The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is accepting applications for its Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative.
Donor Name: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/30/2026
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
This NOFO supports comprehensive service networks addressing untreated mental illness and substance use at the intersection of mental health, substance use, and justice systems. This program responds to the growing burden of endemic vagrancy, disorderly behavior and public safety threats faced by law enforcement agencies. These agencies are often positioned as first responders to situations better addressed by health and social service systems. Law enforcement and justice agencies nationwide need actionable alternatives that prioritize both public order and appropriate treatment settings for those experiencing mental illness or substance use disorders. Specifically, this initiative provides funding to support activities through four core areas:
- Crisis stabilization centers
- Treatment Services
- Housing Access; and
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and technology modernization
This initiative supports coordinated, direct intervention efforts across public safety, justice, mental health, and substance use agencies to increase access to mental health and substance use treatment through civil commitment, institutional treatment, and step-down approaches from pre-arrest through reentry, using accountability measures that ensure compliance with treatment plans. This program moves beyond temporary interventions by utilizing appropriate institutional care and civil commitment processes for individuals unable to care for themselves. These interventions will reduce the burden on law enforcement and the justice system; restore order in communities affected by homelessness, mental illness, and substance use; decrease recidivism; reduce crime; and improve overall public safety and restore confidence in public spaces.
Goals and Objectives
- Goal 1: Establish or enhance cross-system collaboration to address untreated mental illness and substance use disorders that contribute to public disorder and homelessness.
- Objective 1.1: Develop or enhance Crisis Stabilization Centers with dedicated law enforcement drop-off capacity and civil commitment evaluation capabilities.
- Objective 1.2: Increase access to mental health and substance use treatment with crisis intervention services and appropriate institutional care options for those who are a risk to themselves or others, who demonstrate a grave disability and who are unable to care for themselves.
- Objective 1.3: Increase access to transitional housing for individuals exiting crisis stabilization or justice settings to prevent homelessness. Provide ongoing crisis support and require treatment compliance as part of this transitional housing program.
- Goal 2: Reduce burden on law enforcement and jails through improved crisis response systems and appropriate civil commitment pathways.
- Objective 2.1: Implement no-refusal policies and streamlined intake processes for law enforcement referrals with protocols to identify candidates who would benefit from civil commitment and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT)
- Objective 2.2: Develop agreements and protocols to ensure consistent processes for crisis response and reentry transition ensuring enforcement of public order laws and connection to institutional treatment.
- Objective 2.3: Train law enforcement officers, court personnel, and mental health providers on civil commitment and AOT laws, criteria, referral processes, and available resources to increase utilization.
- Goal 3: Modernize electronic health record systems and related technology to improve data collection, data sharing, coordination, and accountability between justice and behavioral health systems.
- Objective 3.1: Enhance electronic health records and related technology in correctional settings to improve care during incarceration, pre-release service planning, and treatment continuity through reentry, with appropriate data sharing between justice and behavioral health systems.
- Objective 3.2: Facilitate cross-agency collaboration to address vagrancy/homelessness and improve community safety
Funding Information
- Total Amount to Be Awarded Under This Funding Opportunity: $42,000,000
- Anticipated Award Ceiling: Up to $3,000,000
Project Period
36 months
Eligibility Criteria
The types of entities that are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity are listed below:
Government Entities
- State governments
- Native American Tribal governments (federally recognized)
- Other
- Other units of local government
- Agencies with different legal status (e.g., nonprofit or for-profit mental health agencies) are eligible to apply only if they meet two requirements:
- The applicant is designated by the state mental health authority to provide services as a unit of the state or local government.
- The applicant should attach documentation to support this designation.
State Government Entities: For the purposes of this NOFO, “state” means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
- Other Units of Local Government: For the purposes of this NOFO, other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
