RFI-Suicide Prevention Resources and Screener-11Sep25.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - HE125426RFI000?

Grades 6-12 Suicide Prevention Instructional Resources and Screener

1.0 Description

1.1 The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) seeks information on commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS), digital suicide prevention instructional resources for DoDEA students in grades 6-12 systemwide. The proposed solution shall possess demonstrated evidence of reducing acts of self-harm and suicide in schools where it has been implemented with fidelity. It shall include (1) instructional resources, (2) a screener aligned to the instructional resources, and (3) related professional learning and technical support.

1.2 DoDEA prefers to make one award but may consider an award for grade 6-8 students and an award for 9-12 students. The solicitation will be posted on SAM.gov in the November-December timeframe. The anticipated 5-year period of performance is 21 Mar 26 – 20 Mar 31.

1.3 This request for information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning and does not constitute a request for quote (RFQ) or a promise to issue an RFQ in the future.

· The Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; i.e., all costs associated with responding to this RFI are solely the responder’s responsibility.

· Not responding to the RFI does not preclude a contractor from responding to a future RFQ/RFP. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the SAM.gov website. Potential responders are responsible to monitor the relevant site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

2.0 Overview

2.1 Agency: For school year 2025-26, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) will provide PK-12 instruction in 161 schools to approximately 66,000 dependents of active-duty military and civilian employees. In the Americas, DoDEA operates 50 schools located in seven states, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In Europe and the Middle East, DoDEA operates 64 schools located in Germany, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Bahrain. In the Pacific, DoDEA operates 46 schools located in Korea, Japan (mainland and Okinawa), and Guam. DoDEA also operates a fully accredited virtual high school with teaching hubs in each DoDEA region. DoDEA's curriculum, resources and student achievement scores on standardized assessments compare favorably to those of high-performing US public school systems.

Projected G6-12 Student Enrollment for SY25-26 (03 Dec 24)

2.2 Schools by Region

2.3 Sets of Instructional Resources by Year and Grade Band

Base Year 2

Base Year 3

Base Year 4

Base Year 5

* DoDEA prefers to award one contract but may award one for 6-8 resources and another for 9-12 resources.

** DoDEA expects to require the same number each year.

2.4 Background

2.4.1 Per DoD Directive 6490.14 (effective June 18, 2013), DoD policy is for agencies to make substantial efforts to reduce suicide, identify members who are at risk for suicide, evaluate the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs, and provide training on suicide prevention. The Directive requires agencies to foster a climate that (1) encourages individuals to seek help and build resilience, (2) reduces the stigma for seeking behavioral healthcare, and (3) protects the privacy of individuals seeking treatment related to suicide. It also requires DoDEA to… provide suicide prevention training in DoDEA schools and submit a copy of all training curriculum and materials to the Director of DSPO [Defense Suicide Prevention Office]. In addition, DoDEA is instructed to …submit the number of suicide attempts and suicides by DoDEA students in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Self-Directed Violence Surveillance Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements. As an outgrowth of this Directive, DoDEA Administrative Instruction, 5200.1, Student Threat and Suicide Risk Assessment Program requires DoDEA to assess student threats towards self or others and to take appropriate steps to ensure the student’s safety.

2.4.2 DoDEA’s suicide prevention program is aligned to the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, which was developed by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (Action Alliance). The Action Alliance at the Education Development Center (EDC) is supported by a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services. For additional information, see the following URL: https://theactionalliance.org/our-strategy/national-strategy-suicide-prevention.

2.4.3 According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, children of deployed military personnel have more school, family, and peer-related emotional difficulties than their national sample counterparts. The lengths and frequencies of deployments are also linked to emotional difficulties among military-connected children.

2.4.4 DoDEA’s current contract is expiring and must, per Federal regulations, be recompeted.

2.5 Requirements: DoDEA requires COTS, digital suicide prevention instructional resources for DoDEA students in grades 6-12 systemwide. The proposed solution shall possess demonstrated evidence of reducing acts of violence, self-harm, and suicide in schools where it has been implemented with fidelity. It shall include (1) instructional resources, (2) a digital screener aligned to the instructional resources, and (3) related professional learning and technical support. The proposed curriculum shall be planned, sequential, and delivered as a stand-alone classroom lesson. It shall be supported by virtual professional learning and technical support. DoDEA prefers but does not require a cloud-based, vendor-hosted solution. Note: The Cloud Questionnaire (attached) is for reference only. If your organization decides to respond to our planned solicitation in the Nov-Dec timeframe, it will need to be included as part of your proposal.

The tasks below are to help the Contractor gain a better understanding of the requirements to successfully meet the objective. They are not all inclusive, so the Contractor shall develop the total solution to meet all the requirements in accordance with a performance-based approach.

