Q--Readjustment Counseling Services - Laredo

Page 1 of 5 This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items 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; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is VA258-17-Q-1043 and is being issued as request for quote (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-94 & 2005-95 (effective 01/20/17) Rev 3 (07/21/17). This acquisition is Service Disabled Small Business set-aside with cascading set-aside strategy and the associated NAICS code is 621330 and small business size standard is $7.5M. The Government anticipates awarding two firm-fixed price Indefinite Quantity Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) contracts. This RFQ closes on August 25 at 7:00 PM, ET. Quotes must be received on or before the closing date and time of this RFQ. All responding vendors must be registered in SAM https://www.sam.gov/ and VIP VetBiz https://www.vip.vetbiz.gov (if Veteran Owned) in order to receive an award. It is the intent of Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 17 to award two firm-fixed price Indefinite Quantity Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) contracts for readjustment counseling therapy sessions for eligible war zone Veterans/Service Members and/or Veterans/Service Members reporting Military Sexual Trauma (MST) who have been discharged under honorable conditions and significant others in the following areas: Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA Health Care System for a one-year base performance period with two (2) one-year option periods. The contractor shall provide individual, group, and/or couple and family readjustment counseling therapy sessions for those deemed qualified and referred by the Vet Centers in Corpus Christi and Laredo, Texas. Services shall be provided by either of the following licensed professionals: Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and/or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. The contractor shall provide counseling services only. These services do not include the prescribing of medication. SERVICES REQUIRED. Under the authority of Public Law 104-262, 38 U.S.C. 8153 and VAAR Part 873, the Contractor agrees to provide Health Care Resources in accordance with the terms and conditions stated herein, to the Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA Health Care System, hereafter referred to as TVCBVAHCS. The Contractor shall provide qualified Licensed Clinical Mental Health Provider (hereafter called contract service provider), administrative personnel and services, facilities, and equipment as necessary to provide Readjustment Counseling Services (RCS) required to assist all eligible war zone Veterans/Service Members and/or Veterans/Service Members reporting Military Sexual Trauma (MST) who have been discharged under honorable conditions located in the Victoria, TX and/or Del Rio, TX, areas and surrounding counties. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE. Services shall be provided in Contractor-provided facility. Facility must be located within 50 miles from the center of Victoria, TX and Del Rio, TX and must be appropriate for providing readjustment counseling services in a relatively unstructured, client oriented and safe setting. *See attached Price / Cost Schedule* **See attached Performance Work Statement (PWS)** DELIVERY SCHEDULE BASE YEAR Period of Performance: From 10/1/2017 to 9/30/2018 OPTION YEAR 1 Period of Performance: From 10/1/2018 to 9/30/2019 OPTION YEAR 2 Period of Performance: From 10/1/2019 to 9/30/2020 Interested offerors: All questions must be in writing and submitted three (3) business days prior to the closing date of the solicitation. Questions not received within this timeframe may not be considered. The Government reserves the right to not answer questions not meeting this timeline if doing so would result in an amendment requiring an extension of the solicitation and to extend would not be in the best interest of the Government. The selected Offeror must comply with the following commercial item terms and conditions, which are incorporated herein by reference: (FAR CLAUSES) 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS; ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS- Clauses that are incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date), have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The following clauses are incorporated into 52.212-4 as an addendum to this contract: 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/these address(es): http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html http://www.va.gov/oamm/oa/ars/policyreg/vaar/index.cfm 52.203-17 CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENT TO INFORM EMPLOYEES OF WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS 52.204-4 PRINTED OR COPIED DOUBLE-SIDED ON RECYCLED PAPER 52.232-18 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS 52.232-40 PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENTS TO SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTORS 52.216-18 ORDERING (OCT 1995) 52.216-19 ORDER LIMITATIONS (OCT 1995) 52.216-22 INDEFINITE QUANTITY (OCT 1995) 52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999) 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000) (VAAR CLAUSES) VAAR 852.203-70 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING (JAN 2008) VAAR 852.219-10 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (JUL 2016)(DEVIATION) VAAR 852.232-72 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS (NOV 2012) VAAR 852.237-7 INDEMNIFICATION AND MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE (JAN 2008) VAAR 852.237-70 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES (APR 1984) (End of Addendum to 52.212-4). 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes Or Executive Orders. 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMMERCIAL ITEMS Provisions that are incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date), have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The following provisions are incorporated into 52.212-1 as an addendum to this solicitation: Submittal Instructions: Submit all documents electronically or mailed to the following addresses. Please select only one method to respond. Electronically: contact@example.gov (there is a 5MB server limit for incoming external emails) Mailed: Department of Veterans Affairs SAO West/ NCO 17 Medical Sharing Branch II (Gamboa) 11495 Turner Rd. El Paso, TX 79936 Offers will be evaluated on contractor's ability to provide readjustment counseling services. The requirements listed below will be considered and rated as Acceptable or Unacceptable. Past performance will be rated as Acceptable, Unacceptable or Neutral. The evaluation team will review responses to the RFQ based on whether and to what extent the proposal meets the following requirements: Technical Capability - Offerors must ensure that these requirements are adequately addressed in their offers. Each offeror must submit with the offer evidence establishing the following: (1) Describe your program of established services, in writing, for furnishing war zone Veterans/Service members and/or Veterans/Service members reporting Military Sexual Trauma (MST) who have been discharged under honorable conditions the following services: (a) Peer group