Immigration & Naturalization Service, Procurement Division, 425 I St., NW, Room 2208, Washington, DC 20536

G -- EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SOL HQ-99-06 DUE 091499 POC Marina Atchison 202-305-7494 E-MAIL: Marina Atchison, marina.e.atchison@usdoj.gov. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested & a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is issued as a request for proposals (RFP), HQ-99-06, which incorporates provisions & clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-12. INS is soliciting on an unrestricted basis: all responsible sources may submit a proposal. The contract will be a fixed-price indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for the following items: Item 0001, Base Year, Clinical Services (4,550 Estimated Hours x $__ per hour, Total Price $__); Item 0002, Base Year, Information & Referral (400 Estimated Hours x $__, Total Price $__); Item 0003, Base Year, Legal Referral Service (144 Estimated Quantity x $__, Total Price $__); Item 0004, Base Year, Training Services (2,200 Estimated Hours x $__per hour, Total Price $__); Item 0005, Base Year, Critical Incident Debriefing (400 Estimated Hours x $__ per hour, Total Price $__); Item 0006, Base Year, Employment Services (1,000 Estimated Hours x $__, Total Price $__); Item 0007, Base Year, Vocational Interest Test (200 Estimated Quantity x $__, Total Price $__); Item 0008, Base Year, Mediation (500 Estimated Hours x $__, Total Price $__); Item 0009, Base Year, Travel, Not to Exceed $47,000.00; Item 0010, Base Year, Test/Training Materials, Not to Exceed $20,000.00. Items 1001-1010 are the same as Items 0001-0010, respectively. This contract will consist of a base period of 1 year from date of award with option to extend for 1 additional 1 year period (Items 1001-1010). The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for the base and option. Evaluation of the option shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 32.202-1, Commercial Item Financing is not authorized & advance payments will not be made. Invoicing shall be monthly in arrears. STATEMENT OF WORK: [1] SCOPE: The Contractor shall establish & operate an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all Immigration & Naturalization (INS) employees & their families (hereinafter called clients) located throughout the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico, & the Virgin Islands. INS location information can be found at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/. At contract award, the INS has approximately 26,000 employees &, by year 2000, is expected to increase to approximately 30,000 employees. Through the contractor's EAP, clients shall receive appropriate prevention, diagnostic, short-term counseling, training, & information & referral services for organizational & individual needs that impact quality of life & job performance of client(s). These needs include, but are not limited to, drug/alcohol abuse, trauma, mental illness, relationship/family conflicts, financial stress, spouse employment, & relocation concerns as well as social, physical, & emotional problems. The contractor's services shall be primarily face-to-face & may be on-site or off-site for clients. [2] CLINICAL SERVICES: The Contractor shall provide information & referral services on the full spectrum of EAP issues. Clinical services shall include diagnostic evaluations, treatment planning, short-term counseling, trauma debriefings, referrals, monitoring, & follow-up services to clients as clinically indicated. The Contractor shall refer requests for INS specific information to INS Headquarters EAP staff, i.e. personnel policy, procedures, & contacts. The Contractor shall maintain a 5% utilization rate for traditional EAP counseling services, with an average of 3 sessions or 3.5 counseling hours per client. The program utilization rate is determined by dividing the number of clients who have been clinically serviced by the program (excluding debriefings) by the total number of INS employees. The Contractor & its employees shall abide by & provide all therapists the most recent copy of INS Policy & INS EAP Confidentiality Guidelines & Procedures. Each EAP therapist shall certify receipt of these policies, guidelines, & procedures, & adherence to them. The Contractor shall make these certifications available to the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) upon request. The Contractor shall provide telephonic EAP program access 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, through a toll free telephone access including TDD. The Contractor shall manage the volume of calls to keep wait time to less than 1 minute. The Contractor shall have clinicians answer the EAP phone line during core hours. Core hours are 8am-12pm, EST, Mon -- Fri; & 9am-4pm EST on Saturdays. During non-core hours, the Contractor shall respond to clinical emergencies & critical incident stress debriefings within 1 hour after notification to the Contractor's non-core emergency response service. The Contractor shall develop forms to record & document all services provided including user demographics & submit a draft of such forms with the proposal. Where appropriate, the Contractor will establish a diagnosis, advise client of diagnostic findings, develop a treatment plan, & determine appropriate intervention alternatives & referrals & monitor same. For drug & alcohol abuse referrals, the Contractor will administer a screening inventory assessment & provide findings to client; centrally process screening assessments & mail results directly to treating therapist to ensure timely & affordable results. Advise clients of their responsibility to pay for treatment & rehabilitation services provided by community treatment resources. Annotate client's records when a client drops out of a treatment program against medical advice. In cases of management referral of a client to EAP, provide affected client's supervisor with guidance on how to informally & formally refer an employee. The Contractor shall provide substance abuse aftercare services to all INS EAP clients who have successfully completed a recommended course of treatment. The Contractor will monitor employee referrals to inpatient and/or outpatient treatment programs made by the EAP counselor & will ensure that the client obtains the intended service & is satisfied; provide reports when requested by the client and/or EAP Manager/COTR, within 3 working days of the initial request; inform clients that INS policy dictates that clients will not have their job security or promotional opportunities jeopardized solely for their request for assistance or participation in the EAP; advise each client regarding confidentiality regulations & strictly observe confidentiality requirements.