DBT Contract SOW Final.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS (BOP)

Reentry Services Division

DBT SKILLS TRAINING CURRICULUM

Statement of Work for the

DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORIAL THERAPY SKILLS TRAINING CURRICULUM

February 15, 2023

1. BACKGROUND

Within the context of the First Step Act, the Bureau is charged with implementing a criminogenic risk-needs assessment system and ensuring the delivery of evidence-based treatment programs that address mental health problems and reduce recidivism. The Bureau is committed to providing quality, evidence-based psychological treatment to all inmates in need of these services. Bureau psychology treatment programs are designed on the most recent research and evidence-based practices, ensuring effective treatment programs. These evidence-based treatment practices are believed to lead to:

• the reduction of inmate misconduct,

• the reduction of substance abuse, relapse, and recidivism,

• the reduction of criminal activity,

• an increase in the level of functioning for inmates with mental illness and behavioral disorders

• an increase in the level of the inmate’s stake in societal norms.

Many inmates with mental health problems experience emotional dysregulation, have poor boundaries and relationships with others, and have not developed healthy ways of coping with stress. The presence of these skills poses an impediment to successful navigation and functioning within prison and reentry.

Within the context of the Recovery Model for inmates with mental health problems, the DBT skills of mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness are all crucial skills in enabling consumers to live, to the extent it is possible, empowered, and successful lives of their choosing.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills promotes:

• Acceptance and change;

• Behavioral change;

• Cognitive awareness and flexibility;

• Collaboration with treatment team;

• Development of a new skills set to enhance capabilities; and

• Support in the recognition of strengths.

Psychology Services Departments actively support the Bureau’s mission by providing evidenced-based mental health treatment and reentry programming that is consistent with the highest professional standards and best practices in the field of correctional psychology.

Therefore, to support this work, the Bureau seeks to establish a curriculum to assist inmates with mental health diagnoses acquire skills with the support of clinicians. The BOP is developing a manualized treatment protocol for Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to build upon treatment interventions in other BOP treatment programs.

This curriculum allows for standardization within a large national system and provides the treatment staff with specific guidance regarding the treatment objectives to be met. The treatment curricula will be of varying session lengths depending on the intensity of the program addressing the four modules of DBT.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work for this contract addresses the development of three curricula consisting of both a treatment workbook and facilitator guide: less intensive outpatient program curriculum for inmates in general population who would benefit from skill development, a semi-intensive outpatient program curriculum for inmates in a trauma treatment program to reduce symptoms associated with their trauma, and an intensive program curriculum for inmates in a residential treatment program focusing on the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.

The contactor will designate a point of contact for this contract who will respond to any phone calls or correspondence from the Bureau within 24 hours. The contractor will make senior staff available to the Bureau as needed to develop and revise the treatment manual and facilitator guide, at the request of the Bureau. This staff will work closely with Bureau Psychology Services Staff and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to provide the Bureau’s three treatment journals and facilitator guides. The treatment journal will use Dialectical Behavior Therapy and be consistent with other BOP programs (CBT).

Specifically, the contractor is responsible for the development and production of:

1) Program Curriculum The Contractor will learn about Bureau institutions to understand existing resources, current treatment programs, the Bureau’s SMI population, and the Bureau’s reentry efforts for inmates. The Contractor will then design a curriculum for mental health clinicians to employ with inmates who have a variety of different skill levels, diagnoses, and treatment needs.

Curriculum must also contain ways to assess progress and determine independence with regard to each skill module.

2) Training The contractor will develop and produce twenty-four hours of in-person trainings on DBT and implementation of the new manualized treatment protocol that will occur on 6 separate occasions throughout the year. The contractor will provide the training to BOP psychologists after the treatment journal and facilitator guide have been approved and finalized by the BOP.

3) Assessment Tool Consistent with the expectations of the First Step Act, a tool for inmate participants to provide feedback regarding the treatment module will be developed by the contractor for use at the conclusion of treatment. The assessment tool will be a paper-and-pencil instrument provided by the contractor with items for inmates to rate regarding their experiences as participants in the DBT treatment module.

3. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS/TASKS

3.1 Program Curriculum

The Contractor will develop a comprehensive program curriculum for facilitating Dialectical Behavior Therapy. The contract will develop three separate curricula of increasing intensity and session length (10-25 sessions). Curriculum materials include:

• Sequential lesson plans

• Each lesson plan will outline objectives, mode of teaching, materials needed, necessary steps, and ways to measure mastery

• Resource materials (e.g., videos, visual aids, etc.) for each lesson plan

The curriculum will address the following topics:

• Distress Tolerance

• Emotion Regulation

• Mindfulness, and

• Interpersonal Effectiveness.

In order to understand the unique needs of federal inmates, the Contractor will travel to three institutions to be predetermined by the Bureau to meet with Bureau staff, federal inmates, and to learn more about what will be needed in developing a curriculum for this population and treatment program. Each visit will include two travel days and one 8-hour visit inside a federal prison. Traveling expenses will be included in the fixed fee for the task.

