Sources Sought: Medical Support ASSISTANTS AND/or CERTIFIED Nursing ASSISTANTS AT THE GREAT PLAINS AREA REGIONAL DRUG AND DEPENDENDCY UNIT (GPARDDU)
Sources Sought Notice Number: SSN-IHS1526445
This source sought notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation or commitment by the Indian Health Service.
The Government is evaluating potential application of the Buy Indian Act for this acquisition. Market research results will determine whether a Buy Indian set-aside is appropriate.
Market Research Notice :
This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for the purpose of conducting market research in accordance with FAR Part 10 and the Buy Indian Act (25 U.S.C. 5323). While the Government currently utilizes healthcare staffing or professional services, this notice is intended to determine whether qualified Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEE) or Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE) can provide the Great Plains Area Regional Drug and Dependency Unit, Medical Support Assistants and/or Certified Nursing Assistants that meets the Government's minimum performance needs.
Any future determination to restrict competition to one or a sole source will be supported by a separate full and open competition justification in accordance with applicable FAR requirements.
This source sought notice is intended strictly for market research to determine the availability of Indian Small Businesses Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) and/or Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE) or Other Small Businesses.
Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The anticipated applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 561320, Temporary Help Services, 621339, Office of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners, and other relevant NAICS codes will be considered based on responses received.
BACKGROUND:
Indian Health Service (IHS), Great Plains Area Office (GPAO) provides support to the Indian Health Clinics and Hospitals in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa. The GPAO ensures that all health clinics and hospitals have supplies, services, support, oversight, and other needs to provide healthcare for eligible Native American patients that are registered for services. There are various departments within each facility that have a requirement for Healthcare Providers including but not limited to: the Emergency Department, Outpatient Clinics, Pediatrics, Dental, Behavioral Health, Surgery, Obstetrics, Physical Therapy, Orthopedics, Cardiology, Podiatry, Audiology, and Optometry. Healthcare Providers are needed to fill the areas of needed professional services of which are necessary to provide care within the IHS healthcare system.
The Indian Health Service (IHS), Great Plains Area Office (GPAO), located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. It is conducting market research to identify potential sources capable of providing the Medical Support Assistants and/or Certified Nursing Assistants for the Great Plains Area Regional Drug and Dependency Unit (GPARDDU). The services are for all native patients located on the reservations of South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska.
The Government currently utilizes staffing and professional services within the region, however, this Sources Sought Notice is issued solely to assess the availability and capability of qualified Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEE) and Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE) to provide Medical Support Assistant (MSA) and/or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) that meet the Government's performance needs.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Business Size Standard of Company (i.e. small business, 8(a), Woman owned, veteran owned, etc.).
Socioeconomic Status and Required Documentation: Respondents shall clearly identify all applicable socioeconomic categories, including:
Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE)
Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE) 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)
HUBZone Small Business Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)
Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB)
Other Small Business
Large Business
Required Documentation:
(a) Proof of ISBEE/IEE status (including completed IEE Representation Form and Tribal/ownership documentation).
(b) SBA certification numbers or evidence for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, EDWOSB, etc.
(c) Confirmation of business size relative to NAICS 561320.
(d) Confirmation of current SAM registration (consistent with Item #2).
Responses are requested from all qualified firms, including but not limited to ISBEE, IEE, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, and large businesses. Responses will assist the Government in determining whether the requirement may be set aside under Buy Indian Act authority
Performance Work Statement (PWS)
Great Plains Area Regional Drug Dependency Unit (GPARDDU) Medical Support Assistant (MSA) and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Staffing Services
1.0 General
1.1 Introduction
The Great Plains Area Regional Drug Dependency Unit (GPARDDU) is a residential substance use disorder treatment facility operated under the Indian Health Service (IHS). GPARDDU provides 24-hour, seven-day-a-week residential behavioral health and substance use treatment services to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native adults. This requirement supports the IHS mission to provide safe, effective, and culturally responsive healthcare services.
Due to workforce shortages and fluctuations in staffing levels, IHS requires contractor-provided non-personal healthcare support services to ensure continuity of operations, patient safety, and uninterrupted delivery of residential treatment services.
