Performance Work Statement - Draft

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Office of Mental Health and Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP)

Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grants Program (SSG Fox SPGP)

Operational Advisory and Implementation Support
Date: October 22, 2026
PWS Version Number: 1.0

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP), strives to reduce military and Veteran suicide by focusing on clinical interventions and community-based outreach prevention strategies. Through this program, VA has offered grants to eligible entities, identified in the regulations, for providing or coordinating suicide prevention services to Veterans and their families. The goal of the program is to identify Veterans who are at risk of suicide and their family members and to provide them with suicide prevention services either through the VA or the community.

The Staff SG Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) is authorized pursuant to the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-171) and implemented by final rule, promulgating 38 C.F.R. part 78. Per 38 C.F.R. part 78. Grantees may provide the following suicide prevention services to program participants: Outreach to identify those at risk of suicide; Baseline mental health screening to eligible individuals; Education of communities, Veterans and families on suicide risk and prevention, how to identify those at risk of suicide, how and when to make referrals for care, and the types of suicide prevention resources available within the area; Provision of clinical services for emergency treatment; Case management services; Peer support services; VA benefits assistance for eligible individuals and their families; Assistance with obtaining and coordinating other benefits provided by the federal VA, a state or local VA, or an eligible entity; Assistance with emergent needs relating to health care services, daily living services, personal financial planning and counseling, transportation services, temporary income support services, fiduciary and representative payee services, legal services to assist the eligible individual with issues that may contribute to the risk of suicide, and child care. In addition, grantees may provide nontraditional and innovative approaches and treatment practices, as determined appropriate by VA.

VA requires professional support to strengthen the operating conditions necessary for SSG Fox SPGP grantees to implement their programs consistently, demonstrate appropriate readiness for evaluation, use data for improvement, and progress toward durable community-based suicide prevention capability. The Base Year emphasis is the development and operation of a standardized assessment-to-action system that gives VA a consistent view of grantee organizational capacity, implementation maturity, evaluability, and priority improvement needs.