Statement of Work-Voc Rehab.pdf

Federal Bureau of Prisons Central Office, Washington, D.C.

Vocational Rehabilitation Statement of Work

A. BACKGROUND

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is an agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It consists of 122 institutions throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico; 6 regional offices; a Central Office (headquarters); 2 staff training centers; and 26 Residential Reentry Management offices.

The BOP is responsible for the custody and care of approximately 153,000 Federal offenders.

Approximately 81 percent of these inmates are confined in BOP-operated facilities, while the balance is confined in local jails, and secure privately managed or community-based facilities. More information about the agency can be found on the BOP’s public site, www.bop.gov.

With the passage of the First Step Act, the BOP has been tasked with focusing on reentry initiatives, including needs assessments and correlated programming, to aid inmates in transitioning successfully into their communities. A key to successful inmate reintegration is employment.

Employment leads to financial stability which in turn leads to procuring housing and essential resources, as well as having more choices and opportunities. It allows people to establish, maintain, and expand a network of positive peers and contacts, and it increases self-esteem, self-worth, and personal growth. All of these benefits in turn can lead to the creation and growth of protective factors against recidivism, criminal behavior, and re-arrest. Research suggests that providing programs such as vocational rehabilitation can play a large role in assisting inmates find and maintain employment. Inmates with disabilities stand to benefit the most from such a program as they face more obstacles than other inmates regarding reintegration and employment. Such inmates include those with physical and cognitive disabilities and mental illness, and often there is a high rate of comorbidity in this population. There is a need to create a vocational rehabilitation program to assist these inmates, and based on the complexity of such a program, a study will first be required to ensure its success.

Vocational rehabilitation programs for individuals with disabilities have several components.

Progress within these programs consists of several steps, such as identification of potential individuals who require such services, further assessment to provide potential diagnoses and inform individualized treatment and vocational training plans, provision of training and education to prepare for employment, and provision of accommodations and support at an employment site. An appropriate first step in creating a program within the BOP is creating and establishing an appropriate screener to identify inmates, the severity of their disabilities, and potential vocational areas of concern. Screeners available in the community may not be reliably utilized with inmates in correctional environments due to lack of potential generalizability and applicability. Therefore, a screener must be created which takes into account the correctional environment and its impact on adaptive functioning and its measurement.

http://www.bop.gov/

B. SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work for this contract will require the Contractor to develop a screener or screeners , or brief and narrowly focused psychological test or tests, with the following goals: 1) identify current inmates in BOP institutions who have disabilities associated with physical, cognitive, and mental health impairments; 2) determine the severity, in terms of vocational and independent living impacts, of those disabilities towards the identification of need for further psychological assessment and/or accommodations; 3) identify vocational rehabilitation services, either required or recommended for inmates, to maximize benefit of services and efficiency of service provision. The Contractor will be responsible for validating the screener or screeners using samples from the inmate population as well as from the community to ensure good reliability and validity. During the development process, the Contractor will consult with BOP staff as needed. The Contractor will be responsible for creating informational and training materials for staff and inmates regarding disabilities, their impact on functioning in a correctional setting, and the utility of the developing screener or screeners. The Contractor will also develop a broad vocational rehabilitation curriculum that can meet the needs of enrolled inmates, and identify and provide models and guidance for job training modules.

C. TASKS/OBJECTIVES

1. DEVELOPMENT OF DRAFT DISABILITY SCREENER

Prior to initializing this project, the Contractor will visit at least one BOP facility to gain familiarity with such a setting and understand and anticipate concerns related to the development of the screener or screeners and vocational rehabilitation in general.

The Contractor will use an empirically-supported and theory-driven approach in constructing the initial pool of potential test items for the screener or screeners. The potential items should be able to be read at approximately a fourth grade level or lower, and should be able to be answered by the participants or inmates themselves. After items for potential inclusion on the screener are created, the Contractor will submit them for review by appropriate BOP staff to provide feedback regarding construct approximation, relevance, and utility for use with inmates in BOP facilities. The Contractor will incorporate appropriate feedback and engage in further conversations with BOP staff as needed. When all items have been cleared for inclusion, the Contractor will develop a draft screener which will undergo review to determine content validity. The draft screener should include content domains which reflect common factors associated with both physical and cognitive disabilities to facilitate future interpretation.

