Psychologist services – Psychology assessments

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 of Canada (CSC) requires the services of a psychologist to conduct psychological risk assessments for the Institutions of the Quebec region identified under Article 1.1 Objective. The work will involve the following:

1.1 Objective

As requested by the Project Authority, the psychologist will provide psychological risk assessment services for sexual offence and for gratuitous violence or persistent violence, to the following institutions/offices:

Region 1 – Greater Montreal

 Federal Training Center (sites 600 and 6099) : 6099, Boul. Lévesque E, Laval, Québec,
o H7C 1P1 and 600, montée Saint-François, Laval, Québec, H7C 1S5
 Archambault Institution (Minimum, Medium and Regional Mental Health Centre) (including Waseskun Healing Centre) : 242, Boul. Gibson, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Québec, J5N 1V8 and 244, Boul. Gibson, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Québec, J5N 1V8
 Regional Reception Centre (including special detention unit) : 246, Boul. Gibson Sainte-Anne-de-Plaines, Québec, J5N 1V8
 Ville-Marie Parole Office: 515,1 rue De la Savane, suite 200, Montréal, Québec, H4P 1V1
 Maisonneuve Parole Office : 2030 Boul. Pie-IX, suite 420, Montréal, Québec, H1V 2C8
 Longueuil Parole Office (only videoconference): 550 Chemin Chambly, suite 280, Longueuil, Québec, G6W 1H7
 Estrie Parole Office (only videoconference): 1650, rue King Ouest - suite 201, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1J 2C3
 Granby Parole Office (only videoconference): 180, rue Principale - suite 200, Granby, Québec, J2G 2V6
 Laval Parole Office : 3131, Boul. de la Concorde, suite 400, Laval, Québec, H7E 4W4
 Laurentides Parole Office : 955 Michèle-Bohec, door C, Blainville, Québec, J7C 5J6
 CCC Laferrière : 202, rue St-Georges, St-Jérôme, Québec, J7Z 4Z9

Region 2 – Quebec Region

 Joliette Institution (institution for women) : 400, rue Marsolais, Joliette, Québec, J6E 8V4
 Drummond Institution : 2025, Boul. Jean-de-Brébeuf, Drummondville, Québec, J2B 7Z6
 Cowansville Institution : 400, Ave. Fordyce, Cowansville, Québec, J2K 3N7
 Donnacona Institution : 1537, route 138, Donnacona, Québec, G3M 1C9
 La Macaza Institution : 321, chemin de l’Aéroport, La Macaza, Québec, J0T 1R0
 Port-Cartier Institution (only videoconference) : 1, chemin de l’Aéroport, Port-Cartier, Québec, G5B 2W2
 CCC Marcel-Caron : 825, rue Kirouac, Québec, Québec, G1N 2J7
 Outaouais Parole Office (only videoconference): 15, Boul. Gamelin, suite 102, Gatineau, Québec, J8Y 1V4
 Rouyn-Noranda Institution (only videoconference): 150, Ave. du Lac, 2ème étage, suite 200, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, J9X 4N6
 Trois-Rivières Parole Office : 25, rue des Forges, suite 150, Trois-Rivières, Québec, G9A 6A7
 Rimouski Parole Office (only videoconference): : 217, Léonidas sud, suite 6i, Rimouski, Québec, G5L 2T5
 Québec Parole Office: 1125, Lebourgneuf, Québec, Québec, G2K 0J2

1.2 Tasks and Deliverables

The Contractor must provide the following psychological risk assessments:

• Psychological risk assessment for sexual offence;
• Psychological risk assessment for gratuitous violence or persistent violence

1.2.1 The Contractor must provide mental health services to offenders, as requested by the Project Authority, in accordance with the National Essential Health Services Framework including any amendment to this Framework issued by CSC during the contract period and any optional period if and when exercised by CSC.