The contracted curriculum developers will be subject matter experts with extensive experience in teaching DBT and supervising clinicians and consulting with organizations who facilitate DBT treatment. They will have experience working with correctional mental health staff and will have published on the topic. The Contractor will develop a curriculum and then specialize this to create a total of three curricula to meet the needs of general population inmates with mental health treatment needs, Resolve Program participants, and STAGES residential program participants.

Requirement: Three (3) visits to Bureau institutions; Three (3) specialized curricula

3.2 Training Curriculum

The Contractor will a develop a 24-hour comprehensive training course with related materials and resources for clinicians who will directly facilitate the DBT groups to the inmate population.

Training materials include:

• Outlines of training goals, objectives, and skills

• Instructional guides/lesson plans for delivery of training materials

• Resources materials (e.g., videos, worksheets, etc.) for each training module

The training will address the following topics:

• Presentation of the entire curricula

• How to facilitate experientially

• Other topics to be approved by the Bureau.

The Contractor will provide a maximum of 144 hours of training during the contract period.

The Contractor will travel to conduct live, face-to-face training with staff no more than six times during the contract period. Face-to-face training events will include three-day workshops with eight hours of training each training day. Training expenses (including travel costs) will be included in the fixed fee for the task. The contracted curriculum developers will be subject matter experts with extensive experience in teaching and facilitating DBT group treatment and supervising clinicians who facilitate DBT group treatment.

Requirement: 144 training hours of training during the contract period

3.3 Assessment Tool

The Contractor will develop a method for program evaluation. The contractor will provide aggregate data as well as comments from the evaluation to BOP within one week of each completed training. The Contractor will adjust the program based on the results of this evaluation.

Requirement: Paper and pencil instrument for inmates to rate their experience as participants in DBT.

4. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL

The Contractor must designate a senior staff point of contact for this contract and respond to phone calls or correspondence from the Bureau within one (1) business day. This staff will work closely with BOP’s Psychology Services Branch (PSB) staff representative and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to provide the materials and services as outlined above. Senior staff with expertise in editing, collaborating with the Government, and revising curricula, educational materials, and treatment protocols must be available if a revision is necessary as well as general updates aligned with the SOW.

The Contractor agrees that during the first ninety (90) calendar days of the contract performance period, no senior staff personnel substitutions will be permitted unless such substitutions are required by the government, or necessitated by an individual’s sudden illness, death, or termination of employment. Substitutions must be identified in writing to the COR and CO within three (3) business days of the change occurring.

The contractor shall be a subject matter expert who possesses a doctorate in Psychology along with extensive experience in teaching DBT and supervising clinicians and consulting with organizations who facilitate DBT treatment. They shall have experience working with correctional mental health staff and shall have published at least one DBT Skills Manual.

5. INSPECTION

The Bureau will monitor the Contractor's performance via telephone contact, email inquiries and/or review of the deliverables by the Contractor. The monitoring of a Contractor's performance is an ongoing process for the life of the contract. The Bureau and its representatives have the right at all reasonable times to inspect, monitor, or evaluate the work the contractor has performed or is performing under the agreement.

6. GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

Due to the collaborative nature of this contract, any materials created for this proposal shall be considered the property of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. As such, the Bureau of Prisons maintains the rights to reproduce any materials, electronic or otherwise, that are developed for and in conjunction with the performance of the tasks identified herein.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Offeror’s proposal must clearly demonstrate, at the time of submission, unless otherwise stated, the capability to meet the Decisional Rule criteria. Proposals will be rated go or no-go based on the Decisional Rule criteria. Proposals shall clearly demonstrate the capability to meet all of the following Decisional Rule criteria:

1. The Offeror clearly demonstrates the ability to develop curricula for facilitating DBT Skills.

The Offeror must submit two sample lesson plans relating to DBT skills for incarcerated adults with Borderline Personality Disorder and/or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

2. The Offeror clearly demonstrates the ability to develop a training program based on a curriculum and teach clinicians. The Offeror must submit a sample lesson plan for at least one 30-minute segment of a training for mental health clinicians who will be teaching DBT skills to inmates with Borderline Personality Disorder and/or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

3. The Offeror possesses a Doctorate in Psychology, with extensive experience in teaching DBT to clinicians consistent with best practices, supervising clinicians, and consulting with organizations who facilitate DBT treatment. They shall have experience working with and training correctional mental health staff and shall have published on the topic.

8. Period of Performance

The period of performance for this contract is a Base Period of 12 months from date of award with one (1) 12 month option period.

9. Special Instructions

I. BOP 52.24-403-70 Notice of Contractor Personnel Security Requirements (Oct 2005) Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12) and Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 201 (FIPS 201)1 entitled “Personal Identification Verification (PIV) for Federal Employees and Contractors,” Phase I.

