National Institute of Mental Health, Contracts Management Branch, 6001 Exective Blvd., MSC 9603, Rm. 6S-6107, Bethesda, MD 20892-9603

R -- COST SURVEY OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN (CMC) SOL NIMH-99-SS-0004 DUE 041699 POC Patricia L. Gibbons, Contracting Officer, 301-443-2696 WEB: click here to access the SS and subsequent RFP, http:/www.nimh.nih.gov. E-MAIL: click here to contact the Contracting Officer via, pgibbons@mail.nih.gov. COST SURVEY OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN (CMC) SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE: NIMH-99-SS-0004 National Institute of Mental Health This Sources Sought Notice (SS) is for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The purpose of this SS is to identify potential sources that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described herein. NIMH welcomes Corporate Capability Statements (CCS) from all individuals and organizations. The NIMH does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted or NIMH's use of such information. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made, nor will respondents be notified of the NIMH's evaluation of the information received. As a result of this SS, the NIMH may issue a Request for Proposals (RFP). In the event a RFP will be issued, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 8732 will apply to Commercial concerns and 8733 will apply to Non-commercial concerns. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against the NIMH shall arise as a result of a response to the SS. Sources Sought: NIMH intends to award a single contract with multiple scientific and administrative components to conduct a cost survey of children and adolescents who are high users of mental health services, to develop sophisticated research design to answer policy relevant questions, and to conduct data analyses. The survey should have the capacity to generalize to the national population and collect and analyze data relevant to answer the research questions outlined below: 1. What are the costs of mental health services for youth in inpatient, residential, partial care (IRP) and intensive outpatient treatment (ages 4-17). How do costs vary by sociodemographic groups? How do costs vary by type of mental disorder? 2. How do financing arrangements and insurance benefits influence the use of services and the costs of care? 3. What kinds of treatment services are delivered to children in these treatment settings and what is the quality of those services? 4. What mental disorders do children have in these settings? According to preliminary estimates approximately 1,500 children who are high users of mental health services will need to be selected from approximately 800 inpatient, residential and partial care treatment settings. No preliminary estimates are available concerning the sample size of the intensive outpatient survey sample. It is planned that this study will have three major survey components: 1. Survey of children who are high users of mental health services (and their parent/guardian) treated in inpatient, residential and partial treatment settings, 2. Survey of similar children (and their parent/guardian) treated in outpatient settings, and 3. Insurance followback survey to obtain health insurance information for the child from the insuring private company or public program. The NIMH envisions that the methodology of the contract should pay considerable attention to: a. Sampling of youth from different mental health service settings, b. Existing instruments that could be used for collecting cost data, data on use of services, quality of care, type of mental health problem and insurance coverage, c. Collecting survey data on children and adolescents and their parent/guardian and data processing, d. Developing research design in order to answer Questions 1 through 4 outlined above, e. Conducting data analyses to provide empirical answers for Questions 1 and 4. Interested organizations should submit a CCS of no more than 10 pages that details the ability to perform the aspects of the effort described above. All proprietary information should be marked as such. All respondents are asked to indicate the type and size of your business organization, e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned-Business, 8(a), Historically Black College or University/Minority Institution (HBCU/MI), educational institution, profit/non-profit hospital, or other nonprofit organization, in their response. Responses should be identified with NIMH-99-SS-0004 and are due by 3:30 p.m., Friday, April 16, 1999. Please, submit three (3) copies of your response to the attention of: Patricia L. Gibbons, Contracting Officer, Contracts Management Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6107, MSC-9603 Rockville, MD 20892-9603. Facsimile responses will also be accepted as long as they do not exceed 10 pages in length (301-443-0501). E-mail responses, sent to pgibbons@mail.nih.gov will also be accepted. Posted 03/29/99 (W-SN313674). (0088)

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