SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
24/7 Telebehavioral Health Emergency Department Support Services
Great Plains Area Indian Health Service (GPA IHS)
Sources Sought Notice Number: IHS1526971
NOTICE TYPE AND PURPOSE
This is a Sources Sought Notice for market research purposes only. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), or Invitation for Bid (IFB). No contract will be awarded as a result of this announcement.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is conducting market research to determine the availability and capability of qualified Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEEs), Indian Economic Enterprises (IEEs), Small Businesses, 8(a) participants, HUBZone Small Businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), and Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) capable of performing the requirement described herein prior to issuance of a potential solicitation.
No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with preparing or submitting information in response to this notice. Responses shall be submitted by email. No presentations will be scheduled.
Responses will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition strategy, including whether a set-aside is appropriate.
The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 561320, Temporary Help Services. Respondents may identify other NAICS codes they believe are more appropriate to the requirement, such as those applicable to offices of physicians or mental health specialists.
1.0 BACKGROUND
The Great Plains Area Office (GPAO) works in conjunction with its 19 Indian Health Service Units and Tribal Managed Service Units to provide health care to approximately 122,000 Native Americans located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.
The Area Office's service units include seven hospitals, eight health centers, and several smaller health stations and satellite clinics.
IHS anticipates providing 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year (24/7/365) synchronous audio-video telebehavioral health services in support of Emergency Department (ED) operations at facilities within the Great Plains Area.
2.0 OBJECTIVE
The mission of the Indian Health Service is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. As part of this mission, IHS is committed to ensuring the safety and security of its patients, staff, and facilities while providing high-quality health care services across its regions.
The purpose of this requirement is to provide services to patients presenting to Emergency Departments with suicide attempts, acute psychiatric crises, substance-related emergencies, and co-occurring disorders. Timely behavioral health assessment and intervention are critical to patient safety, regulatory compliance, and appropriate disposition.
3.0 SCOPE
The Contractor shall provide qualified, licensed independent behavioral health clinicians, including psychologists, psychiatrists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Professional Counselors-Mental Health (LPC-MHs), or equivalent professionals, to deliver real-time telebehavioral health services.
Services shall include, as clinically indicated and/or required by facility workflows:
- Suicide risk assessment and completion of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) with Suicide Assessment Five-Step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) for patients presenting with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts.
- Crisis intervention, de-escalation guidance, and reassessment as indicated.
- Individualized Stanley-Brown Safety Planning, including lethal means counseling when appropriate.
- Placement coordination for patients requiring higher levels of care, including inpatient psychiatric care, crisis stabilization, and detoxification services, with documentation of placement attempts.
- Language-access coordination, including telephonic, video remote interpreting (VRI), and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services available within 15 minutes of request and documented in the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
- Culturally responsive and trauma-informed care, supported by annual clinician training in areas such as cultural competency, implicit bias, and trauma-informed care.
For patients presenting with acute psychiatric crises, qualified prescribing providers including psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychologists with prescribing privileges shall be available to consult with the ED provider regarding appropriate medication stabilization.
Prior to initiation of a consultation, the Contractor shall receive a report from the referring provider or designee. At the conclusion of the patient evaluation, the telebehavioral health provider shall provide a report to the referring provider or designee.
4.0 CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS AND PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS
The Contractor shall maintain sufficient qualified personnel and operational capacity to provide the required synchronous audio-video telebehavioral health coverage 24/7/365, including weekends and Federal holidays.
Personnel shall possess the professional qualifications, licensure, credentials, and prescribing authority, as applicable, necessary to perform the services described in this notice.
5.0 TYPE OF ORDER
The anticipated award is a firm-fixed-price, performance-based acquisition purchase order.
6.0 ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The anticipated period of performance is a Base Period plus Four Option Years, as follows:
Base Period: August 1, 2027 July 31, 2028
Option Year 1: August 1, 2028 July 31, 2029
Option Year 2: August 1, 2029 July 31, 2030
Option Year 3: August 1, 2030 July 31, 2031
Option Year 4: August 1, 2031 July 31, 2032
7.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE
The requirement supports facilities within the Great Plains Area, Indian Health Service.