1.2.2 Psychological Risk Assessment Services

a. The Contractor must perform and submit psychological risk assessment reports to the CSC Project Authority and designates for sharing with third parties including the Parole Board of Canada;

b. Dates and times for offender interviews will be set by mutual agreement between the Project Authority and the Contractor;

c. The Contractor shall conduct assessment interviews, administer all appropriate tools (e.g., actuarial tools, personality inventories, etc.), interpret test results, and review offender records. Relevant files include Sentence Management, Case Management, and Psychology files, which includes Offender Management system (OMS) and the Electronical Medical Record (EMR). Discussions with members of the mental health team are recommended, particularly for cases with proven problems of this nature. Furthermore, on occasion and if relevant to the specific case, the Contractor must review the Security Intelligence files or, alternatively, consult with the Security Intelligence staff about the offender. Consultation with other CSC personnel about the offenders’ referral and/or behaviour might also be necessary. The Contractor must integrate information obtained through testing, file review, clinical interview, and if relevant, staff member interviews, into his report;

d. The Contractor shall use at least one clinically assessed actuarial measure of risk and need whose reliability and validity for use with offender populations has been established in published work, and may also use personality and intellectual functioning measures if deemed appropriate. The Contractor shall interpret all test results in accordance with the norms established by the test publisher and/or author only (such norms to be found in recognized scoring manuals). Inclusion of test results as interpreted data (e.g., percentile rank, percentage, or proportional risk ratio) in reports is recommended as part of the standard process for reporting test results, or at the request of the Project Authority. Under no circumstances should reports include raw test results.

e. The Contractor shall provide all risk assessment scales and psychometric tests that he uses. The Contractor must use the official versions of the tools and properly pay for the use of the tools.

f. The Contractor shall provide all data initially obtained from the testing (i.e., raw data) to the Project Authority and its designated representatives. Submission of this data is necessary to process payment to the contractor.

g. If the Contractor negotiates with a particular site to have CSC staff administer self-report measures including those assessing personality and intellectual functioning, or to have them provide recent relevant scores from in-house test administration, and thus does not administer these tests, the Contractor shall apply a discount of 5 % per assessment, for each relevant case.

h. Psychological Risk 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: Full name, age, date of birth, FPS number and ethnicity
if relevant;

ii. Reason for Referral: Specific referral criteria, source and date of referral, document that the limits of confidentiality (informed consent) have been discussed with the offender, sharing of information;

iii. Interview Information: Date(s) seen, location of interview and the length of the interview(s); Modality of the interview (face-to-face, video conference, telephone). If applicable, explain the use of videoconferencing or telephone

iii. Documentation Reviewed: Indicate briefly what critical documents were reviewed for the assessment as well as what critical information or documents were, or were not, available to the author;

iv. Brief Criminal History: a summary of the criminal history, making reference to key files and documents. Include a brief overview/description of current offenses (official and offender versions; if they differ, otherwise indicate whether offender accepts official version), victim impact statements (if available), patterns/dynamics involved in or influencing criminal and/or offending behaviour(s) and the offender’s understanding of these dynamics/patterns;

v. Institutional and/or Community Adjustment: A summary of institutional and/or community adjustment, making note of a reference to the files for the interested reader should detailed information be required. Includes as applicable adjustment to the prison setting (e.g., relationships with peers, program involvement, misconducts, etc.) and adjustment/functioning in the community (e.g., employment, supports, programming, difficulties, suspensions, etc.).

vii. Brief Psychosocial History: Provide the elements of the history which contribute to the analysis of risk. Include, as applicable, a brief overview of family, marital, friendships, school, employment, psychiatric/mental health, substance abuse, behavioural and adjustment problems, medical injuries and impairments. Given the need for brevity, the focus should be on elements directly relating to risk while making note of a reference to the files for the interested reader can access should more detailed information be required. The purpose of this section is not just to make a list (e.g., list of jobs held in the past), but to report observations that are indicative of the offender's attitude and response to situations.

viii. Interview Impressions/Mental Health: Comments on presentation during the interview, current mental and emotional functioning, brief overview of mental health history including self-harm/suicide history (if applicable) with reference to the Clinical Framework for Prevention, Intervention and Management for Individuals with Suicide/Self-Injury Vulnerabilities (if available). If necessary, strategies for managing other mental health issues should be indicated. For offenders with documented mental health issues, a discussion with a member of the mental health team is required. If deemed necessary, references to the current treatment plan and the latest mental health needs scale may be made. Diagnostic impressions must reflect recognized scientific nomenclature (e.g., DSM-5) and must go beyond a single mention of the specific diagnosis, e.g., the diagnostic criteria supporting these impressions/diagnoses should be mentioned in the report.

