Pre-solicitation Notice.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Program Support Center Acquisition Management Services Bethesda Place 7700 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, MD 20857

General Information

Document Type: Pre-solicitation Notice

Subject Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Case Coordination Program

Solicitation Number: 75P00119R00322

Posted Date: May 28th, 2020

Closing Response Date: June 12th, 2020

Original Archive Date: June 11th, 2020

Proposed Solicitation Date June 12th, 2020

Proposed Award Date September 1st, 2020

Product Service Code: R408 - SUPPORT- PROFESSIONAL: PROGRAM

MANAGEMENT/SUPPORT

Naics Code: 624230 - Emergency and Other Relief Services

Set Aside Status UNRESTRICTED

Contracting Office Address/Point of Contact

Sonja Scott

Contract Specialist

Program Support Center, Acquisition Management Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

7700 Wisconsin Ave. | Mail Stop 10230A | Room 8230

Bethesda, Maryland 20857

Sonja.Scott@psc.hhs.gov

Direct: (301) 492‐ 4659

Peter D. Preston

Contracting Officer

Program Support Center, Acquisition Management Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

7700 Wisconsin Ave. | Mail Stop 10230A | Room 8230

Bethesda, Maryland 20857

Peter.Preston@psc.hhs.gov

Direct: (301) 492‐4648

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Listed below are the areas for which coverage is to be provided, along with the projected bed Capacity. The areas and/or projected bed capacity are subject to change should there be additions to the shelter network. The Contractor shall provide full coverage for the following areas and additional areas as needed:

AZ: 1357

CA: 367

Portland, OR:66 Seattle, WA: 56 Chicago, IL: 469 Indianapolis: 18 Kansas: 62 Michigan: 232 El Paso, TX: 90 Houston, TX: 834 San Antonio, TX: 401 S. TX (Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos): 1819 S. TX (Driscoll, Corpus Christi, Raymondville): 414

CT: 12

NY/NJ: 1817

PA: 227

TN: 13

MD:79

VA: 177

FL: 1 5 2 1

Description

THIS IS A PRESOLICITATION NOTICE ONLY AND NOT A SOLICITATION OR REQUEST

FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) DOCUMENT. THE RFP/SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE

AVAILABLE AFTER THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS PRE-SOLICITATION

NOTICE. PROPOSALS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME.

CONTRACTORS SHOULD FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.

The Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) intends to issue a standalone contract to secure services of a contractor to develop and maintain regional or national case coordination program(s) that provide child welfare based recommendations on individual Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) cases, particularly in the areas of safe and timely release, identification of children with special needs and development of corresponding recommendations, and placement recommendations.

Background

The Office of Refugee Resettlement/Division of Unaccompanied Children’s Operations (ORR/DUCO) within the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), provides temporary shelter care and other child welfare- related services to UAC in ORR custody.

Residential care services begin once ORR admits a UAC for placement and primarily ends when the UAC is released from ORR custody, turns 18 years of age, or the UAC’s immigration case results in a final disposition of removal from the United States. Residential care and other child welfare-related services are provided by state-licensed residential care programs in the least restrictive setting appropriate for the UAC’s best interest.

On March 1, 2003, Section 462 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 6 U.S.C. §279, transferred the functions under U.S. immigration laws regarding the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children from the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR has responsibility for the care and custody of UAC who are in Federal custody by reason of their immigration status. 462(g) (2) of the Homeland Security Act defines as a child who: (1) has no lawful immigration status in the United- States; (2) has not attained 18 years of age; and (3) with respect to whom - (i) there is no parent or legal guardian in the United States; or (ii) no parent or legal guardian in the United States is available to provide care and physical custody.

One of ORR's main functions is to provide temporary residential care, in the least restrictive setting possible, and other related services to UAC in ORR custody. Under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization (TVPRA) Act of 2008, "UAC shall be promptly placed in the least restrictive setting that is in the best interest of the child, taking into consideration risk of harm to the child and/or others and risk of flight."

ORR is also responsible for the safe and timely release of UAC to appropriate sponsors.

Under the Homeland Security Act, ORR, in making placement decisions, the Homeland Security Act directs ORR to consider 1) the likelihood of a UAC’s appearance before all hearings or proceedings; 2) protections from traffickers and other seeking to harm UAC; and 3) settings that reduce the possibility of a UAC endangering themselves or others. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008, U.S.C. §1232 further requires a determination that a proposed sponsor is capable of safeguarding a UAC physical and mental well-being. Under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, "A UAC may not be placed with a person or entity unless the Secretary of Health and Human Services makes a determination that the proposed custodian is capable of providing for the child's physical and mental well-being."

In addition, ORR is responsible for identifying, funding, overseeing, and monitoring state-licensed facilities that serve UAC; maintaining statistical information and data on each child;

and compiling and updating an annual list of professionals or entities qualified to provide legal services.

