry related to the safekeeping of client files and records and ensuring the protection of all personally identifiable information of BHWP users. All staff and subcontractors shall be fully trained prior to initiating any crisis support services for the BHWP and documentation shall be provided to the Program Lead and COR.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes, the Contractor should anticipate twelve (12) on-site Crisis Team deployments for up to three (3) people to travel for a 7-day period (minimum) each year of the contract.

Task 4: 24/7 Crisis Call Line

In further support of virtual counseling services, on-site crisis support, and BHWP activities, and in recognition of the potential for virtual and immediate crisis support needs, the contractor shall offer a toll-free phone number available 24/7 that can be used to obtain information about BHWP services and receive routine or emergency crisis support from licensed clinicians. The 24/7 call line must provide two options to callers:

a. Option 1 – connect a caller with live, immediate crisis support from a licensed clinician

b. Option 2 – referral line to schedule BHWP short-term, solution-focused virtual counseling services

Contractor shall initiate crisis call line services within three (3) weeks of obtaining BIE approval. The contractor’s telecommunications systems shall provide TDD/TTY capability and be fully compliant with all government privacy and security standards. Initiation of crisis call line services are contingent on BIE and contractor legal review and approval of policies and procedures, including all applicable confidentiality rules and policies (e.g., FERPA, Maintenance and Control of Student Records in Bureau Schools (25 CFR Part 43); HIPAA; Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records (42 CFR Part 2), and any applicable state or federal laws and licensure requirements and/or regulations).

Task 5: Training and Technical Assistance

Task 5.1 General Training and Technical Assistance (TTA)

The contractor shall develop and provide TTA on all issues related to the BHWP. The contractor shall provide TTA deploying culturally relevant methods for wellness, prevention, and crisis support in response to requests from BIE administration, program, school, and college/university staff. TTA will be developed in collaboration with Program Lead and requesting parties with the goal of utilizing Tribal and/or community resources and strengthening local capacity.

The contractor shall develop Prevention Facilitation and Virtual Events teams to provide TTA.

Optional Sub Task 5.1.1 Culture and Drugs Don’t Mix – Drug Prevention Curriculum

The Contractor shall provide TTA specific to the BIE’s Culture and Drugs Don’t Mix (CDDM) Curriculum. The goal of CDDM is to provide a culturally appropriate approach for drug prevention among Native American youth through community, Tribal, and inter-agency involvement. The objectives of CDDM are to educate students about healthy alternatives to drug and alcohol use. CDDM utilizes a nine (9) session curriculum and can be enhanced by other drug prevention programming and supports. The type of support may vary based on school and/or residential program needs and include in-person youth-focused CDDM sessions (nine (9) total) and/or virtual CDDM TTA and additional supports for school staff.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes, the Contractor should assume that each time this optional task is exercised for on-site youth-focused CDDM sessions it will support four (4) schools each year. Travel teams for in-person youth-focused CDDM sessions will include no more than three (3) team members for a total of five (5) days, which includes two (2) travel/preparation days and three (3) days of 65-90-minute long youth-focused CDDM sessions and additional drug prevention programming for students and staff to be executed consecutively once a month, for three months to complete all nine (9) sessions. For virtual CDDM TTA the Contractor should assume that a total of three (3) virtual CDDM train-the trainer sessions will be executed each year.

Optional Sub Task 5.1.2 Mental Health First Aid Sessions

The contractor shall be certified in and provide Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education (MHFA-HE), Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), and teen Youth Mental Health First Aid (tYMHFA) (details on tYMHFA implementation provided under Sub Task 2.1.3) TTA. Mental Health First Aid, developed by The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, faculty, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) or college student who is experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or is in crisis.

YMHFA is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people, and MHFA- HE is designed for those working with college students. The courses introduce common mental health challenges for youth and college students, reviews typical adolescent and young adult development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including ADD/ADHD), and eating disorders.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes, the Contractor should assume that each time this optional task is exercised it will support up to twelve (12) virtual YMHFA sessions (once per month) and seven (7) in-person sessions (either YMHFA or MHFA-HE) per year. Travel for in-person sessions will include (4) people to travel for a total of four (4) days, which includes three (3) travel/preparation days and one (1) day of YMHFA or MHFA-HE training.

