Training - Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

An advanced contract award notice (ACAN) is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date and time stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

1. Definition of the requirement:

The Correctional Service Canada (CSC) has a requirement to provide training to staff across Canada in an evidence-based treatment approach titled Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, to address offender health needs and treat individuals suffering from Personality Disorders, based on Marsha Linehan’s treatment model. This includes, but is not limited to providing:

1) clinical consultation to CSC staff who have been trained in the DBT model.
2) the Individual Psychotherapy portion of the training to staff across Canada in an evidence-based treatment approach titled Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, on an as needed basis.
3) professional development learning opportunities to CSC staff by way of half day virtual sessions.

The Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Health Services is mandated to provide health services to federal offenders in accordance with the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA). The CCRA indicates that CSC is responsible for providing “every inmate with essential health care and reasonable access to non-essential health care that will contribute to inmates’ rehabilitation and successful reintegration in the community.” The delivery of care is provided by health care professionals who are registered or licensed in Canada, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, dentists, and other relevant specialists.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an innovative treatment developed by Marsha Linehan specifically for chronically suicidal patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD); however, DBT is also being used to treat other populations including patients with eating disorders, addictions, anger problems and other impulsive behaviors.

The work will involve the following:

1.1 Objectives:

To provide external support, training and expertise to the DBT consultation teams at four of CSC’s Women’s sites and the acute care unit for women at the Regional Psychiatric Centre Prairies to maintain CSC’s adherence to the principles of DBT and provide case consultation.

The CSC sites that the Contractor must provide services to are at the following locations:

1. Nova Institution for Women Truro, NS
2. Grand Valley Institution for Women, Kitchener ON
3. Fraser Valley Institution Abbotsford, BC
4. Edmonton Institution for Women Edmonton AB
5. Regional Psychiatric Centre Saskatoon, SK

1.2 Tasks and Deliverables:

The contractor must;

3.1 National Consultation Calls;
a) Provide cross-site supervision via national consultation calls with DBT consultation teams from each site to discuss cases, process, team cohesion and other issues that may arise within the DBT teams at each site on a monthly basis. The discussion will be on an anonymous case basis., The Contractor is not required to document these consultation calls on the Contactor’s charts.
b) National consultation calls will last up to 1.5 hours with an additional 30 minutes of preparation time for the Contractor to review the case consultation form and prepare a consultation response.
c) Review and prepare a response to case consultation forms CSC submits, if case presentation is available. During the consultation calls the Contractor must discuss real but anonymous cases CSC provides in advance to the Contractor to prepare a response and provide strategic advice on possible ways to manage and support the individual using DBT. CSC will not share protected Health Information (PHI) with the Contractor.
d) If CSC does not provide any case consultation for the month of the scheduled national consultation call, the services the contractor must continue to provide include, but are not limited to, DBT training, lessons, skills review.
e) Provide their schedule availability to CSC for creating a national consultation call calendar as soon as possible after contract award.

3.2 Individual site-specific calls;
a) Participate in individual site calls with DBT consultation teams from each site (see site listing under Objectives) to discuss site-specific cases, or issues, or both. CSC will use individual site-specific Consultation calls as support to ensure sites are adhering to the DBT model, as well as external support to CSC therapists and their potential struggles with cases.
b) Provide each individual site three (approximately quarterly) consultation calls each for up to 1 hour each, for up to 15 site-specific calls per year, over the course of the contract period.

3.3 Extra National Consultation & Individual site specific calls;
a) Provide consultation in the form of national consultation calls or site-specific consultation calls as requested by Project Authority, for up to an additional six non-consecutive hours.
b) As CSC’s request, provide extra National Consultation & Individual site-specific calls all year round at dates and times mutually agreed upon between by the Contractor. CSC will give the contractor a written notice at least 2 weeks prior to the consultation date.

3.4 Provide Professional Development/Learning Day;
a) Provide two National Professional Development Learning sessions, for pre-determined DBT staff. The first Professional Development session will be for CSC’s clinicians only, for 3.75 hours in length. The second Professional development session will be for CSC’s behavioural counsellors and any other CSC operational staff in a similar role, for 3.75 hours in length. Each Professional Development Day can include up to 20 CSC staff. Topics for the training day are to be decided mutually between the contractor and CSC based on feedback and suggestions from CSC HS Staff.
b) Deliver training using Microsoft Teams.

3.5 Individual Therapy DBT Training for Clinicians;
Provide three (3) consecutive four-hour DBT training sessions virtually for CSC’s DBT clinicians on a platform designated by CSC, as requested by Project Authority. Individual Therapy training must provide CSC’s Health staff with further understanding of DBT principles, how DBT principles pertain to the one-on-one therapy, and how the sessions should be structured using the DBT model.

