6515--PTSD Assessment consultant

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Network Contracting Office 20 (NCO 20) is conducting a market survey/sources sought notification and is seeking potential sources for an This Sources Sought Notice is issued for information and planning purposes only. This is not a solicitation or a request for proposal and shall not be construed as an obligation or commitment by the Government. An award will not be made on any offers submitted in response to this notice, and it shall not be implied the Government is committed to providing any solicitation or award following this notice. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this request, nor will the Government compensate a respondent for any costs incurred in developing the information provided. - 8/1/2022 SUBJECT: 36C26022Q0726This notice is intended strictly for market research. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to determine interest and capability of potential qualified sources of supply and determine the socioeconomic size classification of the supplier and manufacturer of the end item. - Interested companies shall provide, at a minimum, the following information with their response. - Company Name and Address: Point of Contact (POC) Name: Email Address: Phone Number: UNIQUE SAM ID Brochures of their offered equipment or services. - The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is TBD Mark if your firm is eligible for participation in one of the following small business programs. If so, please indicate the program: - [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Business (SB) - [ ] yes [ ] no - HUBZone - [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Business 8(a) - [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) - [ ] yes [ ] no - Women-Owned (WO) Small Business - [ ] yes [ ] no - Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) - [ ] yes [ ] no - Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) [ ] yes [ ] no - Large Business - [ ] yes [ ] no - Other (please specify) - - Please answer the following questions: - [ ] yes [ ] no - Does not exceed 1,250employees; (for NAICS 33314) must be verifiable thru the System for Award Management) - [ ] yes [ ] no Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied; - [ ] yes [ ] no Takes ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice (identify how this occurs); and - [ ] yes [ ] no Will supply the end item of a small business manufacturer, processor or producer made in the United States, or obtains a waiver of such requirement pursuant to paragraph (b)(5) CFR 121.406. - Note: Do not include Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in responses. - In addition to providing the information requested above, responding companies are encouraged to include any relevant information (specifications, cut sheets, brochures, capability statement, past experience etc.) to confirm the company s ability to meet the requirements outlined in this request. - Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract or agreement. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation, or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. 1. Contract Title. NUMBER PTSD Assessment Using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5, Revised in support of Randomized Trial of Prolonged Exposure (PE) vs. PE with PE Coach Among Veterans with PTSD , IRB Net Study Number 1628436 2. Background. A research study funded by VA s Office of Research and Development includes four years of ongoing, regularly occurring expert research and clinical assessments. There are no parallel contracts and no prior related contracts. This contract is required in order to pay the assessor for their time and services. 3. Scope. This contract covers clinical and research assessments provided by the vendor to the funded study s principal investigator and the study team working on the study. This study team is located at VA Puget Sound Health Care System and is in support of the funded proposal Randomized Trial of Prolonged Exposure (PE) vs. PE with PE Coach Among Veterans with PTSD . The aims of this study include: Aim 1: Compare the efficacy of PE Coach vs. Usual PE for PTSD-related functional outcomes. Compared to Usual PE, PE Coach will result in greater improvements in PTSD-related social and occupational functioning (primary aim; H1) and quality of life (H2) and greater reduction in functional impairment (H3), neurobehavioral symptoms (H4), depression (H5), and suicidal ideation (H6). Aim 2: Study the comparative efficacy of PE with PE Coach vs. Usual PE in Veterans with PTSD. Hypothesis 7: PE Coach will improve symptom severity of PTSD relative to Usual PE according to the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5. Aim 3: Test the impact of PE Coach on treatment adherence and engagement. We hypothesize (H8) that PE coach will facilitate increased [treatment adherence], as measured by adherence with assigned PE homework. We will also explore the impact of PE Coach on improved treatment engagement as measured by reduced treatment dropout. Finally, we will also explore the number of sessions required to achieve criteria for treatment termination. 