As of November 2019, ORR oversees a national network of over 100 licensed care providers, including shelters, group homes, staff-secure/secure facilities, foster care programs and residential treatment centers through contracts and cooperative agreements. ORR care providers are required to be licensed by the state in which they reside and are encouraged to pursue additional accreditation through the Council on Accreditation. They must also comply with ORR policies, protocols and procedures, as detailed in their individual Cooperative Agreement/Statement of Work and ORR policies and procedures. The majority of care providers are located in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The majority of ORR shelter care providers serve UAC exclusively whi l e others serve both UAC and domestic youth. ORR identifies placement options for UAC according to their individual needs through this national network of care providers. Most programs who serve both UAC and domestic youth maintain the two populations separately, but some smaller programs providing specialized care may serve the two populations together.

ORR ensures that the interests of the child are considered in all decisions related to the care and custody of UAC. ORR is guided by the principles that all UAC should be treated with dignity, respect, and special concern for their particular vulnerability; all UAC must be placed in the least restrictive setting appropriate to their age and special needs; and each UAC shall be provided care and services free from discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or political belief.

Many UAC have faced traumatic situations in their home countries, such as dire poverty, war, persecution, forced military recruitment, domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, gang violence, and government neglect. Some are also very young, most have little or no formal education, and most are primarily non-English speaking. Many also fall victim to violent crimes (rape, assault, robbery, human trafficking) during their dangerous journey to the United States.

A number of UAC may owe large debts to smugglers who facilitated their travel to the United States. While the majority of UAC are adolescent males from Central America, ORR serves a significant number of females, younger children, and youth from other countries, such as China, India, Haiti, and Somalia. Other special sub-populations include pregnant and parenting teens, children who require intensive mental health or medical services, children with criminal histories, and victims of human trafficking or other crimes.

UAC come to the United States in pursuit of a better life with hopes of fleeing poor socioeconomic conditions, escaping violence, reunifying with family and seeking educational and employment opportunities. After apprehension by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or another Federal agency, and placement in ORR custody with a ORR funded care provider, these children face a complicated legal system, which offers limited relief options to remain in the United States permanently and legally. ORR provides UAC access to legal service providers who can provide assistance in determining whether they qualify for immigration relief that may allow them to remain in the United States. While a UAC's immigration case is pending, UAC may be released to relatives or other sponsors in the United States. While the average length of stay for UAC is approximately 34 days, a small number of children who pursue potential immigration relief but have no viable family sponsors remain in ORR custody for extended periods of time, while their immigration case is pending. To the greatest extent possible, UAC should be released to a sponsor promptly once it is determined that the sponsor is able to provide for the child’s safety and well-being.

The Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA) requires ORR to provide certain services to UAC while they are in government custody. While in ORR custody, UAC receive an array of services, including residential care and supervision, clothing, food, individual and group counseling, medical/mental health care, case management, education/English as a Second Language, recreation, vocational education, acculturation, and access to religious services. UAC also have access to legal services. While the majority of services are available on site, referrals to community-based providers are made as needed. Services are provided by multilingual staff in a manner that is sensitive to the language and culture of the populations served. Service provision is tailored to each UAC in order to maximize the UAC's opportunities for success both while in care, and upon discharge from the program.

In addition to the ORR funded care provider staff, ORR has Washington, DC Headquarters and Federal Field Specialist staff who administer the UAC Program; develop and implement policies and procedures; provide technical assistance, monitoring and oversight to grantees; identify and develop specialized capacity; and coordinate and oversee the safe and timely release of UAC.

Central office staff is located in Washington, D.C. Federal Field Specialists (FFS) are located nationally in areas of high apprehension and placement activity, including Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; El Paso, TX; Harlingen, TX; San Antonio, TX; Houston, TX; New York, New York; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and Washington, DC. As ORR expands the shelter network, providers may be located in other cities as well.

ORR intends to acquire the services of bilingual Case Coordinators to provide child welfare based recommendations on individual UAC cases, particularly in the areas of making recommendations for transfer and release, identifying children with special needs and developing subsequent recommendations, staffing UAC cases, reviewing individual service planning, collaborating with care providers in providing community support and medical services, and troubleshooting special or unique cases. In order to maintain the integrity of their duties, organizations providing Case Coordinators may not have a conflict of interest with ORR and/or its UAC service providers (i.e., organizations involved in the care and maintenance of children in federal custody, organizations that would receive financial benefit as a result of their recommendations, etc.).

Case Coordinators will be assigned to locations near ORR-funded care providers. In most cases, Case Coordinators will be deployed in or around areas where Federal Field Specialists are present. The primary regions are Western (California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona);

South Central (Texas); Midwest (Chicago, Illinois; Michigan); and Eastern (Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and New York).

