SOW_Deescalation.pdf

Psychology Services Branch De-escalation Project Statement of Work

Introduction

The mission of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) is to protect society by confining offenders in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens. The Bureau has 122 prisons of various security levels, 6 regional offices, a headquarters, 2 staff training centers, and 24 residential reentry management offices. The Bureau is a leader in correctional excellence and is consistently recognized as an outstanding government agency.

The First Step Act, Sec. 606 requires the Bureau to incorporate into staff training procedures information on how to, “(1) de-escalate encounters between a law enforcement officer…and a civilian or a prisoner,” and, “(2) identify and appropriately respond to incidents that involve the unique needs of individuals who have a mental illness or cognitive deficit.”

Place of Performance:

Training is to be performed at the Bureau’s Management & Specialty Training Center (MSTC), 11900 East Cornell Avenue, Aurora, CO 80014 and/or identified alternate sites such as Regional Offices. In addition, some training events will be held through virtual platforms (e.g., WebEx, Zoom).

Scope of Work

The Reentry Services Division (RSD), Psychology Services Branch (PSB), requires the services of a professional training contractor with demonstrated experience training law enforcement and/or correctional staff in techniques of de-escalation and crisis communication. The contractor must possess expertise in the field of verbal de-escalation with individuals who are violent, mentally ill, and/or cognitively disabled with skills necessary to deliver appropriate group, Train the Trainer (T4T), and/or one-on-one training should the need arise. The scope of work for this contract addresses two areas: de-escalation and program evaluation.

De-escalation

The Contractor will design and deliver a comprehensive program using the “T4T” model of delivery. This program will focus on the development of de-escalation and crisis communication skills with participants, with part of the protocol focused on use of these skills with individuals who are violent, mentally ill, and/or cognitively disabled.

The Contractor will provide necessary materials and resources (e.g. handouts). The program will include in person and virtual learning platforms in addition to pre-recorded training videos. The program will also include an initial training protocol as well as a refresher training protocol.

Program Evaluation

The contractor will design a process for program evaluation to assess the effectiveness of training protocols. The evaluation will focus on participants’ ability to learn the information and demonstrate skill acquisition.

Tasks:

1. De-escalation The Contractor will develop a comprehensive training program to include related materials and resources for current and future training for all Bureau staff, to included “T4T” training materials. The training protocol will also keep in mind principles of adult learning and offer a variety of methods for skill acquisition. Training program materials will include, for both initial and refresher training:

• Outlines of training goals, objectives, and skills for de-escalation,

• Instructional guides/lesson plans for delivery of training materials for de-escalation, and

• Resource materials (e.g. videos, worksheets, etc.) for each training module for de-escalation

The comprehensive training program will address the following topics:

• Emotional control and contagion;

• Influencing tactics;

• Crisis communication skills;

• Active listening;

• Rapport building, trust, and empathy;

• Understanding the foundation concepts of gaining voluntary compliance;

• Understanding mental health conditions and cognitive disabilities; and

• Crisis communication skills.

This training program should incorporate existing Bureau policies and not conflict with existing protocols and practices. Additionally the services should have appropriate research and clinical foundations without being designed for clinicians or specialty practitioners.

After the training, participants shall be able to:

• Recognize learned stereotypes regarding individuals who are mentally ill, cognitively disabled, or violent, which are automatic, unintentional, deeply ingrained, universal, and able to influence staff behavior when operating in a correctional environment;

• Identify the principals of de-escalation;

• Demonstrate a knowledge of the management principals which are unique to working with offenders who are mentally ill or cognitively disabled;

• Employ the techniques needed to successfully gain voluntary compliance of inmates and citizens;

• Integrate Bureau of Prisons accepted and effective professional procedures as well as utilize protocols for working with individuals who are mentally ill or cognitively disabled; and

• Assess the unique challenges of meeting the needs of all inmates, particularly those who are mentally ill, violent, and/or cognitively disabled.

The Contractor will provide a maximum of 280 hours annually of “T4T” training during the contract period. The Contractor will travel to conduct live, face-to-face, “T4T” training with staff no more than twelve times during the contract period. Face-to-face training events may include one-, two-, or three-day sessions. The remainder of the training will be conducted using standard virtual platforms broadly accessible to Bureau staff (e.g., WebEx, Zoom).

Training expenses (including travel costs) will be included in the fixed fee for the task. Primary trainers will include subject matter experts with extensive experience in helping law enforcement/corrections professionals develop skills in the area of de-escalation.

Requirement: Initial training protocol and refresher training protocol, including all associated resources;

“T4T” protocol; and up to 280 hours annually of “T4T” training.

2. Program Evaluation

The Contractor will develop a method for program evaluation. This will include pre- and post-training assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in teaching skills related to de-escalation. 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 make adjustments to the program based on the results of this evaluation.

Requirement: Program evaluation report, to include corrective action of any identified weaknesses

Period of performance:

FY2021, with an estimated base year of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, with options for FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2025.

Initial, in-person “T4T” training sessions will be 24 hours in length. Virtual training “T4T” sessions will vary and will be determined by the COR.

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 two (2) business days. Contractor’s employees providing training shall undergo National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) background investigation, conducted by the training center prior to conducting training as required by

MSTC. Prior background investigation documentation is not needed and will not be accepted. Paperwork for background check must be submitted to the Bureau project manager eight (8) weeks before scheduled training.

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 is developed for and in conjunction with the performance of the tasks identified herein.

Billing:

The contractor must have a method in place to accept electronic payment. The offeror shall ensure all items rendered pursuant to this SOW are accounted for and billed on a monthly basis. All billing information is required to be accurate. Failure to provide the necessary documentation in a timely manner may result in a delay of payment.

Invoices should be submitted as soon as possible at the conclusion of a billing month. Invoices and supporting documentation may be emailed to kzhadad@bop.gov

Inspection:

The BOP will monitor the Contractor's performance via telephone contact, email inquiries, and review of the deliverables. The monitoring of a Contractor's performance is an ongoing process for the life of the contract. The BOP 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.