This program supports law enforcement–behavioral health cross-system collaboration to improve public health and public safety by improving responses to and outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders (MHDs) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs). Through this opportunity, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides grant funding to help entities prepare, create, or expand comprehensive plans and then implement these collaborative projects to target people who qualify.

Please note that the Connect and Protect Program is under the umbrella of BJA's Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP). Per the authorizing statute, JMHCP requires a two-phase process consisting of planning and then implementation activities during which grantees will develop a coordinated approach to implementing or enhancing services for individuals with MHDs or MHSUDs who come in contact with law enforcement. Applicants must submit one application that proposes detailed activities for both a planning phase and an implementation phase.

Eligible Applicants

• State governments
• Special district governments
• City or township governments
• Public- and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• County governments
• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
• Other: Agencies with a different legal status (e.g., nonprofit or for-profit mental health agencies) are eligible to apply only if they meet two requirements:
  1. The applicant is designated by the state mental health authority to provide services as a unit of the state or local government.
  2. The applicant must attach documentation to support this designation.

Past Successful Applications

See the Successful Applications section of our site for examples of project narratives associated with applications that have successfully received funding through this and other BJA programs.

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

Description

With this solicitation, the Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks to provide state, local, and tribal community supervision agencies with resources and training and technical assistance to assess and improve responses to client behavior in accordance with the principles of swiftness, certainty, and/or fairness. Guided by one or more of those principles, supervision agencies will engage in collaborative problem solving with stakeholders using data and research-informed strategies to improve supervision outcomes and promote the fair administration of justice.

Under this solicitation, “community supervision agencies” include adult probation, parole, or pretrial supervision or their equivalents such as prosecutor-led post-adjudication diversion.

Eligible Applicants

• State governments
• Special district governments
• City or township governments
• County governments
• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
• Other: For the purposes of this solicitation, “other” refers to an organizing body or association of supervision agencies that may submit a single application for a project engaging more than one supervision office, district, or agency (“entity”). The applicant must have capacity to administer the award and include a Memorandum of Understanding or Letter of Intent from each entity’s chief executive.

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

With this solicitation, the Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks applications for funding from community-based non-profit organizations and federally recognized tribal governments to enhance or implement evidence-based responses to improve reentry, reduce recidivism, and support successful transitional planning for individuals who are currently, or were formerly, involved in the criminal justice system.

Objectives for this program are to:

• Develop comprehensive individualized case management plans that directly address criminogenic risks and needs, as identified by validated assessments/tools, and deliver or facilitate services in a manner consistent with participants’ learning styles and abilities.
• Demonstrate increased collaborations between community-based organizations and corrections, community supervision, law enforcement, and other local reentry stakeholders.

Eligible Applicants:

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

Description

This program supports activities that foster positive family engagement between incarcerated parents and their children within detention and correctional facilities, including juvenile detention and correctional facilities with young parents and implements programs and services that support the children of incarcerated parents to reduce the likelihood of antisocial behaviors and future involvement in the juvenile justice system.

The goal of this program is to develop or expand services within juvenile and adult detention and correctional facilities to improve outcomes for incarcerated parents and their minor children by implementing programs and services to reduce recidivism and support responsible parenting that lead to healthy child development, resiliency, and improved interactions among incarcerated parents and their minor children, and family and community members.

Description

This solicitation is composed of two grant categories. Applicants must clearly designate the category for which they are applying. The following entities are eligible to apply:

Category 1: Improving Youth Reentry

• State governments
• City or township governments
• County governments
• Native American Tribal governments (federally recognized)

Category 2: Strengthening Community-Based Youth Reentry Programs

• Native American Tribal organizations (other than federally recognized Tribal governments)
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Description

With this solicitation, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks to support state, local, and tribal governments, as well as community-based nonprofit organizations, to support cross-system collaboration between criminal and juvenile justice agencies, mental health and substance use agencies, community-based organizations that provide reentry services, and community-based behavioral health providers to improve clinical stabilization pretrial, during confinement, and support continuity of care and recovery during the transition to the community through clinical and other evidence-based activities or services for individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders.

The goal of these efforts is to minimize potential for experiencing crisis and improve recovery outcomes for people with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders who are currently involved with the criminal or juvenile justice systems or reentering the community from these systems.