Case Coordinators will work closely with Federal Field Specialists, who act as the local ORR liaison with care providers and stakeholders, provide technical assistance and guidance to care providers on ORR policies and procedures, and make transfer and release decisions for UAC in their designated regions.

Scope and Requirements

The Office of Refugee Resettlement/Division of Unaccompanied Children’s Operations requires the services of a Contractor to develop and maintain regional or national case coordination program(s) that provide child welfare based recommendations on individual UAC cases, particularly in the areas of safe and timely release, identification of children with special needs and development of corresponding recommendations, and placement recommendations. Case coordinators will coordinate placement decisions with ORR staff and ORR care provider grantees.

The main responsibilities of Case Coordinators will include, but are not limited to:

Providing timely review, assessment, and recommendation of release requests to ORR to ensure release of UAC to a sponsor promptly once it is determined that the sponsor is able to provide for the child’s safety and well-being;

Assisting ORR in ensuring that children are placed in the least restrictive setting while ensuring safety and minimizing flight risk of UAC;

Assisting ORR in ensuring that the UAC are receiving appropriate services;

Meeting with individual UAC in instances when there are identified safety concerns and care provider staff at designated ORR-funded care provider sites;

Providing targeted child welfare based assistance to care provider staff, as directed by ORR staff;

Providing written assessments, and when necessary reviewing or providing technical assistance to the written assessments of the care provider’s case managers and clinicians.

Making recommendations for home study and post- release services for at-risk children, in collaboration with the care provider and ORR;

Making placement recommendations, including for children who require more specialized levels of care, such as long-term foster care, residential treatment centers, and secure care in collaboration with the care provider and ORR;

Collaborating and working on any other tasks specific to the case coordinator as per ORR/DUCO policy and procedures;

Participating in collaborative meetings with local stakeholders;

Leading case staffing with care providers to discuss individual cases and progress; and Meeting with designated ORR staff to provide updates of individual UAC cases and elevate complex cases as needed.

It is imperative that Case Coordinator staff work as a cohesive team, in a collaborative and effective manner with care provider staff and ORR staff for the safe and timely care, transfer, and release of UAC.

Task Requirements:

The Contractor shall furnish necessary personnel and related human resource support, such as travel, training and services. Although work will be further defined as the contract progresses and as per ORR's policies and procedures, program management will dictate, and include, but not be limited to the following activities:

Task 1.0 Program Management

Subtask 1.1

The Contractor shall provide the technical and functional activities at the contract level needed for the program management of this Statement of Work (SOW). The Contractor shall provide productivity and management methods such as quality assurance, risk management, work breakdown structure, and human engineering at the contract level. The Contractor shall provide administrative, clerical, documentation, training and related functions.

Subtask 1.2

For purposes of accountability and transparency, the Contractor shall prepare a Contract Management Plan describing the technical approach, organizational resources and management controls to be employed to meet the cost, performance and schedule requirements of this contract.

The Contract Management Plan shall include a plan for travel, professional development, and training. The Contractor will work to ensure child welfare best practices are a primary focus of their management plan.

The Contract Management Plan shall be updated annually by the Contractor, and approved by the Contract Officer Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer (CO). The draft of the Contract Management Plan shall be submitted to the COR and Contracting Officer a minimum of 90 days prior to the start of the following option year.

Subtask 1.3

The Contractor shall prepare a work plan that proposes timeframes for specific tasks to be performed, as described in the SOW. The Contractor shall update the work plan annually 90 days prior to the commencement of the following option year.

Subtask 1.4

The Contractor shall meet with the COR and other relevant staff of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within seven (7) days of the effective date of contract (EDOC). The purpose of the initial meeting is for the Contractor to obtain relevant background information from the COR (including ORR policies and procedures), review the statement of work and timeline, and identify any potential challenges. The Contractor shall present past work experience with similar projects and an initial work plan and timeline for addressing all tasks. The meeting may take place in Washington, DC or through a conference call. Additional telephonic meetings may be scheduled as the need arises and to conform to ORR's program modifications either by legislation or design.

Subtask 1.5

The Contractor shall provide a written summary of the initial meeting to the COR within two (2) weeks of EDOC. The documentation shall include a brief synopsis of discussions that occurred along with any decisions reached and action steps agreed upon.

Subtask 1.6

The Contractor shall provide for staff travel, equipment, and supplies. Reimbursement for travel costs unrelated to specific services under this contract are prohibited.

Travel for Contractor shall be limited to initial employment orientation and any other training and/or technical assistance requests as required by COR. Travel to ORR funded care providers will be required of contractor to meet with UAC.

Subtask 1.7

The Contractor may be requested to participate in the Annual ORR Training and to assist in the development of training sessions and materials. Approval is required by the COR for Contractor’s participation in ORR trainings and/or conferences. Unless the Contracting Officer provides explicit written approval for conference expenses, conference expenses are not allowable under this contract.