1. Long-Term Contractor Personnel

In order to be compliant with HSPD-12/PIV I, the following investigative requirements must be met for each new long-term2 contractor employee whose background investigation (BI) process begins on or after October 27, 2005:

a. Contractor Personnel must present two forms of identification in original form prior to badge issuance (acceptable documents are listed in Form I-9, OMB No. 1615-0047, "Employment Eligibility Verification," and at least one document must be a valid State or Federal government-issued picture ID);

b. Contractor Personnel must appear in person at least once before a DOJ official who is responsible for checking the identification documents. This identity proofing must be completed sometime during the clearance process but prior to badge issuance and must be documented by the DOJ official;

c. Contractor Personnel must undergo a BI commensurate with the designated risk level associated with the duties of each position. Outlined below are the minimum BI requirements for each risk level:

• High Risk - Background Investigation (5 year scope)

• Moderate Risk - Limited Background Investigation (LBI) or Minimum Background

Investigation (MBI)

• Low Risk - National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) investigation

d. The pre-appointment BI waiver requirements for all position sensitivity levels are:

• Favorable review of the security questionnaire form;

• Favorable fingerprint results;

• Favorable credit report, if required;3

• Waiver request memorandum, including both the Office of Personnel Management schedule date and position sensitivity/risk level; and

• Favorable review of the National Agency Check (NAC)4 portion of the applicable BI that is determined by position sensitivity/risk level.

A badge may be issued following approval of the above waiver requirements. If the NAC is not received within five days of OPM’s scheduling date, the badge can be issued based on a favorable review of the Security Questionnaire and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal History Check (i.e., fingerprint check results).

e. Badge re-validation will occur once the investigation is completed and favorably adjudicated. If the BI results so justify, badges issued under these procedures will be suspended or revoked.

2. Short-Term Contractor Personnel

It is the policy of the DOJ that short-term contractors having access to DOJ information systems and/or DOJ facilities or space for six months or fewer are subject to the identity proofing requirements listed in items 1a. and 1b. above. The pre-appointment waiver requirements for short-term contractors are:

a. Favorable review of the security questionnaire form;

b. Favorable fingerprint results;

c. Favorable credit report, if required;5 and

d. Waiver request memorandum indicating both the position sensitivity/risk level and the duration of the appointment. The commensurate BI does not need to be initiated.

A badge may be issued following approval of the above waiver requirements and the badge will expire six months from the date of issuance. This process can only be used once for a short-term contractor in a twelve-month period. This will ensure that any consecutive short-term appointments are subject to the full PIV-I identity proofing process.

For example, if a contractor employee requires daily access for a three or four-week period, this contractor would be cleared according to the above short-term requirements.

However, if a second request is submitted for the same contractor employee within a twelve-month period for the purpose of extending the initial contract or for employment under a totally different contract for another three or four-week period, this contractor would now be considered "long-term" and must be cleared according to the long-term requirements as stated in this interim policy.

3. Intermittent Contractors

An exception to the above-mentioned short-term requirements would be intermittent contractors.

a. For purposes of this policy, "intermittent" is defined as those contractor employees needing access to DOJ information systems and/or DOJ facilities or space for a maximum of one day per week, regardless of the duration of the required intermittent access. For example, the water delivery contractor that delivers water one time each week and is working on a one-year contract.

b. Contractors requiring intermittent access should follow the Department's escort policy.

Please reference the August 11, 2004, and January 29, 2001, Department Security Officer policy memoranda that conveys the requirements for contractor facility escorted access.

c. Due to extenuating circumstances, if a component requests unescorted access or DOJ IT system access for an intermittent contractor, the same pre-employment background investigation waiver requirements that apply to short-term contractors are required.

d. If an intermittent contractor is approved for unescorted access, the contractor will only be issued a daily badge. The daily badge will be issued upon entrance into a DOJ facility or space and must be returned upon exiting the same facility or space.

e. If an intermittent contractor is approved for unescorted access, the approval will not exceed one year. If the intermittent contractor requires unescorted access beyond one year, the contractor will need to be re-approved each year.

4. An individual transferring from another department or agency shall not be re-adjudicated provided the individual has a current (within the last five years), favorably adjudicated BI meeting HSPD-12 and DOJ's BI requirements.

5. The DOJ’s current escorted contractor policy remains unchanged by this acquisition notice.

10. NOTES

1. FIPS 201 is available at: www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips201/FIPS-201-022505.pdf

2. Under HSPD-12, long-term contractors are contractors having access to DOJ information systems and/or DOJ facilities or space for six months or longer. The PIV-I identity proofing process, including initiation and adjudication of the required background investigation, is required for all new long-term contractors regardless of whether it is the current practice to issue affected long-term contractors.

3. For contractors in position sensitivity/risk levels above level 1, a favorable review of a credit check is required as part of the pre-appointment waiver package.

4. In order to avoid a delay in the hiring process, components should request an Advance NAC Report when initiating investigations to OPM. Per OPM ' s instructions, to obtain an Advance NAC Report, a Code "3" must be placed in block "B" of the "Agency Use Only" section of the investigative form. This report is available for all case types.

5. For contractors in position sensitivity/risk levels above level 1, a favorable review of a credit check is required as part of the pre-appointment waiver package.

http://www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips201/FIPS-201-022505.pdf