Funding Categories

• Category 1: State and local governments
• Category 2: Nonprofit organizations and tribal governments

Eligible Applicants

• State governments
• City or township governments
• County governments
• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

Description

Under the Pay for Success model, a government entity forms a partnership with a service provider that ties payment for services to reaching agreed-upon goals. This initiative provides funding to state, local, and tribal governments to price, write, negotiate, fund, and manage contracts that pay for reentry services in a way that ensures accountability of the contract service providers, and incentivizes improved performance over time.

With this solicitation, the Bureau of Justice Assistance seeks to provide funding to state, local, and tribal governments to use performance-based or outcomes-based contracting to enhance or implement clinical services and other evidence-based responses to improve reentry, reduce recidivism, and address the treatment and recovery needs of people with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring disorders who are currently involved in the criminal justice system or were formerly involved.

Funding Categories

• Category 1: Performance-based and Outcomes-based Contracting for Reentry Services
• Category 2: Performance-based and Outcomes-based Contracting for Permanent Supportive Housing

Eligible Applicants

• State governments
• Special district governments
• City or township governments
• County governments
• Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

Applications to the State Reentry Learning Collaborative are due by Friday, April 26, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET. To apply, complete the application form and submit it to Tier McCullough (tmccullough@nashp.org).

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), in collaboration with The Health and Reentry Project (HARP) and with support from Arnold Ventures, will convene states for a State Reentry Learning Collaborative. Reentry, the time when a person is transitioning to the community after a period of incarceration, is an extremely risky time for people’s health and well-being. Formerly incarcerated people experience elevated rates of mortality, rearrests, and reincarceration. States recognize the gaps in continuity of health care for individuals released from prisons and jails to communities and coordination of care for other health-related social needs. The federal government has begun making historic changes to the Medicaid program, including allowing states for the first time to provide Medicaid coverage for adults for non-emergency services prior to release through Medicaid waivers.

The 18-month learning collaborative will be available to up to five states with a pending or approved section 1115 demonstration waiver request that includes demonstrations to improve care transitions for incarcerated individuals exiting public institutions. The goal of the learning collaborative is to support states with strategies to improve outcomes for people navigating transitions from incarceration to the community. States selected for the State Reentry Learning Collaborative will be part of a unique opportunity to receive timely targeted technical assistance from national experts and engage with a cohort of states leading the way in this groundbreaking work. This project includes supporting policy, programmatic, and resource alignment (across Medicaid, health and human services, corrections, and with local partners) to prepare for implementation of pending and approved reentry waivers. Technical assistance will focus on strengthening cross-agency and state-local partnerships; logistical and operational specifics of implementing pre-release coverage; meaningfully engaging directly impacted individuals; fostering a quality continuum of care among health and human service providers, correctional settings, reentry planning, and the community; developing stronger information-sharing systems and practices; and aligning accountability, oversight, and evaluation, among other topics.

This project is a partnership between NASHP and The Health Reentry Project (HARP).

Application and Selection Process

1. Each state team must complete an application form and submit it to Tier McCullough (tmccullough@nashp.org) by Friday, April 26, 2024, at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT.
2. NASHP will review states’ application forms and select states to participate in the learning collaborative. All states that applied will receive notifications the week of May 13, 2024.

Any questions about the application process should be directed to Tier McCullough (tmccullough@nashp.org).

State Reentry Learning Collaborative Timeline

• Tuesday, March 19, 2024: Application form released
• Thursday April 4, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., ET/11:00 a.m., PT: Informational webinar for interested states
• Monday April 8, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., ET/1:00 p.m., PT: Informational webinar for interested states
• April 26, 2024, by 8:00 p.m., ET: Application forms due to NASHP
• Week of May 13, 2024: Selected state teams notified
• May 2024: Learning collaborative kick-off
• TBD, June/July 2024: In-person kick-off meeting
• May 2024–October 2025: Individual state technical assistance, convenings, multi-state learning calls, and webinars

What Will States Gain During the Institute?