Presentations given by the Contractor about the ORR program to other government agencies or nongovernmental agencies require the prior approval of the ORR COR. Requests by the Contractor to present shall be submitted in writing to the COR a minimum of 14 business days prior to the presentation, and shall include the nature and purpose, agenda, presentation curriculum, and any projected costs. The Contractor shall address all press inquiries to Media@acf.hhs.gov.

Subtask 1.8

The Contractor shall describe proposed staffing, including structure and level of expertise sufficient to fulfill contractual responsibilities in the Case Coordination program.

The Contractor and COR will establish clear lines of reporting and communication as per ORR's policies and procedures or as needed for the efficient operation of the program after discussion between the COR and Contractor. The Contractor will maintain a clear and independent supervisory structure with their organization for all personnel issues including, among others, evaluation of job performance, designation of work responsibilities, work schedules, personal and sick leave and professional development, etc.

The Contractor shall review Project Manager and Case Coordinator position descriptions with the COR and obtain approval prior to advertising and disseminating job announcements.

In the event ORR determines that the Contractor’s staffing levels or personnel performance do not conform to contract requirements, ORR will advise the Contractor in writing and the Contractor shall have 30 days to remedy the identified deficiencies. If after consultation with the Contractor, ORR has determined the actions taken do not remedy the concerns and that the personnel is incapable of carrying out the responsibilities outlined in the contract, ORR has the authority to request that the Contractor personnel no longer be retained for the purposes of this contract. Any such determination by ORR will be made in a consultative manner with the Contractor and should be coordinated and carried out within 30 days of the request. Replacement of the identified contractor personnel, if necessary, shall also be coordinated in consultation with ORR.

Selection of all new and replacement key staff is subject to the COR's written approval. Key staff is defined as the Project Manager, Case Coordinator Supervisors, and Direct Operations Coordinator. The Contractor shall work an eight (8) hour day (40 hours a week) and shall follow ORR's preferred working hours between the hours of 6:30 AM and 6:30PM Monday through Sunday, in the respective time zone. This schedule will allow for consistent timely releases and alignment with case management shelter operations.

On a case-by-case basis, the COR may approve alternative working hours and weekends for surge related efforts provided that they fall within ACF's core working hours, which range from 6:30AM to 6:30PM. The Contractor is responsible to maintain overall coverage of task assignments.

However, special arrangements may be made with the COR for special agency holidays and events per the contractor's policies.

The Contractor will provide the necessary backup coverage in developing their staffing plan to ensure proper coverage of staff during vacation, leave, replacement of staff, etc.

Subtask 1.9

The Contractor shall provide one (1) Project Manager. The Project Manager shall maintain a high level of expertise in child welfare, juvenile justice, and serving immigrant youth and families at the management level. Specifically, the Project Manager shall have a Master’s degree or higher in Social Work, a social sciences related discipline, or background in law, and at least five years of demonstrated child welfare experience. Experience working with immigrant youth and families and underserved populations is strongly encouraged. The hire of the Project Manager, or any replacements thereof, must be approved in writing by the COR.

The Project Manager shall be the Contractor's primary point of contact for COR and shall oversee staffing, management, and reporting. Based on direction from ORR, the Project Manager will direct work priorities to maintain a professionally managed program. The Project Manager or supervisory designee shall conduct annual site reviews of all Case Coordinators to evaluate Case Coordination compliance with the Contract, ORR policy and procedures, timely performance of tasks and deliverables, collaboration with ORR and stakeholders, and training needs. Summaries and findings from site reviews shall be incorporated into the quarterly performance report. Copies of site visit reviews shall be provided to the COR upon request.

The Contractor shall review the Project Manager Position description with the COR and obtain approval prior to advertising and disseminating job announcements.

Subtask 1.10

It is estimated that Case Coordinator services will be requested for at least 14,500 UAC each year.

Numbers may vary depending on trends in immigration and apprehensions. At a funded capacity for 14,500 UAC, the maximum UAC to be served under this contract is estimated at 88,208, based on a 60- day average length of stay in ORR care.

The Contractor shall designate Supervisory Case Coordinators responsible for overseeing staff, serving as point of contact for concerns/feedback from UAC, sponsors, and stakeholders regarding Contractor’s services, and provision of case coverage. The Supervisory Case Coordinators shall assist the Project Manager with work assignments and other team coordination needs as established in the position description.

The hire of the Supervisory Case Coordinators and Direct Operations Case Coordinator, or any replacements thereof, must be approved in writing by the COR. Supervisory Case Coordinators shall have a Master’s degree in social work (MSW) and 5 years of postgraduate direct service delivery experience working with youth and trauma-informed care; or a Master’s degree in psychology, counseling, or other relevant behavioral science in which clinical training and experience is a program requirement. The Supervisory Case Coordinator shall be license eligible at time of proposal and the offeror is required to ensure that its proposed candidate can attain licensure within 6 months. Licensure and supervisory experience are required.

