Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF MARCH 11, 2012 FBO #3760
DOCUMENT

U -- TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION FOR PEER SUPPORT - Attachment

Notice Date

3/9/2012
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

923110 — Administration of Education Programs
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;Health Administration Center;3773 Cherry Creek Drive North, Suite 450;Denver CO 80209
 

ZIP Code

80209
 

Solicitation Number

VA74112Q0114
 

Response Due

4/6/2012
 

Archive Date

6/5/2012
 

Point of Contact

Maurice Walker
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT TITLE OF PROJECT: PEER SUPPORT CERTIFICATION TRAINING CONTRACT 1.PURPOSE. The purpose of this contract is to provide the training and certification for peer support specialists and peer support technicians. VHA's Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Services Section in the Office of Mental Health Services (OMHS) has been charged with developing and approving peer support certification training services. Daniel O'Brien-Mazza, the Director of Peer Support Services for the Office of Mental Health Services, is responsible for the program of peer support in VA's mental health programs. 2.BACKGROUND. Peer support services were formally initiated in VHA mental health programs in 2006 with funding that enhanced mental health programs with recovery-oriented services, and a Director of Peer Support Services in OMHS was hired in 2007. Prior to the passage of Public Law 110-387 in October 2008, peers hired in VHA were not required to be certified to provide peer services. The passage of this law as well as Public Law 111-163 (passed in May 2010) not only required that peer support specialists in VHA be certified by an appropriate peer certification program but also provided authorization for VHA to develop a national contract with a not-for-profit agency to provide training for Veterans to provide peer support services. Peer support services are an essential component of transforming VHA's mental health programs to the recovery model and are required by VHA Handbook 1160.01, Uniform Mental Health Services in VA Medical Centers and Clinics 3.Objectives. The contracting vendor will provide current and future VA employed peer support technicians or specialists with training, resulting in their being fully prepared to take a certification examination. The training must be provided to these employees regardless of the presence or absence of a mental health or substance use disorder history. This training must cover the competencies and skills for peer support services in mental health programs as defined by OMHS and described in the Specific Tasks and Deliverables Section below. 4.Scope. The Contractor shall provide the required labor and materials to develop and present a peer support specialist training and certification program for VA employees nationwide. It is estimated that up to 40 peer support technicians, not to exceed the budgeted amount allocated for this contract will participate in this training the first year. Contractors shall submit a quality control plan that contains, at a minimum, a description of the inspection system to cover all services including areas to be inspected and the schedule of inspection, a description of the methods used for indentifying and preventing defects in the quality of services and a description of the records to be kept to document inspections and any corrective/preventive actions taken in advance of the award of the contract Services: Peer support certification training (including didactic, experiential, and multimedia modalities) covering the 34 competencies VHA has designated as required for peer support staff are identified in the Specific Tasks and Deliverables section below. Some competencies marked with an asterisk in the list of mandatory tasks must have an experiential component that includes role playing and provides for demonstration of those skills in order to establish competencies. Training for the competencies that do not require the face-to-face experiential modality may be provided through in-person training or through completion of workbook materials, manuals, or online learning conducted prior to the experiential training. Attachment (D) has been included which gives details of guidelines and expectations VHA will use to evaluate the responses to this proposal. Attachment (E), VA Reviewer Rating Tool to Evaluate Peer Support Certification Training RFPs, is the actual tool the VA review team will use in evaluating submitted proposals. Completion of Attachment (D) is recommended but optional, and may be submitted with required deliverables. An examination that demonstrates mastery of the peer support competencies and skills must be administered by the contractor in two segments. A performance based segment that demonstrates mastery of the competencies and skills learned in the face-to-face training (those marked below with an asterisk under "Task One") will be administered during the face-to-face training. A second segment of the examination will be administered to measure the competencies and skills that do not require a face-to-face experiential modality after completion of the training or at a later time agreed upon and acceptable to VHA for administration at the student participant's home facility.. Peer support staff must pass the examination with a score determined by and agreeable to the vendor and OMHS. 5.Specific Tasks and Deliverables. If for any reason, any deliverable cannot be delivered on time according to the below schedule, the contractor shall provide a written explanation three days prior to the due date to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR). This written transmittal shall include a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This