R499--Tobacco Treatment Telephone Counseling and Text Message Services for VHA Tobacco & Health Policy Programs Office

Veterans Health Administration, Network Contracting Office 5, is issuing this sources sought notice in order to identify entities that could provide tobacco treatment telephone counseling and text message services for VHA s Tobacco & Health Policy and Programs Office. Description of Work: Contractor will provide a tobacco telephone quitline for Veterans (e.g., provide access to a dedicated toll-free number; provide quitline services Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., except federal holidays; provide quitline services in English and Spanish, provide a voicemail box for messages left outside of regular quitline hours; provide staffing levels required to respond to on average 400 incoming calls each month and to make 1000 outgoing call attempts); provide telephone tobacco cessation counseling (e.g., provide evidence-based tobacco cessation behavioral counseling; provide training to counselors on evidence-based tobacco cessation treatment, Veteran-specific issues, military culture, VHA health care, and suicide prevention. Training will also emphasize skills to effectively deliver telephone counseling). Quitline services will include a proactive callback service with up to four quitline-initiated calls for Veterans that make a quit attempt, with an option for extended callbacks for interested Veterans; proactive initial calls to Veterans referred by their health care provider. Quitline will maintain a secure message account compatible with VA Direct to receive secure electronic referrals from health care providers from at least 26 VA facilities; follow-up evaluation and re-engagement calls with consenting Veterans at 4, 7 and 13 months following initial counseling session. Contractor will provide VHA with monthly reports of quitline usage, conduct quality monitoring of calls utilizing knowledge of industry level quality indicators for proactive tobacco cessation quitlines. Contractor will host Veteran-specific content on veterans.smokefree.gov and provide day-to-day technical support, 508 compliance review, and management of the website to garner the most visitors and engagement on its interactive message features via search engine optimization and A/B testing. Contractor will a maintain a SmokefreeVET text program and message libraries in English and Spanish with SMS and web-based subscription options for Veterans, deliver test message in compliance with all rules and regulations, and advise on best practices for text message programs; track text program utilization rates and provide monthly data reports; support text messaging program promotional efforts by providing analytics and technical support of VHA-led communication campaigns, and creation of instructive promotional materials for distribution. Contractor will maintain a SmokefreeVET Facebook page and post regular content; develop unique and engaging content including images, GIFs, videos, and quizzes to build awareness and reach of the page. Technical Qualifications: Contractor must have extensive experience and knowledge in tobacco treatment and behavioral counseling for tobacco cessation (e.g., knowledge of evidence-based tobacco use treatment; experience delivering a proactive telephone tobacco cessation quitline; experience communicating about tobacco cessation in various formats including via text message, on the web, and social media); knowledge of quitline call center practices, data collection systems, and telecommunications suitable for successful operation of a proactive telephone quitline; knowledge of automated text message programs and platforms, data management, and applicable Federal and industry regulations for successful operation of an automated tobacco cessation text message program; expertise in web development and creation of interactive web features. Interested & Capable Responses: NCO 5 is seeking responses from entities that are interested in this procurement and consider themselves to have the resources, capabilities and qualifications necessary to provide the services described above. Please respond with your: 1. Business name, business type, socio-economic status (e.g., Veteran-Owned, Woman-Owned, Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), etc.), and person of contact (including telephone number & email address). 2. Capability statement and summary of previous experience providing these types of services for the Veterans Health Administration or other similar healthcare entities. 3. Ballpark cost estimate of what the VHA Tobacco & Health Policy and Programs Office could expect to pay your company to perform the work described above per year. Responses must be submitted by 11:00 AM (Eastern) May 18, 2022. Responses to the information requested above must be submitted via email to contact@example.gov. This request for information/sources sought notice is for planning purposes ONLY. The results of this market research will assist in the development of (1) the requirement, and (2) the acquisition strategy (e.g., small business set-aside, full and open competition, etc.). VA assumes no responsibility for any costs incurred associated with the preparation of responses submitted as a result of this notice.