Direct Operations Coordinators shall have a Master’s Degree in Social Work social science related discipline and five years of demonstrated post-graduate child welfare, case management, social service, and/or mental health professional experience, or Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, or social science related discipline and eight years of demonstrated post-graduate child welfare, social service, case management and/or mental health professional experience. Bilingual in English / Spanish and Supervisory Experience is also required. Verbal Spanish language fluency must be confirmed and documented.

The Case Coordinators shall have a Master’s degree in Social Work or a social sciences related discipline and at least two years of demonstrated post graduate child welfare experience.

Alternatively, Case Coordinators shall have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a social sciences related discipline and at least seven years demonstrated child-welfare experience. Case Coordinators shall be bilingual in English and Spanish. Verbal Spanish language fluency must be confirmed and documented. Prior experience working with immigrant youth and families is highly preferred. Prior experience in juvenile justice is highly preferred for regions serving UAC with criminal histories. The Contractor shall review the Case Coordinator, Supervisory Case Coordinator and Direct Operations Coordinator position descriptions with the COR and obtain approval prior to advertising and disseminating job announcements.

The Contractor shall ensure that the case coordinators resume, educational and job experience clearly meet the qualifications of the position. The Contractor shall provide the COR with an identified case coordinator’s resume and relevant job experience, if requested by the COR.

ORR will work in consultation with the Contractor to ensure locations and workloads are appropriate. ORR reserves the right to modify the number and location of Case Coordinators, Supervisory Case Coordinators and Direct Operation Coordinators as well as staffing requirements based on the shifting demands of the program.

The Contractor shall provide a high level of expertise in child welfare, juvenile justice and serving immigrants youth and families at the field level. The Contractor shall recruit, train and maintain a staff of Case Coordinators ensuring a caseload ratio of no more than 85 cases to one Case Coordinator at a time. Listed below are the areas for which coverage is to be provided, along with the projected bed capacity. The areas and/or projected bed capacity are subject to change should there be additions to the ORR shelter network. Based on the coverage areas listed below, the Contractor shall have coverage for a funded capacity of 14,500 UAC with the ability to meet the demands associated with potential expansions of licensed and emergency influx funded capacity.

The Contractor shall provide full coverage for the following areas and additional areas as needed:

Arizona: 1357 California: 367 Portland, Oregon :66 Seattle, Washington: 56 Chicago, Illinois: 469 Indianapolis: 18 Kansas: 62 Michigan: 232 El Paso, Texas: 90 Houston, Texas: 834 San Antonio, Texas: 401 South. Texas (Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos): 1819 South Texas (Driscoll, Corpus Christi, Raymondville): 414 Connecticut: 12 New York/New Jersey: 1817 Pennsylvania: 227 Tennessee N: 13 Maryland:79 Virginia: 177 Florida: 1521

Subtask 1.11

All Contractor staff that has any contact with UAC under this contract shall successfully complete a fingerprint criminal background check and provide Child Abuse and Neglect checks, paid for at the Contractor's expense, per ORR policies and procedures in effect at the time of hiring and prior to the start of employment.

The Contractor shall ensure that all its personnel conduct their work in a professional and responsible manner. All Contractor personnel working on the Government’s site shall abide by the ORR policy guide section 4.3.5‐ Staff code of conduct. Staff is mandated to sign and follow Appendix E- Standards of Conduct to refrain any or all actions including from making comments/statement that in any way mislead, threaten or impacts the wellbeing and safety of UAC.

The Contractor shall develop the acknowledgment documents described below, train their employees on these items, and ensure that all personnel mobilized hereunder sign the following statements, before working with the UAC, acknowledging that:

1) staff affirms and attest under penalty of perjury that staff has never been the subject of any Child Abuse and Neglect investigations, substantiated or unsubstantiated, and/or arrested for a crime involving child abuse and/or neglect in any state; and is currently not involved in any criminal or civil proceedings pending a disposition, nor been found guilty or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to any offenses relating to child abuse, child neglect, or exploitation of children and/or the failure to report such abuse;

2) staff is mandated to report suspected child abuse and neglect;

3) staff is mandated to follow the ORR fraud scheme policy and procedures found in the ORR Policy Guide Section 7, and UAC Manual of Procedures Section 2.

All acknowledgements must include the following statement: “Failure to report these incidents could be grounds for termination.”

The Contractor is required to maintain the signed acknowledgments for up to two (2) years after the expiration of the task order. The COR may request copies of these acknowledgements for all staff or a randomly selected sample of staff. The Contractor shall develop internal quality assurance procedures to monitor personnel files for completion continuously.

