Professional Counseling Services

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is conducting a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure comprehensive professional counseling services for approximately 800 sworn and professional personnel across patrol, custody, investigative, and administrative divisions. The primary deliverables include short-term counseling (up to 6 hours initially with additional sessions available upon authorization), crisis and critical incident response capabilities, on-site clinical support of up to 6 hours per week, virtual clinical services of up to 8 hours per week, departmental training on mental health and wellness topics, and participation in departmental and family outreach events. The contractor must maintain strict confidentiality while coordinating administrative authorization processes for additional sessions and family member services without compromising clinician-client privilege, and must demonstrate cultural competence in addressing high-stress situations and cumulative trauma associated with law enforcement and correctional work. Key evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Project Approach (30 points), Qualifications (30 points), and Price (20 points), with pricing required on a per-hour basis for clinical services. Prospective vendors must have provided similar services for a minimum of four years within the last seven years and must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). Critical deadline dates include a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting on March 24, 2026, at 11:00 am, a deadline for questions and contract exceptions on March 25, 2026, at 5:00 pm, a proposal submission deadline of April 6, 2026, at 12:00 pm, tentative interviews on April 14, 2026, and an anticipated contract award by July 1, 2026, with service commencement on July 1, 2026.

The County of San Mateo has established procurement preferences for local businesses and local non-profit organizations, providing five percent (5%) additional preference points, with enhanced preferences of up to ten percent (10%) available for certified small or micro businesses located in San Mateo County. The contract structure accommodates the flexibility of either the under-$200,000 or over-$200,000 standard contract template, depending on the final negotiated value, with both templates requiring contractors to maintain general liability insurance of $1,000,000, professional liability insurance of $1,000,000, and workers' compensation insurance, while also mandating compliance with HIPAA Business Associate obligations, Section 504 Rehabilitation Act compliance, and San Mateo County's Living Wage Ordinance. The agreement establishes an initial term of three years with one optional extension period not to exceed two years, exercisable at the County's sole discretion, and either party may terminate with thirty days' written notice or the County may terminate immediately upon ten calendar days' notice for material breach. No incumbent vendor or existing contractor is listed in the available procurement documents. The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and makes no guarantee regarding the quantity of services that will be authorized under the agreement, and all proposals become public records subject to review under California's Public Records Act.