Description On October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the FY 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 2647) into law, which became Public Law No: 111-84. The law contains provisions for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to commence a three-year study to assess the benefits, feasibility, and advisability of using service/therapy dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or mental injuries or disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking to partner with nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that: (A) are willing to travel to a site that is yet to be determined, at no cost to the government, to provide the service/therapy dog; (B) would not charge veterans who participate in the study fees for the dogs, services, or lodging that they provide; (C) have standard screening procedures in place for all potential users of service/therapy dogs that veterans must pass in order to be placed with a service/therapy dog; (D) have standards which are followed for care of service/therapy dog in home settings of the veterans, ensuring well-being of the animal; and, (E) are accredited by Assistance Dogs Partners or Assistance Dogs International, with demonstrated experience, national scope, and recognized leadership and expertise in the training of service dogs for persons with mental illness and education in the use of service dogs. The following information and excerpt from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, Sec. 1077. Department of Veterans Affairs Use of Service Dogs for the Treatment or Rehabilitation of Veterans with Physical or Mental Injuries or Disabilities, is provided to assist parties in determining their interest in participating in the study. The Secretary shall reimburse partners $10,000 for each dog provided to a veteran who enrolls in the study and successfully completes a training program offered by one of the partners. Participation: (1) IN GENERAL- As part of the study, the Secretary shall arrange for the provision of a service dog to the greater of the following: (A) 200 veterans, (B) a sufficient number of such veterans to produce scientifically valid results with respect to assessing the benefits and costs of the use of such dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of such veterans; (2) NUMBER OF VETERANS - The Department of Veterans Affairs may provide dogs to fewer than 200 veterans if, despite its sustained and repeated efforts, it is unable to recruit 200 veterans to participate in the study. OPTION FOR OWNERSHIP OF, AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR, THE DOG AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE STUDY - At the end of the study the veteran will have the option of ownership of the dog. If the veteran does not wish to retain the dog, the 501(c)(3) organization that provided the dog will be responsible for caring for or appropriately placing the dog. In any case after completion of the study, or if and when the veteran chooses to not participate in the study until completion, further responsibility by the Department of Veterans Affairs for any benefits in this provision will cease. Further, the Department of Veterans Affairs' liability related to the dog will cease. The study under this section is subject to the availability of appropriations provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs for such purpose. This is not a solicitation, and no award will be made for this effort at this time. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only, and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. RESPONSE GUIDANCE Interested parties must submit the following in response to this RFI: Track record of providing service dogs/therapy dogs to individuals with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Proof of accreditation by Assistance Dogs International, statement of whether or not the agency has had a previous contract with the VA, and specifics and information on dog training (i.e., length of training required, type of training conducted, etc.). Include in key points any additional benefits or risks, constraints, any known health concerns, and other pertinent information. All information submitted in response to this notice should be clearly marked with the following information: the company name or identifier, and the reference number. Address responses to: Jennifer B. Rohrbach Department of Veterans Affairs 4300 Duhme Road, Suite 300 Madeira Beach, FL 33708 INFORMATION APPROACH When the responses to this RFI are received, they will be evaluated and analyzed by the Government. The information received will be considered in the development of the acquisition strategy and may serve as input to the study. In all studies pertaining to this RFI, the Government will take absolute care not to present information outside of the Government in a way that clearly identifies individual vendors or products. CONTACT INFORMATION Responses should include the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with us. Questions regarding this RFI can be directed to Jennifer Rohrbach at
[email protected]. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.