Subtask 1.12

Case Coordinators will work in contractor established work offices that may not be on the grounds or in an agreement with any established ORR care provider, depending on the particular needs of the region in consultation with the ORR COR. Any deviation from this subtask requires approval by the ORR COR. The Contractor shall submit duty station schedules and recommendations to the COR for review and approval. Adequate space at the ORR care provider shall be designated to fulfill specific tasks of the contract, however the contractor shall not maintain active office space at the ORR care provider location.

Subtask 1.13

The Contractor shall ensure coverage during business hours. In the event that a Case Coordinator is unable to cover his/her region, a backup must be assigned for the duration of his/her absence.

The Contractor is responsible to notify ORR staff of coverage plan for any staff absence.

Subtask 1.14

The Contractor shall develop a standardized training curriculum that all Case Coordinators must complete prior to any case assignments occurring. The training curriculum shall be submitted to ORR COR with the Contract Management Plan. Any subsequent changes should be submitted to the COR for approval.

The Contractor is responsible for developing systems to identify areas in which staff or Case Coordinators are in need of training or technical assistance, and for the development and implementation of corresponding plans to address any training or technical assistance needs.

The Contractor shall maintain a log of the training activities. At a minimum, the information to be logged shall include the following: name of the training, completion date of the training, and names of employees who attended the training.

Subtask 1.15

The Contractor shall develop and implement systems to assess the satisfaction of UAC, care providers, stakeholders, Federal Field Specialists and ORR central office staff. The Contractor shall track all reports of concerns with services and the Contractor’s response and incorporate into the quarterly performance report.

Task 2.0 Safe and Timely Release Process

Subtask 2.1

The primary responsibilities of this contract are assuring Case Coordinators make child welfare recommendations in the best interest of the children under ORR care and make release recommendations promptly once it is determined that the sponsor is able to provide for the child’s safety and well-being.

Additional responsibilities in regard to oversight of the UAC cases include: thorough and timely review of release requests, regular meetings with individual UAC, recommendations for home studies, case consultations, and placement recommendations on levels of care and services.

Case Coordinators shall review release requests and develop recommendations to the designated ORR staff based on child welfare expertise, ORR’s policy and procedures, the care provider's clinical and case management team feedback and recommendations, as well as the individual merits of each case. Case Coordinators are required to submit a recommendation to ORR within one (1) business days of receipt of a completed release request or (2) business days in Post Home Study cases.

Case Coordinators shall prioritize UAC cases at or beyond 25 days in care by ensuring timely completion of assessments and release recommendations. Case Coordinators will work closely with the care provider and FFS to identify these cases and implement a priority plan to expedite a safe and timely release.

Subtask 2.2

Case Coordinators shall work closely with care provider staff to identify missing information from release requests and related assessment documents. In coordination with care provider staff and ORR staff, Case Coordinators may directly contact potential sponsors to assess appropriateness of release.

Subtask 2.3

Case Coordinator shall work closely with care providers’ case managers and FFS in tracking CA/N waiver status information in a timely manner when making release recommendations. Case Coordinators will inform FFS of the CA/N check status when submitting release recommendations, along with CA/N Check Waiver Decision Memo to the FFS for ORR approval.

Subtask 2.4

Case Coordinators, in consultation with care providers’ clinical and case management staff and ORR, shall make recommendations for identified cases for home study and post-release services based on ORR/DUCO home study and post-release only services and referral criteria. Case Coordinators shall collaborate with care provider staff and ORR to gather any outstanding information in order to submit recommendation. Case Coordinators shall respond to requests for additional information from ORR staff regarding the referral within one (1) business days of request.

Case Coordinators shall ensure the exchange of updates on information regarding the UAC, sponsor, and status of the home study between the ORR headquarters office, home study service provider, care provider, and field staff throughout the duration of the home study process.

Subtask 2.5

Case Coordinators shall perform other duties as established in the list of roles and responsibilities developed between the COR and the Contractor, and as per ORR’s policy and procedures.

Task 3.0 Tracking and Management of Special Needs Cases

Subtask 3.1

Case Coordinators, in close consultation with care provider’s clinical and case management staff and designated ORR staff, shall track and manage complex cases by utilizing knowledge of child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and ORR/DUCO policy and procedures, to arrive at placement recommendations based on the best interest and special needs of the child. Case Coordinators shall provide recommendations to ORR headquarter and field staff to effectively monitor and assess complex cases to assist in evaluating the best interests of the child.

Subtask 3.2

Case Coordinators shall provide on-going consultation and assistance to care provider staff and work closely with the ORR staff related to individual assessment of cases for transfer of UAC to alternate placements. Case Coordinators shall utilize child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health expertise; knowledge of the ORR/DUCO continuum of care; and ORR/DUCO transfer criteria, policy and procedures as the basis for transfer recommendations. Case Coordinators shall submit transfer recommendations within one (1) business day of request.

