Scope
The Lexington VA Health Care System (LVAHCS) Whole Health Program has a requirement to provide Integrative Health Services including, Expressive Art, to include Art Therapy to veterans. Services will be provided at the Lexington VA. Practitioners offering the services will have a master's degree in art therapy and be licensed as a professional art therapist . Practitioner will have a current CPR certification or will complete BLS through the VA before offering classes. Proof of training of all individual instructors will be provided to the LVAHCS. Services shall be provided in a safe, effective and non-judgmental manner and will take into consideration the individual needs of the recipient. Purpose
The Department of Veterans Affairs is committed to providing individualized, proactive, patient driven care that includes both conventional and complementary integrative health (CIH) approaches. The Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCCCT) provides leadership to VHA regarding IH approaches and serves as the LVAHCS's partner in establishing a Whole Health model of care within our facility. It is VHA's goal to provide care in the safest and least restrictive environment, through a continuum of services. The LVAHCS's Whole Health Program Manager is responsible for developing, managing and providing CIH services to our Veterans. By partnering with a, local instructors qualified to offer all required services to our Veterans through vested providers, the Whole Health Program Manager will create an avenue for Veterans to access CIH services. The primary goal of the Whole Health
Program Manager is to maintain or improve the health of Veterans served in our organization by increasing equal access to CIH services.
Description of Service The business will provide instructors whose training has been fully vested through that organization in a manner acceptable to the LVAHCS for the following clinical services: painting, drawing, pottery or similar expressive art therapy (2 hours per week), to offer clinical services to veterans served by the LVAHCS, under the direction of the LVAHCS IHP. Programming will run Monday through Friday, between the hours of ******** , with the exception of 11 Federal Holidays (New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day) Services will be provided in group sessions. Group sessions will accommodate from 1-12 participants, with the ability to add/drop participants with limited notice. A master schedule of program offerings will be maintained by the VA Whole Health Program Manager and be made available to the contractor. Changes to the schedule will be done with a minimum of 6 weeks' notice to the contractor. Cancellations of services will be accepted with a 6-week notice, without penalty. If cancellations are made within a 6-week time frame from said appointment, full compensation will be provided to the contracting organization. Contracted instructors will attend required team meetings at the Lexington VA Medical Center, as deemed necessary by the Whole Health Program Manager. Attendance can be by phone, unless otherwise directed by the Whole Health Program Manager. Contracted instructors will be expected to provide pertinent information to enable LVAHCS practitioner to document patient participation and outcomes in the VA Electronic Medical Record. CIH practitioners are expected to share feedback and relevant experience, when appropriate, to foster the growth of the Whole Health Program. Instructors may be asked to complete other additional, related duties by the Whole Health Program Manager. Practitioners must also maintain up-to-date trainings that are required by the VHA for all personnel involved in patient care and/or research studies. Training certificates must be given to the Whole Health Program Manager, or other appropriate staff within Mental Health. Expressive Art therapy instructors will provide said therapy to Veterans seen in the Whole Health, unless specified as otherwise by the Whole Health Program Manager or associated LVAHCS staff. The style of expressive art should be consistent with the guidelines and direction of the IHP. Sessions will be provided on a recurring, weekly basis. The date, time and location of these group sessions will be determined by the Whole Health Program Manager. The practitioner is required to follow all VHA guidelines and policies surrounding patient care. All contracted practitioners will complete clinical notes in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) electronic health record system, known as CPRS, utilizing templates established by IHP. These notes are to be completed at the end of each appointment, unless mitigating circumstances are present. The task much be completed in a timely fashion and should take no more than 45 minutes per group session. All required medical record documentation shall be completed within 24 hours of seeing the patient, utilizing CPRS, following sessions each day by the practitioners, adhering to VHA policies and guidelines. In addition to required information, the practitioners should note anything of importance as it pertains to the patient's care Deliverables :
The expressive art instructors must be present no more than fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of each session, stay forty-five (45) minutes after each session to allow for set up and clean up after class. Each instructor must create a safe environment of healing and restoration for Veterans. The time allotted should include preparation and introduction to the service. The expressive art practitioner should also be able to demonstrate an understanding of
VHA guidelines and policies and adhere to guidelines set forth by the IHP. Instructors will inform VA immediately of any equipment that needs repaired or replaced. Instructors will immediately remove any equipment that may cause a potential harm to a Veteran and inform VA. Instructors will inform VA 30 days in advance of any supply needs. Instructors will access the VA through employee entrances and will only park in employee approved parking spots Instructors will follow all VHA rules and regulation while on VA property.
