NIGP 95221: Counseling

NIGP 95221 Counseling, Item code, encompasses short-term individual and group mental health counseling, crisis intervention, substance abuse assessment, trauma counseling, and specialized therapeutic services that state and local governments procure for their employees, justice-involved populations, at-risk youth, and vulnerable families. Recent solicitations show state agencies, counties, cities, school districts, and special-purpose authorities actively buying counseling services across prevention, intervention, treatment, and forensic evaluation contexts, with the City of Phoenix, Colorado Department of Human Services, Texas health agencies, and multiple county juvenile justice and education systems appearing repeatedly as major buyers.

The work being solicited ranges from employee assistance programs serving thousands of state or municipal workers (Phoenix, Texas, Williamson County, Wichita, Cuyahoga County) to specialized forensic evaluations for defendants and civil commitments (Colorado OCFMH, Santa Fe), school-based and home-based mental health therapy for students (Tacoma Public Schools, Bibb County School District, Wicomico County), youth diversion and prevention programming (City of Phoenix shoplifting/theft diversion, Montgomery County truancy diversion, Solano County prevention services), and intensive family and community-based treatment for system-involved youth and children (Cherokee County MST, Pinellas County Pathways Forward, Washington State DCYF adolescent transitional living). Counseling services also address substance abuse treatment and recovery support (Albuquerque Continuing Sobriety Voucher Program), domestic violence and sexual abuse treatment (San Bernardino County CAPTS, Boulder County therapeutic services), and post-adoption and family support (Texas DFPS post-adoption services). The geographic spread is national, with recent activity concentrated in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Washington, California, and Connecticut, with additional opportunities in Ohio, Kansas, Florida, Oregon, and Maryland. Representative recent opportunities include the City of Phoenix's five-year, comprehensive employee assistance program covering 15,000 employees plus retirees (RFPPS270001, sealed offers due July 10, 2026, now closed), the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families Region 6 Adolescent Transitional Living Program providing residential care and counseling to five male-identifying youth ages 16–21 (26DCYFCW104, qualifications due August 20, 2026), the Colorado Department of Human Services sex offender treatment services procurement statewide (RFPIHJA20260002781, proposals due July 16, 2026), and Bibb County School District's virtual and home-based mental health services for middle and high school students (RFPs 26-031 and 26-032, proposals due March 17, 2026, now closed). The code remains actively solicited across diverse issuing bodies with no indication of slowing procurement activity.