Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Division of Contract Management, Parklawn Building, Room 15C-17, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857

B -- INTEGRATED DATA FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT SERVICES SOL 283-97-9001 DUE 050597 POC Mary E. Caddell, Contract Specialist (301) 443-0719, Contracting Officer -- Beatrice L. Woods, (301) 443-0043. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), DHHS, is soliciting proposals from organizations qualified to collect, manage, and analyze the data comprising the Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS). This solicitation is titled "Integrated Data for Substance Abuse Treatment Services." The period of performance for the proposed contract is three years, plus two one-year options. DASIS is the major national source of substance abuse service and program data. It consists of three components that can be linked for analysis of treatment system and client data: (1) the National Master Facility Inventory (NMFI); (2) the Uniform Facility Data Set (UFDS) survey formerly known as the National Drug and Alcoholism Treatment Unit Survey (NDATUS); and (3) the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) formerly known as the Client Data System (CDS). The NMFI is a master list of all organized substance abuse treatment and prevention programs known to SAMHSA. The providers in the Inventory that are licensed, certified or otherwise recognized by the individual State substance abuse agencies comprise the National Facility Register (NFR). It is continuously updated as SAMHSA is notified about new facilities, closures, mergers, etc. Currently the NMFI lists 20,700 active substance abuse prevention and treatment facilities. The Uniform Facility Data Set (UFDS) includes organizational, structural, financial and services data on public and private substance abuse treatment facilities in the United States. UFDS reports annually on treatment characteristics at the facility level. The census survey includes data on the range and type of services offered, and aggregate estimates of utilization and other variables for program administration and policy analysis. Each year UFDS questionnaires are sent to all of the active treatment and prevention facilities listed on the NMFI. The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) is a repository of national data on clients admitted to substance abuse treatment programs, most of which receive public funding through the State substance abuse agencies. TEDS obtains demographic and drug history data on individuals admitted to these programs. Each participating State reports a minimum set of data at monthly or quarterly intervals. Currently, forty-five States report on approximately 1.7 million admissions annually. Each of the three DASIS systems of data is maintained by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, through separate contracts with State agencies and with firms providing technical and administrative support and analytic reporting. In order to improve the efficiency, coordination, and quality of DASIS data, the proposed procurement will combine and continue work done under several existing contracts. Full responsibility for some tasks is phased in because not all existing contracts will have expired by the award date for this ~procurement. The offeror must possess the capability to: on an annual basis, conduct a national mail census-survey of approximately 21,000 specialty substance abuse treatment providers and CATI follow-up interviews with non-responders; design and test self-administered and CATI questionnaires; edit and process the census survey data; apply imputation procedures to the resulting data file; analyze the data and produce high-quality analytical reports; manage and continuously update a large computerized data base (inventory) of substance abuse treatment providers; extract a minimum data set on admissions from State-provided electronic files using crosswalks; work with State data representatives to promote standardization of data elements, understand the interrelationships between treatment providers and various sources of funding, and enhance completeness of the facility inventory; conduct periodic searches of multiple files and sources to identify new treatment providers; design and conduct ad hoc analytical studies involving one or more data bases from the annual census, provider inventory and minimum admissions data~ set. The estimated date for issuance of RFP No. 283-97-9001 is February 18, 1997, and proposals are due to be received in the Contracts Office 77 calendar days thereafter. The RFP may be obtained in either of two ways: electronically, by downloading a file from the SAMHSA Bulletin Board System (BBS) at 1 (800) 424-2294 or by mail. To download from the BBS, you should set your communications program at 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and parity at none (8-1-none). SAMHSA's modems will communicate at 1200 to 9600 BPS and can negotiate with higher speed modems. If your modem is slower than 1200 BPS, you will not be able to use this BBS. Our software can use several common transfer protocols. We recommend modem if it is available in your communications program; however any of those listed on the BBS should prove satisfactory. Large files will be posted as self extracting compressed files to save time during the transfer. Hardware compression features in the modems will be relied upon to provide compression for smaller files. Upon reading the file electronically downloaded, you should determine if you have a continuing interest in the RFP. If so, you must write to the Contract Specialist listed below requesting that copies of amendments to the RFP (if any) and the items of reference material attached to the RFP be sent to you by mail. Amendments will be posted by the BBS. However, at this time we have no way to assure, and will therefore assume no responsibility for assuring, you have downloaded these amendments. Requests for copies of the RFP to be mailed must be made in writing or by facsimile ((301) 594-2336) and will be honored if received within twenty (20) calendar days after issuance of the RFP. Requests received after this period will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis until the supply is exhausted, however, there is no assurance that copies requested after the twentieth day will reach the requestor in sufficient time to permit an adequately prepared response or reach the requestor before the due date for receipt of responses. Requestsshall be sent to the attention of Mary E. Caddell, Contract Specialist, Division of Contracts Management SAMHSA, Parklawn Building, Room 15C-17, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Telephone requests will not be honored. (0028)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0019 19970130\B-0002.SOL)