Subtask 3.3

Case Coordinators shall work with care provider staff and ORR to identify UAC that will require long term care, ensure appropriate case planning, and make corresponding recommendations.

Subtask 3.4

Case Coordinators shall work with care provider staff and ORR to identify UAC who require therapeutic services or placement, and make corresponding placement recommendations based upon child welfare and mental health expertise.

Case Coordinators shall continue to act in their full capacity as Case Coordinator for all UAC placed in Residential Treatment Centers (RTC) in their region, which includes, but is not limited to, meeting with the UAC and the RTC care provider treatment staff to obtain updates on the progress of each UAC and determine, with ORR and the RTC care provider treatment staff, whether the UAC needs continued therapeutic treatment or would benefit from a less restrictive level of care.

Subtask 3.5

Case Coordinators shall work with care provider and ORR staff to identify UAC who are potential victims of human trafficking. Case Coordinators shall be responsible for tracking such cases that are referred to the ORR central office by care provider staff and ensuring that UAC are referred for benefits and services available to victims of trafficking and other related crimes.

Case Coordinators shall collaborate with clinician and care providers to develop safety plans for potential victims of trafficking, in regards to placement, telephonic contacts and visitation; release;

placement in a community based settings; and/or return to country.

Subtask 3.6

Case Coordinators shall perform other duties as established in the list of roles and responsibilities developed between the COR and the Contractor, and as per ORR/DUCO policy and procedures.

Task 4.0 Duty Stations and Meetings with Care Providers and ORR Staff

Subtask 4.1

Case Coordinators shall make, at a minimum, weekly visits to all care providers within his/her assigned local duty station to interview UAC and meet with care provider staff and to staff cases.

The Case Coordinator's designated duty station shall be located within close proximity of a ORR-funded care provider facility, as approved by the COR in consultation with the Contractor, taking into consideration the number and location of care providers within the Case Coordinator's designed area.

Subtask 4.2

Case Coordinators shall make, at minimum, monthly visits to care providers located outside each of his/her assigned local duty station to interview UAC as needed and meet with care provider staff and to staff cases. The frequency of such site visits shall be determined by the COR in consultation with the Contractor, taking into consideration the number and location of care providers within the Case Coordinator's designated area.

Subtask 4.3

Case Coordinators shall lead weekly case staffing with care providers and designated ORR staff, which shall take place at the care providers’ facility. Case Coordinators may participate in weekly case staffing by telephone when the care provider is not located within the Case Coordinator's local duty station, as defined by the COR in consultation with the Contractor.

Subtask 4.4

Case Coordinators shall interview UAC, as needed, to determine the most appropriate placement recommendations. Case Coordinators shall strive to meet with UAC at least once prior to making recommendations.

Subtask 4.5

Case Coordinators shall perform other duties as established in the list of roles and responsibilities developed between the COR and the Contractor, and as per ORR/DUCO policy and procedures.

Task 5.0 Collaboration and Communication with Other Entities

Subtask 5. 1

Case Coordinators shall, at a minimum, meet with designated ORR staff on a weekly basis. In areas where there is no ORR designee present, Case Coordinators shall confer with the assigned ORR designee by telephone.

Subtask 5.2

Case Coordinators shall participate in quarterly stakeholders meetings with local DHS officials, care provider staff, legal service providers, and the designated ORR staff.

Subtask 5.3

Case Coordinators may have contact with sponsors, UAC's family, and stakeholders as appropriate to assess safety and appropriateness of release and placement recommendations. However, Case Coordinators shall refer attorney, DHS, and other stakeholder inquiries that may require government action or review directly to the designated ORR designee.

Subtask 5.4

The Contractor shall participate in monthly conference calls with ORR staff or on an as needed basis.

Subtask 5.5

Case Coordinators shall respond to individual case inquiries and requests for recommendations to date from ORR staff.

Subtask 5.6

The Case Coordinators shall focus on making individual case recommendations. Contractor staff may report concerns to the designated ORR staff following the designated chain of command.

Case Coordinators shall perform other duties as established in the list of roles and responsibilities developed between the COR and the Contractor, and as per ORR/DUCO policy and procedures.

Task 6.0 Data Collection, Tracking and Reporting

Subtask 6.1

Case Coordinators shall receive training and orientation on the ORR/DUCO electronic database.

Case Coordinators shall be required to utilize the ORR/DUCO database for processing case recommendations, as well as other functions that are incorporated into the system. The Contractor shall have access to a computer with internet access to carry out this task.

The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel with access to the ORR Database complete the following trainings prior to receiving access to the database and at least, once a year. Trainings include:

(1) DISA Cybersecurity Awareness Training (https://public.cyber.mil/training/cyber‐awareness‐ challenge‐2019/ );

(2) HHS-ACF PII Training (https://uactraining.ap‐in.net/UACMain.aspx).

