PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION SERVICES

The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ) has issued a fixed-price solicitation for psychological evaluation services across four distinct categories: Pre-Dispositional Evaluation Services, Pre-Dispositional SORA (Sexual Offender Risk Assessment) Evaluation Services, Pre-Adjudicatory Waiver Evaluation Services, and Waiver Testimony Services. These comprehensive psychological evaluations will be conducted for juveniles in SCDJJ custody throughout South Carolina, with services to be performed at county offices and three regional psychology offices located in Columbia, North Charleston, and Greenville. Qualified providers must be South Carolina-licensed clinical or counseling psychologists holding a PhD or PsyD, in good standing with the South Carolina Board of Psychology, and possessing professional liability insurance with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 annual aggregate. The solicitation was issued on February 1, 2023, with proposals due by February 15, 2023, at 10:00 AM, and award notification expected on February 10, 2023. Evaluation services are time-sensitive, requiring completion within 30 days for pre-dispositional and SORA evaluations and within 60 days for waiver evaluations.

The contract will be placed on a Qualified Provider List (QPL), which does not guarantee any specific volume of business, and explicitly prohibits the use of subcontractors. Pricing is structured on an hourly basis with maximum rates: $100 per hour for Pre-Dispositional and SORA Evaluations (with 16 and 20 hours maximum per referral respectively), and $150 per hour for Pre-Adjudicatory Waiver Evaluations and Waiver Testimony Services (with 50 and 10 hours maximum per referral respectively). The total estimated hours across all categories are approximately 9,900, with payment terms set at net 30 days from proper invoice receipt. The initial contract term is one year, beginning March 4, 2023, with two potential one-year renewal options, creating a total possible contract duration of three years and expiring on March 3, 2026. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, the solicitation requires specialized psychological expertise and state licensure, which may naturally limit the pool of potential respondents. The contract appears to be a continuing service arrangement designed to support the psychological assessment needs of the juvenile justice system in South Carolina.