FBO: Federal Business Opportunities

PSA-08-RFP-00002 / PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES

Introduction:

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information contained herein. This announcement constitutes the entire and only solicitation. Proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

The solicitation PSA-08-RFP-00002 is issued as a Request for Proposals (RFP). The complete statement of work is available in this solicitation. This solicitation is a 100%set aside for small business concerns.

The District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) in Washington, D.C., requires the services of a Psychologist. This is a non-personal services contract and not a personnel appointment. The PSA intends to award a Firm Fixed Price contract with a fixed hourly rate.

The contract period of performance will be from date of award up to 12 months of date of award, inclusive of the Government's unilateral right to exercise four (4), one year option periods.

The contractor shall provide services in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW) and the solicitation/contract.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 621112 and the applicable size standard is $8.5M.

This procurement is being conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures and according to Parts 12 and 13 of the Federal Acquisition regulation (FAR).

The Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) is an independent entity in the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency in the federal executive branch of the United States government. PSA is responsible for the investigation and supervision of persons arrested and released into the community pending disposition of their cases in the D.C. Superior Court and U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. PSA is committed to honoring the constitutional presumption of innocence and enhancing public safety. Its mission is to 1) formulate recommendations that promote the use of least restrictive nonfinancial pretrial release and 2) provide effective community supervision for defendants to ensure court appearance, promote public safety, and address social issues that contribute to crime.

1. Personnel:

1.1 The Contractor shall be a qualified and experienced professional who holds a doctorate degree in the field of psychology from an accredited institution and possessing a current District of Columbia license to practice clinical psychology. The Contractor must posses experience in administering and scoring psychological tests, a minimum of four years experience in conducting psychological and psychiatric assessments of individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds in the criminal justice system; and experience facilitating and/or overseeing the facilitation of group therapy with individuals living with mental illness, substance dependence, and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Candidates for this contract should have excellent interpersonal, communication, and writing skills, as well as thorough grounding in the use of standardized psychological testing and the provision of direct clinical services.
1.2 The Contractor shall provide to the Government a current list of all personnel working under this contract. This list shall be kept current at all times. Any changes to this list shall be provided to the Government within two (2) business days of the change.
1.3 Prior to award, and throughout the life of the contract, the Contractor shall have no current, previous, or pending professional licensure suspension, revocation, or other disciplinary action related to professional misconduct, malpractice, or ethical violation.
1.3.1 Previous completed investigations that failed to result in licensure suspension, revocation, or other disciplinary action must be disclosed to the Government prior to award.
1.4 The Contractor shall avoid ethically inappropriate and/or dual relationships with clients or PSA staff and report any improprieties or the appearance thereof immediately to the Contracting Officer, or the designated Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR).
1.5 The Contractor shall remain knowledgeable of PSA contract requirements and have a copy of the Statement of Work readily available.
1.6 The contractor shall provide a copy of all diplomas and/or certificates to support stated qualifications.

2. Description of Services:

2.1 The Contractor shall provide hourly psychological services as described below to clients with or suspecting of having mental disorders to include mental illness, personality disorders, mental retardation, and/or substance-related disorders. These clients may also present with a variety of psychosocial and environmental problems including, but not limited to occupational problems, housing problems, economic problems, and/or educational problems including adult illiteracy. Each of these clients will have pending felony or misdemeanor cases and many may have extensive criminal histories.
2.2 The Contractor shall provide diagnostic and other testing services, group therapy, clinical consultation, expert advice, intern supervision, staff training, as well as brief, short term, transitional and crisis counseling and/or psychotherapy.
2.3 Services shall be provided at the following District of Columbia locations: 300 Indiana Avenue, NW; 500 Indiana Avenue, NW; 601 Indiana Avenue, NW; and 633 Indiana Avenue, NW. The Government may designate other District of Columbia locations.
2.3.1 The Government shall provide access to both furnished office space (i.e. desk space and private evaluation/consultation room) and standard equipment (i.e. computer, printer, fax machine, telephone) to the extent practical for performance of this contract.
2.4 The hours of service delivery will vary between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm during a given work week (Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays), not to exceed 16 hours a week unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer. Specific work hours, within the given core hours, may be jointly determined by Government and the Contractor after award.
2.4.1 The Contractor shall not perform work at Government facilities on Federal holidays or other non-work days without prior written approval. The 10 holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
2.4.2 There are certain types of irregularly occurring circumstances that prompt the Government to close its office where Contractor personnel work, either on a national or local basis (e.g. bomb threats, inclement weather, power outages, funding lapses). Contractor staff shall not work if the Government is closed unless otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer or his or her representative. The Government will not compensate the Contractor for non-work hours caused by the closing of Government facilitates.
2.4.3 The nature of this contract does not provide for any absence (i.e., paid sick leave, holiday or vacation time). Should an unavoidable delay occur, the contractor should immediately notify the COTR, or designee, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

