U008--Veterans Justice Program (VJP) Forensic Peer Training (VA-24-00049212)

FORENSIC PEER RECOVERY SPECIALIST TRAINING

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

GENERAL INFORMATION

The mission of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Homeless Programs Office (HPO), Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) is to identify justice-involved Veterans and contact them through outreach, in order to facilitate access to VA services at the earliest possible point. VJP accomplishes this by building and maintaining partnerships between VA and key elements of the criminal justice system.

Scope of Work: The contractor will develop a comprehensive peer training that encompasses the elements of a forensic system necessary to equip staff who serve justice-involved Veterans navigating a criminal justice setting. The training should be specific to individuals working as peer specialists within VJP who must learn engagement strategies that address criminogenic behaviors.

The VJP Office requires an expert in the area of forensic peer training. All services will be coordinated through the National VJP Peer Services Coordinator (Program Manager) for the VHA, or his designee. The training sought will be disseminated to certified peer specialists, which will prepare them with more knowledge, skills, and abilities to support justice-involved Veterans (JIV) in navigating the cross-section of criminal justice settings, behavioral health, and substance abuse by brining focus on four different domains:

Recovery and Wellness

Advocacy

Mentoring

Ethical Responsibility

Performance Period: Contractor shall complete the work required under this SOW in 12 calendar months with the possibility of (1) option year, unless otherwise directed by the Program Manager.

This is a request for a sole source contract with the Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic (SAFE) Project. The SAFE Project is a national non-profit organization working through a disciplined, collaborative, multi-pronged and non-partisan approach to end the nation s catastrophic opioid epidemic. The SAFE Project is unique, as it offers a range of forensic peer training programs, as well as a needs assessment for participants. Subsequently, the needs assessment is conducted in advance of the training for data collection and training adaptation. SAFE has six deeply interwoven lines of operation:

Public Awareness

Full-spectrum Prevention

Prescription Medicine

Law Enforcement and Medical Response

Treatment and Recovery

Family Outreach and Support

TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: Contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below within the performance period stated in Section A of this SOW.

Task 1: Creation of Veteran-specific forensic peer training and training materials.

Create comprehensive training for Certified Peer Recovery Specialists working with military Veterans that are justice-involved. The curriculum will consist of four days of training, which will focus upon different domains (recovery and wellness, advocacy, mentoring and education, and ethical responsibility) and be tailored specifically for former military connected personnel.

Deliverable 1: A module to help understand the history of the criminal justice system and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with military discharges.

Deliverable 2: A module to identify the different levels of the Sequential Intercept Model within the criminal justice system.

Deliverable 3: A module to identify the system structure of local, county, and state criminal justice systems.

Deliverable 4: A module to understand the differences between jail versus prison.

Deliverable 5: A module to identify support services within each level of the Sequential Intercept Model.

Create a needs assessment to be disseminated at the program manager s discretion.

Establish an evaluation worksheet for the training, as well as a pre- and post-survey to test the validity of the training and ensure student comprehension and retention.

Task 2: Delivery of pilot program and evaluation results.

Deliver the needs assessment (if not yet provided) and evaluate the results from those assessments.

Update the training and training materials based upon the results of the needs assessment.

Create a specialized evaluation worksheet for the pilot program, including protocol for the delivery of the pilot program.

Deliver Pilot Presentation.

Facilitate "Hot Wash with all participants.

Task 3: Training delivery to current VJP Forensic Peers (no more than 20 participants)

Provide virtual training and digital training material to all current Forensic Peers.

Provide and evaluate pre- and post- surveys for all students.

Provide evaluation worksheet for all students.

Task 4: Create and provide a train the trainer component for internal sustainment, which will include evaluation results, electronic training materials, and accessible tech support. This would consist of 1 additional day of training for those identified as trainers for a total of 5 days.

Evaluate and create metrics for all surveys relating to the training program.

Evaluate and create metrics relating to all evaluation worksheets returned to the trainers.

If appropriate, identify alterations, changes and corrections needed to the training and training material, which were identified through an evaluation of the metrics.

SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES

If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, Contractor is required to explain why in writing to the Contracting Officer, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the Contracting Officer shall cite the reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The Contracting Officer will then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations.

CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK

Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the Contracting Officer. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by Contractor through the actions of parties other than the Contracting Officer shall be borne by Contractor.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide the National VJP Peer Services Coordinator with quarterly progress reports due 30 days after the end of each quarter.

The progress report shall cover all work completed during the preceding quarter and shall present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent quarter. This report shall also identify any problems that arose, along with a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved, with an explanation.

TRAVEL

No contractor travel will be involved.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The government will work with Contractor to provide all needed documents, services, and papers in a timely fashion.

CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The government will determine what positions are considered key personnel. The contractor shall identify, by name, the key management and technical personnel who will work under this contract. The contractor must have experience with working with and developing training programs for homeless populations, including background in comprehensive peer training.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATIONS

Contract Administration: The Contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer Representative (as advised) on all matters pertaining to the administration of this contract. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to make commitments or issue changes which will affect the price, quantity, quality, or delivery terms of this contract.

Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for this requirement is:

Erika Barr, Administrative Officer

Electronic Fund Transfer Payment Method: Payments under this contract will be made by the Electronic Funds Transfer Payment Method. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer.

Payments: The contractor will submit invoices electronically within the Tungsten System monthly in arrears covering the services performed under this contract and in accordance with the contract price schedule. The invoices will contain the following information:

Contractor Invoice Number

Contract number/purchase order number

Dates of service

Name of personnel performing work

Hours Worked

Hourly Rate

Total Amount Due

Confidentiality and Nondisclosure: The preliminary and final deliverables and all associated working papers and other materials deemed relevant by VA which have been generated by the Contractor in the performance of this contract are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to COR at the conclusion of this contract.

The COR will be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this contract. No information shall be released by the Contractor. Any request for information relating to this contract presented to the Contractor shall be submitted to the COR for coordination with VA/Freedom of Information Office (FOIA).

CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Contractor will not have access to VA computers or networks and will not be provided with any information which contains personal health information (PHI) or personal identifying information (PII). Standard FAR clauses have been included in the contract.