counseling (b) Individual, couple, and family readjustment counseling (c) Substance abuse aftercare and referral (d) Job and career counseling as part of readjustment counseling (which does not include job placement services). (e) Social services for basic needs and referral procedures (i.e., formal or informal linkages and referral procedures with social services providers in the community to meet other needs of the client which cannot be directly furnished by the service provider). (f) Referral procedures for medical examination and treatment to VA and/or private sector health care facilities. Provide either of the following: by-laws, mission statement, or established statement of goals or procedures demonstrating commitment to furnish readjustment services to Vietnam and post-Vietnam war zone Veterans. (2) The prospective provider must be able to furnish the services described in item (a), (b), (c), and (d) above. If the provider cannot directly furnish the services in item (a) through (f), describe your approach to: (a) Ensure that those services, which the offeror is incapable of furnishing directly, will be delivered when needed; for example, through referral, agreement, affiliation, or consultant arrangements. The specific resources to be utilized in this manner must be identified and described and the mechanism for access specified. (b) Describe your system/method to ensure that such services as the offeror is incapable of furnishing directly are delivered and to demonstrate that the quality of such services is satisfactory. All consultants or other entities which the primary contractor arranges for providing services, identified in items (a) through (f) above, must meet the requirements of paragraphs (2),(4),(5), and (6) of this section as a prerequisite of contract award. (c) Provide a written narrative describing the training and education of each counselor who would be providing readjustment counseling under this contract. This should specifically include a description of any specific formal training and education in the area of readjustment counseling for Vietnam and post-Vietnam war zone Veterans. As part of this documentation, detailed vitae for each counselor must be submitted as an appendix to the contractor s response. a. The offeror shall have a written plan for continuing education specific to the enhancement of knowledge and skill in providing more effective readjustment counseling. This plan should include the source of the continuing education, how often continuing education will be provided, the number of hours of instruction, and b. Provide a narrative describing the training and experience of each administrative person (if any) having key responsibility under the contract. As part of this documentation, detailed vitae for each key administrative person must be submitted as an appendix to the contract proposal. (3) Demonstrate the capability to provide at least one Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and/or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist must be on the offeror's core staff. In lieu of the latter, the offeror must have mental health-related masters level Counselor and have a Psychiatrist, doctoral Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatric Social Worker or Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist serving as a consultant who is on call during regular working hours or is otherwise reasonably available to perform services under the contract. This will be at no additional cost to the Department of Veterans Affairs. (4) Demonstrate suitable procedures to safeguard records, to include detailed documentation for the physical security of records and prevention of disclosure of the records, reports, or other private information of clients, except with the client's informed written consent. (5) Identify specific number of counselors who would be providing readjustment counseling under the contract who are themselves Vietnam and/or post-Vietnam war zone Veterans. In addition, this should be accompanied by a specification of the percentage of total counseling hours per week which would be provided by these counselors. Demonstrate how these percentages improve the quality of services provided. (6) A written description specifying the nature and extent of the offeror's experience in providing counseling services to special populations of ethnic minority, disabled and female Veterans. The offeror s response must demonstrate clinically appropriate individualized plans for making psychosocial assessments and providing counseling services to clients. Documentation could include a detailed understanding of war-related PTSD, and other post-war readjustment problems. Military history should be indicated as a core feature of the assessment process. Past Performance (7) Submit a minimum of two (2) references for relevant contracts of similar scope within the last 3 years. Information should include: Agency name, contract number, description of services, period of performance, and point of contact information (name, phone number, and email). Price (8) Complete the B.3 Price/Cost Schedule. (End of ADDENDUM TO 52.212-1) 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference: http://www.acqusition.gov/far/index.htms (FAR) http://www.va.gov/oamm/oa/ars/policyreg/vaar/index.cfm (FAR PROVISIONS) 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984) 52.216-27 SINGLE OR MULTIPLE AWARDS (OCT 1995) 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006) (VAAR PROVISIONS) VAAR 852.233-70 PROTEST CONTENT/ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (JAN 2008) VAAR 852.233-71 ALTERNATE PROTEST PROCEDURE (JAN 1998) VAAR 852.270-1 REPRESENTATIVES OF CONTRACTING OFFICERS (JAN 2008) VAAR 852.271-70 NONDISCRIMINATION IN SERVICES PROVIDED TO BENEFICIARIES (JAN 2008) VAAR 852.273-74 AWARD WITHOUT EXCHANGES (JAN 2003) (End of Addendum 52.212-1) 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Technical Past Performance Price The evaluation of offers received in response to the solicitation will use a tiered or cascading order of precedence. Tiered evaluation of offers, also known as cascading evaluation of offers, is a procedure used in negotiated acquisitions when market research is inconclusive for justifying limiting competition to small business concerns or sub-categories of small business concerns. The contracting officer (1) Solicits offers from both small and other than small business concerns that will be evaluated in the following tier order: (a) service-disabled Veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB); (b) Veteran-owned small business (VOSB); (c) all other small business concerns; (d) other than small business. (2) If an award or a sufficient number of awards cannot be made at the first tier, evaluation of offers will proceed at the next lower tier until an award or a sufficient number of awards can be made. Award will be made using the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable source selection process, on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for the non-cost factors. Past performance shall be evaluated in accordance with FAR 15.305. However, the comparative assessment in FAR 15.305 (a) (2) (i) does not apply. Proposals will be evaluated for acceptability but not ranked using the non-cost/price factors. (b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items