NEW CASTLE COUNTY Purchasing Division New Castle County Government Center 87 Read s Way New Castle, DE (302)

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1 New Castle County is seeking professional psychological service providers to submit priced proposals to provide psychological evaluations/testing as part of the stress reduction and critical incident program for Public Safety Department personnel. Services will include pre-employment testing. Interested parties must submit a priced proposal in writing, one (1) original and three (3) copies, to the,,, New Castle, DE (302/ ) by 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 5, 2014, so stating their interests and qualifications. NOTE: Bidders are responsible for obtaining the bid specifications and all addendums from the New Castle County Purchasing website at Questions concerning the proposal may be directed in writing by noon Wednesday, October 22, 2014 to Ruth Kowalski, Purchasing, at rkowalski@nccde.org. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL Sealed proposal envelopes will carry a clear notation in the lower left quadrant, PROPOSAL FOR, #15PPA-002. Faxed proposals cannot be accepted. Pursuant to New Castle County Code and Delaware State Law, no contract will be awarded to any vendor unless, before or in conjunction with the actual award of the contract to such vendor, has submitted proof satisfactory to the County, or to the awarding agency, or the designated representative of the County or the awarding agency, as the case may be, that it and each and every subcontractor named by it in its bid, if any, will at the time it submits such proof have valid and effective licenses required by the State and the County, and the political subdivisions, if any, in which the project is located, and the United States government, in order for each of them (i) to do business therein; (ii) to comply with all tax laws thereof; and (iii) to perform the labor and/or supply the material involved in the performance of the contract. Awards, if any, will be made in conjunction with the Delaware Code, Subchapter 2, Chapter 69, Title 29, and the New Castle County Code. 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 1 of 14

2 Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals, and will not be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, nation origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation in the consideration of this award. Mailing Address: New Castle County 87 Reads Way 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 2 of 14

3 General New Castle County is looking f or professional services for ps ychological evaluations/testing as part of the stress reduction and critical incident program for Public Safety D epartment personnel and for pre- employment testing for positions determined to be significantly stressful, such as emergency communication operators and specialists, emergency medical services personnel, sworn police positions, and any other classifications determined by New Castle County to fall into this category. For informational purposes only, New Castle County has approximately 1, 600 employees. Public Safety currently has 370 Police Officer positions, 115 Paramedic positions, and 85 in our 911 operations. Scope Services are intended to include conditions which: 1. Are acute, crisis-oriented problems in individuals previously functioning adequately. 2. Can be effectively managed through brief, focused psychotherapy (typically less than six (6) months of treatment). Services are intended to exclude conditions including, but not limited to, the following: 1. Psychoactive substance use disorders. 2. Organic mental syndromes and disorders. 3. Chronic/recurrent psychotic mood or anxiety disorders. 4. Disorders of mental retardation, specific development disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, and personality disorders resulting in long-term chronically compromised social/occupational functioning. 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 3 of 14

4 5. Sexual disorders. NEW CASTLE COUNTY 6. Partial hospital or hospitalization coverage. 7. Long-term treatment. Psychological services must be rendered by a psychologist with the following credentials: 1. Licensed in accordance with the most current APA Standards for Providers of Psychological Services in the State of Delaware (in good standing). 2. Must possess credentials in assessment procedures for Police and Public Safety workers including test interpretation and psychological assessment techniques. 3. Has first-hand knowledge of police officers, paramedics and emergency call personnel jobs as those jobs are performed by that agency. 4. Knowledge of research literature related to psychological screening for police, paramedics, EMT s, emergency call personnel, and sheriffs. 5. Has working knowledge of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, the American Disabilities Act, and associated fair employment issues. 6. Has working knowledge of the regulations issued by the EEOC regarding psychological and mental disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act of Is willing to testify in court to the validity of the psychological screening process. 8. This requires that the psychologist has: o a working knowledge of the law surrounding the screening o an understanding of the tests as they relate to employment selection 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 4 of 14

5 o maintains data supporting the validity of the screening process as conducted by the agency Pre-employment evaluations will be performed for the following positions, but not limited to: Police Officer Deputy Sheriff Paramedic Emergency Call Operator Emergency Call Operator Supervisor Police Communications Specialist Police Communications Supervisor Fire/Medical Communications Specialist Fire/Medical Communications Supervisor and any other designated classification as determined by the Office of Human Resources. New Castle County looks to a humanistic evaluation of candidates potential for success. In addition to the clinical test, providers shall also take into consideration the candidates file when determining the pass/fail of the individual. Pre-employment Psychological Battery of Tests Tier I Testing: Shall include review of records, PAI, NEO-PI-R and clinical interview. Tier II Testing: May include one or more of the following tests: MMPI-2 SASSI Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Inwald Personality Inventory 2 Conners Continuing Performance Test 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 5 of 14

