Psychiatric Services

The City of East Orange, located in Essex County, New Jersey, is soliciting proposals for specialized Psychiatric Services to support its Health & Human Services’ Substance Abuse Treatment Program. This Request for Proposal (RFP) aims to secure two qualified practitioners: a Consulting Psychiatrist and a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse. The core scope involves providing early intervention support, psychiatric assessments, diagnosing co-occurring mental illnesses, facilitating treatment planning, and delivering psychopharmacological treatment for clients enrolled in the program. The Consulting Psychiatrist will work up to ten (10) hours per week, handling a maximum of 200 assessments annually, with additional hours for psychiatric emergencies. The Advanced Practice Nurse will operate on a per diem basis, up to four (4) hours weekly, under the direct supervision of a licensed psychiatrist, focusing on general psychiatric assessments and case reviews. This initiative is vital for managing mental illnesses co-occurring with substance use disorders, contributing significantly to successful client recovery outcomes within the City’s programs. Prospective contractors must meet stringent mandatory minimum requirements for these critical psychiatric service roles. Consulting Psychiatrist candidates require Board-certification or board-eligibility in psychiatry, a valid New Jersey medical license with prescriptive authority, and current NJ Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registrations. The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse must be Board-certified in psychiatric or mental health with prescriptive authority in New Jersey, also holding valid NJ CDS and DEA Registrations. Both positions demand a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in a team, excellent communication skills, a positive and solution-focused attitude, and the capacity to synthesize medical and psychiatric data for evidence-based clinical recommendations. There are no mandatory pre-bid meetings or site visits mentioned. All Professional Service Contractors must comply with New Jersey statutes including N.J.S.A. 10:5-33 et seq. (Affirmative Action), N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq. (Contract Compliance and Equal Employment Opportunities), N.J.S.A. 52:32-44 (Business Registration), and N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2 (Disclosure of Ownership). Proposals for Psychiatric Services must be submitted by Friday, August 30, 2019, at 1:00 p.m., at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud by the Purchasing Committee in the East Orange City Hall, Council Chamber. Submissions are required to be sealed in an envelope clearly bearing the consultant's name and the specific title "PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES: 1) Consulting Psychiatrist or 2) Advanced Practice Nurse" on the exterior, and addressed to the Purchasing Agent, City of East Orange, City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, NJ 07018. A non-refundable fee of $25.00 is applicable for RFP packets obtained physically, payable to the City of East Orange. Required documentation includes a comprehensive list of affidavits, certifications, and forms such as Non-Collusion, Disclosure of Ownership, Insurance Requirement Acknowledgement, EEO/Affirmative Action Compliance, Business Registration Certificate, Qualification Affidavit, and Letters of Intent and Qualification. One unbound original, four additional hard copies, and one electronic copy of the sealed submission are mandatory. Bids must remain firm for sixty (60) days post-opening. For any inquiries regarding the solicitation, interested parties should contact Lisa Jackson, the Purchasing Agent, directly at (973) 266-5162.