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This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE only. This is not a request for formal proposals or quotes. No formal solicitation document exists at this time. This request is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this notice will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:
The intent of this Sources Sought Notice is to identify potential offerors capable of providing the services described herein in support of The War-related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) for the East Orange, NJ VA Medical Center.

RESPONDING TO THIS NOTICE:
Interested parties are encouraged to furnish information by email only with RESPONSE TO SOURCES SOUGHT 36C24220Q0878 in the subject line. Responses to this notice must include details of comparable coaching programs and outcomes data from programs previously executed in military service and/or Veteran populations, and references. Any documents submitted, will not be returned. All interested parties shall submit clear and convincing documentation demonstrating their experience and capabilities to satisfy the requirements listed herein to Megan Ross, Contract Specialist at Megan.Ross3@va.gov. The capability documentation should describe in detail the prospective contractor s certifications, capabilities and experience that will demonstrate the ability to provide the required services.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS:

The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform a comprehensive, multimodal and integrative functional medicine and whole health, rehabilitative exercise coaching and portable equipment, resiliency and brain health coaching, inclusive of selective non-invasive functional medicine tests, computerized health and wellness and cognitive assessments; selected nutritional supplementation, follow-up monitoring assessments that are personalized to fifty (50) WRIISC Veterans who suffer from deployment-related Chronic Multi-symptom Illness (CMI) via direct-to-home Tele-health technologies
The required services are in support of The War-related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) is a National VA Post-Deployment Health Services Program, established by Public Law 105-368, 105th Congress, in response to the experience of Gulf War Veterans of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

WRIISC Clincial Population:

The WRIISC at the VA New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange, NJ is a tertiary referral center that serves Veterans of all eras with medically unexpected or difficult-to- diagnose conditions that may be related to deployment. Veterans who served in the Gulf War, including the more recent conflicts in Iraq, experience chronic multi-symptom illnesses (CMI) also known as Gulf War Illness (GWI).

Given the complexity of WRIISC Veterans military exposures and their unique healthcare needs, a qualified VA Verified VIP Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and/or a Contractor that utilizes one or more Service-Disabled Veteran Providers as functional medicine health coaches with a demonstrable level of cultural competence when it comes to working with the military and Veteran community is a requirement for this contract.

Specific Objectives:
1. Using Functional Medicine and VA Whole Health principles, coach the Veteran in personalized lifestyle interventions to reduce symptoms and/or mitigate the impact of chronic multi-symptom illness (CMI) traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress (PTS), blast overpressure, deployment and military-related exposures, chronic stress, digestive health issues, sleep disturbance and the related complications on their overall health and functioning.
2. Engage the Veteran in physical activity and adaptive rehabilitative exercise modalities to reduce chronic pain and inflammation, improve tissue repair and restore functional movement patterns.
3. Increase the self-efficacy of the Veteran through resiliency coaching that enhances a renewed and/or a redefined life of mission and purpose, thereby creating a ripple effect that enhances positive social connections and/or relationships with family, friends and the Veteran's community at large.
4. Improve the Veteran's physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, and perceived quality of life in the short-term; with a long-term goal of reducing the health impact of chronic illness co-morbidity, psychological distress, suicidal tendencies and over utilization healthcare resources.
Scope of Services:
Program Description: This Contract is to provide services to fifty (50) Veterans that have received a multi-day comprehensive WRIISC clinical evaluation for Gulf War-related chronic multi-symptom illness (CMI) due to the complexity of their case. When they return to their VA home of record and are released to their primary care physician, they do not have ongoing coaching to support the WRIISC clinical road map and self-management healthcare recommendations.
This 12-month video-delivered Tele-health comprehensive, multimodal and integrative functional medicine and whole health coaching program for these WRIISC Veterans shall include:

Individual and Group Functional Medicine & Whole Health Coaching
Individual and Group Rehabilitative and Adaptive Exercises Coaching and appropriate portable equipment personalized to the Veteran's needs
Group Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga Nidra Coaching
Character Strengths Evaluation and Resiliency Coaching
Individual Cognitive Exercises (a.k.a., Brain Training)
Non-invasive Functional Medicine specialty laboratory tests for personalized health coaching and life-style management as recommended/prescribed by WRIISC healthcare providers
Nutritional supplements to enhance cellular function, reduce inflammation and support immune health (for 6 months).
Contractor Qualifications:

The contractor (and its staff) must be appropriately trained and have the demonstrative clinical experience and expertise to perform the scope of duties detailed herein.
Specifically, the contractor must have training in functional medicine demonstrable experience/expertise/certification in functional medicine coaching, application of VA Whole Health principles to life-style management, tactical athlete rehabilitative and resiliency coaching, and an established track record of performing comprehensive programs in military service and/or Veteran populations using direct-to-home Tele-health technologies.

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