2.5.1 Task 1, Instructional Resources—The proposed resources shall:

2.6.1.1 Include/Promote the following:

1) Increased knowledge of the warning signs for suicide and of how to connect individuals in crisis with assistance and care.

2) Increased student knowledge and understanding of both suicide risk and protective factors.

3) Learning to seek help from trusted adults for self or others.

4) Learning to report suicidal threats.

5) Learning about community-based settings with effective programs that also provide education that promote wellness and prevent suicide and related behaviors.

6) Learning about the importance of obtaining timely access to assessment, intervention, and effective care for individuals with a heightened risk for suicide.

2.6.1.2 Meet the following requirements:

1) Be aligned to the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

2) Be evidence-based and developmentally appropriate for the age, grade, and stage of learning.

3) Include one lesson per grade level that may not exceed 60 minutes in length and can be used for individual, small group, or whole group instruction.

· If a concept requires multiple lessons, provide effective ways to break it down.

· This requirement does not preclude repeating key concepts in multiple years. DoDEA expects that key concepts will be presented multiple times in multiple ways.

4) Have hands-on digitally accessible materials and/or activities.

5) Include digitally accessible educator resources and allow school-level teachers, nurses, counselors, psychologists, and above-school-level subject-matter experts to have access to the digital resources.

6) Provide differentiated instruction for students in need of accommodations and provides educators guidance to differentiate content based on whole group or individual student needs.

7) Include a variety of formative assessments such as informal knowledge checks, check for understanding activities, and skill practice.

2.6.1.3 Include—at a minimum—lessons with the following features:

1) Introduction, learning objectives, scope and sequence, review of lessons learned, knowledge checks, discussion, skill practice and a summary of lesson(s) learned.

2) Progression from concrete thinking skills to abstract (higher order) thinking skills.

3) Incorporation of culturally inclusive learning strategies, teaching methods, and materials.

4) Opportunities to reinforce skills and promote positive relationships and behaviors.

2.6.2 Task 2, Screener: DoDEA requires a valid, reliable, evidence-based, self-reporting instrument which can be used by school psychologists, school counselors, and school nurses to screen for suicide risk factors and suicide ideation. The screener should be available for use with all students in grades 6-12 at least once per school year. The estimated number of students being screened each year is shown below:

* The number of students is expected to decline each year as shown.

2.6.2.1 The screener shall be:

1) Age and developmentally appropriate.

2) Self-report (completed by students).

3) Aligned to the instructional resources.

4) Evidence-based.

5) Validated measure with demonstrated evidence of its effectiveness to identify students at risk of committing acts of self-harm or suicide.

6) Digitally accessible.

2.6.3 Task 3, Virtual Professional Learning—DoDEA requires a solution that accommodates the challenges of delivering webinars in a global school system, e.g., learners located in different time zones, different bandwidths, etc. The Contractor shall:

2.6.3.1 Draft in Base Year 1 only, one 2-hour asynchronous webinar to provide an overview of the instructional resources, including navigation through the digital resources and the screener that is aimed at DoDEA’s school counselors, school psychologists, and school nurses.

2.6.3.2 Draft in Base Year 1 only, one 2-hour asynchronous webinar s for district trainers and school-level staff who deliver the curriculum on topics such as (1) navigating the digital resources, (2) teaching the content effectively, (3) responding to students in a supportive manner (trauma-informed care), and (4) guidance on how to lead a discussion on suicide prevention and on how to talk to parent groups, faculty, and staff about suicide prevention.

2.6.3.3 Draft in Base Years 2-5, one 2-hour asynchronous for ongoing professional learning related to implementation of the instructional suicide prevention resources and screener and/or other suicide prevention topics for school counselors, school psychologists, and school nurses. Note: The COR, in consultation with the Contractor, will determine the topics and schedule of the webinars post-award.

2.6.3.4 Present each draft webinar to the contracting officer’s representative (COR) and selected DoDEA staff at least 25 business days before the scheduled presentation. Finalize each webinar based on written feedback from the COR.

2.6.3.5 Each finalized recorded webinar should be submitted for upload into DoDEA’s learning management system (LMS) at least ten business days prior to the scheduled presentation. If digital modules are included, they shall be SCORM®-compliant.

2.6.4 Task 4, Parent Awareness: DoDEA requires draft digital materials that raise suicide awareness and the importance of reporting possible threats to oneself and finalize the material based on written feedback from the COR. Revise the materials in one or more of the option years, following the same draft-final process. Note: DoDEA expects that only minor revisions to the base year document shall be required during the life of the contract.