Optional Sub Task 5.1.3 teen Mental Health First Aid and Peer Support Training

The contractor shall provide a minimum of three (3) teen Youth Mental Health First Aid (tYMHFA) trainings for high schools selected by the BIE each year. tYMHFA is a training program for teens developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and teaches teens in grades 10-12, or ages 15-18, how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in their friends and peers. To enhance each of the three (3) training sessions, the contractor shall collaborate with the Program Lead and selected high schools to provide additional virtual peer support training, resources, programming, and TA for selected youth and participating schools to increase capacity and assist with the support and/or development of a youth driven peer support program after the initial tYMHFA training.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes, the Contractor should assume that each time this optional task is exercised it will support a minimum of three (3) schools and tYMHFA trainings will be held in-person for up to four (4) people to travel for a total of five (5) days, which includes two (2) travel/preparation days and three (3) days of 90-minute long tYMHFA sessions and additional peer support programming each year.

Task 5.2 TTA Webinars

The contractor shall provide a minimum of twelve (12) webinars on BHWP services and/or behavioral health and wellness topics each fiscal year. Webinar topics will be determined based on the needs of the BIE and recorded for future use by the BIE.

The Contractor shall develop and maintain an online platform to host webinars and virtual events.

The Contractor shall provide personnel to offer technical support to use the platform. The Contractor shall be responsible for all aspects of planning and executing events (specifically, those events designed to engage providers), including developing an agenda, identifying speakers, marketing the event, devising a registration system, etc. Recorded webinars will be 508 compliant and accessible within thirty (30) days of the live run.

Task 5.3 Virtual Event Tracking

The contractor shall provide virtual event tracking for all TTA events. Additionally, the contractor will develop a calendar for all events. Within one (1) month of the date of award, the Contractor shall develop and implement a basic, efficient electronic method to facilitate the management, tracking, provision, and reporting on technical assistance. The system must house information including, but not limited to, technical assistance requests and provision, contacts, best practices, evaluation results of TA provision, use of subject matter experts, and consultants, etc. The system must be able to generate reports in response to COR and Program Lead requests throughout the life of the contract within forty-eight (48) hours from time of request.

Sub Task 5.3.1 Pre- or Post-Event Technical Assistance

With the approval of the COR and Program Lead, the Contractor shall implement the plan to conduct additional specialized and intensive technical assistance and submit the results of the technical assistance within twenty (21) days following the event.

Task 5.4 Behavioral Health and Wellness Focused Pre-planning and Interventions

The contractor shall provide TTA and direct support to schools, colleges, and universities for crisis response pre-planning, intervention, and postvention plan development. TTA support for school, college, and/or university crisis planning to include material, message development, and tabletop exercises to refine plans. Postvention planning should also include options for Talking Circles.

Contractor will work with Program Lead to ensure crisis planning materials and resources align with BIE policy and strategic direction.

Sub Task 5.4.1 Provide Technical Assistance and Expertise to BIE Staff

BIE will require expertise on a range of topics related to behavioral health and wellness issues.

BIE may request informational briefings or trainings on related BHWP topics with the expectation of a rapid turnaround. When such requests for information are received, the Contractor shall provide the requested information or schedule training sessions within five (5) business days. When requests require more in-depth analysis or training development, the Contractor shall submit the response or schedule the training sessions within ten (10) business days.

Sub Task 5.4.2 Develop and Deliver Individualized Training Workshops

The Contractor shall provide up to five (5) workshops (2 in-person and 3 virtual) on priority areas, such as, behavioral health/wellness topics that support educators in the classroom or college/university setting, specific training approaches, talking circles, adult social and emotional learning practices, and use of telehealth and technology. Plans to develop and deliver training workshops are to be submitted two (2) weeks from the Program Lead’s request to provide such support, and a final plan within three (3) weeks from Program Lead approval. These workshops will build capacity to improve student, staff, and system–level outcomes and will focus on implementation of practice/interventions.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes, the Contractor should anticipate that at least two (2) individualized training workshops will be held in-person for up to three (3) people to travel for a (up to) three (3) day training and three (3) individualized training workshops will be held virtually each year.

