Behavioral Health, Peer Support, and Resilience Services

The City of Berkeley Fire Department seeks competitive written proposals for Behavioral Health, Peer Support, and Resilience Services

The City of Berkeley Fire Department seeks competitive written proposals from qualified behavioral health providers to support the Department’s Peer Support/Peer Counseling Program and the behavioral health and operational resilience of Department members.

The service period is anticipated to be six months, beginning approximately December 1, 2026.

Scope of Services

The city seeks providers with demonstrated experience supporting firefighters, emergency medical personnel, public-safety employees, and their families. Services should be trauma-informed, culturally responsive to the fire and emergency services environment, and capable of addressing both acute critical incidents and cumulative occupational stress.

The approach should emphasize operational readiness, early recognition of stress reactions, practical coping and recovery skills, timely peer and clinical intervention, and connection to appropriate professional treatment when peer-level support is insufficient. 

The goals of these services are to:

• Strengthen members’ ability to recognize and manage operational stress.
• Promote early help-seeking and intervention.
• Support recovery following critical or difficult incidents.
• Strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of the Peer Support Team.
• Provide timely access to clinicians familiar with first-responder culture.
• Connect members with appropriate ongoing behavioral health treatment when needed.

Proposers may submit proposals for one, several, or all of the service areas described below. Proposers are not required to provide the entire scope. The city may select one or more providers, divide services among providers, award only selected service areas, or make no award for an individual service area.