Statement of Work CIH and Wellness Services.docx

DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

STATEMENT OF WORK – RFQ# 36C25921Q0801

Complimentary and Integrative Health (CIH) and WELLNESS SERVICES

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

(1) Scope of Work: To address and reduce the spread of COVID-19, it has become necessary to explore virtual platforms to ensure access to and provision of required care for Veterans. VA Healthcare and VISN 19 have expanded the use of virtual care; however, there remains an essential and growing need to support CIH and Wellness services within VISN 19. The Veteran Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) in Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 are Fort Harrison VAMC, Cheyenne VAMC, Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC, Grand Junction VAMC, Jack C. Montgomery VAMC, Oklahoma City VAMC, George E. Whalen VAMC, and Sheridan VAMC.

Contractor shall provide access to the necessary resources to accomplish live, interactive, two-way video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services using a digital platform that offers live Yoga, live Tai Chi, live Qi Gong, live Meditation, and other live modalities as described in this Statement of Work (SOW) and also provides real time feedback and support to participants.

Contractor shall provide live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services during business and non-business hours and 7-days per week.

Contractor shall provide a minimum of 8 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day during business days (Monday – Friday) and business hours (8am – 4pm MT).

Contractor shall provide a minimum of 4 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day will be offered during business days (Monday-Friday) and non-business hours (4pm – 8am MT).

Contractor shall provide a minimum of 6 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day during non-business days (Saturday and Sunday) and span a minimum of 10 hours.

OnDemand CIH, Wellness, and Fitness classes will not be provided as part of the offerings and are not part of the SOW.

If Contractor chooses to include fitness classes as part of the live, two-way, video/virtual offerings on the digital platform, Contractor will offer majority (75% or more of weekly class schedule) of classes as CIH and Wellness classes/services. In other words, classes that are not CIH/Wellness cannot comprise greater than 25% of the weekly offerings.

Contractor will provide certification/credentials of instructors to ensure instructor certification/credentials meet the instructor standards set forth by the Integrative Health Coordinating Center for modalities of Yoga, Trauma Informed Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and iRest Meditation. Additional certifications as required may be requested.

Contractor will furnish with submission Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) or relevant documentation of safety procedures, to include how acute medical/mental health issues and disruptive behavior will be handled by the instructor. The SOP will include how the instructor will assist with contacting emergency services/personnel if that is required for the situation.

Contractor will ensure registration process is simplified to ensure ease of access for Veterans and employees. One registration portal for all CIH and Wellness services will be required. And all offerings will take place over a single streaming platform.

Contractor will provide utilization data and metrics to the VISN Point of Contact (POC) with option for modification to the report based-on needs for monitoring service use.

Contractor will provide digital marketing materials and, if requested, print marketing materials, to assist in advertising the services throughout the VISN, and will work with the VISN to customize these materials.

(2) Background: The CIH and Wellness services will be virtual care offerings that will be provided as a live, interactive, two-way video/virtual within a digital platform. The CIH and Wellness classes/services will include Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Meditation with personal interaction and support without physical contact. These classes/services are offered 7-days per week and at a variety of times, including during non-business hours. Transportation is not required to attend and participate.

These services offer the accessibility of participating in a class in an environment that is comfortable for the participant and without requiring the participant to be within an indoor/in-person group environment. Consistent Yoga and/or Meditation practice can have an impact on perception of pain; therefore, a reduction in prescription use and costs may result and/or requested appointments at the VAMC may be improved to increase access for all Veterans. There may also be a benefit of reducing Veterans seeking CIH care in the community and will lessen the need of afterhours virtual CIH clinics.

VISN 19 is promoting and encouraging self-health among its employees and Veterans, including participation in CIH and Wellness activities, to increase resilience, promote stress management, advance sense of well-being, and improve quality of life. The mandates are outlined in VHA Directive 1137.

Providing these services as a live, interactive, two-way video within a digital platform helps reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

(1) Contractor shall operate professionally and provide access to all services, modalities, labor, equipment, tools, materials, and other necessary items for live, interactive, two-way, virtual CIH and Wellness services.

(2) Services:

a. Participants can choose from an assortment of live, interactive, two-way video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services, which include, but are not limited to, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Meditation.

i. Participants shall have personal electronic device that has camera capability to participate in all sessions with the camera on.

ii. Participants shall set up personal space for digital classes of choice.

iii. Participants shall position electronic device (i.e. laptop, smartphone) 7-8 ft away for interaction in digital classes of choice.

b. Contractor shall provide a minimum of 8 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day during business days (Monday – Friday) and business hours (8am – 4pm MT).

i. Classes/services shall include, but are not limited to, services tailored to Veterans i.e., Veteran only or Women only or Adaptive CIH and wellness classes/services.

ii. OnDemand offerings are not considered a live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual offering and will not be acceptable to meet this requirement nor acceptable as an alternative option.

c. Contractor shall provide a minimum of 4 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day will be offered during business days (Monday-Friday) and non-business hours (4pm – 8am MT).

i. Classes/services shall include, but are not limited to, services tailored to Veterans i.e., Veteran only or Women only or Adaptive CIH and wellness classes/services.

