ESBD_424078_1748631374580_TABC 458-E250330 EXHIBIT A SCOPE OF SERVICES SOW.pdf

TABC 05.30.25

Exhibit A Scope of Services / Statement of Work RFP No. 458-E250330

EXHIBIT A - SCOPE OF SERVICES (STATEMENT OF WORK)

A. Direct Services Contractor will be responsible for providing or having provided: short-term counseling, assessment, and treatment referral services to Participants. Contractor will be responsible for referring Participants for additional services where assessment indicates the need for services beyond the scope of this Contract. To the extent possible, referrals should be made to service providers that result in minimal additional cost to Participant, including to entities within the Participant’s health insurance network.

1. Contractor will provide the Participants with an assessment and, if appropriate, refer the Participant for additional services. Referrals should be made within forty-eight

(48) hours from the first EAP contact or identified need.

2. Contractor will provide short-term counseling services relating to substance abuse, marital or family problems, psychological or emotional problems, financial problems, legal concerns, vocational problems, health-related problems, or other topics within the scope of the license of Contractor.

B. Counseling The Contractor will provide up to six (6) counseling sessions per issue for the purpose of identifying areas of concern and for problem-solving. There will be no limit to the number of issues for which Participants can request services. Group counseling will be provided for critical incident stress debriefings at the request of management.

Contractor must:

1. Provide up to six (6) counseling sessions per issue with no limit to the number of issues.

2. Provide counselors within all major cities and within a reasonable driving distance for participants who do not reside within geographical boundaries.

3. Ensure the facilities where counseling services are provided comply with all applicable laws, including the architectural requirements under the ADA.

4. Provide a list of available counselors to Eligible Individuals requesting service.

5. Schedule face-to-face or virtual counseling sessions or another mutually acceptable alternative method of communication.

6. Provide primary consideration to the Participant’s preferred mode of communication, which shall be adhered to when providing services to Eligible Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing or speech impaired.

7. Counseling sessions should be available within three (3) business days of the first contact with the EAP direct services provider. Attempts will be made to see participants in need of more urgent care within a shorter timeframe.

Participants in crisis will be connected directly by phone to a mental health professional for crisis counseling.

8. All written, printed or electronic documents, websites or materials shall be available in an accessible electronic format.

C. Referrals When a referral is indicated, the counselor will assist in locating the most appropriate resource for and in the best interest of the Participant. Additional resources may need to be referred in the event the Participant has exhausted the six (6) sessions per issue, or the service needed is specialized and outside of the counselor’s area of expertise.

Contractor must:

1. Counselors will assist in locating the most appropriate resources for and in the best interest of the Participant.

2. Resources covered by the Participant’s insurance or health coverage should be identified if possible.

3. Counselors will assist with accessing resources if required.

4. The counselor will assist in accessing the resources and will follow up to determine services are received and the appropriateness and usefulness of the service.

D. 24-Hour Helpline

The Contractor will provide two (2) toll-free helplines. The helplines must always be available.

The helpline must be staffed by licensed and trained counselors.

1. One of the helplines should be able to provide assistance to teenagers.

2. Contractor will be required to accommodate deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired

Participants. Respondents should describe how they would meet this requirement if awarded a contract.

3. To the extent Contractor assesses an individual to be a threat to the caller or to another person, Contractor must immediately take action to bring the appropriate resources to address the threat.

4. Contractor will be required to follow up after initial helpline contact within 48 hours to ensure referrals were successfully connected to the appropriate resources.

E. Training and Seminars

Contractor will provide training and seminars that cover a wide range of work life, wellness, and other topics. Respondent should state the manner in which training and seminars will be delivered, with both web-based and classroom options available. Respondents should provide a list of training offered with topic descriptions that be included with the proposal response.

All of Contractor’s training materials must meet ADA guidelines and requirements. Examples of training topics TABC would like for Contractor to address include:

1. New Employee EAP Orientation and Supervisor Orientation.

2. Workplace Issues and Resources

3. Conducting Performance Evaluation and Resources

4. Conducting Interviews and Resources

5. Stress Management

6. Leadership Topics

7. Communication Skills and Resources

8. Conflict Resolution and Resources

F. Additional Services

TABC prefers, but does not require, that the Contractor provide:

1. Connecting employees with safe ride options,

2. Assistance with locating elderly-care services, and

3. Assistance with locating childcare services.

G. Standards of Performance

Staff delivering counseling services must have at least a master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a behavioral science, counseling, psychology, social work, and certified and licensed in their particular licensing specialization such as addictions counseling, and must be licensed or certified by one or more of the following state regulating agencies or as is customarily required by that counselor’s specialized field:

Texas Medical Board Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists Texas State Board of Social Workers Examiners Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists Texas Department of State Health Services

Exception to the master’s degree requirement may be made for licensed, accredited, or certified staff in fields requiring specialized knowledge, training, and expertise obtained through professional training programs that do not award academic degrees. Exceptions include, but are not limited to, Certified Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor (CADAC). Any other exceptions must be approved in advance by TABC.