ix. Summary of Previous Assessments: A brief summary of findings of previous psychological and/or psychiatric risk assessment reports with a focus on patterns of and antecedents of crime (dynamic and static risk factors), and offence dynamics and the offender’s understanding of these dynamics.

x. Summary of previous treatment: Details of relevant treatment prior to sentencing or during incarceration (goals, outcomes achieved, adherence to treatment, ability to transfer gains to daily life, impacts on risk).

xi Cognitive Functioning and Personality: A brief synopsis of psychological tests administered and their validity, interpretation, and diagnosis where appropriate and applicable.

xii Clinical impressions: On the basis of the information gathered, a personality analysis should be completed, as well as an analysis of the offending cycle, including elements that may increase criminal risk.

xiii. Treatment Needs/Responsivity: Identify treatment needs areas specifically related to the offender’s recidivism risk, areas of strengths as well as the relationship between risk and need. The type and intensity of intervention required, prioritization of treatment needs, special needs with respect to treatment delivery, and responsivity factors should be described. This typically involves consideration of issues such as age, ethnicity, cognitive deficits and/or learning style, interpersonal style, mental health, motivation and prior treatment experiences as applicable. In the case of offenders of Aboriginal descent (First Nations, Inuit or Métis), special attention should be given to the Aboriginal Social History (ASH). The contractor should also document indicators and examples of behavioural and attitudinal change since incarceration, both positive and negative, as appropriate. This information should include involvement in the correctional plan as well as the quality of the offender's proposed release plan, if any (viability, availability of community support, openness to supervision and conditions of release).

xiv. Assessment of Risk, Risk Management Strategies and Recommendations: The results of the actuarial measures (both static and dynamic) used in the current assessment must be summarized in this section and must include an overall statement of risk that is congruent with guidelines or a current manual (if applicable) and empirical data associated with the tool(s) that was used. Reporting of percentile scores is acceptable while reporting of raw scores in the report is not acceptable under any circumstances. If applicable, an explanation should be given of any significant variance between the current results and those reported in earlier reports. This section of the report should also include an opinion on how risk could be best managed. This should reflect both actuarial and clinical factors, identification of risk factors and protective factors, assessment of institutional and community risk issues, and case-specific risk management strategies, including critical aspects of a relapse prevention plan, if applicable, and referrals to correctional programs, psychiatry, training programs, etc. In the event that it is determined that the risk is not collectively bearable, risk management strategies must still be outlined in the event of a release.

The offender’s ability to function in reduced security institution and/or on conditional release (including, but not limited to Statutory Release) should be considered, recognizing not only their personal needs, but also the community’s safety.

The Contractor should comment on ongoing treatment needs, whether special conditions such as abstinence from drugs or alcohol would be required, or any special residential, outpatient or other welfare needs that should be met in preparation for release or as a part of reintegration.

If the offender’s behaviour begins to deteriorate, the Contractor should render an opinion on what would be the kinds of situations within the community to which the offender would become most vulnerable. As well, if the offender is on medication, the Contractor should advise, if possible, what would be the likely early signs of the offender’s failure to maintain to medication as prescribed and what would be the general, early signs of deterioration in conduct and whether or not this might indicate a drift back into criminal behavior;

xv. Offender and Contractor Signature Block: The Contractor must sign the report and copies. Unless pre-arranged with the Project Authority, the Contractor must share the information with the offender and request that the offender sign the report to acknowledge that the information has been shared. CSC will distribute copies of the report in accordance with policy requirements.

i. The Contractor shall make recommendations regarding the mental health needs of the offender in cases where these are associated with serious risk of self-harm, suicide, or dangerousness to others, or where the offender clearly requires assistance to remain mentally and emotionally stable. Recommendations should also address needs related to criminogenic factors and risks. In cases of release to the community, recommendations should take into account the motivation of the offender.

j. Unless otherwise arranged by the Project Authority, the Contractor shall share the final report with the offender who was assessed. The contractor shall document the exchange of information by having the offender sign and date the original copy of the report. If the offender refuses to sign the report, the contractor shall note this on the report and it will be considered that the information sharing requirements have been met.

k. The Contractor must advise the Project Authority if he/she is unable to share the reports and coordinate signatures with the offender. At the discretion and prior approval of the project authority, CSC will assume the information sharing and offender signature responsibility.

l. 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.

m. The Contractor shall submit reports to the Project Authority or designate by the date agreed upon at the time the request is sent. If the Contractor is unable to submit the report by the agreed upon date, a late fee will be assessed based, see Annex B, Basis of Payment.