The Contractor will identify appropriate control and experimental inmate groups as well as the number of participants needed to have sufficient statistical power. These inmate groups from different BOP facilities will include the following: those from general population with no identified impairments, those identified as having physical impairments, those identified as having cognitive impairments, and those identified as having mental health impairments. The Contractor will work with BOP staff to determine the appropriate characteristics of each of these groups, how to appropriately sample inmates from different locations, and establish an appropriate method to identify potential participants.

The Contractor and/or research team will be responsible for administering the draft screener or screeners on-site. Additionally, the Contractor will conduct a parallel psychometric evaluation using a convenient community-based sample. The Contractor will analyze the resultant data to revise the screener or screeners and produce a report regarding findings, psychometric properties, and recommendations regarding implementation of the screener. The Contractor will provide guidance regarding potential cut-off scores, interpretation, and feedback to inmates. The final version of the screener shall be able to be administered electronically in addition to a paper/pencil format.

o Requirement: Validated inmate disability screener in paper/pencil format and electronic format; Resultant report and user manual/guidance generated through the validation process of this instrument

2. DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES IDENTIFIER

The Contractor will identify services associated with employment outcomes and mediator/moderator variables on the efficacy of those services through a review of the current literature and existing measurements in this area. Using an empirically-supported model as a guiding framework, the project personnel will develop an instrument to determine needs across the following service categories:

o Customized training o Workplace readiness training o Job exploration counseling o Job search skills training o Impression management o Counseling on Enrollment Opportunities o Instruction in self-advocacy o Work-based learning experiences

In developing this instrument, the Contractor will develop a series of questions that assess an inmate’s vocational background, readiness for employment, perceived barriers to employment, outcome expectations, and job interviewing skills. The items should be able to be read at approximately a fourth grade level or lower, and should be able to be answered by the participants or inmates themselves. The Contractor will identify the appropriate control and experimental inmate groups as well as the number of required participants for sufficient statistical power. The Contractor and/or research team will also be responsible for administering the draft screener or screeners on-site. Descriptive characteristics of the different scales will be developed, and factor analysis (exploratory and confirmatory) will be performed to evaluate the measurement structure of the instrument. The Contractor will provide a written report regarding psychometric findings of this identifier, as well as recommendations regarding implementation of this measure. It should also provide guidance regarding potential cut-off scores, interpretation, and feedback to inmates. The final version of the identifier shall be able to be administered electronically in addition to a paper/pencil format.

o Requirement: Validated inmate vocational rehabilitation screener in paper/pencil format and electronic format; Resultant report and user manual/guidance generated through the validation process of this instrument

3. INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD

The Contractor shall provide information on investigators, the exact methodology, and other required materials and documentation necessary to obtain BOP Institutional Review Board approval. The Contractor will be mindful of the particular ethical concerns associated with conducting validation studies and research within a correctional environment. Further, any potential publications resulting from this project must first be reviewed and approved by BOP staff.

o Requirement: Documentation as requested in furtherance of procuring institutional review board approval

4. STAFF TRAINING:

The Contractor will draft and submit for review materials which can be distributed to staff regarding this project. These materials will provide information about disabilities in general, the impact of disabilities in a correctional setting, an overview of vocational rehabilitation, and the current construction of and need for this project and consequent screener. The Contractor will be available to provide training directly on this subject as needed. Such training may be professional development webinars or in-person trainings as determined necessary or helpful by the BOP.

o Requirement: A manual which can be given to staff to provide information related to disabilities and the nature of this project. Provision of in-person or web-based staff training as needed.