ii. OnDemand offerings are not considered a live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual offering and will not be acceptable to meet this requirement nor acceptable as an alternative option.

d. Contractor shall provide a minimum of 6 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day during non-business days (Saturday and Sunday) and span a minimum of 10 hours.

i. Classes/services shall include, but are not limited to, services tailored to Veterans i.e., Veteran only or Women only or Adaptive CIH and wellness classes/services.

ii. OnDemand offerings are not considered a live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual offering and will not be acceptable to meet this requirement nor acceptable as an alternative option.

e. Classes will be provided 365 days per year, including holidays.

f. Contractor shall ensure instructors are certified/credentialed and meet the instructor standards set forth by the Integrative Health Coordinating Center for modalities of Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and iRest Meditation.

i. Tai Chi/Qi Gong: Must be ATCQGA - certified Tai Chi Practitioner or equivalent (150 training hours), with minimum of 36 hours of training on how to teach TC/QG taught by a qualified instructor.

ii. Equivalent means 150 hours of training with minimum 36 hours training on how to teach TC/QG taught by a qualified instructor

iii. If the certification comes from an organization other than ATCQGA, must be able to demonstrate/verify the minimum requirements have been met as part of the RFQ.

ii. Yoga: Certification through a Yoga Alliance e-RYT 200 (experienced registered yoga teacher) or equivalent program (200 contact hour training plus 1000+ documented teaching hours), RYT 500, or C-IAYT (certified yoga therapist) and completion of trauma informed Yoga training (if providing this type of class).

ii. Equivalent means minimum of 200 contact hour training plus 1000+ documented teaching hours.

iii. If the certification comes from an organization other than Yoga Alliance, must be able to demonstrate/verify the minimum requirements have been met as part of the RFQ.

iii. iRest meditation: certification requirements

ii. Must complete Level I and Level II iRest Training

iii. A written exam (Learning Objective Assessment Tool, or “LOAT”), a Pointer Sister Journal and completing the Path of Meditation assignment, 20-40 hours to complete.

iv. Journaling one's personal practice of iRest and teaching experiences with groups and individuals.

v. Five brief book reports on readings chosen from the iRest Certification Reading List.

vi. Submission of recordings of delivering iRest to groups and individuals.

vii. Attendance at a minimum of two authorized IRI retreats. One retreat must be a minimum of three days, and one must be a minimum of five days, led by an authorized instructor, with written reports on both. Authorized retreats attended prior to attending the Level I & Level II Training may be counted towards this requirement. Each retreat counts as only one retreat. Please consult the IRI events webpage for a listing of authorized retreats.

viii. Supervision and support by an iRest Supervisor during the Certification process.

ix. Review of all iRest Certification Assignments by the Supervisor, including four (4) hours of personal interaction (by phone or in person) with the Supervisor. The review of assignments and supervision by the Supervisor leads to either a recommendation of the student for Certification or for further study. Please note that enrolling in the Certification process does not guarantee that the applicant will become a Certified iRest Teacher.

x. Optional additional mentoring time with the Supervisor (beyond what is required by the Certification process) is available at the request of the Student at an additional per hour fee.

iv. Additional certifications as required may be requested.

g. Contractor shall ensure instructors can respond quickly and appropriately to acute medical/mental health issues and/or disruptive behavior.

i. Contractor shall have and established SOP or relevant documentation and ensure instructors participate in training for such situations on a regular/routine basis.

h. Contractor shall ensure instructors provide real-time, live feedback while interacting and exercising in the live, interactive venue.

i. Contractor shall ensure participants can easily log into the digital platform.

i. Contractor shall ensure registration and log-in process be simplified and one log-in and one portal required to participate in the CIH and Wellness classes/services.

ii. Offerings will only take place over a single streaming platform.

j. Contractor shall provide digital marketing materials and print materials as requested to assist with advertising the classes/services throughout VISN 19.

i. Contractor will work with VISN to customize marketing materials.

k. Contractor will provide utilization data and metrics for monitoring use of classes/services

i. Utilization data and metrics shall be provided to the VISN POC a minimum of once per month.

ii. Utilization data shall report separate metrics for Veterans and employees.

iii. Utilization data and metrics shall include data specific for each VAMC and consolidated to VISN-level.

iv. Metrics that are tracked can include, but is not limited to, number of signups, total classes taken, popular classes, and total value of classes.

(3) Operation Efficiencies:

a. System configuration programming changes shall not require any exchange of parts and shall be capable of being executed remotely via a VPN connection.

b. Expand virtual wellness offerings without taxing VA bandwidth.

i. Two-way video streaming that staff/Veterans can access with or without VA network from personal devices (i.e. smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.).

c. Appropriate level of encryption to ensure security of user information.

i. User information can include self-reported data such as name, address, email, and password.

ii. No ePHI (electronic protected health information) is transferred to vendors or customers.

iii. No credit card or payment information is stored on Contractor website.

d. Ability to track and monitor de-identified user information.

i. Only transferable data is anonymized usage reports.

ii. System automatically de-identifies and anonymizes user personal information when propagating usage metrics.

e. Opportunity to monitor use of new technology to determine if this type of platform could prove to be beneficial for other types of CIH and Wellness modalities in the future.

C. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

(1) Contractor shall ensure instructors are qualified and professional personnel capable of providing live, two-way interaction, using the digital/virtual platform in provision of the CIH and wellness classes/services to Veterans and VAMC employees.

a. Contractor shall ensure instructors certification/credentials meet the instructor standards set forth by the Integrative Health Coordinating Center for modalities of Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and iRest Meditation.

i. This shall also include Trauma Informed Yoga Training when classes are advertised as trauma informed.

b. Contractor shall provide certification/credentials of instructors who will be providing the CIH and Wellness classes/services.

c. Additional certifications as required may be requested.

(2) Contractor shall establish Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) or relevant documentation to address safety protocols and procedures during the live, two-way, video/virtual offerings. The SOP or document will include:

a. Safety and contingency procedures to include, but not limited to, how acute medical/mental health issues or disruptive behavior will be monitored and handled.

i. The safety procedures shall include how the instructor directly monitors for and manages the acute medical/mental health issues and disruptive behavior, including how contact with emergency services will be made if needed, and how emergency services will be directed to the participants current location.

b. Training requirements including, but not limited to, frequency of training and content of training, provided by contractor to instructors on the medical and mental health safety protocols.

c. Contingency and safety procedures for addressing physical safety concerns of participants during live classes.

d. SOP or relevant documentation will be provided with submission of solicitation.

(3) Contractor shall establish SOP or relevant documentation to address additional operational and procedural protocols. This may include:

a. Operational procedures and website management structure.

b. Procedures for gaining acceptance/access into website.

i. This procedure should include one registration and one portal for access to all CIH and Wellness services.

c. Supplies and equipment participants will need to ensure safety during CIH and Wellness classes.

d. Quality assurance and quality control procedures.

e. Contractor and project management procedures.

(4) Contractor shall provide digital marketing materials and print materials as requested to assist with marketing the classes/services throughout VISN 19.

a. Contractor will work with VISN to customize marketing materials.

(5) Contractor shall provide access to specific services tailored for Veterans.

a. Such services may include, but are not limited to:

i. Veteran only CIH and wellness classes/services.

ii. Women only CIH and wellness classes/services.

iii. Adaptive CIH and wellness classes/services.

(6) Contractor shall provide access to all necessary services, modalities, and equipment to maintain full operation with no disruptions from the date of acceptance of contract.

(7) Contractor shall provide live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services.

a. Contractor shall provide a minimum of 8 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day during business days (Monday – Friday) and business hours (8am – 4pm MT).

b. Contractor shall provide a minimum of 4 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day will be offered during business days (Monday-Friday) and non-business hours (4pm – 8am MT).

c. Contractor shall provide a minimum of 6 live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services per day during non-business days (Saturday and Sunday) and span a minimum of 10 hours.

d. OnDemand offerings are not considered a live, interactive, two-way, video/virtual offering and will not be acceptable to meet this requirement nor acceptable as an alternative option.

(8) Contractor will provide utilization and data metrics for monitoring use of classes/services.

a. Utilization data and metrics will be provided to the VISN POC at minimum once per month for the duration of the contract.

b. Utilization data will report separate metrics for Veterans and employees.

D. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

(1) Government shall provide Veterans and VAMC employees all necessary information for access to Contractor’s digital platform.

(2) All VISN 19 VAMCs will allow for coverage and access of all its employees and Veterans.

E. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

(1) Point of Contact (POC): The POC shall be the technical point of contact for all service-related requirements. The POC does not have authorization to change, alter, or remove any requirements stated in the SOW. The Contracting Officer is the only government authorized person to change any resultant contract.

(2) Contracting Officer (CO): The Contracting Officer has the authority to enter, administer, and terminate contracts. The CO can make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government. The only individual legally authorized to bind the Government.

(3) Place of Performance: Contractor’s website

a. VISN 19 VAMC Veterans and employees can access services anywhere with electronic devices (i.e. laptops, tablets, smartphones).

b. VISN 19 VAMC Veterans and employees can access all services with or without VA network from personal electronic devices (i.e. smartphones, tablets, laptops).

c. Digital, online platform, two-way video.

i. Personal interaction.

ii. No physical contact.

iii. No transportation required.

(4) Work Hours: Various Hours

a. Daily with a variety of times and schedules for access to live, interactive, two-way video/virtual CIH and Wellness classes/services.

b. Participants would be able to access these live, interactive, two-way video/virtual CIH and Wellness services at their convenience.

i. Online access to an assortment of live, interactive, two-way video/virtual CIH and Wellness services tailored to Veterans with various time schedules daily.

(5) Period of Performance: The period of performance will be for a base year of twelve (12) months and four (4) option years that are each for a period of twelve (12) months in length (if the VA chooses to exercise and fund the option years).

a. Base Year: Period of twelve months which begins on the contract award date.

b. Option Year 1: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the base year.

c. Option Year 2: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the option year one.

d. Option Year 3: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the option year two.

e. Option Year 4: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the option year three.