transmittal to the COTR shall cite reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The COTR will review collaboratively with the program office and facts and issue a response in accordance with the contract terms and conditions. Unless otherwise specified an electronic copy shall be placed in the designated CBO SharePoint site or other CBO-designated site. Specifically, the contractor shall: 5.1Task One. The contractor shall develop a plan for training to thoroughly cover the following 34 competencies. Competencies that must have an experiential performance based modality of training that includes role-playing or other demonstration of skills, observed and critiqued by the trainer, are marked with an asterisk in the list below. The contractor may include other topics/competencies in the training which they deem appropriate or are required by their state's peer support certification training approval process. Recovery Principles Overview of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Components of Recovery Stages of Recovery Peer Support Role in Psychosocial Rehabilitation Peer Support Principles *Being a role model *Instilling hope *Being an Advocate Principal Duties of Peer Support Staff Cultural Competence *Understanding how roles of ethnicity, race, spirituality, gender, sexual orientation, local community and other sub-cultures may influence recovery. Communications Skills *Effective Listening & Asking Questions Skills *Communication styles (passive/aggressive/assertive), and Verbal and Nonverbal communication *Conflict resolution skills Group Facilitation Skills *Basic Understanding of Group Dynamics and interactions How to Use Support Groups Addressing Stigma *Managing Internalized Stigma *Managing Environmental Stigma Understanding Different Illnesses Major Psychiatric Conditions in DSM IV Addictive Disorders Co-Occurring Disorders Medications and side effects Recovery Tools *Using Recovery workbooks and other self-help instruments *Problem solving, using solution focused strategies *Telling your personal recovery story, being mindful of who you're addressing Self-help Groups Teaching how to manage self-talk and combating negative self-talk Professional Development & Workplace Skills *Ethics *Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships *Working effectively with professionals on an interdisciplinary team Managing Crisis and Emergency Situations Early Warning Signs of Illness' Symptoms Worsening *Crisis Prevention, Using Resources Early *Crisis Interventions *Understanding Suicide Prevention *Challenging situations with veterans who are under the influence of substances, angry, in psychosis or non-verbal state. Personal Safety Issues Deliverable 5.1.1. Provide a written training plan that describes how each competency will be taught (didactic, multi-media presentation, role playing or other experiential form of learning), identifying which of the contractor's teaching materials will be used with reference to page/section and the time spent on each competency. Deliverable 5.1.2: Provide all teaching materials that will be used in the training plan for review, including training manuals, power point presentations, and audio-visual resources. Electronic versions of any of these materials may be sent via e-mail. 5.2 Task Two. The contractor will develop an examination that demonstrates mastery of the peer support competencies and skills that will be administered in two segments. A performance based segment that demonstrates mastery of the competencies and skills learned in the face-to-face training (those marked above with an asterisk under "Task One") will be administered during the face-to-face training. A second segment of the examination will be administered to measure the competencies and skills that do not require a face-to-face experiential modality after completion of the training or at a later time agreed upon and acceptable to VHA for administration at the student participant's home facility.. Peer support staff must pass the examination with a score determined by and agreeable to the vendor and OMHS. The competency that each test item covers is clearly identified on the provided test document or an accompanying document. Deliverable 5.2.1. Copy of proposed test if one is already in use or a plan to develop such a test, which identifies the competencies each test item measures. Deliverable 5.2.2. Copy of validity and reliability report of proposed/existing test. 5.3Task Three The Contractor will present training curricula developed above to classes of peer support technicians or peer specialists at times agreed upon by both organizations. The classes will not have more than 20 members per training. Deliverable 5.3.1: Schedule of training classes offered, one during 2nd quarter and one during 3rd or 4th quarter. 5.4Task Four: The contractor will administer and grade performance based competency assessments during the face-to-face training and a second segment of the examination will be administered to measure the competencies and skills that do not require a face-to-face experiential modality after completion of the training or at a later time agreed upon and acceptable to VHA for administration at the student participant's home facility.. Peer support staff must pass the examination with a score determined by and agreeable to the vendor and OMHS. Deliverable 5.4.1: Plan of certification testing schedule 5.5Task Five: The Contractor will provide a response to VA staff inquiries about future VA peer specialist certification training within one working day of the inquiry, providing date, location and number of open slots for the next available training. Deliverable 5.5.1: Two templates: One for verbal response for telephone inquiries and an e-mail template for written response to an e-mail inquiry. Deliverable 5.5.2: Telephone/e-mail call and response logs 5.6Task Six: The contractor will provide VA staff who request an application a written application form that contains information necessary to register them for the next training. All forms will be attachable to e-mail messages so that there is maximum flexibility for registering for classes. Deliverable 5.6.1: A template of the application form. 5.7Task Seven: The contractor will provide VA staff who apply for training with a written letter of acceptance with specific details of dates, lodging, location of training, and registration information that describes airport locations, ground transportation options to get to the site of training and suggested attire for the area. Deliverable 5.7.1: A written template of acceptance letter with information for participant. 