Pine Ridge Job Corps. - Center Mental Health Consultant

This federal Request for Quotation (RFQ 12318727Q0015) issued by the USDA Forest Service seeks a total small business set-aside contractor to provide part-time Center Support Mental Health Consultant (CMHC) services for the Pine Ridge Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Chadron, Nebraska. The anticipated contract is a firm-fixed-price agreement spanning a one-year base period (520 hours) with four one-year option periods, totaling up to five years and 2,600 hours. The selected consultant will deliver on-site clinical mental health services to students aged 16 to 24. Responsibilities include applicant file reviews, intake assessments, mental health promotion, crisis intervention, short-term therapy, case management, and staff training in compliance with Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook guidelines, HIPAA, and state regulations. Key personnel must possess an active, unrestricted independent practitioner license in Nebraska, a minimum of one year of relevant experience, and pass background checks. Quotations will be evaluated using a Best Value Tradeoff process where technical capability is more important than price, alongside past performance. Quotes and questions must be submitted electronically to Contracting Officer Darlene Chase by November 6, 2026, and November 3, 2026, respectively.

This document outlines Attachment 5, detailing the Clinical Occupational Series and Labor Categories for a Job Corps contract. It defines roles, responsibilities, education, experience, and licensing/certification requirements for four clinical labor categories: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Specialist, Registered Nurse II (or above), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and Center Mental Health Consultant (CMHC). Key duties involve providing primary health care, mental health assessments, counseling, drug testing, and health education to students, along with managing health records and care coordination. All positions require adherence to the Department of Labor (DOL) Policy and Requirements Handbook (PRH) and mandates prior DOL/Contracting Officer approval for personnel before rendering services. Additionally, clinical personnel must maintain active, unrestricted state licenses to practice independently within the state where the Job Corps center operates, with specific driving requirements applying to nursing staff.

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) sets forth procedures for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Job Corps National Office to monitor contractor performance for Job Corps Clinical Support Services (Solicitation/Contract Number 12318727Q0015). The contract provides temporary clinical services to fill vacant federal positions across Job Corps Centers. The QASP works alongside the contractor’s Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure performance standards and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) are met. Surveillance methods include periodic inspections, 100% inspections, random file reviews, and customer complaints. Performance metrics dictate that resources, equipment, and staffing must maintain 95% to 98% availability, while quality control plans and monthly status reports require 100% compliance. Key responsibilities are defined across multiple entities: - **Contractors** must execute internal quality control, maintain records, and designate a single point of contact. - **Contracting Officers (CO)** retain authority over contract modifications, administrative remedies, and QASP revisions. - **Contracting Officer Representatives (COR)** perform routine inspections, evaluate output against AQLs, log performance data, and initiate corrective actions. If contractor performance falls below established standards, the government may require work re-performance at no additional cost or implement administrative penalties under Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Conversely, consistently high performance may reduce surveillance frequency. The document incorporates standardized monitoring templates, including customer feedback records, surveillance activity logs, and complaint investigation forms to document compliance and support CPARS ratings.