6 Reading Test Executive Functioning Disorder Attention Disorder Reading Disorder o r any additional tests that may be required to assist in t he psychological determination of fitness for duty. Service Procedure 1. A call to the contractor s answering service will usually be responded to within 24-hours if not urgent, and within two (2) hours if urgent. 2. Sessions will generally be scheduled within 48 to 72 hours for non-urgent cases, and within two (2) hours to 24 hours for more urgent cases. 3. Contractor must have coverage for any/all vacations and/or other leaves of absence which would impact their availability. 4. The contractor must provide a verbal pass/fail within 24 hours of the exam. A written follow up of the pre-employment exam results which indicates a clear hiring recommendation ( pass or fail ) with any brief comments (the detailed file will stay with the physician) of the psychological exam must be submitted within 72 hours to the County Risk Manager and the Office of Human Resources (assuming that no additional tests that may require a longer grading period). 5. The contractor must fax detailed Fitness for Duty exam results of the psychological exam within 72 hours of the completion of the exam to the Office of Human Resources and the County s Risk Manager (assuming that no additional tests that may require a longer grading period). 6. The cont r actor must provide after hours on-call services or arrange coverage for after hour s treatment. 7. Contractor shall have coverage for an y /all vacations or other leaves of absence which impact availability. Contractor shall provide with the bid submission the coverage plan and the name and credentials of those who will be providing 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 6 of 14

7 coverage. 8. The contractor must provide psychological services from the members in the group or have the ability to sub contract on occasion as needed. Subcontractors must be submitted to New Castle County Department of Human Resources for review and approval. 9. Medical prescription and monitoring are included. 10. In the event that a covered member is diagnosed with a disorder not covered by this contract, it will be the vendor s responsibility to assist in the following way: Pricing a. Suggest appropriate treatment personnel, agencies or hospitals that are available in conjunction with the individual s existing health care provider. b. Provide case management services in the form of provider utilization review. c. Report periodically on progress to the Chief Human Resources Officer, Risk Manager, Public Safety Director, and/or Chief of Police. Psychological service providers are asked to submit a fixed fee price for fitness for duty exams and pre-placement psychological exams. The fee shall include records review for pre-placement and fitness for duty examinations. Providers are to indicate what portion of the fixed fee is for records review. Length of Contract Fr om date of award through December 3 1, The contract may be extended for an additional one (1) year, by mutual written agreement of both parties. The parties may mutally agree in writing to engage in a total of five (5 ), one (1) year extensions. The Contract, including all extensions, shall not exceed a total of six (6) years. 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 7 of 14

8 Multi-Award Pursuant to New Castle County Code Section B.8., New Castle County may multi-award this contract. Funding Out The continuation of this contract is contingent upon funding appropriated by County Council. Company Trade Secrets Proposal information is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Firms must designate those items that are considered trade secrets as defined in the Delaware State Code Title 29, Chapter 100. Otherwise, all information will be provided to the requester. Supplier Diversity New Castle County encourages supplier diversity among firms. Please provide information on your firm s efforts to encourage supplier diversity in your workforce and in the selection of sub-contractors. Delaware Labor New Castle County encourages the use of Delaware Labor. Please specify the office location(s) and percentage of the primary and sub-consultant (if applicable) that will be provided by each office. 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 8 of 14

9 Insurance Workers Compensation & Employer s Liability Insurance Vendor shall purchase and keep in force and effect workers compensation insurance that will provide the applicable statutory benefits for all of the vendor s employees who may or do suffer covered injuries or diseases while involved in the performance of their work for the Vendor; and, even if permitted to do so by statute, Vendor shall not reject any workers compensation insurance option that, in the absence of such a rejection, would be applicable to any of the said employees. The policy providing the workers compensation insurance shall include: (1) broad form all-states coverage; (2) an endorsement that specifically waives any subrogation rights the insurer would otherwise have against New Castle County, its officials or employees. Vendor shall purchase, and keep in force and effect, Employers Liability insurance with maximum limits for each employee of $1,000,000 for each bodily injury by accident, or occupational disease, and $1,000,000 aggregate maximum limits for all bodily injuries by accidents and occupational diseases within the coverage period, regardless of the number of employees who may sustain bodily injuries by accident or occupational disease. Automobile and General Liability Insurance Vendor shall purchase: (1) motor vehicle liability coverage, for owned, hired and nonowned vehicles, covering any and all claims for bodily injury and property damage that arise out of Vendor s performance of work for New Castle County, (2) comprehensive Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance with limits of no less than $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate. The CGL policy shall be extended by endorsement or otherwise to also include (a) coverage for Contractual Liability assumed by Vendor, with defense provided in addition to and separate from policy limits for indemnities of the named insured, (b) coverage for Independent Contractor Liability providing coverage in connection with such portion of the Services being subcontracted prior to any of the Services being subcontracted, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, (c) coverage for Broad Form Property Damage Liability, (d) coverage for Personal Injury and Advertisers Liability, (e) products and completed 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 9 of 14

