26-006 - Professional Psychological Evaluation Services 2026

Agency:	City of Clifton
State:	New Jersey
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services 541720 - Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities 541990 - All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 611710 - Educational Support Services
Posted Date:	Feb 24, 2026
Due Date:	Mar 5, 2026
Solicitation No:	26-006
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Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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CITY OF CLIFTON

DEPARTMENT OF PURCHASING

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION SERVICES

FOR

THE CITY OF CLIFTON

2026

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR FAIR AND OPEN PROPOSAL

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.4 et seq., the City of Clifton is soliciting Fair and Open

Proposals for Psychological Evaluation Services for a contract period of one (1) year from date

of contract award. Proposals shall be endorsed “Psychological Evaluation Services” and

delivered to Purchasing Agent Amisha Jariwala, City of Clifton, 900 Clifton Avenue, Clifton,

New Jersey 07013.

Due Date: March 05,2026, at 11:00 AM

CITY OF CLIFTON

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION SERVICES

The City of Clifton is soliciting a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) to provide Psychological Evaluation Services to

the City for a contract period of one year from the date of award. Specifically, we're looking for psychologists

and psychiatrists that have experience screening law enforcement recruits (pre-employment) and screening

officers. All candidates are required to comply with N.J.S.A. 10:5-31, et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 as amended

(Affirmative Action).

I - GENERAL

Category One: Psychological Services and Psychiatric Services for Employment Screening

The City of Clifton is seeking licensed psychologists and psychiatrists to conduct pre-employment psychological

screenings and post-employment "fitness for duty" evaluations. The evaluation instruments should consider the

guidelines ratified by the ABPPSP Police Psychological Services Section.

The psychological/psychiatric evaluation process for new candidates has up to 3 phases:

· Phase 1: Candidates complete a written test administered by a licensed psychologist.

Candidates identified as needing further evaluation will meet one-on-one with a psychologist in Phase 2.

· Phase 2: One-on-one interview with a licensed psychologist.

Depending on the outcome of Phases 1 and 2, a candidate may be referred for psychiatric evaluation.in Phase 3.

· Phase 3: One-on-one interview with a licensed psychiatrist.

Depending on the outcome of the psychiatric evaluation, a group meeting with the Department, the psychologist

and the psychiatrist may be recommended. The Department makes the final hiring decision.

II - SCOPE OF SERVICES

Psychological/Psychiatric Screening Test Battery Requirements:

The respondent’ pre-employment screening of new candidates must include a review of any relevant background

information, and the use of a standard battery of psychological tests and a clinical interview.

The respondent's pre-employment screening of new candidates must include the screening for:

*a.) Substance Use Disorder, including alcohol or drug dependency or periods of excessive use of alcohol or

drugs to the extent that major life functions such as work, school, military service or personal relationships have

been affected, shall be subject to review.

*b.) Any psychiatric condition, behavior disorder or mental disorder that may result in an individual not being

able to safely and effectively perform the job of a City of Clifton officer shall be subject to review during

evaluation of the individual's history, current status, prognosis, and ability to respond to the stressors of the job.

(*RTT Medical Standards, April 2021 Revision)

The respondent's testing procedures shall utilize a battery of psychological tests which have been selected

through research to meet the following criteria:

*a.) They should be as fair as possible to all candidates regardless of level of education, cultural background,

prior military or law enforcement experience, and/or prior exposure to testing procedures.

*b.) They should yield information which is relevant to the principal concerns of the City of Clifton, to determine

suitability for employment.

The respondent's testing assessment process should be designed to measure the following characteristics

which are deemed essential in the effective performance of a law enforcement position (This list is not all-

inclusive):

- Judgement

- Intelligence

- Flexibility

- Aggression

- Motivation

- Maturity

- Honesty & Integrity

- Team orientation

- Acceptance and recognition of danger.

- Ability to cope with crisis situations, including judgment, stability and intelligence.

- Ability to follow orders and the chain of command

- Ability to read, write, speak, understand and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of the

position.

