RFP for Tele-Mental Health Technology-Recommendations for Context-Appropriate Tele-Mental Health Technology 132 views0 applications

The Center for Victims of Torture

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RFP for Tele-Mental Health Technology

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), headquartered in Minneapolis, USA, invites proposals to help it identify appropriate tele-mental health technologies for remote and virtual delivery of core services to clients in diverse settings.

Client: The Center for Victims of Torture RFP Title: Recommendations for Context-Appropriate Tele-Mental Health Technology Funding Level: Cost-efficient proposals or those that incorporate gift-in-kind contributions will be viewed favorably. Eligibility: Applicants must have the capacity to liaise with CVT staff in the US and abroad.

About The Center for Victims of Torture

The Center for Victims of Torture works toward a future in which torture ceases to exist and its victims have hope for a new life. We are an international nonprofit dedicated to healing survivors of torture and violent conflict. We provide direct care for those who have been tortured, train partners around the world who can prevent and treat torture, and advocate for human rights and an end to torture. CVT’s current strategic plan emphasizes growth to expand core activities, including direct services, which currently include psychosocial counseling, psychotherapy, psychoeducation, psychological first aid, crisis stabilization, trauma-informed physiotherapy, case management, and staff care. As part of CVT’s strategic efforts to expand the number of survivors who benefit from our services abroad, CVT is both designing new clinical interventions and seeking innovative new ways to deliver them. Remote care is an essential factor in enhancing accessibility and inclusivity of services, and in reaching populations in hostile or insecure environments as well as those facing social, health, and legal barriers that may restrict movement.

The current RFP, therefore, supports the following strategic goals:  Develop and test innovative approaches that extend the reach and effectiveness of rehabilitation services for survivors  Develop plans to enhance program continuity and sustainability  Further the realization of the right to rehabilitation for survivors globally and increase access to high quality and appropriate mental health and psychosocial support invest in technology systems and develop technical infrastructure that facilitates seamless and secure international communications and functionality.

CVT’s full strategic plan is available for viewing on its website.

RFP: Tele-Mental Health Technology

Summary Statement of Work and Deliverables

The Center for Victims of Torture

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CVT delivers services over ten sites internationally (non-US). Its clinical team consisting primarily of psychotherapists, psychosocial counselors, physiotherapy and rehabilitation staff, and social workers totals approximately 130 team members. The services they deliver can be categorized as intensive (specialized) rehabilitation services and non-intensive (non-specialized) psychosocial or resilience services. Intensive rehabilitation services are the primary form of service delivery. These services may vary in, but primarily use a group modality and involve 510 weekly sessions.

The key deliverable of this RFP is to provide recommendations and guidance on how CVT can deliver its services safely and effectively using available telehealth technologies in its international (non-US) site locations which include both urban and refugee camp settings. The selected vendor is expected to collaborate with key clinical and administrative points of contact in each project to identify where/how adaptations may be feasible. The vendor should be able to support the creation of structures and processes that would lead to discovering practical ways to implement telemental / telebehavioral health systems within our humanitarian contexts. The vendor should also be able to develop policies and procedures specific to delivery of telemental health services.

The CVT anticipates the needs for telehealth capabilities for the following categories. All telehealth systems proposed, comprised of policies, procedures, technology, training, clinical and administrative management, product cost estimates, and oversight functions must adhere to standards as dictated by HIPAA and HITECH legislation. Multiple modalities may be required for each of the following categories, based on local context and capacities. A full list of CVT sites, services, and operational parameters is found below in Annex A.

 Tele-counseling sessions – individual and group  Client stabilization and crisis management  Tele-psychoeducation  Tele-psychological first aid  Remote group information-sharing sessions  Tele-staff care – individual and group  Tele-supervision – individual and group

Application Components

 RFP Response – No more than 5 pages o Summary ½ page o Technical approach 2 pages o Background and prior experience ½ page o Budget summary and detail ½ page o Key personnel credentials ½ page o Timeline with milestones 1 page  Names and contact information for 2-3 references (clients)  CVs of key personnel  Sample products
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Any and all costs incurred in the development of proposals, (i.e. preparing and submitting, onsite product/service demonstrations, on-site visits, oral presentations, travel and lodging, etc.) shall be the sole responsibility of the vendor.

Vendor Competencies and Qualifications

 Can you demonstrate knowledge of the legal and ethical principles governing telemental/ telebehavioral health?  Are you well-grounded in the evidence-based research related to telemental/ telebehavioral health?  Are you well grounded in latest and emerging trends in telemental/telebehavioral health?  Are you well grounded in knowledge of software and technology requirements needed?  Are you familiar with LMIC or humanitarian settings utilization of technology?  Are you familiar with both low-tech and more tech-heavy methods of telehealth?  Are you able to help train staff, as needed, in the competencies related to telemental/ telebehavioral health?  Are you able to advise the CVT Tech Department on what support & maintenance any recommended platforms or systems would require?  Are you able to provide price quotes for the technology infrastructure related to any recommended platforms or systems?  Are you able to transform existing models of clinical psychotherapy, physiotherapy, and group therapy into ones that utilize telehealth technologies?  Are you able to provide options for future integrations between telehealth platforms and electronic health records systems?

Eligibility Criteria

 No sub-contracting  Must be a business associate of HHSC within the meaning of the federal privacy and security laws as stated in 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164, sub-parts A, C, and E.  Must agree to contractual provisions to prevent support to foreign terrorism and perpetrators of human rights atrocities, as stated in 2 CFR 200  Must agree to contractual provisions to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation, to prevent trafficking in persons, and to promote child protection, as stated in 2 CFR 200  Experience implementing 5+ similar projects  Registered to conduct business or consulting services in country of operations

The successful responded must agree to additional vetting, including but not limited to reference checks, background check, and/or review of names of key personnel and leadership against risk management databases.