10 operations. (X) Professional Liability Insurance (applicable if checked) Each vendor of professional services for whom this provision is applicable shall provide professional liability insurance with limits of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 annual aggregate. All insurance required under this contract except workers compensation, employers liability, and professional liability (if applicable) shall be provided on a policy(s) that specifically names New Castle County, its officials and employees as additional insureds. Each policy shall provide an endorsement that specifically waives any subrogation rights the insurer would otherwise have against New Castle County, its officials or employees. Each policy shall be endorsed to require the insurer to give New Castle County at least thirty (30) days advance written notice of the insurer s intention to cancel, refuse to renew, or otherwise terminate the policy, suspend or terminate any coverage under the policy, or reduce any policy limits, increase any policy deductibles, or otherwise modify or alter any terms or conditions of the policy or renewal issued by the same insurer. Each policy shall be written by a carrier licensed by the State of Delaware to do insurance business of the type involved in the State of Delaware, and which has, and maintains for the life of this contract, at least an A rating from the A.M. Best Agency with Stable outlook. Any change in this rating or outlook must be related to New Castle County by the Vendor or insurance carrier as soon as possible upon learning of same; and the Vendor shall use due diligence with its insurance broker or carrier to keep track of same. All insurance required under this contract except workers compensation, employer s liability and professional liability shall expressly provide that such insurance shall be primary insurance; and any similar insurance in the name of Vendor shall be excess and non-contributing. 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 10 of 14

11 Deductibles for insurance provided under this contract shall not exceed five percent (5%) of policy limits. Indemnity Vendor shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless New Castle County from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, judgments, costs, and expenses asserted by a person or persons, including agents, employees, or volunteers of vendor, by reason of death or injury to persons, or loss or damage to property, resulting from operations hereunder, or sustained in or upon the premises of the County. Evaluation and Selection Process Based on the criteria established pursuant to the New Castle County Code, an evaluation committee will be selected to read, screen and rank in writing all proposals. The New Castle County Chief of Administrative Services and requesting agency shall have the right to negotiate with individual offerors after their proposals are ranked. The Chief of Administrative Services shall establish procedures and schedules for conducting negotiations. Disclosure of an offeror s price(s) to another and any information derived from competing proposals is prohibited. The Chief of Administrative Services shall issue a written request for best and final offer. The request shall set forth the date, time and place for the submission of best and final offer. At any point in the negotiation process, the Chief of Administrative Services and the requesting agency may, at his or her discretion, terminate negotiations with any and all offerors. Submitted proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria. A weighted average formula will be utilized. 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 11 of 14

12 Evaluation Criteria 1. Experience and reputation in providing psychological services in the area of public safety (i.e., police, paramedics, emergency communications). (0-40) 2. Expertise and education credentials in specialized (0-10) fields or disciplines. 3. Capacity to perform the services and to meet the (0-15) requirements RFP (i.e., adequacy of personnel, financial responsibility, creditworthiness). 4. Location of firm provide the location where services to New Castle (0-10) County will be performed. If using more than one location, please include an estimated percentage of time each location will be utilized. 5. Record of performance or demonstrated ability (0-10) to handle similar size agencies. 6. Distribution of work among firms - List all projects performed for New Castle County over the past five years. (0-05) 7. Price. (0-10) 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 12 of 14

13 SIGNATURE PAGE Name of Company Address Telephone No. Fax No. Signature Federal Tax I.D. No. Printed Name (REQUIRED) Date 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 13 of 14

14 NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE PROCUREMENT AFFIDAVIT AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE I HEREBY AFFIRM THAT: I am the (title) and I am duly authorized to represent and bind (business) (the Business ), and that I possess the legal authority to make this Affidavit on behalf of myself and the Business for which I am acting. I FURTHER AFFIRM THAT: Neither I, nor to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief, the Business, nor any of its officers, directors, partners, members, affiliates, or any of its employees directly involved in obtaining or performing contracts with public bodies has been excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal financial and non-financial assistance and benefits, pursuant to the provisions of 31 U.S.C. 6101, note, E.O , E.O , 48 CFR 9.404, and each agency s codification of the Common Rule for non-procurement suspension and debarment. I DO SOLEMNLY DECLARE AND AFFIRM UNDER THE PENALTIES OF PERJURY THAT THE CONTENTS OF THIS AFFIDAVIT ARE TRUE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, INFORMATION, AND BELIEF, AFTER DILIGENT INQUIRY. Date: By: Name: Title: (Authorized Representative and Affiant) 9/18/2014 #15PPA-002 Page 14 of 14