SOW Whole Health Music Therapist.pdf

DESCRIPTION/STATEMENT OF WORK

1. Scope

The Lexington VA Health Care System (LVAHCS) Whole Health Program has a requirement to provide Integrative Health Services including Music Therapy to veterans. Services will be provided at Lexington VA. Practitioners offering the services will have a bachelor’s degree in music therapy approved by the National Association for Schools of Music and/or the American Music Therapy Association and be a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Practitioners will have a current CPR certification or will complete BLS through the VA before offering classes. Proof of training of all individual practitioners will be provided to LVAHCS. Services should be provided in a safe, effective and non-judgmental manner and will take into consideration the individual needs of the recipient.

2. Purpose

The Department of Veterans Affairs is committed to providing individualized, proactive, patient-driven care that includes both conventional and integrative health (IH) approaches. The Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCCCT) provides leadership to VHA regarding IH approaches and serves as the LVAHCS’s partner in establishing a Whole Health model of care within our facility. VHA’s goal is to provide care in the safest and least restrictive environment, through a continuum of services. The LVAHCS’s IHP is responsible for developing, managing and providing IH services to our Veterans. By partnering with a, local Practitioner qualified to offer all required services to our Veterans through vested providers, the IHP will create an avenue for Veterans to access IH services. The primary goal of the IHP is to maintain or improve the health of Veterans served in our organization by increasing equal access to IH services.

3. Description of Service

a. The business will provide Practitioner whose training has been fully vested through that organization in a manner acceptable to the LVAHCS for the following clinical services: guitar, drumming, song writing or similar expressive music therapy (2 hours per week), to offer clinical services to veterans served by the LVAHCS, under the direction of the LVAHCS IHP.

b. Programming will run Monday through Friday, between the hours of 0700-1900, with the exception of 11 Federal Holidays (New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day)

c. Services will be provided in both group sessions. Group sessions will accommodate 1-12 participants, with the ability to add/drop participants with limited notice. Sessions may be face to face or virtual to veterans’ home or at another VA facility.

d. A master schedule of program offerings will be maintained by the VA IHP staff and be made available to the contractor. Changes to the schedule will be done with a minimum of 6 weeks’ notice to the contractor.

e. Cancellations of services will be accepted with a 6-week notice, without penalty. If cancellations are made within a 6-week time frame from said appointment, full compensation will be provided to the contracting organization.

f. Contracted Practitioner will attend required team meetings at the Lexington VA Medical Center, as deemed necessary by the IHP Co-Directors. Attendance can be by phone, unless otherwise directed by the IHP Co-directors. Contracted practitioners will be expected document patient participation and outcomes in the VA Electronic Medical Record. IH practitioners are expected to share feedback and relevant experience, when appropriate, to foster the growth of the IHP. Practitioner may be asked to complete other additional, related duties by the IHP Co- Directors. Practitioners must also maintain up-to-date trainings that are required by the VHA for all personnel involved in patient care and/or research studies. Training certificates must be given to the IHP, or other appropriate staff within the IHP.

g. Practitioner will provide said therapy to Veterans seen in the IHP, unless specified as otherwise by the IHP Co-Directors or associated LVAHCS staff. The style of music therapy should be consistent with the guidelines and direction of the IHP. Sessions will be provided on a recurring, weekly basis. The date, time and location of these group sessions will be determined by the IHP. The movement practitioner is required to follow all VHA guidelines and policies surrounding patient care.

Deliverables: The Practitioner must be present no more than fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of each session, stay forty-five (45) minutes after each session to allow for set up and clean up after class. Each practitioner must create a safe environment of healing and restoration for Veterans. The time allotted should include preparation and introduction to the service. The practitioner should also be able to demonstrate an understanding of VHA guidelines and policies, and adhere to guidelines set forth by the IHP.

Practitioner will inform VA immediately of any equipment that needs repaired or replaced.

Practitioners will immediately remove any equipment that may cause a potential harm to a veteran and inform the VA. Practitioners will inform VA 30 days in advance of any supply needs

Practitioners will access the VA through employee entrances and will only park in employee approved parking spots

Practitioners will follow all VHA rules and regulation while on VA property.

h. All contracted practitioners will complete clinical notes in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) electronic health record system, known as CPRS, utilizing templates established by IHP.

These notes are to be completed at the end of each appointment, unless mitigating circumstances are present. The task much be completed in a timely fashion and should take no more than 30 minutes per group session. All required medical record documentation shall be completed within 24 hours of seeing the patient, utilizing CPRS, following sessions each day by the practitioners, adhering to VHA policies and guidelines. In addition to required information, the practitioners should note anything of importance as it pertains to the patient's care.

4. Quality of Service

The contracted Practitioner will be responsible for providing qualified, courteous and efficient services as noted above. Practitioners who are unable to keep appointments due to illness, injury or other unforeseen circumstances will inform the LVAHCS at least 2 hours prior to start of class. Contracted practitioners will inform LVAHCS at 60 days in advance of any planned vacation. Any concerns related to quality of services or practitioners will be handled between the contracting organization and the IHP staff, in a fashion acceptable to the IHP and LVAHCS staff.

5. Government-furnished Equipment.

The Government will furnish all supplies and equipment.

6. Term of Contract

Base Year: 3-1-2026 – 2-28-2027 Option Year 1: 3-1-2027 – 2-29-2028 Option Year 2: 3-1-2028 – 2-28-2029 Option Year 3: 3-1-2029 – 2-28-2030 Option Year 4: 3-1-2030 – 2-28-2031

7. Access to Services

Services will be provided as determined by the IHP and contracting organization and provisions noted above.

Contractor agrees to provide all services specified in this contract for any person determined eligible by the Under Secretary for Health, or designee, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin of the person for whom such services are ordered. Contractor further warrants that he/she will not resort to subcontracting as a means of circumventing this provision.

8. HIPAA Compliance

Contractor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information (PHI). As required by HIPAA, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has promulgated rules governing the security and use and disclosure of protected health information by covered entities, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA Central Office, Washington DC, has determined medical services provided under Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) do not require a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from contractors providing healthcare services on VA’s behalf.

9. Records Management

A. Applicability This clause applies to all Contractors whose employees create, work with, or otherwise handle Federal records, as defined in Section B, regardless of the medium in which the record exists.

B. Definitions “Federal record” as defined in 44 U.S.C. § 3301, includes all recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, made or received by a Federal agency under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the United States Government or because of the informational value of data in them.

The term Federal record:

includes Lexington VA Health Care System (LVAHCS) records.

does not include personal materials.

applies to records created, received, or maintained by Contractors pursuant to their LVAHCS contract. may include deliverables and documentation associated with deliverables.

10. Payment of Services

Practitioner will be paid an hourly rate. Practitioner will be paid for the 15 minutes prior to the class, the one hour class and for the 45 minutes after the class. For a total of two (2) hours per class. There will be a total of two (2) classes per week and 5 Whole Health Events.