Q519--Research Support Psychological Assessment for PTSD Clinical Trial

Purpose

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is conducting market research in accordance with FAR Part 10 to determine the availability and capability of qualified small and large business concerns to provide psychological assessment services in support of a multi-site PTSD clinical research study.

This notice is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposal (RFP), or commitment by the Government to award a contract.

Requirement Description

The VA requires contractor support to provide independent psychological assessment services for participants enrolled in a multi-site clinical trial Hybrid Implementation and Non-Inferiority Testing of Group Versus Individual Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in a group format compared to the established individual format..

The contractor shall provide qualified evaluators to conduct structured diagnostic assessments remotely with access to HIPAA-compliant Box so that contractor can receive participant contact information securely and can transmit interview scores securely back to VA. For more information on Box, please see https://digital.va.gov/marketplace/product/box/

Must also have access to HIPAA-complaint video conferencing for conducting the interviews themselves and must be overseen by PhD-level clinical psychologists to ensure ongoing high quality practice. Participants must complete standardized diagnostic assessments at baseline, post-treatment, and three-month follow-up. These assessments include the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), both of which require administration by trained and qualified clinicians..

The anticipated effort includes approximately:

150 baseline CAPS-5 and MINI assessments

128 post-treatment CAPS-5 assessments

128 three-month follow-up CAPS-5 assessments

Total projected assessments: approximately 414.

Minimum Capability Requirements

Interested firms should demonstrate their ability to:

Provide master's- or doctoral-level clinicians trained in the administration of:

Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5)

Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)

Recruit, train, supervise, and maintain an adequate pool of independent evaluators to support multiple research sites.

Conduct assessments using HIPAA-compliant video conferencing technology.

Securely receive and transmit participant information and assessment results using approved secure file-sharing platforms.

Conduct quality assurance and fidelity monitoring activities to ensure consistency and reliability of assessments.

Maintain compliance with applicable human subjects research requirements and regulatory training requirements.

Provide oversight by doctoral-level clinical psychologists with expertise in PTSD assessment and diagnosis.

Requested Information

Interested vendors shall submit a capability statement not to exceed five (5) pages that includes:

Company name, UEI, CAGE code, and business address.

Business size and socioeconomic status under the applicable NAICS code(s).

Experience providing psychological assessment services for:

PTSD research studies

Multi-site clinical trials

Federal agencies

Veterans or military populations

Experience administering CAPS-5 and MINI assessments.

Description of quality control and assessment fidelity procedures.

Description of available staffing resources and evaluator qualifications.

Recommended NAICS code(s) and rationale for why the code accurately describes the principal purpose of the requirement.

Any existing contract vehicles available for ordering these services.

NAICS Code

The Government is considering the following NAICS codes:

621330, Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)

541990, All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

Respondents are encouraged to identify the NAICS code they believe best represents the principal purpose of the requirement and provide supporting rationale.

Submission Instructions

Interested parties shall submit capability statements via email only to:

Ann Marie Stewart

Contracting Officer

Email: annmarie.stewart@va.gov

Responses are due no later than October 29, 2026, at 3:00 PM EDT.