Staff delivering counseling must have a minimum of two (2) years of practical related work experience.

Respondents must:

1. Describe how they will recruit and ensure counselors meet the education and professional experience described in this section.

2. Describe how they will maintain a network of diverse, qualified counselors available statewide who meet the educational and professional experience standard.

3. Provide documentation of Respondent’s provider network and the network’s location.

Contractor must:

1. Ensure all counseling is compliant with the ADA.

2. Provide an annual list of all affiliates/providers utilized for services to the TABC, within thirty (30) calendar days prior to the end of each operational year or as requested by TABC, to select a sample for licensing verification.

3. Have a procedure to conduct due diligence to ensure counselors providing services have appropriate credentials and are not precluded by law or best practice from providing counseling services under the Contract.

H. Grievance Procedure

The Contractor shall have a formal operational grievance procedure to be distributed to Participants. Respondents must describe how the Contractor will provide services for the following requirements:

1. Contractor shall provide formal grievance procedures to Participants at the time services are provided.

2. All grievances must be resolved within thirty (30) days of the complaint.

3. Contractor will provide a quarterly report regarding grievances filed and resolved in the format specified by TABC.

4. Contractor will provide participants with resources and contact information to provide their complaints and grievances to regulating entities with appropriate jurisdiction and to

TABC.

5. A printed copy of the grievance procedure shall be submitted with the proposal response.

I. Ancillary Contract Duties

1. Promotional Materials

Education and information services are important to ensure awareness of the EAP and the related services. Awareness is often promoted through a variety of media to ensure effective communication is accomplished. Promotional and educational materials are to be developed and produced by the EAP Contractor and provided to TABC within five

(5) business days after the request is made. Materials may be tailored to target audiences. In addition, the Contractor will maintain a website that will serve as a repository for education and information as a valuable resource for employees.

2. Surveys

The Contractor is responsible for developing and distributing satisfaction surveys.

Surveys must allow TABC to assess the quality of services provided by the Contractor.

Information from the surveys must be included in the utilization reports.

Surveys must collect Participant’s demographics and information relevant to the evaluation of EAP services such as:

a) Participant

b) Agency

c) Date Service Requested and Received

d) Type of Service Received

e) Ease of Accessing Services

f) Initial Telephone Triage

g) Availability of Appointment

h) Convenience of Location

i) Educational Materials

j) Responsiveness, Professionalism, and Knowledge of Provider

k) Referrals

l) EAP Contractor Website Navigation

m) Overall Satisfaction

3. Reports

Timely and accurate reporting of EAP utilization and customer feedback is crucial to the monitoring and measurement of the success of the TABC EAP. Information collected through assessments, surveys, and other sources must be incorporated into the utilization reports. The following TABC reporting categories must be included in the quarterly reports:

a. Demographics of Participants using EAP services;

b. Utilization rate for counseling and other EAP services;

c. Utilization rate specific to Participant’s type (including whether employee, dependent, full-time, part-time, or retiree, etc.) and case status;

d. Utilization rate per activity type and primary presenting issues;

e. Detailed summary of organizational services performed such as in-service trainings, seminars, webinars, and critical incident stress debriefings;

f. Percentage of short-term issues that receive five (5) counseling sessions;

g. Percentage of issues that are referred for long-term counseling;

h. Number of surveys provided to Participants after completion of counseling and other services; and

i. Survey responses including comments.

Contractor shall provide specific statistical and evaluative data in the format agreed upon by the Contractor and TABC.

J. Referrals

When a referral is indicated, Contractor will assist in locating the most appropriate resource for and in the best interest of the Participant. Additional resources may need to be referred in the event the Participant has exhausted the six (6) sessions per issue, or the service needed is specialized and outside of the counselor’s area of expertise.

Contractor must:

1. Counselors will assist in locating the most appropriate resources for and in the best interest of the Participant.

2. Resources covered by the Participant’s insurance or health coverage should be identified if possible.

3. The counselor will assist in accessing the resources and will follow up to determine services are received and the appropriateness and usefulness of the service.