[3] INFORMATION & REFERRALS: The Contractor shall maintain a National Information & Referral (I&R) System to refer INS clients to the most practical & geographically appropriate service. The Contractor shall provide clients with current & timely referrals, & ensure that referrals are identified, evaluated, & utilized per the client's request. Following a referral, the Contractor shall determine within 14 days if the referral was used & whether it resolved the client's issues. The results of these 14-day call-backs shall be noted in the client's record & reported in the monthly statistics. When referring clients to other sources, the Contractor shall check the following elements & advise clients on same: 1) relevant licensure, accreditation, certification, & experience, where appropriate; 2) services are compatible with employee benefits & needs; 3) affordable fees; 4) reimbursement policies; 5) effective intake/admission procedures; 6) appropriate & medically sound treatment regime; 7) services & hours compatible with employee/organization needs; & 8) willingness to work cooperatively with the EAP. [4] LEGAL REFERRAL NETWORK: Legal referrals are specific & considered separate from general I&R services. The Contractor shall provide quick & reliable legal referral service that allows employees to be referred to lawyers in their community based on the legal expertise required. [5] TRAINING SERVICES: The Contractor shall be responsible for designing & implementing a training program including all training personnel, producing training materials, & scheduling training with the EAP Manager & the end users -- local INS personnel. The Government will provide a list of desired courses at time of contract award & the Contractor shall address the course topics within 90 days of award. The EAP Manager must approve all training material BEFORE it may be released to INS clients. The Contractor shall take into account the varied & unique INS mission when planning curriculum. The Contractor shall schedule approved training as agreed to by local INS offices & the EAP Manager. The Contractor must confirm training requests with local INS offices, by using the COTR approved training confirmation form. This form identifies the training to be provided, the responsible local INS contact person, contract trainer, time & location of training, the COTR's prior approval of subject matter, & the hours the Government approves for contract billing purposes. All training materials must be non-sexist & non-discriminatory in content & tone. These modules are designed to help attendees use the EAP effectively, maintain & improve job performance, maintain a state of wellness, & effectively cope with job stress & life crises. The Contractor shall implement these training modules & improve them as may be required. Each module must be complete & consistent with workshop objectives; the materials will be state of the art, current & professionally packaged. Any time Contractor personnel cancel a training or debriefing, the Contractor must immediately notify the COTR, & explain what alternatives are being considered to meet the original training date of the requesting INS office. Each module must include a trainer's guide, video, overheads, etc., as may be appropriate to the subject matter, & handouts for participants. Every EAP presentation must include an EAP brochure & wallet card. Course materials are to be sent to the trainer by the Contractor & arrive at least 1 week in advance of the agreed to training date. The trainer's guide must include the following: workshop objectives, curriculum outline, handouts/videos/overheads, workshop agenda, participant sign-in sheets, & participant workshop evaluations. The Contractor must provide for participant feedback at the end of each training session & report same to the EAP Manager. Every training session shall include an opportunity for attendees to complete an approved evaluation form. The Contractor shall test employees when conducting Drug Free Workplace training by administering a quiz & determining a class average to be provided to the EAP Manager. The Contractor must compile the trainees' responses to permit the Government to determine the trainees' perception of the quality of the trainer's performance, the extent the training content was deemed appropriate & relevant to the trainees. Results must be sent to the EAP Manager within 2 weeks after a training session. The Contractor is responsible for supplying & shipping consumable training items. [6] CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS DEBRIEFING (CISD): The Contractor shall recruit experienced personnel to debrief employees exposed to trauma. Debriefings are primarily to individuals & (less frequently) to entire teams, stations, etc. The Contractor shall have in place a network of available debriefers able to respond within 1 hour to all INS locations. In addition, the Contractor must have or establish an emergency response debriefing team, within 30 days after contract award, that is capable of responding within 1 hour, to travel to any INS location to provide multiple days of CISD services, domestically & internationally. Debriefers must be located near all INS locations or in proximity allowing for a quick response. The Contractor shall provide the names, titles, locations, & degree information for debriefers, including their law enforcement experience, as part of the proposal. [7] EMPLOYMENT SERVICES: In an effort to assist spouses of INS employees who may be forced to give up their jobs when their INS spouse must relocate, the EAP Contractor shall offer employment support services. The Contractor shall offer the following services: employment counseling, vocational interest testing, resume preparation, application preparation, employment search, & job training information. The Contractor shall provide employment services 1 time per year to an INS employee & up to 10 hours per year to an INS spouse seeking employment