3. Service Requirements:

3.1 The Contractor shall be available to provide exclusive services to the Government not to exceed 16 hours per week.
3.1.1 During these hours, the Contractor shall work directly with clients, Government staff, and/or other contractors.
3.1.2 The Contractor shall receive written authorization from the Contracting Officer to work less than or greater than 16 hours per week.
3.2 The Contractor shall conduct and oversee the administration of comprehensive psychosocial assessment, psychological evaluation, personality, intelligence, literacy, and other psychological testing to determine the need for specialized criminal justice supervision and intensive case management services, as well as to assist in the development and execution of supervision and treatment plans.
3.2.1 In addition to conducting structured clinical interviews using the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria, the Contractor shall use the following Government provided testing/diagnostic tools:

• Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI)
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III)
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Abbreviated
• Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-III)
• Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) - (Formerly known as the SCID-A/D) other tools as identified by the Government.

3.2.2 The Contractor shall ensure that any other testing/diagnostic tools used are within the realms of accepted psychological practice standards and have been validated as safe, appropriate and effective with the target population as described in 2.1. Any such tools shall be used at no additional cost to the Government.
3.3 The Contractor shall facilitate and oversee the facilitation of up to 6 hours per week of group psychotherapy and education for defendants living with mental illness and/or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
3.4 The Contractor shall provide and oversee the provision of individual psychotherapy and/or crisis intervention to clients awaiting placement with a community-based mental health facility or other clients as deemed appropriate by the Government and Contractor.
3.5 The Contractor shall provide clinical supervision and professional oversight for up to 3 doctoral or masters-level interns, externs, or other students assigned to PSA for practicum academic credit to include:
3.5.1 Review of services performed by the students to include: group and individual psychotherapy, evaluation, testing, diagnoses, and recommendations.
3.5.1.1 Provide signature approval on the written results of any of the aforementioned services to include the Contractor's professional license and identifying number.
3.5.2 At least one hour per week of in-person observation and supervision for each intern.
3.5.3 Availability for telephonic and electronic consultation.
3.6 The Contractor shall provide expert advice and consultation to PSA staff regarding:
3.6.1 Client supervision and treatment planning;
3.6.2 Sanction and/or incentive regimens for substance abusing, mentally ill, or dually disordered clients;
3.6.3 Appropriate supervision strategies and interventions for clients based on diagnoses, as well as symptom severity and presentation;
3.6.4 Client risk assessment;
3.6.5 Design and development of group interventions, treatment and related PSA programs, policies, and procedures.
3.7 The Contractor shall participate in periodic PSA staff trainings and in-services designed to enhance staff ability to identify, assess, treat, case manage and supervise clients with mental and/or substance-related disorders.
3.7.1 Locations of said staff trainings and in-services may vary, but will occur at PSA facilities within the District of Columbia as identified in 2.4.
3.7.2 Schedule and length of trainings will vary, but will usually occur within the Contractor's agreed upon weekly time commitment.
3.7.2.1 The Government may request Contractor participation in staff training outside of the Contractor's agreed upon weekly time commitment. Contractor participation in such activities shall be mutually agreed upon by both the Government and the Contractor and will be compensated on a fixed priced basis at the agreed upon rate for other professional services.

4. Client Records:

4.1 The Contractor shall establish and maintain complete and up-to-date client records. These records shall describe all client services performed and document the results of all assessments, testing, and other evaluations and shall be kept confidential and secure at a Government provided location. These records are property of the Government and shall be available for Government examination at all times.
4.1.1 Documents and correspondence maintained by the Contractor for the Government shall contain the client's Police Department Identification Number (PDID) and all relevant court docket numbers-both as provided by PSA or CSOSA.
4.2 Confidential client records must be protected from disclosure except as provided below:
4.2.1 Disclose client records to and discuss client treatment with the PSA or CSOSA case managers or supervisory staff involved with the current court matter, COTR, or designated representative of the Government on an unrestricted communication basis.
4.2.2 Disclose client records only in accordance with 42 C.F.R. Part 2, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the DC Mental Health Act as amended, and where disclosure is permitted under those regulations, disclose only if consistent with the policies and procedures of PSA and CSOSA.
4.2.2.1 The Government agrees to provide any necessary consent forms signed by the client that federal, state, or local law requires.
4.3 The Contractor shall be responsible for the client records while those records are in the Contractor' possession. The Contractor shall ensure that all persons having access to or custody of client records follow the disclosure and confidentiality requirements of the consent form and federal, state, or local law. These records are property of the Government and shall be maintained at all times as described in 4.1.
4.4 The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately upon receipt of legal process requiring disclosure of client records.