3.6 The Contractor must:
a) Ensure they have access to a video and audio camera, as well as a Microsoft Teams account for all training and
consultation calls.
b) Prepare training material, teaching material, and case consultations relevant to national consultation calls, Individual
Therapy training (if required), and Professional Development day electronically. The contractor must provide any
training or Professional Development material for CSC staff using a Microsoft Office tool (including, but not limited to
MS Word and and PowerPoint)
c) Respond to email correspondence within 5 business days in order to schedule remaining additional calls when
requested.
d) Maintain updated availability and inform CSC a minimum of 14 days in advance of any changes in availability or if the
contractor must cancel consultation calls.
e) Provide all training material within 5 business days before the start of the training.
f) Provide notices, requests, and communications related to this contract, invoices, tasks, or deliverables to Project
Authority.

1.3 Expected results:
CSC staff who are trained in the DBT model, have participated in the clinical consultation calls with the contractor, the Professional Development Days, or the Individual Therapy training for clinicians, or any combination of the four will be educated on this integrative approach and will have developed skills based on Marsha Linehan’s model to treat clients with Borderline Personality Disorder.

1.4 Performance standards:
a) The Contractor must provide all services in compliance with federal and provincial legislation and standards, provincial and national guidelines, professional practice standards, CSC Policy, Guidelines including the CSC Mental Health Policy, and Guidelines.
b) The Contractor must provide services in accordance with the ethical and professional practice standards of the provincial regulatory body in the contractor’s province(s) of practice, the Code of Ethics for Psychologists and relevant legislation guiding the practice of Psychology within correctional settings.

1.5 Deliverables:
1.5.1 Paper consumption:
a. Should printed material be required, double sided printing in black and white format is the default unless otherwise specified by the Project Authority.
b. The Contractor must ensure printed material is on paper with a minimum recycled content of 30% and/or certified as originating from a sustainably managed forest.
c. The Contractor must recycle unneeded printed documents (in accordance with Security Requirements).

1.6 Constraints:

1.6.1 Location of work:
a. The Contractor must perform the work virtually from their designated place of work.
b. Travel
ii. No travel is anticipated for performance of the work under this contract.

1.6.2 Language of Work:
The contractor must perform all work in English.

1.6.3 Security Requirements:
There are no security requirements associated to this contract.

2. Criteria for assessment of the statement of capabilities (minimum essential requirements):
Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

Experience:
Must be able to provide a minimum of two (2) resources with the following experience:
• Must provide proof of a formal Dialectical Behaviour Therapy training by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification.
• Must provide proof of current employment within a Borderline Personality Disorder clinic.
• Must have a minimum of 6 months experience within the last 1 years prior to the ACAN closing date providing clinical
consultation in a correctional setting based on Marsha Linehan’s DBT model, for clinicians who provide DBT to forensic
populations.
• Must have a minimum of three (3) years of clinical experience, in the field of forensic mental health, within the past 7
years prior to the ACAN closing date.
• Must have experience in the last 6 months prior to the ACAN closing date in providing Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to
patients for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.
• Must have provided at least one (1) previous training, in a virtual or in-person setting, on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
or topics related to Borderline Personality Disorder, in English, in the last 2 years prior to the ACAN closing date.
Professional designation, accreditation and/or certification:
• The proposed two resources must provide proof they are registered in good standing, with either; the College of
Psychologists, the College of Registered Psychotherapists, the College of Social Workers, or equivalent, in their province
of practice.

3. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement
This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

4. Set-aside under the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business
This procurement is not subject to any set-asides for Indigenous Suppliers.

5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)
This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
The pre-identified supplier meets all of the minimum essential requirements described in this ACAN.
• The pre-identified supplier is Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital that combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues.
• The pre-identified supplier has several mental health professionals working in the Borderline Personality Disorder clinic who can provide this specific training and clinical consultation.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)
The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection:
(d) only one person is capable of performing the contract.

8. Ownership of Intellectual Property
Ownership of any foreground intellectual property arising out of the proposed contract will vest with the Contractor.

9. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year, from date of contract award to one year later, with an option to extend the contract for 1 additional one -year period.

10. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $70,200.00 (GST/HST extra).

11. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
Name: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Address: 1001 Queen St. west
Toronto, Ontario M6J 1H4

12. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date and time of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

13. Closing date and time for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is October 06, 2023 at 2:00 PM EST.

14. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Nadine Pike, Senior Procurement Officer
Telephone: (506) 866-0675
E-mail: Nadine.Pike@csc-scc.gc.ca