RFQ - employee counseling services

The County of San Diego, Department of Purchasing and Contracting is requesting quotes for comprehensive employee counseling services on behalf of the Probation Department, with quotes due July 24, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. through the County's BuyNet electronic system. Questions are due July 7, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.

Services must be provided to approximately 1,060 Probation Department employees, retirees, and immediate family members across San Diego, Riverside, and Orange Counties. The core capability requirement is a minimum of five years' experience providing employee assistance counseling services in law enforcement environments. All clinicians must hold master's degrees and demonstrate specialized trauma and law enforcement experience. The contractor must maintain 24/7 crisis assistance availability with toll-free access, deliver critical incident response within two hours, provide training programs certified by Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and Standards and Training Corrections (STC), and deploy staff support clinician services at two detention facilities. Culturally competent, bilingual service delivery is mandatory.

Compliance with federal Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security protocols, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards, and background checks for all personnel are required. The County also mandates cultural competency training and adherence to Board policies on sustainability, artificial intelligence, small-local business preferences, and non-discrimination.

Pricing is fixed-price, fully-burdened compensation with four hourly pay points: client counseling (estimated 1,000 hours annually), debriefing (100 hours), training (100 hours), and staff support clinician services (3,600 hours). Pricing must remain firm for the entire contract duration. The initial contract term runs from award through August 31, 2027, with four optional one-year renewal periods extending through August 31, 2031. The County reserves the right to reject any or all quotes and reserves separate procurement authority.