1.2 Objective
The objective of this contract is to obtain non-personal, performance-based staffing support services that ensure uninterrupted coverage of qualified Medical Support Assistant (MSA) and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) services at the GPARDDU. The Government is contracting for staffing outcomes and service continuity, not individual laborers or Government-managed personnel.
1.3 Scope of Work
The Contractor shall provide all management, personnel, supervision, scheduling, quality control, and administrative support necessary to deliver continuous MSA and CNA services in support of GPARDDU residential treatment operations. Services shall be provided on a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week basis and shall comply with all applicable federal, IHS, and GPARDDU policies, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements.
The Contractor is responsible for ensuring adequate staffing levels, continuity of care, compliance with credentialing and security requirements, and consistent quality of services throughout the period of performance.
1.4 Type of Contract Contemplated
The Government anticipates awarding a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract for non-personal healthcare support services, structured by a base period and option periods.
1.5 Period of Performance
The period of performance consists of a one (1) year base period and four (4) one-year option periods, subject to the Government's exercise of options in accordance with FAR 52.217-9.
1.6 Place of Performance
Services shall be performed on-site at the Great Plains Area Regional Drug Dependency Unit (GPARDDU) and associated facilities as designated by IHS.
1.7 Ramp-Up Period
The Government recognizes that recruitment, security credentialing (e.g., background investigations and clearance processing) , and onboarding of qualified healthcare personnel may require a transition period following contract award.
The Contractor shall recruit, credential, and prepare qualified personnel necessary to achieve the staffing capability required to perform services at the coverage level specified in the applicable Contract Line-Item Number (CLIN).
Credentialing activities under this contract are primarily associated with security requirements necessary to obtain access to Government facilities, systems, and information , and the Contractor is responsible for coordinating and ensuring completion of all required personnel security processing.
The ramp-up period shall not exceed ninety (90) calendar days from the date of contract award, unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer.
During the ramp-up period, the Contractor shall coordinate with the Government regarding staffing progress, security processing status, and readiness to begin performance.
Contract performance shall not begin until the Contractor demonstrates the ability to provide staffing coverage consistent with the requirements of the selected CLIN for the initial performance period.
The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) in writing when sufficient staffing capability has been achieved and required security processing is complete, and the Contractor is ready to begin performance.
Upon confirmation of staffing readiness, the Contracting Officer will authorize the Contractor to begin performance. Once performance begins, the Contractor shall maintain continuous staffing coverage in accordance with the requirements of the applicable CLIN and Section 2.1 of this Performance Work Statement.
Failure to achieve the required staffing capability within the ramp-up period may result in termination of default.
2.0 Performance Requirements and Tasks
2.1 Staffing Coverage and Continuity
Outcome Required: Continuous, uninterrupted MSA and CNA service coverage sufficient to support a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week residential treatment facility.
The Contractor shall ensure staffing coverage that meets all identified operational needs of the GPARDDU without interruption due to contractor employee absences, callouts, vacancies, or scheduling conflicts. The Contractor is responsible for all scheduling, backfill, contingency coverage, and workforce management necessary to meet these requirements.
Staffing Requirement: The Contractor shall ensure staffing coverage consistent with the level specified in the applicable CLIN for the performance period. Staffing coverage shall be always maintained as required to support patient safety and continuity of care.
For purposes of this contract, a staffed shift represents one qualified contractor employee performing required services during a scheduled duty period established by the Government facility.
For purposes of this contract, a staffed shift represents one qualified contractor employee performing required services for a full scheduled duty period established by the Government facility.
A shift shall generally consist of an approximately eight (8) hour duty period , inclusive of authorized breaks and meal periods.
To ensure continuity of care and uninterrupted operations, the Contractor shall provide for appropriate overlap between outgoing and incoming personnel during shift transitions . Such overlap is in addition to the duty period and shall be sufficient to support effective handoff of responsibilities without any lapse in coverage.
The Contractor is responsible for always ensuring continuous coverage of required functions, including during shift transitions and handoff activities.