assistance. [8] VOCATIONAL INTEREST TEST: The Contractor shall administer a vocational interest based test & explain results to the employee or spouse when such a test is helpful in clarifying a client's vocational interest. Such a test is meant to be used as a diagnostic tool & may be administered as deemed useful. [9] MEDIATION: The Contractor shall provide mediation services to employees through the domestic offices for the purposes of resolving disputes. Mediators must be located near INS facilities. Mediators shall possess the appropriate state certificate(s) in which they practice. Regardless of certification, mediators must have at least 3 years experience. Mediators will have no decision-making authority & may not decide on the merits of the issues. The objective of mediation is to assist the parties in conflict to resolve disputes by examining the issues through the facilitation of a mediator. Successful mediation will resolve disputes, reduce costs associated with administrative appeals & other forms of litigation. Mediators will be practiced at assisting the parties to explain their feelings & reduce hostility. Through open dialogue, the disputants will clear up misunderstandings. The mediator will determine underlying interests or concerns, find areas of agreement & incorporate those agreements into mutually agreeable solutions defined by the disputants themselves. [10] PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS: Administrative Clinician (AC) (KEY CATEGORY). The AC shall provide clinical oversight to monitor the clinical services as performed, including therapist recruitment, orienting new EAP clinicians & other staff, quality assurance & other clinical services. Clinical oversight personnel must be a Ph.D. Psychologist or M.S.W. Social Worker with law enforcement EAP experience who also is a Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) or has at least 2 years experience in addiction counseling. A CAC certificate must be from a recognized State licensing entity. Training Administrator (TA) (KEY CATEGORY). The TA shall, at a minimum, review, develop, improve all training modules & conduct training when the need arises. The TA shall oversee & schedule all training events & workshops; insure timely implementation of all scheduled events; recruit & schedule instructors; provide training materials at least 1 week before each scheduled event to the designated instructor; evaluate the effectiveness of the training & instructors; & prepare/review training reports. The TA must be a Ph.D. Psychologist or M.S.W. Social Worker with at least 5 years of training experience in the field of Law Enforcement. EAP Clinicians employed by the Contractor must be licensed M.S.W. Social Workers or Ph.D. Psychologists with law enforcement EAP experience & preferably possess a CAC or have 2 years supervised experience providing substance abuse counseling to carry out the clinical, training, & management functions of the contract. In domestic locations where there is a predominance of employees whose first language is Spanish, clinicians must be Spanish-speaking. EAP professionals are expected to adhere to the code of ethics espoused by their professional organizations &licensing or certification bodies as well as Federal & State laws. The Contractor shall verify all personnel utilized in the performance of this contract have Liability/Malpractice insurance as providers of mental health services or as required by their profession or license. APPLICABLE CLAUSES & PROVISIONS: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items, Addendum paragraph (d) Product samples-delete in its entirety, paragraph (h) Multiple Awards-delete in its entirety & substitute "Award. The Government plans to award a single contract resulting from this solicitation."; FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, Addendum, add (t) FAR 52.232-19, Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year, one (1) year from date of contract award, one (1) year from date of contract award, (u) FAR 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options, (v) FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services, (w) FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract, (a) 30 days, (c) 30 Months; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes and Executive Orders-Commercial Items, Addendum, paragraph (b) also include FAR 52.203-6, FAR 52.203-10, FAR 52.219-8, FAR 52,219-9, FAR 52.219-14, FAR 52.222-26, FAR 52.222-35, FAR 52.222-36, FAR 52.222-37, FAR 52.225-21. Award will be made to the low price, technically acceptable offeror whose total offer including the option, conforming to the solicitation, is determined most advantageous to the Government. Proposals in response to this solicitation must be submitted in accordance with the instructions set forth in FAR 52.212-1(b). At a minimum, proposals shall include a price proposal on company letterhead or the SF1449 for the requested items showing unit price & extended price. If the SF1449 is not used, proposals must include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, & provisions of the solicitation. Offerors that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms & conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration. Proposals must also include technical information, experience qualifications, & completed copies of FAR 52.212-3 & any price or discount terms. Copies of provision 52.212-3 will be provided upon offeror request. Offers shall include a list of at least three contracts and/or subcontracts completed or currently in process within the past three years involving law enforcement EAP services. Offerors shall include the following information for each contract and/or subcontract: project or contract name, name & address of contracting activity, Procuring Contracting Officer's name & telephone number, COTR name & telephone number, contract/subcontract number, type of contract, period of performance, & brief description of scope of work under contract/subcontract. Responses to this solicitation are due no later than 3:00 p.m. local (Washington, DC) time, Sep 14, 1999. All offers shall be sent to INS, HQ Procurement Division, 425 I St. NW, Room 2208, Washington, DC 20536, Attn:Marina Atchison & should reference HQ-99-06. Posted 08/25/99 (W-SN372308). (0237)

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