October 20, 2026
Fire Department
DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Aaron Osorio, Fire Chief
Subject: Contract with Restoration Family Counseling Center, Inc. for First Responder Mental Health and Critical Incident Support Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed three-year contract amount of $118,937.52 is included within the approved Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Fire Department budget and will be budgeted accordingly in subsequent fiscal years (Account String:
01202022-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond Fire Department’s Behavioral
Health Awareness Program helps mitigate the impacts of
traumatic events and promotes mental health through
peer support, training, education, critical incident stress management (CISM), debriefing, and specialized first
responder counseling. The program has supported the
development of the Fire Department’s State-recognized
Peer Support Team Program, which incorporates
established best practices.
City Council approval is required to maintain access to these services and specialized, trauma-informed
clinicians who provide ongoing education and support to Fire Department personnel.
AGENDA
REPORT
October 20, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE a sole-source contract with Restoration Family Counseling Center, Inc. for Critical Incident Stress Management, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Support Services, and Targeted First Responder Counseling
Services, and targeted first responder counseling
services in an amount not to exceed $118,937.52, for a
three-year term effective October 25, 2026, through
October 31, 2029 – Fire Department (Chief Aaron Osorio
510-307-8021).
DISCUSSION:
Restoration Family Counseling Center, Inc. (RFCC) located in Vacaville, CA is a specialized network of trauma informed behavioral health clinicians that offer first responder specific counseling and education services to first responders throughout Northern California public safety agencies. RFCC offers on-site critical incident stress defusing, debriefings, critical incident stress management training, new and supplemental peer support training, on-site critical incident stress management and behavioral health services.
Since 2023, RFCC has provided the Richmond Fire Department with critical services, including CISM, peer support, counseling, and training. In addition, RFCC have successfully implemented peer support services, training, critical incident stress management, defusing, debriefing, and first responder specific counseling sessions, outreach, education and consultation services programs for other fire agencies such as Contra Costa County Fire Prevention District, Alameda County Fire Department, City of Vallejo Fire Department, and City of Berkeley Fire Department.
Sole Source Justification:
RFCC is a qualified vendor providing on-site behavioral health services to first responders in Contra Costa County and other local public-safety agencies through clinicians who specialize in first-responder mental health (Attachment 1 – Sole Source).
For the past three years, RFCC has provided the Richmond Fire Department with critical services. Contracting a different vendor is not practical and could delay the delivery of services required by the program. In addition, the Richmond Fire Department intends to avoid any disruption in the continuity of care, loss of established institutional knowledge, and delays in responding to critical incidents. A new provider would need to establish relationships and familiarity with the Department and its first responders, which could negatively affect the timely delivery of these critical services.
Recommendation:
City staff recommend that the City Council approve a sole source contract with Restoration Family Counseling Center, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $118, 937.52,
October 20, 2026
for a three-year term effective October 25,2026 through October 31, 2029 (Attachment 2 – Standard Contract).
The proposed contract will ensure the continued delivery of ongoing behavioral health services and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services to the fire personnel without any delays. The services provided by RFCC will continue to help alleviate the cumulative trauma and stress facing our firefighters and their families.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Sole Source
Attachment 2 – Standard Contract