5.8Task Eight. The contractor shall develop an individualized training report for each participant describing participant's attendance, punctuality, level of participation, attitude towards learning, acquisition of competencies/skills, score on final competency test, evaluation survey completed by the student expressing satisfaction with the training and recommendations for continued learning to the participant with a copy to the Director of Peer Support Services in OMHS. Deliverable 5.8.1. Proposed Template for the Individualized Written Training Report. Deliverable 5.8.2. Proposed satisfaction survey template to be completed by each student who takes the training. Deliverable 5.8.3. Individualized Written Training Report For Each Participant at the Completion of Training 5.9Task Nine. The contractor shall develop an aggregated annual report summarizing "data of number of student participation by facility "total number of students " percentage passing certification test "content validity and reliability measure, reporting any test item that is answered incorrectly greater than 60 percent of the time by students taking the test the first administration of the test in 2nd quarter "a plan to rewrite or a substitute replacement question for any test item failing to attain the validity and reliability measure, to be approved by the VHA Director of Peer Support Services "percentage completing/dropping out of training "reasons for discontinuance "percentage of students reporting full satisfaction with the certification training "Deliverable 5.9.1. Template for Proposed Annual Report Template " Deliverable 5.9.2. Template of Report of Content validity and reliability measure for test items. " Deliverable 5.9.3 Template of Plan to rewrite or substitute replacement questions for test items which do not meet content validity and reliability measure. Deliverable 5.9.4. Annual Report 5.12Schedule for Mandatory Deliverables. 5.12.1 Table of Base Period Mandatory Deliverables Due Dates REFERENCEDELIVERABLEDUE DATE 5.1.1Written Training PlanBefore contract award 5.1.2Copies of any training materials used to train for every competency. Before contract award 5.2.1 Copy of Written/Performance Based Exam Identifying which Competencies Each Test Item CoversBefore contract award 5.2.2Copy of Validity and Reliability Report of Proposed/Existing TestBefore contract award 5.3.1Schedule of TrainingBefore contract award 5.4.1Certification Testing ScheduleBefore contract award 5.5.12 Response Templates for Training Inquiries- one written and one telephoneBefore contract award 5.5.2Call and e-mail response log Copies of E-mail inquiries and responses to VA StaffAs requested 5.6.1A Template of Application FormBefore contract award 5.7.1A Written Acceptance Letter TemplateBefore contract award 5.7.2Acceptance letter to applicants Within 10 working days from date of receipt of application 5.8.1Individualized Written Training Report TemplateBefore contract award 5.8.2Proposed Satisfaction SurveyTemplateBefore contract award 5.8.3Individualized Written Training ReportWithin one work week following individual's completion of training. 5.9.1Annual Report TemplateBefore contract award 5.9.2Template of Content validity and reliability measure for test items. Before contract award 5.9.3Template of plan to rewrite or substitute replacement questions for test items which do not meet content validity and reliability measure. Before contract award 5.9.4Annual ReportNovember 1. To cover Oct. 1 previous year-Sept. 30 of current year (Federal Fiscal Year) 6.Period of Performance. The period of performance shall be (1) one-year (12 months) from the date of award for the base period and (2) one-year option years. Training dates should avoid the following Federal holidays: There are ten (10) Federal holidays set by law (U.S.C. Title 5 Section 6103): Under current definitions, four are set by date: New Year's DayJanuary 1 Independence DayJuly 4 Veteran's DayNovember 11 Christmas DayDecember 25 If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday. The other six are set by a day of the week and month: Martin Luther King DayThird Monday in January Washington's BirthdayThird Monday in February Memorial DayLast Monday in May Labor DayFirst Monday in September Columbus DaySecond Monday in October ThanksgivingFourth Thursday in November 7.Place of Performance. The Contractor shall identify a plan for specifying locations for the training according to the projected number of participants that VHA determines will need to be trained. The location may be varied regionally throughout the term of the contract, or provided at the approved Contractor's facilities. 