5. Clauses and Provisions:

Provisions 52.212-1 Instruction to Offerors - Commercial Items and 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items, apply to this acquisition.

Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer or certify that this documentation has been filed electronically. Full text of clauses and provisions are available at Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR): http://www.arnet.gov/References/References.html

52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: http:/www.arnet.gov/far/
52.217-8 Option to Extend Services;
52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract;
52.224-1 Privacy Act Notification;
52.224-2 Privacy Act;
52.228-5 Insurance - Work on Government Installation;
52-232-18 Availability of Funds;
52-232-19 Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year;
52.237-7 Indemnification and Medical Liability Insurance (JAN 1997)
The contractor shall maintain during the term of this contract liability insurance issued by a responsible insurance carrier of not less than $1,000,000 per specialty per occurrence.

52.212-5 Contract terms and Conditions Required to implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items applies to this acquisition and the following FAR clauses cited in the clause are applicable to this acquisition:
52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside;
52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns;
52.222-21 Prohibition of Prohibition of Segregated Facilities;
52.222-26 Equal Opportunity;
52.222-35 Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era;
52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers and Disabilities;
52.222-37 Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Other Eligible Veterans;
52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Central Contractor Registration;
52.232-34 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Other than Central Contractor Registration.

Special Contract Requirements:

This shall be a firm Fixed Price contract with a fixed hourly rate.

The term of the contract shall be a base year with four (4) one-year optional performance periods. The length of the contract shall not exceed 60 months. The exercise of any option period is subject to the availability of funds at the time of the exercise of the option. The contractor shall commence full performance of services under the resultant contract within 30 calendar days from the effective date of award of the contract.

The contractor shall provide non-personal services in accordance with FAR Subpart 37.4 - Nonpersonal Health Care Services. Award of this contract will result in a contractual arrangement only and shall not be construed as a personnel appointment with PSA. Payments to the contractor shall be based on the provision of the requirements stated in the Statement of Work (SOW). The contractor will not be subject to direct Government supervision, except for security related matters, but contractor performance shall be closely monitored for quality assurance. The contractor shall maintain medical liability insurance as specified in the solicitation/contract.

Security Requirements for Contractor Personnel: All Contractor personnel utilized under this contract shall submit to a Government background investigation prior to performing work on-site at any PSA/CSOSA facility. The intent and purpose of this investigation is to preclude the assignment of any individual who poses a threat to the Government or successful work completion due to past unlawful or inappropriate behavior. Contractor employees must be U.S. citizens, or be lawfully permitted to reside in the United States and possess a valid work permit.

Background Investigations: The Contractor shall ensure that a Contractor employee does not begin work under the contract until the appropriate background checks are conducted and approved by the PSA/CSOSA Office of Security. When a preliminary background check on an individual has been determined to be favorable, the Office of Security will issue an interim employment security approval to the Office of Procurement, who in turn will notify the Contractor. Only at that time may the Contractor notify an individual to begin work at a PSA/CSOSA facility.

Derogatory information, falsification of any forms or refuses to supply information and/or forms may be considered justification to reject the individual.

When an individual is selected for contractual employment, the Contractor shall have the individual complete a background investigation package consisting of the items identified below. The individual is generally provided 10 days to complete and return the forms to the Office of Procurement. The following forms will be provided and must be completed:

(1) CSOSA-SEC-0008, Agency Credit Release Form
(2) FD 258, "FBI Fingerprint Card"
(3) Standard Form 85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions
(4) Contractor's Preliminary Background Check Form

It is the responsibility of the Contractor, in order to ensure complete coverage for the services specified herein, to maintain an adequate staff of individuals meeting all of the requirements of this contract. To that end, the Contractor should submit the names of additional individuals, so that the requisite preliminary background checks can be conducted. PSA/CSOSA has the right to request any additional information necessary in order to adjudicate the completed background investigation. If a Contractor employee fails to provide any of the above information, or to cooperate with PSA/CSOSA Office of Security, the individual will be removed immediately.

PSA reserves the right to determine suitability of any contractor or contractor employee to work on this contract prior to the employee gaining access to any PSA facility or system.

Contractor's Responsibility:

(1) The Contractor shall ensure that no Contractor employee commences performance prior to completion of the background investigation, unless the Office of Security grants approval.

(2) Any individual who has been temporarily removed or resigned may be required to undergo another background investigation before resuming any position. At the discretion of the COTR, the Contractor shall forward the required forms for a reinvestigation to the COTR. Prior to forwarding the forms, the Contractor is responsible for reviewing the forms for completeness. The forms should be forwarded with a cover letter indicating that the forms are for reinvestigation of a current Contractor employee.