2.6.5 Task 5, General Requirements—DoDEA requires the Contractor to meet the following requirements:

2.6.5.1 Provide industry-standard technical support for its digital resources for the life of the contract via telephone or email within one business day from the initial contact to include but not limited to assisting with service problems, product setup, upgrades, and troubleshooting.

2.6.5.2 Provide digital resources designed to run in DoDEA’s LMS (currently Schoology), which operates within our virtual learning environment (VLE).

2.6.5.3 Deliver digital instructional resources in one or more of the following three formats:

· Imported, hosted, and maintained by DoDEA.

· Integrated via DoDEA’s LMS to the digital resources hosted by the Contractor.

· Hosted externally by the Contractor but accessible via DoDEA’s LMS to the digital assignments and assessments imported, hosted, and maintained in the LMS.

2.6.5.4 Ensure the course content meets the following specifications:

· Conforms to IMS Learning Global Consortium (IMS) content packaging specifications.

· Uses imported content, if required, conforming to IMS content packaging specifications.

· Uses code that does not disable LMS features when digital resources are accessed.

· Requires single—not multiple—authentications to access content via DoDEA’s LMS.

· Incorporates assessments that are IMS Test and Question Interoperability (QTI)-conformant, where applicable.

· Uses content-hosted externally that conforms to any of the existing versions of IMS Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), per www.imsglobal.org.

2.6.5.5 Provide educator access to the Contractor’s digital resources through a single sign-on platform that uses one username and password to access what is needed, specifically, via DoDEA’s identity, rostering, and management platform (currently, ClassLink).

2.6.5.6 Third-Party Programs, Software, and Applications: Ensure its own and its subcontractors’ (third-party) programs, software, and applications meet—at a minimum—the same technical requirements as the Contractor must meet, such as single sign on (SSO) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Level 2, etc. On a case-by-case basis, DoDEA may honor requests to waive the FedRAMP Level 2 requirement.

3.0 Responses

3.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI using Microsoft Word or a compatible format. We fully realize that you will be able to give a much more refined answer once the solicitation is released, but we hope you can provide some general information in this regard based on your experience. In that regard, please include the following information:

3.1.1 Administration & Subcontracting

1) Company name, DBA name (if applicable), mailing address, CAGE code, unique entity identifier (UEI), and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.

2) Designated point of contact’s name, title, phone number, and email address.

3) Describe, if applicable, any subcontracting possibilities. Note: The prime must perform at least 51 percent of the work.

3.1.2 Demonstrated Evidence: Describe the impact of your proposed solution on reducing acts of self-harm and suicide in schools, especially middle schools and high schools.

3.1.3 Instructional Resources: Describe how your instructional resources are aligned to the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and how well they meet the requirements listed above.

3.1.4 Screener: Describe the proposed screener to include its alignment to the instructional resources, its age and developmental appropriateness, and its effectiveness in identifying students at risk of committing acts self-harm or suicide. Also identify whether or not it is evidence-based, self-report (completed by the student), and digitally accessible.

3.1.5 Asynchronous Professional Learning: Briefly describe your experience providing virtual professional learning on this topic. If available, please provide a link to professional learning examples (webinars and/or digital modules) and relevant supplemental resources.

3.1.6 Pricing: Provide a non-binding price estimate or estimated range—that will be kept confidential. Please use the attached Excel spreadsheet. If the breakdowns that are provided do not fit your solution, please revise the spreadsheet as needed.

3.1.7 Recommendations: Please provide any recommendations you believe might improve the Government’s performance work statement.

3.2 Please limit responses—not including pricing information—to ten pages.

3.3 Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and be clearly marked. Please segregate the proprietary information. Note: All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

4.0 Industry Discussions

DoDEA representatives may or may not choose to speak with potential offerors. Such discussions would only be intended to get greater clarification on such things as capability and pricing.

5.0 Questions

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted by email to Contract Specialist, Ms. Jamie Formosa, at jamie.formosa@dodea.edu and Mr. Alim Koroma, Contracting Officer, at alim.koroma@dodea.edu. Verbal questions will not be accepted. Questions will be answered via email and will not contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after 1PM EST on September 23 will be answered.

6.0 Summary

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning and does not constitute an RFQ/RFP. The information herein is subject to change and not binding on the Government. Release of this RFI is not a commitment that DoDEA will issue an RFQ/RFP in the future or that it authorizes costs to be incurred for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

SUSPENSE: Submit your RFI response no later than 1PM EST on Friday, September 26. Please email your responses to Ms. Jamie Formosa, Contract Specialist, at jamie.formosa@dodea.edu and Mr. Alim Koroma, Contracting Officer, at alim.koroma@dodea.edu.