- Absence of significant racial bias

- Absence of significant cultural bias

- Absence of significant gender bias

The respondent's pre-employment screening procedures and process must support the Standard32.2.4 Emotional

Stability/Psychological Fitness Exams from the Accreditation Standards Manual, City of Clifton Accreditation

Program. Please refer to the attachment onwww.commbuys.com.

Psychological Assessments: The primary purpose of this service is to evaluate prospective candidates for

appointment to the City of Clifton. The Department is committed to a selection process that emphasizes candidate

suitability and to the responsible hiring of public safety personnel. In this regard, the Department of State Police

has instituted the Psychological Screening of candidates for the State Police Academy. Further, to ensure public

safety, from time to time it may be necessary to evaluate employees of the Department to determine their fitness

to perform their duties safely. This may include the evaluation of both sworn and civilian personnel. Psychological

services will be provided by fully licensed and credentialed psychologists. M.G.L. Chapter 6E, Section 4

established uniform standards for the certification of law enforcement officers, subject to the approval of the

POST Commission (Peace Officers Standards and Training).

The successful respondent for this service shall:

1.) Present a plan for group and individual psychological screening of candidates being processed by the

Department for appointment to the position of State Police Trooper. The plan must include test instruments that

are peer-reviewed, follow current best practices, and to the extent possible, eliminate cultural bias. Doctors shall

be member of American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP). In addition, other psych

screenings will be considered and may be used as approved by the Department.

2.) Develop a psychological screening process to ensure that candidates entering the State Police Academy meet

all criteria set forth by the Department and are well suited for a career in law enforcement.

3.) Ensure that such Plan effectively screens out applicants who do not meet the criteria for eligibility promulgated

by the Department. Evaluation documents will contain the provider's license number.

4.) Provide counseling for employees referred by the Department and provide recommendations to the State Police

Surgeon and/or Colonel of the State Police as may be requested from time to time regarding an individual's fitness

for duty.

5.) Ensure that such plan is reasonably and competitively priced.

6.) Establish a fee schedule for professional psychological evaluation and/or counseling services on an as needed

basis.

7.) The licensed provider will work with the Department to obtain a candidate's (or employee's) medical records,

as necessary, to corroborate information from an applicant's interview, background check, etc.

Psychiatric Services: The successful respondent will provide psychiatric services to the Department on an as

needed basis. Psychiatric services will be provided by Board Certified psychiatrists. Services will typically

include continued employment and the evaluation of an employee's ability to perform their essential job function.

Issuance and authorization to use firearms is central to the essential function of a State Trooper. During individual

psychiatric services, it is critical that the successful vendor be positioned to make definitive recommendations to

the State Police Command Staff concerning employee’s ability to safely and properly discharge his/her duties.

The duties of a law enforcement officer are both complex and demanding. To ensure both the officer's safety and

the safety of the public it is sometimes necessary for a member of the Department to undergo a psychiatric

evaluation and, if need be, engage in proper treatment. As well, the Department's Rules and Regulations require

that members who are returning to work from extended leaves of absence must undergo an evaluation prior to

being considered for reinstatement.

The successful respondent shall:

a.) Present a plan for individual psychiatric assessments. The plan must include test instruments that are peer-

reviewed, follow current best practices, and to the extent possible, eliminate cultural bias. Refer to the IACP

Guidelines attached to this bid. In addition, other psych screenings will be considered and may be used as

approved by the Department.

b.) On an as needed basis, provide the Department with an assessment of a member's ability to perform his/her

full duties safely. Such assessments will include, but shall not be limited to, self-reporting by the individual being

evaluated, a comprehensive written assessment with accompanying recommendations. Evaluation documents will

contain the provider's license number.

c.) Provide counseling for employees referred by the Department.

d.) Ensure that such plan is reasonably and competitively priced.

e.) Establish a fee schedule for professional psychiatric evaluation and/or counseling services on an as needed

basis.

This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

26-006 - Professional Psychological Evaluation Services 2026

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See Also

Bid Number:	26-006
Bid Title:	26-006 - Professional Psychological Evaluation Services 2026
Category:	Bid Notices
Status:	Open