The initial scope includes the following Emergency Departments:
- Pine Ridge Hospital Pine Ridge, South Dakota
- Rosebud Hospital Rosebud, South Dakota
- Eagle Butte Hospital Eagle Butte, South Dakota
- Fort Yates Hospital Fort Yates, North Dakota
- Belcourt Hospital Belcourt, North Dakota
8.0 REPORTS, DELIVERABLES, AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE
The Contractor shall provide synchronous audio-video telebehavioral health services 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, including weekends and Federal holidays, unless otherwise specified in an applicable order.
Services shall be provided utilizing Webex or another platform identified by the Indian Health Service.
9.0 PAYMENT AND INVOICING
Invoices submitted under any resulting award shall be processed through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) in accordance with HHSAR 352.232-71, Electronic Submission and Processing of Payment Requests.
Payment will be made upon receipt of a complete and accurate invoice and successful completion of acceptance in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act.
Invoices shall contain all required information and supporting documentation and shall be submitted through IPP.gov, with a copy provided to Dustin Appl, COR I, or his designee.
Invoice Frequency and Submission
Invoices shall be submitted in accordance with the terms of any resulting award and shall reference the applicable contract or order number.
10.0 CAPABILITY STATEMENT / INFORMATION REQUESTED
Interested parties are expected to review this notice and the associated Performance Work Statement (PWS), if provided with the notice, to familiarize themselves with the requirements. Failure to do so is at the respondent's own risk.
Capability statements shall include the following:
- Company Name.
- Company Information: Point of contact, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and website address.
- Authorized Point of Contact: Name, telephone number, and email address of a company representative with the authority and knowledge necessary to clarify the company's response with Government representatives.
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
- Business Size and Socioeconomic Status: Identify applicable business classifications, including ISBEE, IEE, Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, or other applicable status. Respondents should be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov.
- Capability Narrative: Provide sufficient information demonstrating the firm's ability to meet the requirements described in this notice.
- Relevant Past Performance: Provide sufficient detail regarding:
- Current capability and capacity to perform the work;
- Prior completed efforts of similar scope, size, and complexity;
- Organizational experience and management capability; and
- Examples of completed Government contracts and other relevant experience.
Capability Statement Format
Capability statements shall:
- Not exceed 10 single-sided pages, including attachments and resumes;
- Be single-spaced;
- Use a minimum 12-point font;
- Be formatted for 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper;
- Use 1-inch margins on all sides; and
- Be submitted in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.
Respondents will not be notified individually of the results of this Sources Sought Notice.
11.0 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Interested parties shall submit capability statements by email to:
David Jones
Contract Specialist
Email: David.Jones@ihs.gov
The email subject line shall include:
Sources Sought IHS1526971
Response Due Date: September 17, 2026
Response Due Time: 12:00 p.m. Central Time
All responses must be received by the specified due date and time to be considered.
12.0 IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER
This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and shall not be construed as a solicitation, award, commitment, or obligation on the part of the Government.
The Government may use information received in response to this notice to inform its acquisition strategy, including determining whether an appropriate set-aside is possible.
Funding may not become available. If funds are unavailable, no award will be made.
The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with preparing or submitting information in response to this notice.
IHS does not intend to award a contract based solely on responses to this Sources Sought Notice. Following review of market research responses, IHS may issue a presolicitation notice and/or solicitation, including a Request for Quote (RFQ), on SAM.gov.
Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will not be considered responses to any future solicitation.
The Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of responses or provide feedback to individual respondents.
13.0 CONFIDENTIALITY
Respondents shall not include proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in their submissions.
Organizations responding to this notice should ensure their submissions are sufficiently complete and detailed to allow the Government to assess their qualifications and capabilities to perform the contemplated requirement.
POINT OF CONTACT
David Jones
Contract Specialist
Indian Health Service
Email: David.Jones@ihs.gov
