Q403--Psychological Evaluation Police Services 36C26126Q0009

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. No Solicitation is currently available. All information contained in this Sources Sought Announcement is preliminary, as well as subject to modification, and is in no way binding on the Government. The Government will not pay for any information submitted in response to this request. The information requested will be used solely within the Department of Veterans Affairs to facilitate decision making and will not be disclosed outside of the Government. The determination of a procurement strategy, based upon the comments submitted in response to this Sources Sought Announcement, is solely within the discretion of the Government. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 621330 - Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians), size standard is $9M. Potential Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for an award (See Internet Site https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/). Potential Offerors must also have a current Online Representations and Certification Application on file with SAM. DESCRIPTION OF WORK 1. General: Psychological Evaluation Police Services Description of Services: Psychological Evaluations for Annual, Pre-Employment and Special or Directed Evaluations. Services or Performance required: (1) Pre-employment Psychological Evaluation. The pre-employment psychological evaluation focuses on the functional requirements for the position of a VA Police Officer, as well as suitability and stability for the role. It must consist of a standardized interview and standardized objective psychological testing with symptom validity scales. At least two psychological tests must be administered. The psychological evaluation must also include exploration of substance abuse and symptoms of other mental health disorders that may be considered an impediment to effective functioning as a VA Police Officer. (2) Periodic Evaluations. Periodic or annual evaluations focus on functional requirements for maintaining the position of a VA Police Officer. To initiate the evaluation, VHA Human Resources must provide a written request for the periodic evaluation and provide a documented reason to the employee when ordering the exam. A standardized interview must be conducted, and psychological testing should only be conducted when concerns are raised about the psychological fitness of the Police Officer during the psychological evaluation. Screening instruments, such as the Personal Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ2), PTSD Screen for Primary Care (PC-PTSD), Alcohol Use Identification Test (AUDIT) or other standardized instruments, may be used if additional testing is needed. A positive response on any screening instruments is an indication that further testing is required and cannot, in and of itself, be used as grounds for the final recommendation. If the interview or the screening and assessment tools raise concern for functional ability, stability, or suitability, further psychological testing may be done. NOTE: Periodic psychological evaluations of Police Officers recur every 12 months. (3) Directed or Special Examination. Incumbent VA Police Officers may be referred for a directed or special examination when there is objective evidence as determined by VHA Human Resources to indicate the employee s ability to perform essential job functions may be compromised. A directed or special psychological examination may be required when it appears that the incapacity is due to a mental or psychological disorder. This must be done in the context of an occupational health evaluation outlined in VA Handbook 5019 to ensure that medical conditions that may manifest with psychological, mental, or behavioral disturbance are identified. VHA Human Resources must provide a written summary articulating the reason that the employee s ability has come into question and provide the reason to the employee when ordering the exam. If the employee s position does not have properly established medical standards or physical requirements, or if there is no basis to order the examination based on a job related or business necessity, then there is no regulatory authority to order a fitness-for-duty evaluation, psychiatric examination, or psychological assessment. The Government requests that interested parties provide the following capability information to the Contract Specialist, Jill Williams by e-mail at jill.williams@va.gov by 11:00am PST on 08/01/2025. Please include the following information in your response: (a) Business Size (Large/Small) (b) Business Socio-Economic Status (must include SBA certification) (c) SAM record (d) Ability and experience with similar projects. The Government will use this information when determining its business type decision. This Sources Sought is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government and no contract will be awarded as a direct result of this Sources Sought announcement.