5. INMATE EDUCATION:

The Contractor shall develop educational materials written in clear everyday language appropriate for staff to provide to inmates to inform about the current project, its utility, and potential part of identifying inmates for vocational rehabilitation.

o Requirement: Informative materials which can be provided to inmates related to disabilities and the nature of this project

6. DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION CURRICULUM:

The Contractor will provide guidance regarding determination of which inmates should be selected to participate in vocational rehabilitation, including specific criteria and potential further assessment needs. As inmates will have individualized plans based on their assessment results to address their specific needs related to vocational rehabilitation, the Contractor shall develop a broad curriculum which includes classes capable of meeting all such anticipated needs within a correctional environment. As applicable, evidence-based practices should be included in created classes or groups. Such a curriculum will address the following topics and the Contractor will provide guidance regarding additional appropriate topics:

o Communication o Functional academics o Health/safety o Home or school living o Leisure o Self-care o Self-direction o Socialization/assertiveness/anger management o Attitude toward employment

The Contractor will generate a list of the classes which address these topics and will provide descriptions of these classes and recommended class size. The Contractor will provide written guidance regarding how to determine which classes the inmates should complete to meet the goals of their individualized plans. Each class or group must last a minimum of 8-weeks, with a one hour session per week being optimal. In order to provide services to the diverse inmate population, these created classes or groups should be available in Spanish and also include gender-responsive versions to address those particular topics relevant to the female population.

As part of establishing this curriculum, the Contractor shall create workbooks, handouts, audio tracks, and other materials as deemed appropriate or necessary. These workbooks shall include scenarios relevant to the population, reflecting their incarceration and disabilities, and should be able to be read at approximately a fourth grade level or lower. A specific workbook or manual will be created for each class or group that meets the needs of the facilitator/group leader. The finished products will be professionally produced workbooks and facilitator guides that are visually interesting to students, integrating text and graphics. The content will be modified to create four sets of journals: English for Women; English for Men; Spanish for Women; Spanish for Men. They will be suitable to be reproduced at a publication company.

o Requirement: An evidence-based curriculum complete with class descriptions and guidance regarding inmate matriculation and progress which addresses all potential vocational rehabilitation needs found in this population; each class includes instructions for a minimum of eight hours each; each class has facilitator guides and participant workbooks available for men and women and in English and Spanish; class resources are able to be reproduced at a publication company or other company as needed

The Contractor will provide guidance and recommendations regarding the implementation of the curriculum and the vocational rehabilitation program in a correctional setting as a whole.

Such recommendations will include how many staff are needed to implement the program, necessary staff qualifications, potential logistical concerns, and models of vocational rehabilitation programs which can meet the needs of the diverse inmate populations at all security levels. These recommendations will be provided in a written report.

o Requirement: Written guidance regarding implementation of vocational rehabilitation programs at BOP facilities

The Contractor will also identify job skills or trainings which may provide the greatest benefit to this population. The Contractor will design three job training courses, outline the necessary materials, and provide guidance regarding how such each course can be implemented in a selected institution. The Contractor will draft and submit a proposal regarding this job skill or training.

o Requirement: Written proposal providing identification of pertinent job skills or trainings and guidance related to the creation of three job skill or training modules

D. DELIVERABLES

The following items shall be generated and delivered by the Contractor:

o Validated inmate disability screener and related resultant report and user manual/guidance generated through the validation process of these instrument o Validated vocational rehabilitation identifier and resultant report and user manual/guidance generated through the validation process of these instruments o Documentation as requested in furtherance of procuring institutional review board approval o A manual which can be given to staff to provide information related to disabilities and the nature of this project o Provision of in-person or web-based staff training as needed o Informative materials which can be provided to inmates related to disabilities and the nature of this project o An evidence-based curriculum complete with class descriptions and guidance regarding inmate matriculation and progress which addresses all potential vocational rehabilitation needs found in this population. The curriculum will have four separate versions to support Spanish versions and be gender-responsive.

o Workbooks for both group leaders and participants for each class or group in the created curriculum. These workbooks will be finished prototypes and capable of being produced at a publication company.

o Written guidance regarding implementation of vocational rehabilitation programs at BOP facilities o Written proposal providing identification of pertinent job skills or trainings and guidance related to the creation of a job skill or training module

E. INSPECTION

The Bureau will monitor the contractor's performance via telephone contact, email inquiries and/or review of the deliverables by the contractor. The monitoring of a contractor's performance is an ongoing process for the life of the contract. The Bureau 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.

F. INVOICING

The Contractor shall provide an itemized invoice for services rendered on a monthly basis as verified by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Payments will be made to the contractor for work completed in the prior month.

Itemized invoice will include: the specific deliverable accomplished; the hours associated with the tasks as associated with the project team member; and a description of the work performed with sufficient detail for the COR to review.