8.Key Personnel. Certain skilled experience professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as "Key personnel" and are those persons whose resumes were submitted and marked by the vendor as "Key Personnel". Substitutions shall only be accepted if in compliance with "Substitutions shall only be accepted if in compliance with "Substitution of Key Personnel" provision identified below. NameTitle Certified Peer Specialist Trainer Training Program Manager/Supervisor The Contracting Officer may notify the Contractor and request immediate removal of any personnel assigned to the task order by the Contractor that are deemed to have a conflict of interest with the government or if the performance is deemed to be unsatisfactory. The reason for removal will be documented and replacement personnel shall be identified within three business days of the notification. Employment and staffing difficulties shall not be justification for failure to meet established schedules. 8.1 Substitution of Key Personnel. All Contractor requests for approval of substitutions hereunder shall be submitted in writing to the COTR and the Contracting Officer at least thirty (30) calendar days in advance of the effective date, whenever possible, and shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, a complete resume for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the Contracting Officer necessary to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. New personnel shall not commence work until all necessary security requirements, as defined in Section J, have been fulfilled and resumes provided and accepted. The COTR and the Contracting Officer will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the Contractor of approval or disapproval in writing. 8.2The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all Contractor personnel, as well as subcontractor efforts used in performance of this effort. The Contractor's management responsibilities shall include all activities necessary to ensure the Accomplishment of timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the Requirements contained in the statement of work. 8.3Domain Knowledge. Contractors will be expected to present proof of their knowledge of peer specialist certification training. The peer specialist trainers should have a minimum of 3 years experience as a practicing peer specialist and 2 years experience in teaching peer specialist certification training courses. The Peer Specialist Training Program Manager should have a minimum of 3 years experience as a peer specialist trainer and two years experience as a peer specialist training program manager. Domain knowledge criteria are specified below: Recovery PrinciplesOverview of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Components of Recovery Stages of Recovery Peer Support Role in PSR Peer Support PrinciplesBeing a role model Instilling hope Being an Advocate Principal Duties of Peer Support Staff Cultural CompetenceUnderstanding how roles of ethnicity, race, spirituality, gender, sexual orientation, local community and other sub-cultures may influence recovery. Communications SkillsEffective Listening & Asking Questions Skills Communication styles (pass/agg/assert.), and Verbal and Nonverbal communication Conflict resolution skills Group Facilitation SkillsBasic Understanding of Group Dynamics and interactions How to Use Support Groups Addressing Stigma Managing Internalized Stigma Managing Environmental Stigma Understanding Different Illnesses Major Psychiatric Conditions in DSM IV Addictive Disorders Co-Occurring Disorders Medications and side effects Using recovery workbooks and other self help instruments Recovery ToolsProblem solving, using solution focused strategies Telling your personal recovery story, being mindful of who you're addressing Self-help Groups Teaching how to manage self-talk and combating negative self-talk Professional Development & Workplace SkillsEthics Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships Working effectively with professionals on an interdisciplinary team Managing Crisis and Emergency Situations Early Warning Signs of Illness' Symptoms Worsening Crisis Prevention, Using Resources Early Crisis Interventions Understanding Suicide Prevention Challenging situations with veterans who are under the influence of substances, angry, in psychosis or non-verbal state. Personal Safety Issues Contractor Personnel Requirements. Personnel proposed shall have an in depth knowledge of: "Knowledge of all the domains listed above; "Specific knowledge of Military and Veteran Cultures; "Expert knowledge of Peer Support Specialist Skills and Competencies; "Expert knowledge of Supervision and Management of Peer Support Certification Trainers. 9.Travel. The CBO anticipates approximately two trips for the contractor and trainers to attend meetings with OMHS Peer Support staff at VHA Central Office Headquarters building at 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420. One will occur soon after contract is awarded to discuss details and answer questions. The other will occur after the first year of training and annual reports have been received. All travel is subject to COTR written approval in advance. Travel and per diem shall be reimbursed in accordance with VA and Federal Travel Regulations. Travel expenses shall be invoiced in the subsequent month following the completion of travel in order to be reimbursed. http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentID=17943 10.Type of Contract. A firm fixed price indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery contract will be issued for this effort.. 11.Changes to the SOW. 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 the contractor through the actions of parties other than the Contracting Officer shall be borne by the contractor. 12.Government and Contractor Responsibilities. a.The CBO shall provide the contractor with copies of documents that the VA is required to provide. b.The contractor shall request other VA documentation deemed pertinent to the work accomplishment directly from the COTR. The contractor is expected to use common knowledge and resourcefulness in securing all other reference materials, standard industry publications, and related materials that are pertinent to the work. c.The contractor shall maintain frequent communications with the Program Office and the COTR to conduct work in progress reviews. Progress reports shall be delivered electronically to the COTR, with an electronic courtesy copy to the Program Office. 