Black Mental Health

Correctional Service Canada is seeking a Black-led, Black-focused community agency to deliver continuous, culturally relevant mental health and emotional resilience services to federally incarcerated Black offenders across all institutions in the Ontario and Nunavut Region, with services to be performed from August 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The contractor must provide in-person engagement sessions at each facility, including Kingston Area, Warkworth Institution, Grand Valley Institution for Women, and Beavercreek Institution, and ensure ongoing access to individual and group mental health support grounded in trauma-informed care, culturally adapted CBT, anti-oppression and anti-Black racism frameworks, Afrocentric principles, healing circles, and psychoeducation on systemic barriers to mental health. The contractor must be led by Registered Mental Health Professionals who identify as Black and are registered in Ontario, and all services must be delivered in collaboration with CSC’s Health Care Managers and Interventions staff through monthly meetings. Bids must demonstrate a minimum of three years of experience providing mental health or social work services specifically to Black individuals and families, as well as three years delivering culturally responsive trauma-informed care to this population; failure to meet either requirement results in non-responsiveness. Payment will be made monthly based on an all-inclusive firm per month rate, with no additional reimbursement for travel or living expenses, and applicable taxes will be paid by Canada. Invoices must be submitted only after work completion, verified, and accepted by Canada, with payment processed via MasterCard Acquisition Card or direct deposit. The contractor is required to submit monthly reports to CSC’s Black Offender Reintegration Officers and Project Officer, detailing engagement levels, participant numbers, and observations, and a final report by March 31, 2027, including program reach, service types, clinical observations, and recommendations. All documentation must comply with privacy legislation and CSC confidentiality standards. The contractor must be a Canadian supplier, undergo tuberculosis testing, have all personnel escorted at all times while on CSC premises, and maintain insurance coverage licensed in Canada, with proof submitted within ten days of award. The contract includes an irrevocable one-year extension option. Termination for default may occur if the contractor has been convicted of Criminal Code or Immigration and Refugee Protection Act offenses within the past three years. Records must be retained for seven years after final payment, and any overpayments must be immediately repaid. The contract is governed by Ontario law, and changes require written authorization from Contracting Authority Danielle Murdoch. Prop