Evaluation Criteria and Scoring Rubric

 Application demonstrates an ability to assess and understand CVT’s particular needs
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 Application demonstrates a feasible process and timeline for delivering outputs within three months of contract signing, or September 30th, 2020.  Application demonstrates a cost-efficient budget that is sensitive to the humanitarian and not-for-profit nature of CVT’s work

Timeline

CVT to distribute RFP Friday, May 26, 2020 Vendor deadline to submit intent to respond Friday, June 5, 2020 Vendor deadline to submit questions Tuesday, June 9, 2020 CVT to answer questions submitted by vendors Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Vendor deadline to submit responses Wednesday, June 17, 2020 CVT to vet top respondents Friday, June 19, 2020 CVT to select vendor and inform respondents Tuesday, June 23, 2020 CVT and successful respondent consultations June 24 – June 25, 2020 Agreement signed Friday, June 26, 2020

Contact Information and Submission Procedure

The issuing officer for this RFP also serves as the point of contact for questions and RFP responses. The issuing officer is: Mike Nation, IT Director and HIPAA Security Officer 2356 University Avenue West, Suite 430 Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA 55114 Tel: 612.436.4881 [email protected]

All responses should be typed and in PDF format. All required components and any optional annexes should be combined into one document. Responses should be received no later than 11:59pm US Central Time on June 17, 2020 with the subject line “CVT RFP Response – TeleMental Health Technology”

Annex A: Structure and Service Overview

In addition to services in the US, CVT delivers services at more than ten sites overseas. They are summarized as follows:

 Middle East: Amman and Mafraq, Jordan Size of Clinical Team: 30 Average clients per year: 1,000

Other regional locations Size of Clinical Team: 10 Average clients per year: 200

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 Ethiopia: Mai-Aini & Adi Harush Refugee Camps, Tigray Region Nguenyyiel Refugee Camp, Gambella Region Size of Clinical Team: 63 Average clients per year: 1,000

 Kenya: Nairobi Kakuma Refugee Camp, Turkana County Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa County Size of Clinical Team: 64 Average clients per year: 1,450

 Uganda: Bidi Bidi Refugee Camp Gulu Size of Clinical Team: 22 Average clients per year: 600

Location Service Context Urban centers in Jordan and neighboring countries. Services:  Individual and group counseling for adults  Individual and group physiotherapy for adults  Integrated counseling and physiotherapy for children and families  Trauma resilience services (psychosocial sensitization and practice) for groups Staff support:  Internal individual and group clinical supervision  External individual and group clinical supervision  Internal staff support and self-care trainings  External staff support and self-care trainings Infrastructure:  Clinical staff have basic mobile phones and laptop computers  Clinical staff may upgrade to tablets and/or smartphones  Many clients (refugees) have access to smartphones  Most external staff (partners) have access to smartphones and/or computers  Internet services are largely unrestricted  Local IT support sector knowledge and skill is high  Jordan-based IT specialist on-staff  Internet network and cellular connectivity is high quality Rural or conflict-affected areas in the Middle East. Services:  Individual and group counseling for adults  Trauma resilience services (psychosocial sensitization and practice) for groups  Stabilization services Staff support:  Internal individual and group clinical supervision  External individual and group clinical supervision  Internal staff support and self-care trainings  External staff support and self-care trainings The Center for Victims of Torture

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Infrastructure:  Many clients (refugees) have access to smartphones  Most external staff (partners) have access to smartphones and/or computers  Connectivity can be unreliable  Local IT support sector is limited Urban Nairobi, Kakuma Refugee Camp & Dadaab Refugee Camp, Kenya. Services:  Individual and group counseling for adults  Individual and group physiotherapy for adults  Aftercare group services for LGBTI clients  Aftercare group services for parents  Trauma resilience services (psychosocial sensitization and practice) for groups Staff support:  Internal individual and group clinical supervision  Internal staff support and self-care trainings  External staff support and self-care trainings Infrastructure:  Clinical staff have smart phones and laptop computers  Many clients (refugees) have access to phones and some smartphones  Most external staff (partners) have access to smartphones and/or computers  Internet services are largely unrestricted  Local IT support sector knowledge and skill is high  Kenya-based IT specialist is not on-staff  Internet network and cellular connectivity is moderately high quality with periodic interruptions Mai-Aini & Adi Harush Refugee Camps, Tigray Region. Nguenyyiel Refugee Camp, Gambella Region, Ethiopia.

Services:  Individual and group counseling for adults  Trauma resilience services (psychosocial sensitization and practice) for groups  Stabilization/crisis management Staff support:  Internal individual and group clinical supervision  Internal staff support and self-care trainings  External staff support and self-care trainings Infrastructure:  National clinical staff have basic mobile phones and laptop computers  Refugee clinical staff have basic mobile phone, but no computers  Many clients (refugees) have access to phones and some have smartphones  Most external staff (partners) have access to smartphones and/or computers  Internet services are largely unrestricted  Local IT support sector knowledge and skill is moderate  Ethiopia-based IT specialist is not on-staff  Internet network and cellular connectivity is medium quality in Tigray and very poor in Gambella Bidi Bidi Refugee Camp, Gulu, Uganda. Services:  Individual and group counseling for adults  Psychological First Aid (Bidi Bidi) The Center for Victims of Torture

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