Attachment A - S0W - ARTS AND MEDITATION GROUP FACILITATOR_.docx

ARTS AND MEDITATION GROUP FACILITATOR

Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center

Statement of Work

1. SCOPE

The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA, located at 1111 East End Blvd, Wilkes-Barre, PA. 18711 is interested in a contractor to provide Whole Health Arts and Meditation classes within various units at the facility.

2. BACKGROUND

The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center is responsible for providing high quality and timely commodities and services for our Veterans. This VA, like many across the country, are embracing the Whole Health Model, moving away from a disease focus to one that focuses on the patient and how we can better help them meet their Whole Health goals. Each service practices with an emphasis on the whole person, and advocates for the inclusion of all modalities of care to assist the patient in achieving their best overall health and well-being. One of the main pillars of this approach to care is to provide complementary and integrative health (CIH) options to the patient as part of his or her treatment plan, options that have been shown to be effective based on the diagnosis. Our goal is to increase the availability of our CIH program to both inpatient and outpatient services lines to reach as many Veterans as possible.

3. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center 1111 East End Blvd Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711

4. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

We are requiring this to be a five (5) year, firm fixed price Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a tentative start date of June 5, 2023.

5. HOURS OF OPERATION

Hours per week: estimate 3-5 hours Days of week: Saturdays for approximately 3 hours with the possibility of additional weekday hours.

The contractor shall not be required to provide services on Federal holidays or during non-working hours after 4:30 p.m.

6. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

· Whole Health and Wellness integrated sessions will include various combinations of relaxation modalities such as pleasant, guided imagery practices; gentle body awareness movements; progressive relaxation cues; and synchronized breathing techniques with the goal of creating a restful state of the body, mind, and spirit, each aligned in the present moment.

· Whole Health Arts and Meditation sessions will assist in reducing physical, emotional, and psychological stress and anxieties of our Veterans. The information provided will assist in a lifelong practice for healthy strategies to improve one’s general well-being, serenity, clarity, and confidence, resulting in an enhancing quality of life.

· The contractor will offer an art component focused on nurturing the body, mind, and spirit through expressive artmaking and mindful meditation and on specific topics, such as recovery, creativity, positivity, awareness, and inspiration. The goal is to create a visual image that supports the relaxation experience and the session topic. The art serves as a visual affirmation and ongoing reiteration of the topic.

· The contractor shall conduct all sessions on site. An exception would be, if otherwise directed by the Program POC, and circumstances warrant it (Example: weather), sessions may be provided via Video Voice Connect. This would be externally accessed and no access to the VA network would be required.

· The contractor is responsible for planning and implementing the sessions, with oversite from the unit manager in collaboration with Whole Health staff.

· The contractor will conduct group sessions in inpatient and outpatient settings.

· The contractor arranges for supplies needed to accomplish tasks and manages use with Whole Health staff.

7. Deliverables and Acceptance Criteria

· The contractor will review session topics with unit managers within 24 hours prior to the session.

· The contractor will be provided instructions on emergency protocol for the facility and shall comply with instructions.

· The contractor shall complete VA Privacy Training for Personnel without Access to VA Computer Systems within 10 days of award.

· The contractor shall provide a summary of group session conducted to the Unit Manager or Program POC by close of business of same day.

· Contractor is required to follow COVID-19 protocols as required by the Wilkes-Barre facility. Contractor shall self-report within 24 hours of expected absence or illness to the Program Point of Contact during the week or the Wilkes-Barre VA Hospital Nursing Care Coordinator through the operator on weekends.

The following are brief descriptions of required documents that must be submitted by Contractor: weekly; monthly; quarterly; annually, etc. identified throughout the SOW and is provided here as a guide for Contractor convenience. If an item is within the SOW and not listed here, the Contractor remains responsible for the delivery of the item.

Unit Manager

Nursing Care Coordinator

8. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Whole Health staff will provide all art supplies.

9. Invoicing Instructions:

Payment to the Contractor shall be made monthly, in arrears, upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice. Payment for services will be at the rates specified in the Price Schedule. All monthly invoices from the contractor will be electronically submitted through the Tungsten Network within 15 days following the end of the month of services rendered.

Vendor Electronic Invoice Submission Methods: Facsimile, e-mail, and scanned documents are not acceptable forms of submission for payment requests. Electronic form means an automated system transmitting information electronically according to the accepted electronic data transmission methods below.

The information page for the Financial Service Center (FSC) of the Department of Veterans Affairs that includes information regarding electronic invoice submission can be referenced at:

http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp

Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-8971 Customer Support Help Desk (877-353-9791)

Invoices must be approved by the VA Representative prior to payment release. Invoices without the required information will be rejected.

If the VA Representative refuses an invoice due to incorrect billing, subsequent changes or corrections to the monthly invoice shall be resubmitted by the contractor with a corrected invoice. In addition to information required for submission of a “proper” invoice in accordance with FAR 52.212-4 (g), all invoices must include:

● Name and Address of Contractor

● Invoice Date and Invoice Number

● Agreement Number and Obligation Number

● Name, title, and phone number of person to notify in event of defective invoice

● Total Price

Failure to comply with all terms and conditions of this Agreement shall result in invoices/claims submitted for reimbursement during that period to be considered incomplete. Interest penalties imposed under the Prompt Payment Act shall not apply to incomplete invoices or invoices received after the established invoice due date.

Contractor Remittance Address: All payments by the Government to the Contractor will be made by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

10. SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

Although this contract does not require access to VA sensitive information or access to Information Systems, the possibility exists for inadvertent access to PII/PHI in the performance of the contract.

Review the following:

· Background check will be conducted upon award.

· VA Handbook VA Publications

6500.6 Contract Security - Appendix B: VA Acquisition Regulation Solicitation Provision and Contract Clause.

· VA Handbook VA Publications

6500.6 Contract Security -Appendix C: VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Language for Inclusion into Contracts: paragraphs Appendix C: 2(a,b,e), 3(a), 6(a), 9(all).

· The Certification and Accreditation (authorization) (C&A) requirements do not apply. A Security Accreditation Package is not required.

· HIPAA COMPLIANCE: The contractor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information (PHI). As required by HIPAA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has promulgated rules governing the security and use and disclosure of protected health information by covered entities, including the Department of Veterans Affairs.