Sub Task 5.4.3 Continuing Education Credits

The Contractor shall provide continuing education unit (CEU) credits for a range of behavioral health topics to school counselors and behavioral health professionals located at any BIE-funded entity. These virtual trainings would include webinars and other educational formats focused on specific behavioral health skill building, professional development areas specifically geared towards behavioral health professionals, and include topics such as evidence – based counseling methods/interventions, cultural competency, school counseling dynamics, ethics, and self-care.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes the Contractor should anticipate providing quarterly CEU webinars during each year of the contract for an estimated audience of at least two hundred and fifty (250) participants.

Task 6: Communication, Marketing and Outreach

The contractor shall provide communication, marketing, and outreach support for the BHWP program and any partner organizations. Support shall include, but not be limited to the following tasks:

Task 6.1 Brand Support

The contractor shall assist BIE in developing the BHWP brand and brand identity. Contractor shall establish for BIE approval Brand standards for all BHWP products and materials developed under this contract. Upon approval by BIE, contractors shall disseminate, uphold, and enforce brand standards among all materials and communication activities.

Task 6.2 Communication Support

The contractor shall develop a Communication team to create work product deliverables. Within two

(2) weeks of date of award, and at the beginning of each contract option year, the contractor shall develop a detailed BHWP Communication Plan. Such plan shall be provided to BIE for approval.

Upon approval, Contractor shall implement the Communication Plan and provide regular updates on progress in both the Weekly Activity Report and the Monthly Progress Report. The Communication Plan shall be regularly updated throughout the execution of the contract.

The Communication Plan should outline all communications, market, and outreach support provided to BHWP including: BHWP Work Products, website support, Social Media content creation.

Contractor must illustrate that they possess the skills to effectively engage students, school administrators and staff, post-secondary staff, governmental entities, Tribal stakeholders, partners, and other organizations.

Task 6.3 BHWP Work Products

The contractor shall provide orientation training and education materials for staff regarding the various types of MHFA, specific cultural considerations, trauma-informed school practices, and other topics relevant to staff and student behavioral health and wellness.

The contractor shall propose to the BIE appropriate, culturally relevant materials based on an assessment of organizational behavioral health and wellness needs. Proposed work products may be in various forms, including webinars, factsheets, guides, videos, tip cards, or other media.

Work products shall be provided within thirty (30) calendar days for BIE approval. Students and/or staff must be able to access and download these materials through the website or they may request them through the contractor. If the request is for hard copies, the contractor shall respond to requests for printed materials within forty-eight (48) hours from the receipt of a request. Printing and shipping time will be determined at the time of request.

Task 6.4 Website Support

The contractor shall support all aspects of the BHWP website infrastructure and communication.

The contractor shall provide a website that will be available 24/7 and shall include information on services available and how to access those services such as counseling services, wellness resources, and requests for information, etc. The contractor shall identify a webmaster and web hosting provider. Website may be a hard-coded file site or a content management system-powered site.

Website entry shall include a user-friendly approach that does not require a login to access general programmatic information. Website will comply with Section 508 Accessibility Standards and not discriminate against individuals with disabilities.

Within the first month of date of award the Contractor will develop and actively manage a website that complies with Federal Government policies that cover the basic requirements for all websites and digital services, including the 21st Century Integrated Experience Act and is positioned to become a hub and valuable resource for all involved in crisis service provision, policy and program development and implementation, and research and evaluation. The digital home for the training and technical assistance materials is expected to be actively maintained and optimized and will include the elements below, at a minimum, within the first year and thereafter shall evolve in resource offerings:

• Content on the site and in training modules will be written to comply with government plain language requirements.

• Developed with a particular orientation to Indigenous audiences.

• A tagged catalog, inventory, or easily searchable database of relevant practice guidelines, flyers, position statements, presentations, and other similar resources addressing BHWP topics.

