Professional Counseling Services

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office (“SMCSO”) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide comprehensive, confidential professional counseling services for sworn and professional (non-sworn) personnel. With more than 800 employees serving across patrol, custody, investigative, and administrative divisions, SMCSO personnel routinely encounter high-stress situations, critical incidents, and cumulative trauma associated with law enforcement and correctional work. The County seeks a qualified contractor to deliver responsive, culturally competent mental health services that support employee wellness, resilience, and operational readiness.

The Sheriff’s Office requires a counseling program that ensures timely access to confidential services for employees and, when appropriate and approved, their family members. Services must include short-term counseling, crisis and critical incident response, on-site and virtual clinical availability, departmental training on mental health and wellness topics, and participation in outreach efforts. The contractor must maintain strict confidentiality while coordinating administrative authorization processes for additional sessions and family services without compromising clinician–client privilege.

The anticipated start date for services is July 1, 2026, subject to successful contract negotiation. Through this partnership, SMCSO seeks to enhance workforce wellness, mitigate the impact of critical incidents, and sustain a healthy, resilient organization committed to serving the community.

Background

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office (SMCSO) provides law enforcement, custody, and public safety services throughout San Mateo County, serving a diverse and dynamic population across urban, suburban, and coastal communities. With over 800 sworn and professional staff assigned to patrol operations, corrections, court security, investigations, and administrative functions, employees routinely perform duties that expose them to critical incidents, traumatic events, and sustained operational stress. These experiences may include officer-involved incidents, in-custody deaths, child abuse cases, violent crimes, natural disasters, and other high-impact events that can have both immediate and cumulative psychological effects.

The nature of public safety work presents unique cultural and operational challenges to seeking mental health support. Employees often work irregular schedules, extended shifts, and high-adrenaline assignments while maintaining public trust and operational readiness. Concerns about stigma, confidentiality, and career impact can create barriers to accessing services. For these reasons, SMCSO seeks a counseling provider with demonstrated expertise in working with law enforcement and correctional professionals, a strong understanding of public safety culture, and the ability to build trust across all ranks and classifications.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-RFP-00367
• Department: Sheriff's Office
• Department Head: Kenneth Binder (Sheriff Elective)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-03-24T18:00:00.000Z — Topic: Pre-Proposal Meeting: Counseling Services Time: Mar 24, 2026 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting: https://smcgov.zoom.us/j/98365237194 Meeting ID: 983 6523 7194 --- One tap mobile +16694449171,,98365237194# US +16699006833,,98365237194# US (San Jose)

Addenda

• Addendum #1 (released 2026-03-19T01:31:22.653Z) —

  Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.

Evaluation Criteria

• Project Approach (30 pts)
• Qualifications (30 pts)
• Price (20 pts)
• Preferential Points (10 pts) —

  Where price is not the sole evaluation factor for a solicitation (e.g., in the case of a "best-value" solicitation), five percent (5%) of the total evaluation points awardable will be added to the proposal score for each Local Business or Local Non-Profit score for evaluation purposes. In the event of a tie between a Local Business or Local Non-Profit and another bidder, the Local Business or Non-Profit shall be awarded the Contract, assuming agreement on other contract terms.

  An additional three percent (3%) preference shall be given to a Local Business or Local Non-profit (for a total of eight percent (8%) of total points awardable) if the proposer is a Small Business or Small Non-Profit, or an additional 5 percent preference (for a total of ten percent (10%) of total points awardable) if the proposer is a Micro Business or Micro Non-Profit.

Submission Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications
• Has Proposer has been providing similar services for a minimum of four (4) years within the last seven (7) years? (required)
• Please confirm your firm is registered with System for Award Management (SAM) (required) —

  SAM.gov

• What is the registered Business Name and Unique Entity ID (UEI) No.? (required) —
  • UEI number can be obtained by registering your business through SAM.GOV
  • Should you be in the process of obtaining your UEI number, please enter the digits ‘123’ temporarily for your response below in order to proceed with proposal. This temporary number should be replaced with the correct registration number for submission of the proposal.
• Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits
• Is the Proposer a "Local Business"? —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Business” means any for-profit business which has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response. 

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank. 

• Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Business? —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

  “Small Business” means any business which holds a Small Business Certification awarded by the California Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services (OSDS).

  “Micro Business” means any Small Business certified by the OSDS which is automatically designated by the OSDS as a Micro Business due to gross annual receipts falling below the OSDS-designated dollar amount.

  If the above designations apply, please provide the OSDS provided Certification ID. 

  If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank. 

• Technical Proposal
• Introduction and Executive Summary (required) —

  Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal.  The letter must contain:

  • Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for representative of proposer that is responsible for communication related to this RFP.
  • Name, title, contact information, and signature of person authorized to obligate firm to perform the commitment contained in the proposal.

  Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFP.

• Statement of Minimum Qualifications (required) —

  Describe how the proposer meets the minimum qualifications as set forth in Minimum Qualifications of this RFP.

  Submission of the Minimum Qualifications checklist is not a substitute for providing a detailed written response.

• Project Approach (required) —

  This section should correlate to the Scope of Work .  Proposer should give a short summary describing how it will perform the relevant work

• Innovations (required) —

  Refence any notable innovations or improvements that you expect to provide (with respect to, for example, efficiency, technology, sustainability) 

• References (required) —

  Provide 3 references for each of the following, including the name, address, and telephone number of recent clients (preferably other public agencies):

• Fee Proposal (required) —

  The Fee Proposal should be submitted as a separate PDF file from the Technical Proposals detailed in Required Documents.

  The County reserves the right to accept other than the lowest priced offer and to reject any proposals that are not responsive to this request.

• Agreement term (years) (required) —

  Update below if needed.

• Is there an extension to this agreement? (required) —

  Is there an extension to this agreement?

• Extension (required) —

  Modify the extension information below, if needed

• Will there be a Pre-Proposal Meeting and/or a Site Visit? (required)
• Include the information that will be covered in the site visit. (required)
• Require vendors to provide References? (required)
• References (required) —

  How many references are required by the vendor? (Number)

• Use Electronic Line Item Pricing? (required)
• Allow vendors to submit Confidential Information? (required) —

  In rare circumstances where there is an expectation that proposers will need to submit trade secrets or other confidential information in order to respond to an RFP. 

• Sample Agreement (required)