Learning collaborative participants will have access to a unique opportunity for states that are leading this groundbreaking work to collaborate, learn from each other, and work with national experts, including The Health and Reentry Project (HARP). Specific opportunities and resources will include:

• Facilitated peer-learning opportunities
• National, state, and local subject matter experts
• State-specific technical assistance
• Tools and resources to support policy and implementation

Learning collaborative activities will include:

Individual Technical Assistance

Each state team will develop a state-specific strategic work plan, including priorities, goals, action steps, and timelines to be completed during the learning collaborative. Each state team will participate in every other month (and as-needed) technical assistance Zoom calls with NASHP staff and HARP experts to facilitate cross-sector execution of the work plan. States will have the opportunity during these calls to identify and address emerging technical assistance needs. States will have ongoing access to NASHP and HARP staff, who will provide a timely and actionable response to all inquiries, including connections to external experts when necessary to support initiative planning, development, and implementation.

Possible technical assistance topics include but are not limited to:

• Strengthening cross-agency and state-to-local partnerships to implement a whole-of-government approach
• Logistical and operational specifics of implementing Medicaid-covered pre-release services, such as:
  • Building systems and processes for determining Medicaid eligibility and enrolling beneficiaries pre-release
  • Operationalizing release dates
  • Considering and addressing operational and logistical differences for implementation in prisons, jails, and juvenile justice facilities
  • Provider criteria and selection
• Strategies to meaningfully engage individuals directly impacted by the policies, programs, and implementation approaches into the policymaking and implementation process
• Fostering a quality continuum of care across the correctional health care system, state and local health and human services system, corrections, public safety, and community supervision systems to facilitate seamless transition from corrections to communities
• Fostering relationships with community-based organizations to support the continuum of care and to meet the health-related social needs of people transitioning to their community
• Developing, advancing, and beginning to implement strategies for data sharing, including for automated information exchange
• Building provider capacity and addressing workforce needs in corrections, state, and local agencies, and for those providing direct services
• Developing oversight and accountability strategies and aligning with evaluation approaches

State-to-State Learning Calls

State-to-state learning calls will be held approximately quarterly and will include virtual learning opportunities to allow states to hear about work going on in other states, identify areas of shared need, discuss emerging challenges, exchange with people who are directly impacted, and receive expert technical assistance. Topics for each group learning opportunity will be developed collaboratively to meet priority technical assistance needs identified by participating states. There is also the opportunity for affinity group breakouts for cross-state exchange to supplement state-specific calls.

In-Person Meetings 

Participating state teams will be invited to attend two in-person convenings that will provide additional opportunities for shared learning, teamwork, and expert-informed peer discussion. Meetings will take place during each project year (exact time and location to be determined). Up to four core team members are expected to attend in person, and funding will be available to cover associated travel and meeting expenses. State teams may bring additional members at their own expense.

Expectations of Participation

By committing to this initiative, each state team will be expected to:

• Maintain a core team of state officials with decision-making authority from the state’s Medicaid agency, mental health and substance abuse (or combined behavioral health) agencies, corrections agencies, and any other agencies required to implement the state’s goals, and/or prominent county leads. States are welcome to have additional team members (see below).
• Develop a project plan and work toward accomplishing goals and actionable steps to achieve these goals.
• Participate in every other month individual team technical assistance calls with NASHP and HARP staff to further implementation, share opportunities and barriers, and identify any emerging technical assistance needs.
• Participate in multi-state convenings (in person and virtual).

State Teams

Teams must include:

• At least one team member from senior Medicaid leadership
• At least one team member from senior mental health and substance abuse (or combined behavioral health) agency leadership
• At least one team member from senior corrections/ justice agency leadership
• At least one team member with decision-making authority that represents other agencies with resources and/ or programs relevant to the state goals (for example, juvenile justice, public health, human services, education, workforce and jobs, children and family, etc.)
• [Optional] Others based on state’s project focus (for example, governor’s office, secretary or director of health and human services, key sheriff partners and/or county officials, community supervision, courts, data analytics, community/economic development, and/or state legislature, people with lived expertise).

Interested state teams should complete and submit an application by 8:00 p.m., ET, on April 26, 2024. Accepted state teams will be notified the week of May 13, 2025.

Questions and applications should be directed to Tier McCullough (tmccullough@nashp.org).

