Regional Specialized Psychological Assessment services

Regional Specialized Psychological Assessment services

This requirement is for: The Correctional Service of Canada, Atlantic Region.

Trade agreement: This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

Tendering procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid.

Competitive Procurement Strategy: lowest priced compliant bid.

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

Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.

Security Requirements: This standing offer includes security requirements.

Nature of Requirements:

The following is a summary of the statement of work for this requirement.

The Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Health Services require the services of a psychologist for offenders housed at the federal facilities in the Atlantic Region.

Objectives: Provide essential psychological assessment services to offenders, as requested by the Project Authority, at Atlantic Institution, Dorchester Penitentiary, Shepody Healing Center, Springhill Institution, and Nova Institution for Women as a psychologist.

Deliverables:

• The Contractor must take into account gender, cultural, religious and linguistic differences and be responsive to the special needs of women and Aboriginal People.

• The Contractor must provide all services in compliance with federal and provincial legislation and standards, provincial and national guidelines, practice standards and CSC Policy/Guidelines including the CSC Mental Health Policy and guidelines.

• The Contractor must provide services in accordance with the ethical and professional practice standards of the applicable provincial regulatory body, the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists and relevant legislation guiding the practice of Psychology within correctional settings.

• The Contractor is expected to consult with the Project Authority to ensure that all psychological practices are consistent with the relevant and most current legislation, practice standards and policies.

• On a yearly basis or as determined by the Project Authority, the Project Authority or designate will review a sample of reports to determine if they meet CSC and professional standards for psychological reports. If a report is judged to be substandard, the Contractor must amend the report as requested at no extra cost to the Crown. The amendment must be completed, and the amended report submitted to the Project Authority within one (1) week following the date when the amendment was requested.

• Timeliness of the submission of all reports will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Project Authority. Timeliness will form part of the assessment of the Contractor's work.

Tasks:

Psychological Assessment Services:

The following is a summary of the tasks the Contractor must perform:

a. The Contractor must perform and submit psychological assessment reports to the CSC Project Authority and designated CSC representative for disclosure to third parties, including the Parole Board of Canada as required by policy;

b. The Contractor and the Project Authority will set dates and times for offender interviews;

c. The Contractor must conduct assessment interviews, administer all psychological tests (unless prearranged for self-report measure – see part f, below), interpret test results, and review offender files. Relevant files include Sentence Management, Case Management, and Health files. However, on occasion and if relevant to the specific case, the Contractor must review the Security Intelligence files or, alternatively, consult with Health Care or Security Intelligence staff, or both about the client. The Contractor must also consult other CSC personnel about the clients’ referral or behaviour or both if necessary. The Contractor must integrate information obtained through testing, file review, clinical interview, and if relevant, staff member interviews, into a comprehensive intellectual disability psychological assessment report;

d. The Contractor must provide the Project Authority and designates with all original test data;

e. The Contractor must interpret all tests in a standardized manner using the norms supplied only by the test publisher, by the author, or both. The Contractor may include percentiles tests scores in reports when deemed necessary by the Contractor, as part of the standardized test reporting process, or when requested by the Project Authority. Reports must not contain raw test scores under any circumstances.

f. All psychological assessment reports must comply with the following requested content and format. Sections may be added to the standardized format according to case-specific needs. Please note that this format is not necessarily all-inclusive, but represents the minimum number of areas to be covered:

I. Demographic information;
II. Reason for Referral;
III. Interview Information;
IV. Documentation Reviewed;
V. Brief Psychosocial/Relevant History;
VI. Summary of Previous Assessments/Mental Health History;
VII. Psychological Testing;
VIII. Observation and Current Mental Status;
IX. Clinical opinion and Diagnostic Impression;
X. Recommendations; and
XI. Offender and Contractor Signature Block.

g. The Contractor must advise the Project Authority if they are unable to share the reports. At the discretion and prior approval of the project authority, CSC will assume the information sharing responsibility.

h. The Project Authority or designate will refer any questions or concerns the offender has on the report back to the attention of the Contractor. While under contract with CSC, the Contractor must answer questions posed by an offender regarding a report for a two (2) year period after sharing the report.

i. The Contractor must submit completed reports to the Project Authority or designate no later than four (4) weeks from the date of referral. The Contractor must share the completed report with the offender no later than 3 weeks after the report has been received by the Project Authority or designated staff member. Upon request from the Contractor, and at the sole discretion of the Project Authority, either or both of these deadlines can be extended for a period not exceeding four (4) weeks.

j. The CSC Mental Health Department will enter the finalized psychological assessment report into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Offender Management System (OMS) (as applicable).

