Added: Sep 08, 2008 12:19 pm
NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE
This is a notice of intent to award sole source to the Institute of HeartMath LLC, Boulder Creek, California for a Pre-Deployment and Post-Deployment Stress Program for the Kansas Air National Guard. The contract will be awarded pursuant to FAR 6.302-1, only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination not to compete this proposed procurement based on responses received to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Convincing evidence of your ability to meet all of the requirements must be provided NLT than 10 days from this notice. Written inquiries or comments regarding this announcement may be e-mailed to Adam L. Villalobos, adam.villalobos1@us.army.mil or faxed to 785-274-1642.
STATEMENT OF WORK - The purpose of this contract is to implement a pre-deployment and post-deployment stress program for the Kansas Air National Guard. The contractor shall be provide project coordination, project website, training program and materials, and pre and post deployment assessments for an anticipated 200 deploying National Guard Members. The contract period of performance is anticipated to be for two years. The training program must be implemented and ready for execution by September 30, 2008.
The contractor will provide the basic elements described below:
1) Provide the tools and technology to reduce the symptoms characteristic of Combat Operations Stress Reactions (COSR).
2) Offer the potential to reduce the incidence of PTSD
3) Provide the skills to promote self-empowerment and self-reliance
4) Provide the tools to improve cognitive functions adversely impacted by combat deployment (e.g. problems related to sustained attention, memory impairment, and over-reactivity); and
5) The program should enhance combat readiness.
Implementation and Program Description
Deploying soldiers will be introduced to and asked to volunteer for the program prior to the deployment preparation week. Recruitment will utilize print and electronic communication and recommendations from the appropriate National Guard personnel. Construct a website dedicated to this project in order to provide potential program candidates with easy access to information which explains the program s purpose and design, content, benefits, and confidentiality protection.
Assessment Measures
1) Assess the impact of deployment on cognitive function, psychological, physiological and emotional depletion, and physiological symptoms such as hyper-vigilance, hyper-arousal, sleep disturbance, irritability, and PTSD.
2) Determine the primary physiological markers of resilience and susceptibility and determine correlations between baseline levels and deployment related changes in biochemical markers with combat stress-related symptoms and disorders such as PTSD and depression.
3) Assess the effectiveness of the stress program on increasing resilience (through psychological and physiological indicators) and reducing combat stress and related symptoms, including decreased cognitive functions.
4) Assess the effectiveness of the stress program on reducing the incidence of long-term clinical disorders such as PTSD and depression.