• Links to relevant BIE resources.

• Information about BHWP current projects, priorities, partners, opportunities for participation, and schedule of events.

• As much as is feasible, the website will incorporate web content best practices involving content.

• All digital products are expected to be designed for and to work for target audiences based on their known digital preferences – meaning if a target audience is known to prefer mobile devices, then the digital platform should be designed mobile-first.

Task 6.5 Social Media Content Creation

The contractor shall develop visuals (photos, graphics, gifs, etc.), textual, and graphic content for social media posts. At the direction of the Program Lead, the Contractor will create evergreen content on BHWP priorities to appear on BIE social media channels, to include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and to be shared by the target audiences being served under this contract.

All graphic items must also be accessible to individuals with disabilities, using standard industry practices.

Task 6.6 General Materials, Publications Development, and Assistance

The Contractor shall develop various materials, including but not limited to brochures, guidance documents, posters, flyers, presentations, presentation materials, and emails for mass distribution, as well as materials to contribute portions of other publications. The Contractor shall also develop electronic materials for distribution via the Web, email, or other Internet-based methods. These electronic materials include, but are not limited to: Web pages, graphics (including but not limited to GIF and JPEG files, and instructions/guidelines for usage in multiple products), HTML pages or HTML content, and other files (including but not limited to PDFs).

Tasks performed in this area shall include all functions necessary to develop a completed product or contribute to a completed product, such as writing, editing, layout, design, and providing illustrations or photographs, as directed by the COR and Program Lead.

Unless otherwise directed by the COR and/or Program Lead, the Contractor shall provide the services necessary to make the above cited materials ready for print and/or online publication. This may include, but is not limited to: writing, re-writing, editing, designing, layout and artwork, preparing camera-ready copy, proofreading, and making electronic versions compliant with Government requirements (including, but not limited to, accessibility under the Section 508 standards, privacy, BIE Web Guidelines, BIE Web templates and standards, other standards provided by the COR and/or Program Lead, etc.).

Upon receipt of a direction from the COR and/or Program Lead to develop materials under this Task, the Contractor shall develop a schedule that includes government review and approval of draft materials, for the COR’s and Program Lead’s approval.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes the Contractor should anticipate providing mass emails on a weekly basis, and up to twenty-four (24) Marketing and Communications products each year.

Task 7: Data Collection Protocol

Contractor shall submit a comprehensive BHWP data collection and evaluation plan to the BIE for approval prior to the collection of data and within three (3) weeks of date of award. Collection of clinical information, BHWP need assessments, and any type of surveys or questionnaires requires approval from BIE and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Within four (4) weeks of date of award, the Contractor shall produce and submit to the Program Lead a draft OMB clearance package in accordance with BIE protocols.

Following acceptance and approvals, non-identifying data collected from the counseling program, crisis support, crisis call line, and all TTA will be reported in the Monthly Performance Report (MPR) and in the Annual Performance Report. Data collection may be modified upon request by the COR and/or Program Lead. Contractor shall collect general data on the number of attendees served on a monthly basis, per activity provided under each of the tasks.

Task 8: Reporting

Task 8.1 Activities Report

Develop a robust weekly activity tracking report or dashboard style report so that all activities across tasks and optional tasks are counted and reported on. Weekly snapshot of activities will be submitted to the COR and Program Lead by close of business every Friday.

Develop a system for tracking and logging the frequency and content of the counseling services, crisis call line, consultation, and TTA provided. Develop a rating framework to evaluate ease of use, engagement, utility, and retention of information. The report will include at a minimum:

• General demographics for counseling and crisis call line services

• Number of trainings, number of individuals trained, titles of individuals trained, school/department affiliation, and identification of content area in which training was provided

• Number of individuals implementing strategies learned through training

• General website analytics

• Number of consultations and type of consultation

• General demographics and geographical information on use of training materials

• Evaluation results

Task 8.2 Progress and Performance Reports

The Contractor will submit a monthly Performance Report summarizing activities, progress, and challenges, along with recommendations for future action. Two (2) copies of this report to the COR and Program Lead – shall be initially submitted no later than sixty (60) days after the date of award and within ten (10) business days after the end of each reporting month thereafter.