Each staffed shift shall be fully covered for the entire duty period. Any lapse in coverage, including during shift transitions, shall constitute an unfilled shift for purposes of performance monitoring.
Each staffed shift shall be fully covered for the duration of the scheduled duty period. Partial shift coverage or early departure of contractor personnel without approved replacement shall constitute an unfilled shift for purposes of performance monitoring.
The Contractor shall ensure required staffing coverage is always maintained and shall provide immediate backfill for any contractor personnel absence, vacancy, or scheduling conflict to prevent disruption of services.
The Government is acquiring continuous staffing coverage based on the coverage level specified in the applicable CLIN for each performance period, supporting 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week, 365 days per year operations. Failure to maintain required staffing coverage due to contractor personnel absence, turnover, or scheduling issues shall constitute performance deficiencies.
Full staffing capability sufficient to meet the requirements of the initially selected CLIN for the first performance period , as determined by the Government at the time of performance authorization, shall be achieved no later than the completion of the ramp-up period described in Section 1.7.
The Government anticipates requiring staffing coverage equivalent to the highest coverage level at the start of performance; however, the specific coverage level will be determined at the time of CLIN selection.
Following completion of the ramp-up period, the Contractor shall always maintain required staffing coverage in accordance with the applicable CLIN for each performance period.
Identification of Coverage Gaps: GPARDDU staffing requirements are partially driven by Federal employee schedules, which may result in variable and non-recurring coverage gaps. The Government will identify and communicate required coverage gaps to the Contractor on a rolling basis, including the dates, times, and duration of required coverage.
Government Role Limitation: The Government's identification of coverage gaps is limited to specifying coverage requirements only. The Government shall not approve schedules, direct individual contractor personnel, or manage contractor staffing decisions.
At no time shall Government or GPARDDU personnel be required to assume contractor staffing responsibilities to compensate for contractor performance deficiencies. Failure to meet staffing coverage requirements shall constitute a performance deficiency subject to corrective action.
2.2 Clinical and Program Support Services
Outcome Required: Timely, accurate, and professional delivery of MSA and CNA support services consistent with residential substance use treatment standards.
The Contractor shall ensure personnel perform services that include but are not limited to: - Supporting patient safety, monitoring, and daily program operations. - Assisting licensed staff with patient observations, documentation, and routine clinical support within scope of practice. - Supporting intake, discharge, and program coordination activities. - Maintaining accurate and timely documentation in Government-designated systems.
2.3 Contractor Personnel Management
Outcome Required: A contractor-managed workforce that meets all qualification, credentialing, labor, and performance requirements.
The Contractor shall recruit, hire, credential, train, supervise, and manage all personnel assigned to this contract. The Contractor is solely responsible for employee compensation, benefits, discipline, and termination.
Labor Standards and Overtime Responsibility: The Contractor is solely responsible for compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local labor laws, including wage, overtime, and premium pay requirements. If the Contractor assigns personnel to work in excess of forty (40) hours per workweek or eighty (80) hours per pay period, the Contractor shall ensure all overtime and premium pay obligations are satisfied at no additional cost to the Government, unless otherwise authorized by the contract.
The Contractor shall ensure that labor practices, scheduling decisions, and staffing approaches do not result in service interruptions or noncompliance with labor standards.
Outcome Required: Contractor-managed workforce that meets all qualifications, credentialing, and performance standards.
The Contractor shall: - Recruit, hire, credential, train, supervise, and manage all contractor personnel. - Ensure all personnel meet education, certification, licensure, and experience requirements prior to assignment. - Maintain current credentials, background investigations, security clearances, and required training. - Remove and replace personnel who fail to meet performance or compliance standards within required timeframes.
2.4 Compliance and Regulatory Adherence
Outcome Required: Full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and accreditation standards.
The Contractor shall ensure services are delivered in compliance with: - IHS and GPARDDU policies and procedures - HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and Privacy Act requirements - Joint Commission and other applicable accreditation standards - Federal, state, tribal, and local laws governing healthcare delivery.
Contractors should provide non-professional staff to provide direct patient care and services and assist therapeutic staff as needed with facilitated programing.
