American Sign Language (ASL) Psychology Services, Ontario Region

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) Health Services require the services of a psychologist for offenders within the Ontario Region. The psychologist will provide recommendations as to psychological care services for American Sign Language (ASL) offenders for the Ontario Region. The psychologist will collaborate with the interdisciplinary health services team that includes, but is not limited to nursing, psychology, social work, occupational therapy and other allied healthcare professionals.

The work will involve the following:

1. Objectives:

The Contractor, as a psychologist, must provide consultation up four times per year as to the interdisciplinary team on essential mental health services to ASL offenders in the Ontario Region.

1. Tasks:

The Contractor must provide recommendations as to the delivery of mental health services to ASL offenders with serious mental illness, 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. 

These services include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Assess individual offenders;
2. Provide consultation to other health care providers to ensure continuity of care. Provide consultation and advice on mental health services to the mental health team, or institutional management, or both as requested;
3. Provide educational sessions as requested.

Psychological Assessment Services:

a) The Contractor must prepare and submit assessment reports within 10 days of the interview or at the date agreed upon with the Project Authority or their delegate.

b) The Contractor must submit all assessment reports in a typewritten format. Assessment reports will not normally exceed five pages in length.

The Contractor must visit the incarcerated offender(s) as requested by the Project Authority.

1. Expected results:

The Contractor must provide an assessment report with recommendations that will assist in the provision of care to the patient. The Contractor must also provide consultation services to the interdisciplinary health care team in association with the assessment and findings. The assessment report must be in accordance with policy, institutional mental health guidelines, and the contractor’s standards of professional practice.

1.4 Performance standards:

The Contractor must take into cultural, and linguistic differences of the patient.

The Contractor must provide services in accordance with the ethical and professional practice standards of the applicable College of Psychologists of Ontario.

Compliance with provincial/national guidelines

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 and including the CSC Mental Health Policy and guidelines.

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

The following is a list of key relevant legislation and CSC Policy/Guidelines but should not be considered an exhaustive list. CSC's policies and guidelines can be found on the CSC internet website at www.CSC-SCC.GC.ca or available in hard copy.

• Corrections and Conditional Release Act - Section 85 Health Care
• Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations – Section 3
• Commissioner’s Directive 800, Health Services
• 800-5 Gender Dysphoria
• Commissioner’s Directive 843, Interventions to preserve life and prevent serious bodily harm
• National Essential Health Services Framework
• National Formulary
• Documentation for Health Services Professionals
• Guidelines for Sharing Personal Health Information
• Discharge Planning Guidelines: A Client Centred Approach
• Clinical Discharge Planning and Community Integration Service Guidelines
• Integrated Mental Health Guidelines
• Mental Health Services Delivery Guidelines.

Documentation on CSC Electronic Health Care Records:

a) The Contractor must provide a written summary following each session. The document must reference all information relevant to the mental health services recommended to the interdisciplinary team for the management of the offender. The document the Contractor provides must meet relevant legislation, professional standards of practice and CSC's Documentation for Health Services Professionals guidelines.

b) As an accountability and quality assurance measure, the Project Authority, in collaboration with the Regional Psychology Lead, will periodically review the Contractor's documentation for compliance with contract requirements, consistency and completeness.

c) The Contractor must obtain prior approval, in writing, from the Project Authority before collecting any data on inmates. The Contractor must specify what data would be collected and for what purpose.

1.5 Deliverables:

1.5.1 

The Contractor must provide an assessment report with recommendations that will assist in the provision of care to the patient. The Contractor must also provide consultation services to the interdisciplinary health care team in association with the assessment and findings. The assessment report must be in accordance with policy, institutional mental health guidelines, and the contractor’s standards of professional practice. The length of the report must be consistent with standards of practice. Generally, the report must include file review, consent, clinical interview, testing, scoring, results, and recommendations.

1.5.2 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 provide services in person or via video conference, as requested by the Project Authority, at the locations indicated under b.

b. Travel

Travel to the following locations will be required for performance of the work under this contract:

• Collins Bay Minimum/Medium/Maximum Institutions
• Bath Institution
• Millhaven Institution
• Regional Treatment Centre (O) – Bath and Millhaven Sites
• Joyceville Medium Institution
• Joyceville Minimum Institution
• Beaver Creek Medium Institution
• Beaver Creek Minimum Institution
• Grand Valley Institution for Women
• Warkworth Institution
• Henry Traill Community Correctional Center

1.6.2 Language of Work:

The work must be performed in ASL for the offender(s) and in English for CSC personnel.

1.6.3 Security Requirements:

This contract includes the following security requirements:

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

The Contractor/Offeror 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.

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

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

The Contractor/Offeror must comply with the provisions of the:

a) Security Requirements Check List and security guide (if applicable), as noted in the contract;

b) Contract Security Manual (Latest Edition).

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:

The Psychologist must have five (5) years of clinical expertise obtained within the last ten (10) years prior to the ACAN closing date in assessing and consulting services for adult deaf persons with mental health concerns.

The Psychologist must have a minimum five (5) years experience obtained within the last ten (10) years prior to the ACAN closing date assessing and providing consulting services to deaf adult population with mental health concerns.

The Psychologist must have experience providing psychological services in the area of assessment to adults in a correctional environment.

The Psychologist must have previously completed at least one (1) assessment or consultation project related to mental health with ASL offenders within the last eight (8) years prior to the ACAN closing date.

Academic qualifications:

The Psychologist must have a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology.

The degree must have been obtained from a recognized Canadian university, college or high school, or the equivalent as established by a recognized Canadian academic credentials assessment service, if obtained outside Canada.

The list of recognized organizations can be found under the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials web site.

Professional designation, accreditation and/or certification:

The Psychologist must be a registered psychologist in the province of Ontario, in good standing with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. 

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

There is a limited number of clinical psychologist with expertise in providing assessment and consulting services for adult deaf persons with mental health concerns.

Dr. Chovaz is a clinical psychologist that has assessment, treatment, and consultant expert knowledge with regards to adult deaf personal with mental health concerns. Dr. Chovaz offers accessible and effective psychological care to adult deaf persons. Dr. Chovaz has experience as a consultant to other health care professionals regarding mental health and deafness. Dr. Chovaz is a specialist who had worked with CSC for several years, and who provides services in ASL to our offender population. There are currently no other available options for this speciality in the area where facilities listed under 1.6.1 Location of Work are located. Dr. Chovaz has a unique expertise that can provide direct assessment and consultation services to the CSC population that is consistent with community standards. 

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 6(d) only one person is capable of performing the contract.

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the section of the trade agreement(s) specified:

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 3 years, from November 13, 2022 to November 12, 2025.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $31,500 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Dr. Cathy Chovaz

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 September 29, 2022 at 14:00 EDT.

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Jason Scott – Regional Procurement Officer

445 Union St, Kingston, ON, K7L 4Y8

Telephone: 613-328-9380

E-mail: Jason.Scott@csc-scc.gc.ca