Description
VA Office of Research and Development PTSD Service Dog Study ***THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NO PRICING IS REQUIRED. THE VA IS ONLY SEEKING SOURCES AND INFORMATION. CONTRACTORS ARE WELCOME TO PROVIDE CAPABILITY STATEMENTS AND COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING FUTURE SOLICITATIONS.*** BACKGROUND On October 28, 2009, President 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 dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or mental injuries or disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As part of an ongoing research study, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking to partner with one or more contractors that can provide trained, healthy, and confirmationally sound service dogs for Veterans with PTSD. The Public Law states that 200 dogs (at maximum) will be enrolled into this research study. At this time, 17 pairings have already occurred. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/SUGGESTIONS FROM VENDORS VA requests comments and suggestions as to how VA can provide the best possible service dogs to veterans enrolled in the study. VA has encountered difficulty in obtaining consistently well-trained, healthy dogs. New Veteran/service dog pairings have been delayed twice since initial pairing due to health and behavioral problems on the part of the animals. These problems have severely delayed completion of the study, and highlighted inconsistencies in the practices of vendors within the service dog community. The lack of accurate community data on the true rate of dog pairing failures and adverse events has also hampered the study. We are now reaching out to both the service and working dog communities to learn about training and health screening best practices that can be applied to service dogs. Accordingly, VA is very interested in obtaining information from successful and stable service dog and working dog vendors. In addition, VA must now limit the interaction between service dog vendor personnel and the Veterans enrolled in the study to reduce bias and ensure that the study team is promptly aware of any problems with a service dog after pairing. Toward that end, VA expects to utilize its own dog trainers to provide post-pairing support. VA would also like to solicit feedback on whether trainers hired separately by VA could perform the pairing procedures in consultation with vendor trainers after receiving an appropriately trained service dog from a vendor. The original legislation directed VA to pay $10,000 per service dog, but VA will initiate a full and open contract competition with no set payment cap per dog. Although cost will be only one of the factors used to eventually select the successful bid, it will continue to be an important factor. It is important to note that this request for information is for the purposes of this research study only. Comments are also welcome by organizations that do not expect to bid for future contracts but are willing to provide information of potential value to VA in successfully completing this study. MINIMUM CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS VA seeks contractors that can provide well-trained, healthy dogs that are as free as possible from hip and elbow dysplasia, and as free as possible from other genetic defects that would reduce the effectiveness of a dog in the service role. The following minimum qualifications will likely be applied to potential contractors: " Demonstrate at least 5 years of experience as an organization in providing trained service dogs or demonstrate how at least 5 years of experience in training working dogs can be leveraged to transition to service dog training. " Commit to training staff on symptoms of PTSD and special challenges that Veterans with PTSD might face during the pairing or follow-up process. " Have a history of successfully placing at least 50 dogs, and agree to provide documentation and allow independent verification of those pairings by VA, if requested. " Demonstrate use of an effective veterinary health plan on the premises. " Demonstrate an effective program to reduce the number of dogs with conformational problems (hip, elbow dysplasia) or other disqualifying genetic defects to the smallest number reasonably possible. " Agree to be set up as a VA vendor ("vendorized") so that Direct Deposit payments for invoices can readily be made using the centralized VA vendor payment system. REQUESTED INFORMATION 1. If awarded a contract, how many trained service dogs could be provided in the first and second 12 month periods after the contract begins? Assume a contract would be signed by June 1, 2013. 2. Are you a non-profit organization? When was non-profit status awarded? 3. What breed(s) of dogs would be utilized? 4. Where do you obtain your dogs (breed your own, buy from established breeders, shelter/rescue) 5. What methods are in place and completed to ensure that the dogs selected for service are appropriate. 6. What process is used to train your dog trainers, and how many years of experience do they typically have? 7. How many years of experience does your organization have training service or working dogs (specify each)? 8. How many years of experience does your organization have training dogs for PTSD? 9. Do you provide any guarantees of health or performance ability after a dog has been paired? 10. What facilities do you have for training dogs and holding them prior to pairing? 11. Please describe the training process from birth to pairing. 12. Describe what tasks your dogs are typically trained to complete, and what tasks you would expect to be helpful to most veterans with PTSD. 13. Describe any health or wellness practices, and your program of veterinary care. 14. Would it be possible for trainers hired separately by VA to perform the actual pairings in consultation with your training staff? Describe how you feel that could happen. 15. What percentage of your pairings have historically failed due to factors attributable to the dog and failed due to factors attributable to the person? 16. Please describe your pairing procedures- how dogs and people are matched, the length of the pairing procedure, where it is done, and how it is done. If individuals to be paired are expected to come to your facility, what types of accommodations are provided for the individual? Is it expected that support personnel (e.g. significant others) are to attend the pairing as well? How would you expect to accommodate the needs of people with PTSD (small or individual classes, allowing a caregiver to stay, etc.)? 17. Describe your capability to provide dogs to a specific region of the country (e.g. Florida) 18. Describe what your typical requirements are for follow-up training. 19. If your organization currently does not have experience with service dogs, how would you transition to training service dogs? 20. Are you willing to transfer ownership of dog to VA immediately and are you willing to take a dog back if necessary? 21. Do you expect to provide training/education to caregivers/children who will be residing in the home with the veteran and dog? 22. Do you currently require any type of periodic dog training recertification? 23. Please provide any additional comments or suggestions you believe would help VA provide the best trained and most appropriate service dogs for veterans in the study with PTSD. PROPOSED TASKS - (WILL BE MORE DEFINED UPON THE RELEASE OF A SOLICITATION/ REQUEST FOR QUOTES/REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.) Task 1- Provide trained service dogs to VA. Task 2 - Document the training and health measures utilized individually for each dog.