The non-professional staff members can include:
Certified Nurse's Aide
Medical Support Assistant
To maintain continuity of care, the contractor will provide, when possible, access to the same nonprofessionals for patients with behavioral, mental health and medical needs.
The Contracted staff will document on all observations and assessments conducted on an hourly basis during their shift.
All patients shall be assured of their privacy and personal dignity. The Contractor shall also ensure that contract providers maintain open and professional communication with IHS staff, including a willingness to receive telephone and electronic communications from administration, therapist, nursing, and supervisory cook to optimize coordination of patient care.
Any performance concerns will be addressed with the Contractor, the COR, and the CEO. All IHS Federal regulation and local GPARDDU policies are expected to always adhere to during the Contracted Staff's employment with GPARDDU. These are provided during new employee orientation and routinely as updates during regular operations. These requirements will be captured in the performance evaluations on individual staff. Failure to comply with any regulation and policy may result in a removal from the contracted employee. Immediate action will be taken to remove unsuitable Contracted staff from services. Replacement Contracted staff shall be made available within 24 hours with appropriately cleared staff.
The Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Support Assistant:
- Ability to collect, organize, record, and communicate, in a meaningful way, data relevant to behavioral health and medical assessments.
- Ability to identify medical conditions that warrant medical treatment and when to notify the nurse and complete a transfer of a patient to higher level of care hospital facility for indicated medical care.
- Ability to assess the physical-psychosocial health status of patients and family based upon the knowledge of growth and development patterns and health conditions that require medical management.
- Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to recognize the desired effects, side effects and complications of their use.
- Knowledge of human behavior during stressful situations to exercise emotional control, tact, patience, and reliability in providing urgent patient care.
- The ability to provide individual and family counseling, guidance, and health instruction to help patients to understand how to prevent disease and maintain good physical and mental health.
- These roles are direct patient care roles, not clerical or administrative roles. These roles work in tandem and are in the best interest of the patient.
Contractor will provide healthcare staff with the following:
- Certified Nurse's Aide: Must maintain current Certified Nurse's Aide certification. Must have training and At least 24 months of direct patient care experience within the last 48 months. Certification in BLS in compliance with the American Heart Association. Must provide proof of current vaccinations and all health requirements set forth by Indian Health Services including but not limited to a PPD or TB Gold, Annual Influenza Vaccination, MMR, Tdap, Varicella and Hep B. Must be able to physically complete all trainings and requirements set forth by Indian Health Service and Great Plains Area Drug Dependency Unit. OR
- Medical Support Assistant: Must have training and At least 24 months of direct patient care experience within the last 48 months. Certification in BLS in compliance with the American Heart Association. Must have proof of vaccinations and all health requirements set forth by Indian Health Services including but not limited to a PPD or TB Gold, Annual Influenza Vaccination, MMR, Tdap, Varicella and Hep B. Must be able to physically complete all trainings and requirements set forth by Indian Health Service and Great Plains Area Drug Dependency Unit.
2.5 Quality Assurance and Performance Management
Outcome Required: Consistent achievement of performance standards and continuous quality improvement.
The Contractor shall: - Implement an internal Quality Control Plan aligned with this PWS. - Monitor performance against established metrics. - Take corrective action when performance standards are not met. - Cooperate with Government performance monitoring activities.
2.6 Emergency and Contingency Operations
Outcome Required: Sustained service delivery during emergencies and adverse conditions.
The Contractor shall: - Maintain an Emergency Operations Plan addressing staffing continuity during emergencies, pandemics, or severe weather events. - Ensure staffing coverage is maintained during declared emergencies.
3.0 Applicable Requirements
3.1 Laws, Regulations, and Policies
The Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state, tribal, and local laws, regulations, and requirements relevant to the performance of this contract. This includes, but is not limited to, requirements issued by the Indian Health Service (IHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Great Plains Area Regional Drug Dependency Unit (GPARDDU), as applicable to contractor-performed services.
Such requirements include those governing patient privacy, confidentiality, security, labor standards, background investigations, and healthcare service delivery, as amended during the period of performance.