The contractor will submit invoices and deliverables via e-mail to the BOP Central Office Business Office (CO-businessoffice-S@bop.gov) and the COR (rdsimmons@bop.gov). Upon delivery of the completed product, final payment will be made to the Contractor after the final product is reviewed and no issues identified.

G. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall be for one (1) year from the award date of the contract for the development of the instruments and materials related to vocational rehabilitation for inmates with

Deliverable Format Description Due Date Meeting Minutes for Bimonthly Meetings

MS Word Record of significant meeting discussion to include action items and responsible parties.

Within 2 business days of meeting’s conclusion

Weekly Progress Report

MS Word Status report of completed work during the previous and subsequent week. This report will be provided by email to the COR. This report will also identify any foreseeable or unresolved issues.

Weekly, within 3 business days after the end of the week

Monthly Progress Report

MS Word Status report of completed work during the previous 30 days and subsequent 30 days. This report will be provided by email to the COR. This report will also identify any foreseeable or unresolved issues.

Monthly, within 4 business days after the end of the month disabilities. The BOP anticipates the overall engagement of this contract to begin before the end of Fiscal Year 2022. Upon the award of contract, the Contracting Officer will host a mandatory kick-off meeting for initial introductions for involved parties. This meeting may be held by video conference or teleconference. This contract includes four one-year option periods.

H. PERSONNEL

The Contactor must designate a senior staff point of contact for this contract and respond to phone calls or correspondence from the Bureau within one (1) business day. This staff will work closely with BOP’s Psychology Services staff representative and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to provide the materials and services as outlined above. Senior staff with expertise in editing, collaborating with the Government, and revising curriculum, educational materials, and treatment protocols must be available if a revision is necessary as well as general updates aligned with the SOW.

The Contractor agrees that during the first ninety (90) calendar days of the contract performance period no senior staff personnel substitutions will be permitted unless such substitutions are required by the Government, or necessitated by an individual’s sudden illness, death or termination of employment.

Substitutions must be identified in writing to the COR and CO within three (3) business days of the change occurring.

I. BOP SEAL

18 U.S.C. § 701 prohibits the use of Bureau’s seal without first receiving agency approval. A request for permission to use the BOP seal for any purpose shall be submitted to:

Associate General Counsel Commercial Law Branch 320 First Street, NW Washington, DC 20534

Federal law provides for criminal penalties for unauthorized use or reproduction of the BOP seal.

Upon receiving permission to use the BOP seal by the Commercial Law Branch, written approval must be provided by the Contracting Officer prior to seal usage for Bureau materials only.

J. A GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

Due to the collaborative nature of this contract, any materials created for this proposal as well as any data and results generated shall be considered the property of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. As such, the Bureau of Prisons maintains the right to reproduce any materials, electronic or otherwise, that is developed for and in conjunction with the performance of the tasks identified herein.

K. BOP 52.24-403-70 Notice of Contractor Personnel Security Requirements (Oct 2005)

Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12) and Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 201 (FIPS 201)1 entitled "Personal Identification Verification (PIV) for Federal Employees and Contractors," Phase I.

1. Long-Term Contractor Personnel:

In order to be compliant with HSPD-12/PIV I, the following investigative requirements must be met for each new long-term2 contractor employee whose background investigation (BI) process begins on or after October 27, 2005:

a. Contractor Personnel must present two forms of identification in original form prior to badge issuance (acceptable documents are listed in Form I-9, OMB No. 1615-0047, "Employment Eligibility Verification," and at least one document must be a valid State or Federal government-issued picture ID);

b. Contractor Personnel must appear in person at least once before a DOJ official who is responsible for checking the identification documents. This identity proofing must be completed sometime during the clearance process but prior to badge issuance and must be documented by the DOJ official;

c. Contractor Personnel must undergo a BI commensurate with the designated risk level associated with the duties of each position. Outlined below are the minimum BI requirements for each risk level:

- High Risk - Background Investigation (5 year scope)

- Moderate Risk - Limited Background Investigation (LBI) or Minimum Background Investigation (MBI)

- Low Risk - National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) investigation

d. The pre-appointment BI waiver requirements for all position sensitivity levels are a:

1) Favorable review of the security questionnaire form;

2) Favorable fingerprint results;

3) Favorable credit report, if required;3

4) Waiver request memorandum, including both the Office of Personnel Management schedule date and position sensitivity/risk level; and

5) Favorable review of the National Agency Check (NAC)4 portion of the applicable BI that is determined by position sensitivity/risk level.

