Development of an Employer's Guide to Workplace Emotional Wellness

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, through the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) has recognized that private and public sector companies and entities employ the majority of all Americans. Consistent with a public health model, CMHS supports efforts to ensure that the quality of emotional wellness (or mental health) of employees is monitored and supported. Evidence supports and CMHS believes that affirmative steps by employers to engage and support the emotional wellness of their employees can lessen the number and intensity of mental illness. These efforts also can be instrumental in supporting the goal of returning those who have experienced mental illness to the workforce as quickly as possible. This goal supports both the welfare of the individual and the health and productivity of the employer. The National Business Group On Health is a membership organization that includes organizations that employ over 50 million Americans. Through its mental health and disabilities area (and with funding from SAMHSA) this group has produced three widely accepted guides that are in use in many of the nation's leading companies - An Employer's Guide To Mental Health Services, An Employer's Guide to Employee Assistance Programs and An Employer's Guide to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. This contract will support development of a fourth guide that is focused on prevention efforts. The contractor will produce and make available for download on its website a document that will: - Outline the business case for employers to invest in programs that support employee and family emotional wellness; - Identify and explain the tools available to employers to monitor and support employee and family emotional wellness. These tools will be rooted in the research findings that have been produced in this area as well as the experience of companies that currently have successfully developed and implemented programs to produce these results; - Provide models that can be used by employers to develop and implement their own programs that will be consistent with the - best of breed programs highlighted in the guide. Notification of Intent to Award a Sole Source Contract: The National Business Group on Health produced the original three Employer's Guides. Their staff has the expertise and knowledge of the content to develop this fourth Guide. They also have a unique network of relationships with the companies and individuals who have developed and implemented programs for emotional wellness in corporations. The National Business Group on Health is uniquely qualified to continue this work through its existing member organization. SAMHSA does not have access to this population of employers and would otherwise need to expend considerably more time and money to develop this guide. Any firm that believes it may have similar capabilities is encouraged to submit their capability statement addressing their ability to accomplish the tasks of this requirement. Written capability statements may not exceed ten (10) pages and must be received by email to the contract specialist no later than midnight EST on September 26, 2009. Small Businesses are encouraged to review this notice. E-MAIL CAPABILITY STATEMENT TO: Marc.Long@psc.hhs.gov. The Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b). No solicitation document is available at this time. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. For further information, contact Marc Long at DHHS/PSC/SAS/DAM, Parklawn Building, Room 5-101, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857 or on 301-443-7086.