Government's Responsibility:

(1) The Government will conduct a background investigation on all individuals involved in the contract. Derogatory information developed from this investigation may be considered justification to reject the applicant. The Government also reserves the right to reinvestigate all Contractor personnel working on this contract for any reason.

(2) Upon completion of the background investigation, the Office of Security will review the results to determine suitability for the individual. Primary concern in the review process is to decide if the individual's presence in Agency facilities poses a potential risk to CSOSA, the Government, or the general public.

All potential offerors are advised that this solicitation includes the clause FAR 52.212-4 (Oct 2003) for Commercial Items, which at paragraph (t) Central Contractor Registration (CCR), requires all contractors doing business with the Federal Government after September 30, 2003, to be registered in the CCR database. Offerors should include their Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number in their offers. Registration in the CCR database shall be verified prior to award by entering the potential awardee's DUNS number into the CCR database. Failure to complete the registration procedures outlined in this clause may result in elimination from consideration for award.

Contract Administration:

Invoices shall contain applicable information required by FAR 52.232-25, Prompt Payment, and include the following:

(a) Contractor Name, Tax ID Number and Dun & Bradstreet Number
(b) Mailing "Remit To" Address
(c) Contractor Point of Contact Information
(d) Contract Number
(e) Invoice Number
(f) Description of Services
(g) Service Dates
(h)Unit of Cost
(i) Number of Hours
(j) Total Money Amount

Payment for services rendered shall be made no more that twice per month upon receipt of an original and three copies of properly executed invoice.

Invoices for the work performed under this contract shall be submitted weekly to the Government for payment for services provided. The government shall review and ensure that the information is correct and verify that the services have been received. The invoice will then be certified for payment.

If an invoice is received with inaccurate information, that invoice shall be returned unpaid by the Government.

Note: The Government will not hold the invoice or make corrections but rather return the improper invoice in dispute to Contractor. The Contractor shall make the required corrections and submitted a corrected invoice for payment.

All follow-up invoices shall be clearly marked "Duplicate of Original".

Instructions to Offerors:

A streamlined source selection process shall be used for evaluation of proposals and award will be made based on the proposal conforming to the requirements of the solicitation and providing best value to the Government. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions. Evaluation factors will be based on past performance and price.

Proposal submissions are limited to a total of two (2) written pages. Proposal pages shall be 8.5 x 11 inches, single spaced with at least one (1) inch margin on top, bottom, left and right, and printed head-to-foot. The font size shall be no less than Times New Roman 12 point.

The offeror shall complete and submit Attachment 1 (Contract Pricing). The offeror shall submit copies of professional certifications solely applicable and relevant to the stated requirement. The offeror shall include a cover page for the copies of professional certifications, listing those certifications on the cover page numerically in ascending order. Attachment 1 (Contract Pricing) and copies of professional certifications with the cover page are excluded from the proposal submission page count.

Offerors shall document three (3) of the most recent and relevant past and present contracts performed for Federal agencies and commercial customers within the last five years. The offeror shall include a cover page listing the three (3) Federal agencies and commercial customers by name only in a numerical ascending order. The cover page and past performance detail information are excluded from the proposal submission page count. Past performance detail information shall not exceed a total of three (3) written pages, excluding the cover page.

The following detail information shall be provided for each reference relevant to past performance:

(1) Company name
(2) Service provided
(3) Contracting Officer Name and Phone Number
(4) Contract Number
(5) Contract Dollar Amount
(6) Period of Performance

Interviews shall be conducted with all responsive and responsible offerors, conforming to the requirements of the solicitation and applicable rules and regulations relevant to this procurement. Attachment 2 (Interview Questions) provides limited-scope questions which shall be asked of the offerors during the interview. Offerors shall be notified of the interview schedule as deemed by the Government after the closing date of the solicitation. The Government reserves the right to ask further questions to clarify responses to the attached questions, as needed.

Pricing:

Offerors are required to submit a completed copy of Attachment 1 (Contract Pricing) as part of their proposal. Pursuant to FAR 17.203(b), the Government's evaluation shall be inclusive of all options. Attachment 1 is not included in the proposal submission page count.

Proposal Submission:

Proposals shall be sent via mail or overnight carrier or may be hand delivered and must be received on or by the deadline of 5:00 p.m. local time on 07/21/2008. Late proposals shall not be considered under any circumstances.

Proposals shall be sent or hand delivered to the following address and point of contact: Contract Specialist, Thomas Guziewicz, D.C. Pretrial Services Agency, 633 Indiana Avenue, NW, Suite 1153B, Washington, DC 20004.