A badge may be issued following approval of the above waiver requirements.

If the NAC is not received within five days of OPM's scheduling date, the badge can be issued based on a favorable review of the Security Questionnaire and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal History Check (i.e., fingerprint check results).

e. Badge re-validation will occur once the investigation is completed and favorably adjudicated. If the BI results so justify, badges issued under these procedures will be suspended or revoked.

2. Short-Term Contractor Personnel:

It is the policy of the DOJ that short-term contractors having access to DOJ information systems and/or DOJ facilities or space for six months or fewer are subject to the identity proofing requirements listed in items 1a. and 1b. above. The pre-appointment waiver requirements for short-term contractors are:

a. Favorable review of the security questionnaire form;

b. Favorable fingerprint results;

c. Favorable credit report, if required;5 and

d. Waiver request memorandum indicating both the position sensitivity/risk level and the duration of the appointment. The commensurate BI does not need to be initiated.

A badge may be issued following approval of the above waiver requirements and the badge will expire six months from the date of issuance. This process can only be used once for a short-term contractor in a twelve month period. This will ensure that any consecutive short-term appointments are subject to the full PIV-I identity proofing process.

For example, if a contractor employee requires daily access for a three or four-week period, this contractor would be cleared according to the above short-term requirements. However, if a second request is submitted for the same contractor employee within a twelve-month period for the purpose of extending the initial contract or for employment under a totally different contract for another three or four-week period, this contractor would now be considered "long-term" and must be cleared according to the long-term requirements as stated in this interim policy.

3. Intermittent Contractors:

An exception to the above-mentioned short-term requirements would be intermittent contractors.

For purposes of this policy, "intermittent" is defined as those contractor employees needing access to DOJ information systems and/or DOJ facilities or space for a maximum of one day per week, regardless of the duration of the required intermittent access. For example, the water delivery contractor that delivers water one time each week and is working on a one-year contract.

b. Contractors requiring intermittent access should follow the Department's escort policy. Please reference the August 11, 2004, and January 29, 2001, Department Security Officer policy memoranda that conveys the requirements for contractor facility escorted access.

c. c. Due to extenuating circumstances, if a component requests unescorted access or DOJ IT system access for an intermittent contractor, the same pre-employment background investigation waiver requirements that apply to short-term contractors are required.

d. If an intermittent contractor is approved for unescorted access, the contractor will only be issued a daily badge. The daily badge will be issued upon entrance into a DOJ facility or space and must be returned upon exiting the same facility or space.

e. If an intermittent contractor is approved for unescorted access, the approval will not exceed one year. If the intermittent contractor requires unescorted access beyond one year, the contractor will need to be re-approved each year.

4. An individual transferring from another department or agency shall not be re-adjudicated provided the individual has a current (within the last five years), favorably adjudicated BI meeting HSPD-12 and DOJ's BI requirements.

5. The DOJ's current escorted contractor policy remains unchanged by this acquisition notice.

Notes:

1. FIPS 201 is available at: www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips201/FIPS-201-022505.pdf

2. Under HSPD-12, long-term contractors are contractors having access to DOJ information systems and/or DOJ facilities or space for six months or longer. The PIV-I identity proofing process, including initiation and adjudication of the required background investigation, is required for all new long-term contractors regardless of whether it is the current practice to issue affected long-term contractors.

3. For contractors in position sensitivity/risk levels above level 1, a favorable review of a credit check is required as part of the pre-appointment waiver package.

4. In order to avoid a delay in the hiring process, components should request an Advance NAC Report when initiating investigations to OPM. Per OPM ' s instructions, to obtain an Advance NAC Report, a Code "3" must be placed in block "B" of the "Agency Use Only" section of the investigative form. This report is available for all case types.

5. For contractors in position sensitivity/risk levels above level 1, a favorable review of a credit check is required as part of the pre-appointment waiver package.