The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel with access to the ORR Database review and sign the Rules of Behavior found here: https://uactraining.ap‐in.net/Documents/ORR UAC Portal‐Rules of

Behavior‐08052019.docx .The Contractor shall save the completion certificates and Rules of Behavior signed attestation in the personnel file, and submit copies to the COR upon request.

The Contractor shall maintain a log of the training activities. At a minimum, the information to be logged shall include the following: name of the training, completion date of the training, and names of employees who attended the training.

ORR may request reports on an ad hoc basis depending on the need of the program. The COR and Contractor shall discuss the work load to ensure appropriate staffing support is provided.

Subtask 6.2

Case Coordinators shall track UAC cases in their designated region and complete weekly status reports following the ORR template. Weekly case status reports shall address status; date(s) met with UAC; date placement and release requests received; description of outstanding information and issues; and date Case Coordination recommendation completed. Copies of reports shall be provided to ORR in accordance with ORR policy and procedures.

Subtask 6.3

In consultation with the COR, the Contractor shall gather data regarding issues that impact their ability to conduct Case Coordination duties as outlined in the Contract and the ORR/DUCO policy and procedures. The Case Coordination program shall share trends that impact ability to make timely case recommendations and recommend corresponding solutions to ORR.

Subtask 6.4

All program records maintained by the Contractor are considered to be ORR's records. The Contractor must not release files, data, or any other information about individual UAC or sponsors to anyone without the prior authorization of ORR and the subjects involved. Any data analysis of UAC files must be authorized by ORR. The Contractor must give ORR unrestricted access to program and UAC records and data at all times, this includes emails between Contractor staff on specific cases.

Subtask 6.5

The Contractor shall submit a quarterly performance report to demonstrate Contractor performance of Contract deliverables and requirements. The Contractor shall track their performance of all deliverables and performance measures and include in the quarterly report. The Contractor shall also provide information in the quarterly performance report detailing the quality assurance and management applied to the contract. The quarterly performance report is due 30 days following the completion of each quarter. The final performance report is due the date contract ends.

The quarterly performance report shall provide information and progress on Contractor performance at the level of both local regions and overall program performance, including but not limited to the following:

Quantitative and qualitative measurement of case recommendations in accordance with child welfare principles and ORR/DUCO policy and procedures

Total number of cases processed by Case Coordinators Number of release recommendations waived by the Federal Field Specialist Average length of time from placement to meeting with UAC; average number of times

Case Coordinator met with UAC prior to making recommendation; percentage of cases on which Case Coordinator met with UAC at least once prior to making recommendation

Percentage of cases for which Case Coordinators participated in case staffing each week

Average length of time from receipt of release request to submission of recommendation; percentage of recommendations completed within one (1) business days of receipt of release request or ( 2) business day in post home study cases.

Number and percent of release requests found to have incomplete information and analysis of trends in incomplete information

Quantitative and qualitative measurement of satisfaction of UAC, care providers, stakeholders, Federal Field Specialists, and ORR headquarters staff of Case Coordination services

Average Case Coordinator case load Number and summary of concerns received regarding Contractor services; analysis of

Contractor response

Subtask 6.6

The Contractor shall prepare agendas for all meetings concerning the project unless otherwise directed by the COR. Agendas shall be submitted to the COR at least one business day prior to the meeting. When meeting with the COR, the Contractor shall record meeting minutes and submit those minutes to the COR within two (2) business days after the meeting for review and approval.

Subtask 6.7

The Contractor shall submit a weekly staffing report to demonstrate the hiring of case coordinators by location; identify newly hired case coordinators; and any staffing concerns or issues.

Task 7.0 Training and Assistance

Subtask 7.1

The Contractor’s national headquarters staff and Case Coordinators may provide targeted child welfare training to identified stakeholders, when requested by the COR in collaboration with the Contractor Project Manager. Case Coordinators shall provide a training agenda and presentation material to the COR for approval ten (10) business days prior to the scheduled training and a written summary within fourteen (14) calendar days following the completion of the training to the designated COR.

Subtask 7.2

Case Coordinators shall work in conjunction with local care providers and ORR staff to identify community-based mental health resources and other resources to his/her particular region.

Task 8.0 Compliance with Regulations, Policies and Procedures

Subtask 8.1

The Contractor shall provide care providers with support in a systematic and uniform manner to ensure compliance with regulations, ORR's policies and procedures, the Flores Settlement Agreement, Section 462 of the Homeland Security Act, section 235 of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, the Perez-Olano Settlement Agreement, Section §IIOI(c) of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, and other documents as provided by the COR.

Task 9.0 On-going Collaboration

Subtask 9.1

The objective of the contract is to work cohesively and to collaborate on issues that may impact the program and services. The demands of the program require a level of flexibility so that the program can respond to unforeseen tasks to meet the needs of an ever-changing program.