3.2 Privacy, Confidentiality, and Security
The Contractor shall safeguard all Protected Health Information (PHI), sensitive information, and Government data in accordance with applicable privacy and security requirements, including HIPAA, the Privacy Act, and 42 CFR Part 2. The Contractor shall ensure all personnel comply with confidentiality, information security, and records management requirements applicable to residential substance use treatment facilities.
3.3 Accreditation and Quality Standards
Services shall be performed in a manner consistent with applicable accreditation standards for residential substance use disorder treatment facilities, including standards issued by recognized accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission, as applicable.
3.4 Local Policies and Procedures
The Contractor shall comply with applicable GPARDDU policies and procedures provided during onboarding and as updated during contract performance, provided such policies are applicable to contractor-performed services and do not create a personal services relationship.
4.0 Performance Standards and Quality Assurance See attached Performance Work Statement for Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)
5.0 Deliverables - See attached Performance Work Statement
6.0 Meetings
The Contractor shall participate in periodic performance and coordination meetings as requested by the Government. Meetings may be conducted virtually or in person.
7.0 Government-Furnished Property and Information
The Government will provide access to facilities, systems, and information necessary for performance of this contract in accordance with applicable security and privacy requirements.
8.0 Special Instructions
This contract is for non-personal services. The Contractor retains full responsibility for workforce management, supervision, and performance. Government personnel should not supervise or direct contractor employees.
9.0 Glossary of Acronyms
- CNA Certified Nursing Assistant
- MSA Medical Support Assistant
- GPARDDU Great Plains Area Regional Drug Dependency Unit
- IHS Indian Health Service
- PWS Performance Work Statement
Staffed Shift - A staffed shift is defined as one qualified contractor employee performing
See Performance Work Statement for the Following Sections: C - D Clauses & Special Considerations
A. Requirements from Contractor:
Interested parties are expected to review this notice to familiarize themselves with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. The following information shall be included in the capability statement:
1. Company Name and Company SAM Unique Entity identifier (UEI) number.
2. System for Award Management (SAM) registration status. All respondents must register on the SAM located at http://www.sam.gov .
3. Name, Telephone number and E-mail address of a company point of contact who has the authority and knowledge to clarify responses with government representatives.
4. Date Submitted
5. Applicable company GSA Schedule number or other available procurement vehicle.
6. Business Size Standard of Company (i.e. small business, 8(a), Woman owned, veteran owned, etc.).
7. Capability Statement: Detailed capability statement addressing the company's qualifications and ability to provide the requirements listed herein, with appropriate and specific documentation supporting claims of recent organizational and staff capability to support this requirement. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.
8. Geographic Coverage: Please identify the areas of the United States where your organization provides this supplies/equipment.
9. References: Provide a list of all private industry or government contracts for similar items that you have delivered within the last 3 years. Please include customers' contact names, contract period, and brief description of similar supplies delivered
10. Provide evidence demonstrating the ability to meet the minimum performance characteristics identified in this Sources Sought Notice.
11. Delivery/Logistics: Provide evidence that the item is readily available and can meet the Delivery timeframe.
12. Warranty: Provide evidence that the item has warranty options.
13. If American Indian/Native American owned small business, then complete attached IEE Representation Form.
All small businesses (not only ISBEE/IEE) must be instructed to submit capability statements addressing experience, staffing, performance history, and capacity.
B. Closing Statement:
Point of Contact: Ursula Maslonka, Contract Specialist, @ Ursula.Maslonka@ihs.gov
Submission Instructions:
Interested parties shall submit capability only via email to Ursula Maslonka, Contract Specialist, @ Ursula.Maslonka@ihs.gov; the following information:
Sources Sought Number: SSN-IHS1526445 in the Subject line. The due date for receipt of statements is July 13, 2026, 12:00 pm Central Time.
All responses must be received by the specified due date and time to be considered.
This notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of IHS.
IHS does not intend to award a contract based on responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this notice, IHS may issue a Request for Quote (RFQ).
THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against IHS shall arise because of a response to this notice or IHS's use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement.
Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not oblige \the Government to award a contract or pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.
Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response.