The program recognizes the need for treatment instead of incarceration for individuals with SUDs. Recipients are expected to provide prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services for individuals with SUD involved with the courts. With this program, SAMHSA aims to improve abstinence from substance use, housing stability, employment status, social connectedness, health/behavioral/social consequences, and reduce criminal justice involvement.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are States and Territories, including the District of Columbia, political subdivisions of States, drug courts, Indian tribes, or tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in Section 5304 of Title 25), health facilities, or programs operated by or in accordance with a contract or award with the Indian Health Service, or other public or private nonprofit entities.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $24,400,000

Anticipated Number of Awards: 61

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $400,000 per year

Length of Project: Up to 5 years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?: No

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $400,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.

Contact Information

Program Issues

Jon Berg

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

Division of Service Improvement

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(240) 276-1609

TreatmentDrugCourts@samhsa.hhs.gov

Grants Management and Budget Issues

Office of Financial Resources, Division of Grants Management

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(240) 276-1940

FOACSAT@samhsa.hhs.gov

The purpose of this program is to: 1) advance family-based services for pregnant and postpartum women with a primary diagnosis of a substance use disorder (SUD), emphasizing the treatment of opioid use disorders; (2) help state substance use agencies provide outpatient treatment and recovery support services for pregnant and postpartum women with SUD; and (3) promote a coordinated system of SUD care within each state.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are Single State Agencies (SSA) for Substance Use. The District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau are also eligible to apply.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $3,600,000

Anticipated Number of Awards: 4

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $900,000 per year per award

Length of Project: Up to 3 years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?: No

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $900,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.

Contact Information

Program Issues

Amy Smith

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(240) 276-2892

amy.smith@samhsa.hhs.gov

Grants Management and Budget Issues

Office of Financial Resources, Division of Grants Management

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(240) 276-1940

FOACSAT@samhsa.hhs.gov

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognizes the great need for emergency services in rural areas and the critical role EMS personnel serve across the country. Recipients will be expected to train EMS personnel on SUD and COD, trauma-informed, recovery-based care for people with such disorders in emergency situations and, as appropriate, to maintain licenses and certifications relevant to serve in an EMS agency. With this program, SAMHSA aims to develop the capacity of EMS staff to support residents in rural communities.

Applications submitted by the due date will be reviewed and funding decisions will be made by the end of the fiscal year.

Applicants that do not receive funding are eligible to apply for the following fiscal year.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are rural emergency medical service agencies operated by a local or tribal government (fire-based and non-fire based) and rural non-profit emergency medical service agencies.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $10,400,000

Anticipated Number of Awards: 52

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $200,000 per year per award

Length of Project: Two (2) years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?: Yes

Additional Award Information: Proposed budgets cannot exceed $200,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.

Contact Information

Program Issues

Humberto Carvalho
National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory (Policy Lab)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(240) 276-2974
humberto.carvalho@samhsa.hhs.gov

Grants Management and Budget Issues

Office of Financial Resources, Division of Grants Management
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(240) 276-1940
FOACSAT@samhsa.hhs.gov

FentAlert: Empowering Youth to Safeguard Against Fentanyl  ♦  Elevating Youth Voices to Increase Awareness About the Risks of Fentanyl

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking the best ideas from U.S. youth, aged 14-18, on a community strategy to increase youth awareness, education, and prevention around the dangers of fentanyl, especially the hidden dangers of fake pills and other contaminants that can lead to drug overdose deaths.

The top six ideas will each be awarded a $5,000 prize, and up to 25 youth will receive a $2,000 honorable mention prize. The deadline for submission is February 26, 2024.

These are the facts:

• Among adolescents age 10-19, from 2019 to 2021:
  • Monthly drug overdose deaths increased 109%.
  • Deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyls increased 182%.
  • About 90% of these deaths involved opioids and 84% involved illicitly manufactured fentanyls.
  • Counterfeit pills were present in nearly 25% of these deaths.
  • Two-thirds of those who died had one or more potential bystanders present, but most didn't provide an overdose response (many bystanders were in another room or did not know that the drugs were being used).

Please encourage the youth in your life to pitch ideas to educate their peers. Ideas could include any innovative ways to reach youth on this topic like social media posts, vlogs, podcasts, video journals, etc.

Read more about the challenge at https://www.samhsa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/offices-centers/csap/fentanyl-awareness-youth-challenge.

SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, operated by Policy Research Associates, Inc., is known nationally for its work regarding people with behavioral health needs involved in the criminal justice system. The GAINS Center is now soliciting applications from experienced trainers (individuals) who are interested in developing their capacity to provide trauma-informed training in their local agencies/communities via the How Being Trauma Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses curriculum. Selected applicants will learn to facilitate the training via a virtual train-the-trainer (TTT) event and subsequently deliver the training program in their local communities.

While not a requirement to apply to this opportunity, this year’s selection process will place special emphasis on applicants who provide training to drug courts and/or reentry programs. Preference will be given to applicants that serve marginalized and/or underserved populations.

The GAINS Center’s TTT virtual event is designed to train participants on both in-person and virtual delivery of the training described above and to equip participants with the skills and resources necessary to effectively deliver the training themselves in either format.

If this TTT event for individuals is of interest to you, please review the solicitation and submit your completed application form to the GAINS Center no later than February 20, 2024.

Learn More and Apply Today: https://bit.ly/3Hf1FwB

The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) is releasing this solicitation for applications on behalf of the Office of Justice Program’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the State Justice Institute (SJI). This 12-month planning initiative will support individual practitioners or cross-sector teams from the same community or region interested in adopting bold solutions and reimagining how diverse organizations and agencies with different missions can engage with one another to address the persistent challenge of substance use and misuse in rural communities.

The Reaching Rural initiative is designed for rural agency leaders or mid-level professionals working in counties, cities, or tribes as justice, public safety, public health, or behavioral health practitioners. Selected participants will bring a diversity of expertise and experiences, a desire to learn and contribute, and a passion for addressing substance use and misuse in their rural communities.

Applicants may apply to participate in the Reaching Rural initiative as an individual practitioner or as a member of a cross-sector team from the same community or region. All selected participants, whether they participate as an individual or a team, will:

• Assess local or regional opportunities for systemic change.
• Build leadership skills to facilitate cross-sector collaboration.
• Explore the implementation of evidence-informed strategies in diverse rural settings.
• Identify opportunities for different sectors (e.g., law enforcement, child welfare, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation, judges, public health, behavioral health) to effectively align efforts.
• Prioritize opportunities and strategies and commit to action.
• Build a roadmap for local implementation.
• Identify resources to support the implementation of the roadmap.
• Commit to a project or individualized learning opportunity in month 5 of the project and devote focused time during months 6 through 11 to that effort. This portion of the planning initiative will be developed in collaboration with an assigned site coach.

Participation in the planning initiative includes:

• Travel and per diem reimbursement to participate in three in-person meetings: an orientation, a field visit to observe the implementation of evidence-informed practices in a rural setting, and a closing session.
• Monthly mentorship and guidance aimed toward your local needs.
• Monthly assignments that help you apply core concepts to your local community or region.
• Access to a diverse network of peers, innovative rural communities (including the Rural Justice Collaborative’s Innovation Sites), and technical assistance (TA) providers.
• Formal recognition for completing the planning initiative.

Eligibility

All proposed activities supported under this solicitation are designed for rural communities. To determine if your community is defined as “rural,” use the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, a tool maintained by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). If you believe your community rural but not identified as such by the HRSA tool, you will be asked to provide documentation that your community has been designated rural by an alternative state or federal agency.

We aspire to recruit a diverse group of rural practitioners with different skills and backgrounds committed to learning from others and exchanging ideas. We encourage anyone interested to apply, regardless of their previous level of experience or exposure to this topic. We aim to engage rural practitioners who do not have prior cross-sector strategic planning experience but are enthusiastic about the opportunity to participate in this effort with other practitioners from their community and practitioners from other rural communities.

Please see the solicitation for additional eligibility information.

Full Details of Opportunity

Full details of this opportunity—including additional information about individual and cross-sector team eligibility requirements, the time commitment associated with this initiative, and the selection process—can be found at https://www.cossup.org/Content/Documents/Funding/Reaching_Rural_Advancing_Collaborative_Solutions.pdf.

How to Apply

All application components must be submitted via online application no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on December 15, 2023.

