Elder Justice Act of 2009 : Bizzell Supporting HHS Initiative

Elder Justice Act of 2009:

Bizzell Supporting HHS Initiative

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is proud of its continued success with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Administration for Community Living (ACL).

ACL was created in 2012 with the goal of maximizing the independence, well-being and health of older adults, elders with disabilities and their families and/or caregivers by increasing access to community supports, while focusing attention and recourses on the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, the Elder Justice Act of 2009 was established to preserve the rights of older individuals and those who may not be able to protect themselves. It aims to assist in the protection of these individuals from elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. The Administration on Aging (AoA) has been leading efforts in protecting elders from financial exploitation (which is the leading form of elder abuse), physical abuse, neglect, psychological abuse and sexual abuse. Bizzell is assisting in these efforts by providing logistical support to Elder Justice Coordinating Council Meetings. The firm provides support on pre-planning and executing all logistical requirements and functions that are required to make this initiative a success.

“Bizzell excels in achieving and submitting their deliverables. The quality of the work has been accurate and flawless. They are reliable, consistent and timely. Task are always submitted according to schedule.”
– Aisha Gurley, Aging Specialist for ACA.

Elders who have fallen victim to abuse have a much higher mortality rate within the next three years of life than those who have not been victims of mistreatment. With more-than 1 in 10 people, roughly 5 million per year, ages 60 and up being a victim of elder abuse, Bizzell is proud to be a part of an initiative to battle this exploitation. The firm looks forward to the continued success of helping our elders and assisting HHS on Elder Justice.

Bizzell Awarded Three SAMHSA IDIQ Domains

Bizzell Awarded Three SAMHSA IDIQ Domains

The Bizzell Group  (Bizzell) is excited to continue its successful partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on the SAMHSA Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract through 2022. The firm was awarded three domains as a prime contractor on the IDIQ contract, and teamed with larger firms who were successful on additional domains. The contract is designed to assist SAMHSA in achieving its goal of reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness in America’s communities.

As a prime contractor, Bizzell, along with our partners, will provide assistance in three separate domains (Domain III, Domain V and Domain VI):

Domain III—Policy Analysis and Program Related Projects: Bizzell will assist with policy analysis, regulatory policy, developing programs and program support by organizing focus groups and consultations that will shed light on mental illness and substance use disorders, healthcare and behavioral health disparities as well as other health related topics.

Domain V—Technical Assistance and Training Projects: With Domain V, Bizzell will provide technical assistance and training courses for a wide range of topics including needs assessment, program planning, science-based approaches to prevention and treatment, payment and financing strategies, including managed care, disparities and culturally appropriate/responsive practice, trauma, health information technology, performance measurement, evaluation, and clinical and medical programs, practices and research.

Domain VI—Planning, Implementation and Report Support Projects: The focus of Domain VI is to plan and support multiple concurrent events and activities through the entire planning and logistical support lifecycle.

Aside from the three domains that Bizzell was awarded as a prime, the firm will also provide services to SAMHSA on two additional domains as a subcontractor to larger firms.

Domain I—Feasibility, Pilot, and Evaluation Projects: On Domain I, Bizzell employees will assist the prime contractor and SAMHSA on executing feasibility studies that will determine if an organizational activity, treatment service, strategy, survey or statistical study will work as intended. Feasibility is followed by the Pilot, which will assess whether the results of a feasibility study can be successfully scaled under a broader range of circumstances. The final portion is Evaluation, which will measure relevant aspects of program performance.

Domain IV—Communication Projects: Bizzell employees will assist with conceptualizing, planning, researching, designing, implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of communications projects that will increase awareness and educate stakeholders about SAMHSA’s mission to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental health on America’s communities.

Bizzell Assists FHWA on Every Day Counts Initiative

Bizzell Assists FHWA on Every Day Counts Initiative

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is proud of the continued success of working alongside the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on Every Day Counts (EDC) Summits.

EDC is a state-based model used to identify innovations, shorten the project delivery process, enhance roadway safety and improve environmental sustainability. The initiative was launched by FHWA in cooperation with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), with the goal of implementing innovative technology to improve highway safety, save time and lower the cost of highway and construction projects that would ultimately save American tax payers money.

Designed to facilitate dialogue, encourage creative thinking and celebrate a shared vision for new opportunities, seven EDC Regional Summits are held every two years, in which these summits begin the process for states, local public agencies and Federal Lands Highway Divisions to focus on the innovations that make the most sense for their unique program needs, establish performance goals and commit to finding opportunities to get those innovations into practice over the next two years.

Bizzell provides each summit with a multidimensional communications plan, which includes writing, editing, graphic design, web design and management, media support and publishing services. Additionally, the firm provides logistical support, covering all pre-conference planning and on-site management as well as webcasting for four session tracks within each summit.

Thus far, Bizzell has assisted in creating 11 videos for the FHWA, which have been viewed more than 6,700 times, in addition to conducting live chats through Livestream, with 17 hours of video viewing time and chatting.

The Summits are a huge component of the EDC initiative, which brings together transportation leaders and professionals to establish performance goals and find opportunities to get innovations into practice, and Bizzell is pleased to be a part of this initiative.

“Your team did an AMAZING job making this round of EDC Summits AWESOME!” Stated Thomas Harman, Director, Center for Accelerating Innovation, U.S. Department of Transportation—Federal Highway Administration.

Federal Highway Administration’s “Every Day Counts” Regional Summits

Federal Highway Administration’s “Every Day Counts” Regional Summits

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is currently in the midst of a multi-year support contract with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Center for Accelerating Innovation (CAI) project entitled “Every Day Counts” (EDC).

EDC is the FHWA’s initiative to advance a culture of innovation in the highway community in partnership with States.  Through this collaborative, State-based effort, FHWA coordinates rapid deployment of proven, market-ready strategies and technologies to shorten the project delivery process, enhance roadway safety, and improve environmental sustainability. The EDC model is built on the premise that through a common vision, partnerships and leadership, the highway community can accelerate the adoption of critical practices; practices that in turn accelerate widespread and consistent deployment of innovative technologies and tools to improve the delivery of projects and performance of the system.

Bizzell is supporting FHWA by implementing EDC Regional Summits in several cities across the U.S. The EDC Regional Summits bring front-line professionals together to discuss EDC innovations, exchange creative ideas with their agency and industry counterparts in their region, and provide feedback to FHWA on the support they need to adopt innovations in their own States. Summits are a proven way to gather people with common interests, experiences and challenges in a productive and innovative environment with the purpose of fostering working relationships to create change.

Key tasks include logistical and multimedia support services, including development of 508-compliant registration sites, graphic design and document development of summit program material and online collateral.  During the initial run of the tour, Bizzell is also providing Live Web conferencing/broadcasting services streamed to thousands of viewers.

“This is a fast-paced contract,” Dr. Anton Bizzell, CEO of Bizzell, said in a statement. “The EDC Regional Summits offer an opportunity to provide our Federal partners and stakeholders with innovative ways of providing technology and improved collaboration.”