4. Specific Tasks. This study requires an expert assessor of research participants using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5, Revised. Task 1 Clinical and Research Assessments Using the Clinician Assessed PTSD Scale for DSM-5 Revised (CAPS-5R). The vendor will meet with research participants by phone or video conferencing to conduct the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 Revised. The scores for each assessment will be recorded on paper copies of the CAPS-5R. Every interview will be audio recorded on an audio recording device provided by the government. Task 2 Quarterly CAPS-5R reliability Check-Meetings. The vendor will meet with the study PI and/or study team members to review a selection of completed CAPS-5R assessments. Reviews will focus on ensuring fidelity and reliability to the CAPS-5R scoring procedures. 5. Performance Monitoring (if applicable). The POC or COR will monitor the performance of the contractor. The contractor will provide to the study team at least five assessment times per week that are available for scheduling individual research assessments (i.e., five research participant assessments per week; Task 1). Vendor requests to change regularly occurring assessment times shall be submitted to the study PI at least 3 weeks in advance. Government requests for additional vendor assessments outside of these pre-established times will be submitted to the contractor via email. Government assessment requests for additional alternative assessment times will be responded to by the Vendor within one week of the request. If the contractor is unavailable to provide the ad hoc assessment, the contractor will propose alternative time frames of availability. Failure to respond to government requests for alternative times within one week will be considered unacceptable performance if it occurs four or more times in a given year of performance. The contractor will meet quarterly with the study PI and or study investigators for CAPS-5R reliability checks (Task 2). Reliability checks will occur at a mutually agreeable day and time. Requests to reschedule or cancel Reliability Check meetings will be received at least 24-hours prior to the scheduled meeting. Failure to provide 24-hours of notice 2 times or more during a year-long period of performance will be considered unacceptable contractor performance. Consultation will be provided to the study team in a professional and respectful manner. Consultants to the government will avoid hostile, harassing, or discriminatory conduct. Reports of unprofessional communication or conduct will be provided to the POC or COR for consideration of unacceptable contractor performance. 6. Security Requirements. The contractor will audio record their assessments for reliability checks. The assessor will be provided digital audio recording devices for this purpose. When not actively in use, the recording device shall remain in a locked box, provided by the VA research team. The VA research team will provide the name, contact number, and the Veteran's local emergency response contact information to the contracted assessor via RMS email or telephone. After each interview with a Veteran, the contracted assessor will be notified by the VA research team if their assessment was selected for reliability coding. If so, the contracted assessor will send the digital audio recording device with the associated recording to the 2nd assessor via UPS tracked mail to support the reliability coding. Assessors will send the paper scores from the original and reliability codings of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5R to the VA study team via UPS tracked mail. Once the VA team confirms receipt of the paper score sheets, the contracted PTSD assessment experts will delete the interview recordings from the digital recording devices. At no time, will contracted PTSD assessment experts copy audio recordings from the digital recording devices to a personal or non-VA work computer. The contractor employees shall have access to and generate VA sensitive data but will not have access to VA computer information and will not require routine access to VA Facilities. The contractor employees shall require intermittent access only and will be escorted by VA employees while at VA Facilities. No background investigation is required. The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required. VA retains ownership of the audio recording devices and paper ratings from assessments. Copies of sent recordings may not be saved to the Vendor s devices nor can copies of CD/DVDs be retained by the Vendor. Copies of treatment fidelity ratings and scores may also not be retained by the Vendor. When not in use, CDs/DVDs and paper ratings of treatment fidelity shall be in a locked box or locked file drawer. 7. Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE)/Government-Furnished Information (GFI). Not applicable 8. Other Pertinent Information or Special Considerations. a. Specialized Experience and Expertise Doctoral level training in psychology Subject matter expertise in PTSD evidenced by peer reviewed scientific publications on trauma and the assessment of PTSD Experience as a CAPS-5 assessor on 4 or more competitive, Federally funded randomized clinical trials or industry/pharmaceutical studies Experience as a CAPS-5 assessor on 2 or more clinical trials of psychotherapy for trauma stemming from U.S. active duty military service or among Veteran patients Experience training CAPS-5 assessors Experience and knowledge using the revised version of the CAPS-5, the CAPS-5, Revised for the assessment of PTSD