The cross-sector team application can be found here: http://s.iir.com/d5a7RnpQ

A PDF version of the questions on the cross-sector team application can be found here: http://s.iir.com/6hZdeuBH

The individual application can be found here: http://s.iir.com/XbmG95w7

A PDF version of the questions on the individual application can be found here: http://s.iir.com/TzX9VUQU

Informational Webinar

Do you want to learn more about this opportunity? BJA hosted an informational webinar on November 14, 2023. The recording is available at https://www.cossapresources.org/Media/Webinar/f9d0a8b8-9c93-460e-a0a5-63d15d886ff4. 

A PDF version of the slide deck used during the webinar is available at https://www.cossup.org/Content/Documents/webinar/Reaching_Rural_2_Solicitation_Webinar_111423.pdf

Questions

If you have any questions about application process, please email COSSUP@iir.com.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) GAINS Center is currently soliciting applications from communities interested in Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) Mapping Workshops. SIM Mapping Workshops are designed to bring together a local, cross-system, multidisciplinary group from a particular jurisdiction (typically a county) to facilitate collaboration and to identify and discuss ways in which barriers between the criminal justice and behavioral health systems can be reduced through the development of integrated local strategic action plans. SIM Mapping Workshop participants are expected to be drawn, in large part, from local criminal justice and behavioral health agencies and organizations.

AVAILABLE SIM MAPPING WORKSHOPS

OPTION 1: TRADITIONAL SIM MAPPING WORKSHOPS

The GAINS Center is soliciting applications from communities interested in “traditional” SIM Mapping Workshops that focus broadly on identifying and responding to the needs of adults with mental and substance use disorders who are involved or at risk for involvement in the criminal justice system.

DOWNLOAD THE TRADITIONAL SIM APPLICATION [WORD]

OPTION 2: SIM MAPPING WORKSHOPS TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE, COMMUNITY-WIDE STRATEGIC PLANS FOR ADDRESSING OPIOID AND OTHER SUBSTANCE USE

The GAINS Center is also soliciting applications from communities that are particularly interested in developing comprehensive, community-wide strategic plans for addressing opioid and other substance use, and better identifying and responding to the needs of adults with substance use disorders who are involved or at risk for involvement in the criminal justice system. Applications submitted in response to this solicitation should emphasize resources, gaps and opportunities, as well as commitment among key vested parties to address these issues.

DOWNLOAD THE SUBSTANCE USE-FOCUSED SIM APPLICATION [WORD]

WORKSHOP DELIVERY

SAMHSA’s GAINS Center will provide the SIM Workshops free of charge to selected applicants between February and August 2024. There are no fees for registration, tuition, or materials associated with these workshops. The GAINS Center will cover all costs associated with pre- and post-workshop planning and coordination, travel and lodging, facilitation, data collection and analysis, and report development.

The GAINS Center plans to conduct all the SIM Mapping Workshops in person.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Interested applicants should select the one workshop option that is most relevant or of greatest interest. To apply for either SIM Mapping Workshop option, please download the corresponding solicitation and application for the chosen option and submit a completed application form no later than November 21, 2023.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

SAMHSA’s GAINS Center will hold an informational webinar on October 25, 2023, at 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., ET, on what this opportunity includes and how to submit your strongest application.

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR [HTML]

SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, operated by Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA), known nationally for its work regarding people with behavioral health needs involved in the criminal justice system, is soliciting applications from communities, agencies, and organizations interested in developing a capacity to provide trauma-informed training. Apply for this opportunity to train a cadre of professionals in trauma-informed responses.

Please visit SAMHSA’s GAINS Center to find out more about How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses.

The GAINS Center is offering a series of Train-the-Trainer (TTT) events to teach local trainers to deliver its How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses curriculum. The target audiences for this training are community-based adult criminal justice system professionals, including reentry staff, drug court personnel, community corrections officers (probation, parole, and pretrial services), law enforcement officers (including local Crisis Intervention Team trainers), and mental health and substance use disorder treatment service providers and peers who work with justice-involved adult populations. While not required, priority will be given to sites that have not previously completed the training, and whose prospective participants include those working in drug courts or as staff in a reentry program. Preference will be given to applicants that serve marginalized and/or underserved populations. The GAINS Center will offer these TTT events free of charge to selected applicants between January and August 2024.

• DOWNLOAD THE SOLICITATION [PDF]
• REVIEW THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS [PDF]
• COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION ONLINE [HTML]

The application deadline is November 17, 2023.