This report must include, at a minimum: a narrative summary of activities for the reporting month for each major task; problem areas encountered or anticipated; possible solutions to the problems;

summary of the contract costs to date; staff time on each project; and activities planned for the next reporting month. Monthly reports shall also include analytics on the type of services accessed, demographics information, number of students served, number of staff served (broken down by department), number of schools served, top five counseling issues each month, and other information as determined by the BIE. Reports should not include any personally identifying information from clients who have utilized services.

Task 8.3 Monthly Budget and Labor Summaries

Two (2) copies of this report – one (1) copy to the COR and one (1) copy to the Program Lead – shall be submitted within thirty (30) days after the end of each reporting month. The last report shall be submitted on the last effective day of the contract. This report shall contain a listing of work completed to date; work status (active and percentage completed, completed tasks, uninitiated tasks, and closed tasks); total direct labor hours authorized; total direct labor hours expended; total direct labor hours available. The budget should show breakouts of tasks, labor, products, and outside costs, including payments to any subcontractors.

Task 8.4 Annual Report

Two (2) copies of this report – one (1) copy to the COR and one (1) copy to the Program Lead – shall be submitted within thirty (30) days after the end of each reporting year (the base year and any option years). The report shall provide a comprehensive summary of the previous year’s activities, the number of products developed for the contract, the problems encountered and solutions such as suggestions for quality improvements to the contract, recommendations, and other types of information as specified by the COR and Program Lead. The Annual Report is not required when the Final Report is due.

Task 8.5 Final Report

Two (2) copies of this report – one (1) copy to the COR and one (1) copy to the Program Lead – shall be submitted upon completion of the contract. A draft of the Final Report shall be provided thirty (30) days prior to the completion of the contract; BIE will provide feedback within ten (10) business days for inclusion in the final version. The Final Report should comprehensively summarize all work performed, problems encountered, and resolutions.

Optional Task 8.6 Annual Evaluation and Reporting Session for BIE Leadership

BHWP team leaders will meet face-to-face with BIE to report on accomplishments for the year. This will be scheduled within two (2) weeks of each contract year closeout, and three (3) weeks prior to the end of the contract in the last year. The location, format, and additional areas of focus for the meeting will be determined by BIE. The presentation materials will be provided to the COR and Program Lead prior to the scheduled meeting for review and feedback.

Note to offerors: For budgeting purposes, the Contractor should anticipate one (1) (up to) three

(3) day meeting for up to three (3) people to travel to Washington, DC or Albuquerque, NM each year.

Task 9: Transfer of Activities

The Contractor shall conduct an orderly, cooperative, and well-executed transition of operations and services, and shall fully cooperate with the successor contractor and BIE during the transition period. The Contractor shall provide, by no later than the eleventh (11th) month of the final performance period, three

(3) copies of plans for transfer of the project to BIE. If necessary, the Contractor shall initiate transition activities up to ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the contract.

These activities include, but are not limited to:

• Providing continued full service for all activities of the project, particularly counseling and crisis support services.

• Participate in a transfer of activities meeting on execution of IT transition activities related to counseling and crisis services, data, software, web content, and electronic records up to ninety

(90) days prior to the contract expiration.

• At the CO’s, COR’s, and Program Lead’s discretion, participating in five (5) or more meetings with the successor contractor to affect a smooth transition and to receive detailed information on the project operations.

• Providing complete documentation and all hardware, software, materials, and data produced or acquired with contract funds, or under the Contractor’s control no later than the eleventh (11th) month of the final performance period and turn them over to BIE in good condition and during the transition period, the Contractor’s senior personnel shall train the new personnel (contractor or BIE) in all system operations and maintenance functions.

• Preparing all the items noted in this section for mailing or shipping to the successor contractor and/or BIE, as directed by the COR and Program Lead. All items shall be packed in new boxes of uniform size, clearly labeled with contents and a unique number along with an inventory showing contents of each box and placed on a…