School Career Counselor Training Program in a Correctional Enviroment

It is the mission of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to protect society by confining offenders in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that provide work, education, and other self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens.

In accordance with Congressional H.R. 5682, the First Step Act (FSA) of 2018, the BOP is to “conduct individualized reentry career planning upon admission to a correctional facility or post-release employment planning for each offender served” by the statute.  The FSA provides Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction Programs and Productive Activities (EBRR/PA), and eligible inmates may earn Federal Time Credits (FTC) for successful completion of these programs. FTCs apply to inmates convicted in Federal District Court. They do not apply to military prisoners, state boarders, inmates convicted in DC Superior Court, or inmates with a final order of deportation.

The Bureau provides educational services to assess the foundational skills of inmates and offers additional opportunities to potentially lead to national- and international-recognized high school equivalency credential for all Federal prisons who participate in the literacy program. In conjunction with the supportive school counseling services offered to offenders, the Bureau can more effectively guide each individual in selecting programs within the Bureau that will allow for realistic reentry career planning and preparation.

The Contractor is required to develop training in addressing the role and function of the school counselor in the Bureau, based upon the Bureau’s position description for school counselor. Specifically, the Contractor is an expert practitioner team of consultancy leaders who specialize in coaching school counselors working in adult correctional settings. The knowledge of both school counseling and correctional settings is essential to the role.

The Contractor will advise the Bureau on current, evidence-based practices within the field of school counseling as it applies to correctional work; provide training for school counselors as practitioners working with adult offenders; empower school counselors to apply their education, experience, and skills within an alternate setting; advance their collaboration skills to be effective in a non-traditional field, working with various correctional department personnel; and develop a documentation process for school counselors to follow in providing evidence of their service delivery to offenders.

Additionally, the Contractor will review and provide guidance and direction on the utility of career interest inventory administration, results, and application in correctional settings as one of the tasks of the school counselor. The interest inventories support career exploration, career development, employment engagement, advanced educational opportunities, and are aligned with the Bureau’s Mission of aiding offenders in re-entering the world of work after a period of disconnect. The interest inventories are used to provide robust insight into an offender’s specific interests, talents, and skills, to aid the offender in developing an educational path that leads to meaningful and productive work upon reentry into society. The Contractor will be familiar with interest inventories and provide any additional training needed to ensure the school counselors are prepared to administer, score, interpret, and apply the findings of the interest inventories to aid offenders in their reentry program.

Performance periods under this contract will be for a one-year base period estimated to begin on or around July 1, 2021, with four (4) one year option periods, with services ending 06/30/2026 if all option periods are exercised.

The services shall be in accordance with the Statement of Work. The request for quote will be available on or about April 13, 2021 and will be distributed solely through the General Services Administration’s beta.sam.gov.  Hard copies of the quotation will not be available. The site provides downloading instructions. All future information about this acquisition, including quotation amendments, will be distributed solely through this site. Interested parties are responsible for monitoring this site to ensure that they have the most up-to-date information about this acquisition. The estimated closing date will be on or about May 4, 2021 at 12 pm ET. The BOP anticipates awarding a firm-fixed-price contract. All responsible busines concerns may submit a quote which will be considered by this agency.