Intellectual Disability Assessments services:

Evaluation of intellectual functioning: The Contractor must assess mental ability with standardized intelligence testing. This will normally include the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (e.g. WAIS-IV). Based on the offender’s academic level, language and cultural background, the Contractor may use additional standardized tests in order to identify deficits in intellectual functioning. For each test or measure used in the assessment, the Contractor must include a brief synopsis of psychological tests administered and their validity, interpretation, and diagnosis where appropriate and applicable.

Evaluation of adaptive functioning: The Contractor must assess adaptive functioning in at least three domains: conceptual (academic), social and practical as delineated in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (APA) using clinical evaluation and psychometrically sound measures that are both individualized and culturally appropriate. For each test or measure used in the assessment, the Contractor must include a brief synopsis of psychological tests administered and their validity, interpretation, and diagnosis where appropriate and applicable.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Assessments services:

The following sources of information should be used in all cases:

Collateral Information: Collateral historical information from sources such as family, school reports, teachers, specialized learning assessments, previous psychological testing, and ADHD assessments, reports from community clinicians. The Contractor must have prior documented written consent from the client to obtain collateral information from external sources.

Current Functional Assessment: The Contractor must also use clinician observation, patient self-report and information from collateral sources, as applicable, to assess function. Collateral sources could include, but are not limited to, correctional officers, program officers, teachers, work supervisors, and other clinical staff. The Contractor should not consider self-report of impairment by the client alone as sufficient for assessment of current functional impairment.

Adjunctive Assessment Tools: The Contractor must also use adjunctive assessment tools to inform the diagnostic assessment and clinical decision-making such as ADHD rating scale, computerized continuous performance test, and formal cognitive or neuropsychological assessment.

The Contractor must include, as a minimum, the following information: Differential Diagnosis, Assessment of historical and current DSM-5ADHD symptoms; Assessment for co-morbid diagnoses; Assessment of substance use history and current substance use; Exploration of potential risks for misuse and diversion of prescribed medication; and Determination of whether functional impairment justifies treatment with medication.

Case reviews and Case Consultations:

The Contractor must:

a. Review the electronic health record and, as applicable, information found on the Offender Management System (OMS) and other collateral sources of documentation;
b. Consider interviewing the individual as required;
c. Consider other sources of information such as parole officers and other staff members as required and with proper consent;
d. Participate in case conferences with other health care providers and document these on the electronic health record;

Clinical Consultation for the Development of a Competency

The contractor must provide clinical consultation services to a psychologist or psychologist candidate who is considering providing services that are beyond their competence. This request for consultation must be for assessment, diagnostic, and treatment purposes which can include guidance related to the interview with the client, psychometric testing, test interpretation, gathering information from other sources (the file, support persons of the individual), case conceptualization, and preparing the final report. The consent of the patient must be obtained before the consultation can begin in those cases where Protected Information and personal health information must be shared with the contractor. Each request for consultation must be preapproved by the Project Authority and will be billable at the hourly rate.

Language of work: The Contractor must provide the services in either official language (English and French) based on the client’s preference.

Any conditions for participation of suppliers not specified in solicitation documentation: none.

Estimated quantity of commodity: see solicitation document statement of work and basis of payment.

Duration of Standing Offer and Time Frame for Delivery:

Period of the Standing Offer: The Work is to be performed during the period of Standing Offer award date to March 31, 2025, with the option to renew for two (2) additional one-year periods.

File Number: 21201-25-4756791

Contracting Authority: Sylvie Gallant
Telephone number: 506-378-8724
E-mail: Sylvie.Gallant@csc-scc.gc.ca

NOTE TO BIDDERS: Bidders can obtain the complete statement of work and evaluation criteria by downloading the solicitation document and associated documents from the Canada buys / tender opportunities website.

The Crown reserves the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada (English or French).

After contract award, bidders may request a debriefing on the results of the bid solicitation process. Bidders should make the request to the Contracting Authority within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of the results of the bid solicitation process. The debriefing may be in writing, by telephone or in person.

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