Interactive On-Line Screening Program for Veterans in Crisis

Page 2 of 2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT Veterans Online Interactive Screening Program 1. SCOPE OF WORK 1.1 Description of Services: The contractor will grant the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) a license to use an online interactive screening program, assist VCL staff in training Chat Crisis Responders in the procedures for use of the online interactive screening program, provide ongoing technical assistance/support to the VCL, and collect/evaluate quantitative data. 1.2 Background: There are approximately 20 million Veterans in the United States and six million Veterans who receive care within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VHA). Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate suicide rates among men between the ages of 20 and 65 at approximately 17 per 100,000 persons per year. VHA mental health officials estimate 6,400 suicides per year among Veterans, and 2,500 among veterans receiving health care from VHA. Recent reports have suggested that Veterans may be at an increased risk for conditions and behaviors associated with poor mental health including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and increased rates of substance use; all of which are established risk factors for suicide. The VCL Chat program enables Veterans, along with their families and friends, to interact online, anonymously, and chat with a trained VCL Crisis Responder. If the Crisis Responder, after a mental health assessment, determines the user to be in a crisis, the Crisis Responder can take immediate steps to transfer them to the VCL s 24/7 call center, where further counseling and referral services are provided. The VCL chat program is intended to reach out to all Veterans who may or may not be enrolled in the VA health care system and provide them with online access to the VCL and the VA s suicide prevention services. For many Veterans, their first contact with VHA is through this program. To help facilitate Veterans utilization of the chat program and enhance the chat Crisis Responders ability to understand and respond effectively to Veteran-users, the VCL seeks to hire a contractor to develop, implement, and assist in evaluating an online assessment tool that would be seamlessly linked to the VCL Chat program. 1.3 Objective: 1.3.1 Develop, implement, and assist in evaluating an online, evidence based, assessment tool that would be seamlessly linked to the VCL chat program. The online, evidence-based, assessment tool shall include symptoms of depression, PTSD, and other mental health problems and conditions that are associated with elevated risk of suicidal behavior in Veteran and military service personnel. 1.3.2 The design shall provide full access to the assessment tool and all program functions from a smartphone or other mobile device and include a separate version of the assessment tool for family members and other advocates who wish to get help for a Veteran they are concerned about. 1.3.3 Each user s submitted assessment, including the automation of the Reference code, shall be computer-classified into one of four tiers, depending on suicide risk, and routed to a live Chat Crisis Responder who provides a personalized response to the user and encourages follow-up conversation through the VCL Chat service. Using the understanding gained through review of the information the user provided on his/her assessment tool, the Chat Crisis Responder can provide appropriate referrals to services and by including automated follow-up email reminders to participants, this will further engage the user in exploring and resolving barriers and resistances to service utilization. 1.3.4 An evaluation plan shall be implemented by the contractor and the VCL to measure the assessment tool utilization and outcomes. The contractor and the VCL staff will collaborate in analyzing and interpreting the assessment tool data. 1.3.5 The contractor will work with VCL staff to analyze and interpret the data gathered through the online suicide assessment tool, and collaborate with VCL staff in presenting evaluation findings at conferences and in manuscripts intended for professional audiences. Although data will be collected by the contractor, VCL will own all collected data and have purview over all analysis, interpretation, and presentation of the data. 1.4 Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be for one base year with (4) optional years as follows: Base Year: April 1, 2026 March 31, 2027 Option Year 1: April 1, 2027 March 31, 2028 Option Year 2: April 1, 2028 March 31, 2029 Option Year 3: April 1, 2029 March 31, 2030 Option Year 4: April 1, 2030 March 31, 2031 2. TASKS AND DELIVERABLES 2.1 Description of Tasks: Provide VCL an online suicide assessment tool; Provide unlimited access to the online assessment tool and collected data during the contract period; Provide on-going technical support and assistance with the assessment tool functionality; to include sending follow-up reminder emails to participants, updating the Crisis Responder templates, welcome page, thank you page and/or the creation of new templates that target individualized demographic responses. Allow for regular website updates/changes of resource information to include videos, and so forth. Periodically monitor the online assessment tool to ensure user access and smooth functionality; to include having the Reference Code automatically populate for the Crisis Responder without requiring the participant to provide. Monitor the integration of the assessment tool and the Veterans Chat software to accommodate ongoing updates by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Assist VCL staff in training Chat Crisis Responders in the procedures of the online assessment tool and provide ongoing technical assistance and support to Chat Crisis Responders, as needed; Assist VCL staff in the analysis and interpretation of the online assessment tool data; to include a data report/evaluation plan that includes specific data needs and timelines. Participate with VCL in presenting evaluation findings related to the online assessment tool at annual conferences, as needed. Participate in the development of manuscripts related to the online assessment tool, as agreed upon by the contractor and the VCL. 2.2 Reporting Requirements: The contractor will submit reports to the Contracting Officer s Representative and the Quality Assurance Officer of the VCL. Deliverables: Online assessment tool, as described in section above; website with enhancements and interfaces including timely updates/changes as agreed upon by the contractor and VA staff; Quarterly reports to be delivered on or before the 15th of the next quarter. Annual reports to be delivered on or before the 15th of the new Option year. Reports will include quantitative data (such as: number of quizzes, breakdown of participants, number/percent of symptom severity, evaluation data, number of new users, number of returning users, number of users who engaged in a chat, and so forth). Ad Hoc reports upon request; Secure transfer of all submitted assessment data to VCL. Data updates exported and securely transferred to VCL Quarterly concurrent with reports or Ad Hoc upon request; Quarterly conference calls with the VCL to review reporting data, report on future events for volume increases, and address any issues or updates. Face to face meeting(s) scheduled if agreed upon by contractor and VCL.