• 15% for the first day of delay;
• 5% (of the subsequent residual amount) for each additional day of delay

n. The CSC Mental Health Department will enter finalized psychological risk assessment reports into OMS and into the EMR and ensure that a copy has been share-printed to the Parole Board of Canada.

o. For some offenders, CSC is required to complete risk assessments as part of a judicial review. To the extent that the contractor agrees to complete an assessment as part of a judicial review, all subsequent legal costs related to this assessment shall be borne by the contractor.

Psychological risk assessment for sexual offenders:

p. The Contractor must collect information related to the dynamics of the offence, identify treatment needs and risk factors and determine the sexual offender's suitability for individual or group treatment programming. These assessments are usually conducted prior to release, but may also be requested after the offender has entered some form of community release. When a an assessment of a sexual offender is requested the Contractor must provide, in addition to the above content, a comprehensive description of psycho-sexual development, sexual misconduct and offenses.

q. Specific content references to be included but not limited to in this description would be: history and development of sexual behaviour, information pertaining to prior child abuse, domestic abuse or violence against women perpetrated by the offender whether sexual or otherwise, information pertaining to co-offending and the relationship with the current sexual offense or sexual offense pattern, any attitudes supportive of sexual offending and sexual abuse, relationship problems particularly as they relate to intimacy deficits and social competence, factors relevant to their sexual offending (i.e., sexual self-regulation, intimacy issues, general self-regulation), general antisocial characteristics and psychopathology that may influence sexual offending and misbehaviour, and relevant medical history. Previous assessment results, including assessment of deviant sexual preference and prior programming results should also be considered. Psychological risk assessments of sexual offenders should attend to risk variables based on empirically based, clinician-rated measures of actuarial, static and dynamic risk that focus on sex offence specific factors where possible.

r. For male sex offenders, it is mandatory for the Contractor to use the STATIC-99R for all sexual offender risk assessments (including non-contact offenders, but not offenders exclusively involved in child pornography or for offenders that don’t meet the criteria to use the tool). Dynamic risk must be assessed using a clinician rated actuarial measure that has been shown to be reliable and valid (e.g., STABLE-2007, VRS-SO or the RSVP). For cases where there is currently limited data specific to that population (e.g., child pornography only offenders) then the Contractor could, if he/she has received the appropriate training in this regard, use a measure that is based on the available evidence (e.g., CPORT). No sex offending risk and recidivism actuarial measures are to be used for women sex offenders. The use of a general recidivism risk measure such as the LS/CMI could then be used, as well as in some cases the HCR-20 to assess the risk of violent recidivism (which generally includes sexual recidivism).

1.2.3 Grievance and Investigation Processes, Review Panels, CSC Boards of Investigations

When necessary, the contractor shall participate in various internal CSC investigation and grievance processes which may include a review of the contractor's health care record information. At the request of the Project Authority, the contractor may be required to undergo interviews as part of the investigation/grievance process. Participation in interviews as part of the investigation or grievance process will be billable at the rate of $150 per meeting/travel.

At the request of the Project Authority, the Contractor must participate in CSC Boards of Investigation. Participation in Boards of Investigation will be billable at the rate of $150 per meeting/travel.

1.2.4 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).

1.3 Performance standards

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

1.4 Constraints

1.4.1 Location of Work

a. The contractor should generally provide psychological assessment services to offenders on-site at the institution or in the community, as discussed in Section 1.1, Objective.

b. The Contractor must visit incarcerated offenders in interview rooms or cell range areas as requested by the Project Authority.

c. Telepsychology by Videoconferencing

The Contractor must contact the Project Authority to obtain written approval prior to any work being done via videoconference. The Project Authority will grant approval, at their sole discretion, on a site-by-site basis. The percentage of service provided via videoconferencing will be determined by the Project Authority. This percentage may be influenced by outside constraints preventing physical access to the facility or the location of the offender within the facility.

d. Normally, the Contractor will be allowed to provide services only to those sites included in its contract. However, the Project Authority may request the Contractor to perform work for a site for which he has not submitted an offer if there are no resources available for that site. The Contractor must perform this work via video conference.

