Updated Q&A: USDA FS Clinician support services for Great Onyx JCCC

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service seeks clinician support services for the Great Onyx Job Corps Conservation Center in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, with proposals due July 27 at 4:30 PM Pacific Time. The procurement is a total small business set-aside, with NAICS code 561990 and a small business size standard of $16.5 million.

Place of performance is Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Period of performance runs from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, subject to the Service Contract Act. The solicitation contemplates multiple clinical positions—Drug/Alcohol Abuse Counselors, Registered Nurses, and Mental Health Counselors—with the specific positions and hours to be determined per center requirements. The immediate line item identifies a Drug/Alcohol Abuse Counselor position at 1,040 hours per year (24 hours weekly, Tuesdays and Thursdays off). Initial award covers the first six months only, with the remaining six months funded by modification when appropriated; contractors must price the full 12-month base period plus an optional six-month extension.

All clinical personnel must hold active unrestricted state licenses in their respective fields and maintain $1 million per occurrence/$3 million aggregate professional liability insurance. Center Mental Health Counselors and Drug/Alcohol Abuse Counselors require Department of Labor pre-award approval and undergo criminal background checks and drug testing. All positions require monthly status reporting, compliance with HIPAA, participation in monthly DOL trainings, and timely documentation in student records. Nurses must be able to drive government vehicles.

The contracting officer is Nicole L. Green; inquiries directed to Dennis Cantrell at 720-647-9914 or dennis.cantrell@usda.gov. Questions due July 21 at 12:00 PM PT. Award uses best-value methodology, weighing technical capability more heavily than price, with evaluation criteria including technical capability, past performance (acceptable, neutral, or unacceptable), and fair and reasonable pricing. The contract is firm-fixed-price with anticipated total duration of 18 months.