RFP VISN hchv

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking a Contractor to assist with the provision of emergency residential placement and treatment services through the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program. This contract is designed to serve homeless Veterans in need of immediate placement in a safe environment with onsite treatment services. Many of these veterans have co-morbid conditions that include serious mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders, and other serious medical conditions. The goal of the HCHV Contract Residential Care Program is to rapidly stabilize Veterans' medical, mental health, substance abuse and other psychosocial problems in order to place Veterans in other appropriate transitional or permanent housing within 60 to 90 days, but no more than 180 days. VA intends to engage a Contractor to provide rapid placement of VA-referred Veterans in a safe, residential treatment setting while addressing Veterans' complex needs through on-site clinical treatment and case management services.

Entities that are interested in providing Veterans these services should be aware that although this contract seeks services for the areas covered by the New York / New Jersey Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN3) including New York City, Long Island, Hudson Valley and most of New Jersey, HCHV is a national program serving Veterans throughout the country. This program continues to expand and has become one of the largest VA interventions to assist homeless Veterans. It is also the first specialized homeless program developed by the VA. It represents one of VA's most significant efforts to achieve the President's goal of ending homelessness among Veterans.

Through this contract, the VA seeks to support homeless Veterans served by HCHV by expediting placement of these Veterans into a safe, residential treatment facility. This facility must meet the criteria established both by HCHV clinical staff and VA fire and safety officials. Contractors are urged in the strongest terms to carefully review the requirements outlined in the Statement of Work to ensure that all facilities fire and safety and treatment services criteria can be met in a timely way.

This contract is intended for community based contractors currently operating residential treatment facilities with on-site treatment services and demonstrated experience serving homeless individuals and/or families whereby this contract provides supplemental funding for Veterans to receive immediate placement and enhanced on-site treatment designed to address Veterans' unique and population specific needs. VA will consider proposals for new residential treatment programs if it can be determined that the contractor can meet all of the terms of the Statement of Work within the required timeframes. VA places a great deal of emphasis on the responsibility and accountability of contractors receiving VA funds through the HCHV Contract Residential Care program. VA has procedures in place to monitor facilities and treatment services provided to homeless veterans as well as outcomes associated with the services provided in HCHV Contract Residential Care programs.

Primary target populations for HCHV Contract Residential Care include chronically homeless, chronically mentally ill Veterans, Veterans with chronic substance abuse disorders and/or serious medical problems and complex needs. The VA is also highly interested in contractors that are able to meet the residential treatment needs of homeless male and/or female Veterans with families and/or minor children as described in the Tasks and Deliverables outlined in the contract, though VA has authority to pay per diem for services to VA health care eligible Veterans only. Any costs associated with non-VA health care eligible family members cannot be included in the per diem rate for this contract. Contractors are expected to have other funding sources to cover costs associated with care for non-VA health care eligible family members who may reside in the residential treatment facility with the eligible Veteran.

To be eligible for the HCHV Contract Residential Care program, Veterans must:

" Be eligible for VA health care as determined by the local VA medical center

" Be determined to be homeless or at imminent risk for homelessness based on McKinney-Vento Act definitions [see Reference section for additional information] by the local VA medical center HCHV program

" Be assessed by the HCHV program at the VA medical center to have serious medical, mental health, substance abuse, or other serious psychosocial conditions or stressors that would make the Veteran or Veteran family highly vulnerable to negative consequences in a general population shelter or drop-in setting for homeless people.