1.4.2 Language of work

a) Assessment interviews and testing shall be completed in the offender's choice of one of the two official languages.

b) Assessment reports shall be completed in French for offenders whose language of choice is French.

c) For offenders whose language of choice is English, the reports may be written in either English or French, at the option of the Contractor.

• The Contractor agrees to provide assessment services in French. If a Contractor's report requires translation, the Contractor will be responsible for editing the translated document at no cost to the Crown.

1.4.3 Hours of Service Provision/Timely Access to Care

a) The amount assessments required is variable and depends on what is agreed upon between the Project Authority and the offender at the beginning of the contract. All contact with offenders must occur during normal working hours of the facility, unless otherwise agreed to by the Project Authority. The Contractor shall provide services in accordance with the operational requirements of the institution, and such requirements may include varying hours of work.

b) The Project Authority may, at its discretion, modify the hours of services during the contract period, including any optional period that CSC may elect to exercise.

c) The Project Authority will notify the Contractor of any changes to the service delivery periods at least ten (10) days prior to implementation of the change.

1.5.3. Security Requirements:

a) The Contractor must, at all times during the performance of the Contract, hold a valid Designated Organization Screening (DOS), issued by the Contract Security Program (CSP), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

b) The Contractor personnel requiring access to PROTECTED information, assets or sensitive site(s) must EACH hold a valid RELIABILITY STATUS, granted or approved by the CSP, PWGSC.

c) The Contractor MUST NOT remove any PROTECTED information or assets from the identified site(s), and the Contractor must ensure that its personnel are made aware of and comply with this restriction.

d) Subcontracts which contain security requirements are NOT to be awarded without the prior written permission of the CSP, PWGSC.

e) The Contractor must comply with the provisions of the:

i) Contract Security Manual (Latest Edition).

1.5.3.1 CSC Approved Health Services Exemption for the Removal, Offsite Storage and Electronic Data Processing of Offender Personal Medical Information under CSC issued contracts.

a) The Contractor/Offeror must practice and take measures to protect shared personal health information in accordance with the applicable legislation which governs the disclosure of personal and health information under federal and provincial laws, applicable provincial health information acts, and the provincial/territorial regulatory body’s professional practice standards. This includes collection, receipt, transmission, storage, disposal, use and disclosure of information under its control among authorized persons of employees of the Contractor/Offeror.

b) In case of security breach or the unauthorized use of shared personal information, the Contractor/Offeror must notify the CSC Project Authority and implement all procedures and disclosure requirements as defined by their professional certifying body and those required of federal and provincial laws and regulations.

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:

2.1 The proposed psychologist must hold a current license from, or current registration with, the provincial registering or licensing body for psychologists in the province(s) where services are to be provided.

Bidders must provide a proof of the license or registration with the provincial regulatory body.

2.2 The proposed psychologist must demonstrate how, during the last five (5) years before the closing date, he/she has acquired a minimum of six (6) months of experience where he/she has developed his clinical skills regarding each of the following types of assessment:
a) Psychological Risk Assessment – Sexual Offences; and
b) Psychological Risk Assessment – Gratuitous and persistent violence.

Experience may have been developed through practicums, internship or professional jobs.

To demonstrate the knowledge acquired, the following information should be provided:

a) the name of the client or the employer of the psychologist proposed and/or the title of the training program, training course or certificate program (including the name of the academic institution or training provider).
b) a short description of the training subject matter and contents and/or the clinical experience gained by the proposed psychologist.
c) at least one contactable reference per project to confirm the experience listed (including a current and valid email address and phone number)
d) the start and end dates of the projects and/or the training

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

A request for a standing offer was published, but CSC was unable to meet all of its need due to an insufficient number of bids.

The pre-identified supplier meets all of the minimum essential requirements described in this ACAN.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

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

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

9. Ownership of Intellectual Property

There are no intellectual property terms in the contract.

10. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period of from contract award to October 31, 2024, with an option to extend the contract for 3 additional 1-year periods.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $500,000.00 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Dr Jean-Philippe Vaillancourt
Address: contractor’s place of business

13. 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.

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

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is February 2, 2024, at 14h (EST).

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Isabelle Levesque
Procurement Officer
340 Laurier West
Ottawa (Canada) K1A 0P8
Telephone: (343) 574-3514
E-mail: Isabelle.Levesque@CSC-SCC.GC.CA