13.Formal Acceptance or Rejection of Deliverables. The VA shall have 15 business days to review each document and provide feedback and comments. The contractor shall have five business days to incorporate comments. A final review shall be conducted with the COTR and the Office of Mental Health Services-PSR Section. Delivery of the post-final review document with incorporated comments from the final review meeting shall constitute acceptance by the VA with COTR's written approval. 14. Quality Standards for Deliverables - Performance Measures: Standards: 14.1 Review of relevant materials. Deliverables shall be timely, comprehensive, thoughtful, relevant presentation of alternatives, pros and cons, and feasible recommendations. 14.2 CBO Presentations. Presentations shall be clear, concise, executive-focused, and written in such a way as to be understood by lay persons. Quality of deliverable directly correlates with effectiveness of CBO communications. 14.3 Project Plan. Project Plan shall be timely and comprehensive; recognize and address authority, perceptions, and concerns of stakeholders; incorporate scope of requisite contract requirements across the CBO. 14.4 Reports. Reports are submitted on time and include those topics described in the SOW, agreed to in the master plan and as requested for special reports; necessary clearances are obtained as needed in a timely manner. 14.5 Publications and other documents. Deliverables are timely submission in formats appropriate to target audiences; consideration of best dissemination mechanisms; user friendly, clear, thorough and comprehensive documentation and publications. 14.6 Meeting support. Timely and thoughtful pre-meeting preparations and logistics; smooth meeting operations; timely and comprehensive post-meeting summaries. 14.7 Coordination. Contractor collaboration with CBO is timely, appropriate and demonstrates cooperative support to VHA Executives and staff. 14.8 Analyses and Assessments. Analyses and assessments are performed with accuracy, comprehensiveness and adherence to industry best practices. 14.9 Modifications. Timely, comprehensive, high quality covering all functional, performance, and physical areas as delineated in the SOW; final plan incorporates VA feedback in a timely manner. 14.10 Obtain relevant stakeholder input. Deliverables are innovative, timely implementation of input mechanisms; accurate and comprehensive synthesis of results and recommendations. Integration of relevant stakeholder input documented for deliverable. 14.11 Table of QASP for Peer Support Certification Training Contract Task/DeliverableMethod of SurveillancePerformance IndicatorStandardAcceptable Quality Level Training planDirect observationContains all required competenciesMust include all competencies outlined in the PWS100% Draft Training MaterialsDirect ObservationCurriculum contains lessons for each competencyMust contain lessons for all competencies90% Final Training MaterialsDirect ObservationCurriculum contains lessons for each competency; free of grammatical and spelling errorsMust contain lessons for all competencies100% Call and E-Mail Response LogsDirect ObservationLogs give dates, times of inquiries and when responded to, to requests for information about certification training. Must respond to inquiries within one working day of requests.90% Participant Satisfaction SurveyTraining is evaluated by peer technicians/specialists who take the trainingLevel of Satisfaction indicated by surveyNo substantiated complaints found90% Individualized Training ReportsDirect ObservationReports contain: participant's -attendance, -punctuality, -level of participation, -attitude towards learning, -acquisition of competencies/skills, -score on final competency test, -evaluation statement completed by the student expressing satisfaction with the training and -recommendations for continued learningFull report must be completed for each individual taking the certification training within one week of completion of the training.100% Annual Aggregated Training ReportDirect ObservationReport contains -number of students participating by facility -total number of students - percentage passing certification test -content validity and reliability measure, reporting any test item that is answered incorrectly greater than 60 percent of the time by first group of students taking the test -a plan to rewrite or a substitute replacement question for any test item failing to attain the validity and reliability measure, to be approved by the VHA Director of Peer Support Services -percentage completing/dropping out -reasons for discontinuance -percentage of students reporting full satisfaction with the certification training Full report must be completed containing all of the elements and received by Director of Peer Support Services with a copy to the COTR no later than November 1st to cover the previous fiscal year (Oct 1, previous year to September 30th, current year)100%
 

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Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: VA741-12-Q-0114 VA741-12-Q-0114_1.doc (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=305993&FileName=VA741-12-Q-0114-000.doc)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=305993&FileName=VA741-12-Q-0114-000.doc

 

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Record

SN02692782-W 20120311/120309234504-a4ebbc4ebc232ec58e172123c7812416 (fbodaily.com)
 

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