Informational Webinar:

For information about this opportunity and how to prepare a TTT application, please register for the following informational webinar session:

• October 25, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., ET

NOTE: Some TTT events under this solicitation are planned to be held in-person, with the remainder of the events to be held virtually on Zoom. In-person events will be held over 2 consecutive days. Virtual events permit flexibility, as these events can be hosted over the course of 2 consecutive days, or on 2 separate, non-consecutive days, depending on the needs of the jurisdiction. On the application, please indicate your preference for either a virtual or an in-person TTT, including any extenuating circumstances that may impact your preference. 

Questions? Please send an email to gainstttapply@prainc.com.

Deadline: September 1, 2023, no later than 5:00 p.m., ET

Solicitation: http://s.iir.com/BuildingBridges2

Online Application: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7359878/2023-Building-Bridges-Application

The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) is releasing this solicitation for applications to the program on behalf of OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). BJA, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will lead the support for this 9-month planning initiative to help communities develop a comprehensive continuum of care that targets individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) in jails and builds bridges to increase access to treatment both in custody and with community-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) providers upon release. Under this solicitation, up to 15 communities will be selected to participate in the planning initiative.

The planning initiative is designed to assist local communities by:

• Increasing stakeholder understanding of evidence-based and promising practices in the use of all three forms of FDA-approved medications to support MAT in jails and community-based settings.
• Increasing stakeholder understanding that the availability of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) means that withdrawal or detox is no longer the default for people with OUD.
• Increasing understanding of the federal requirements associated with administering or dispensing FDA-approved MOUD in a correctional setting.
• Building a comprehensive plan for initiating or expanding a MAT continuum of care within the jail and from the jail to the community that may include, if and where appropriate, providing exceptions to certain federal requirements. For example, in areas where staffing shortages compromise a jail’s ability to implement an opioid treatment program (OTP), a waiver for some staffing requirements may be requested, depending on the scope of practice and state regulations.
• Developing effective partnerships between jails and community-based MAT treatment providers to provide pre-release or post-release services.
• Planning for the logistics associated with providing MAT in the jail setting.
• Planning for continuity and coordination of MAT during transitions into jails and reentry into communities.

The ultimate goal of this initiative is to get people who are incarcerated in local jails the care they need to treat their OUD, reduce risk of overdose and overdose death, reduce recidivism, and increase engagement in evidence-based OUD treatment by developing a continuum of care for individuals in jail and in the community post-release.

This effort is part of BJA’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP).

Eligibility

Applicants are limited to units of government and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), with priority given to jurisdictions that demonstrate high need (based on overdose rates in the community and/or prevalence of OUD in the jail) and a commitment to making a significant advancement in access to MAT in the jail. Jurisdictions that do not have open or active federal grants to support implementation of MAT will also be prioritized.

Benefits if Selected

Jurisdictions that are selected for the planning initiative will:

• Receive full travel scholarships for five team members to participate in two face-to-face meetings that will be held in Washington, DC, between October 2023 and April 2024. These meetings will be approximately 2 days in length. The scholarships will be managed as travel reimbursements, meaning that attendees will pay for their travel and be reimbursed for their eligible expenses according to federal travel guidelines after each training.
• Have a meaningful opportunity to learn from experts and from one another. Over the course of 9 months, there will be a site visit conducted by subject matter experts, up to three virtual peer-to-peer exchanges, monthly coaching calls with subject matter experts, and tailored technical assistance for strategic planning.
• Be supported in the interpretation and application of federal requirements for OTPs and the development of a strategic plan to support the implementation or expansion of a MAT program in the jail and continuation of OUD treatment and provision of other recovery supports in the community after release from incarceration.
• Be eligible for potential additional funding and technical assistance to support implementation of the plan developed through this opportunity to increase access to MAT in jails and in communities upon release, which may include obtaining waivers of or exceptions to certain federal requirements for OTP licensure.

Applicant Requirements

Applicants must meet three requirements:

• Applicants must demonstrate the commitment of a multidisciplinary team made up of representatives who oversee and provide MAT services to all individuals in custody with OUD and to continue that care in the community.
• Applicants must agree to work toward a plan to implement a MAT program in their jails that provides at least two forms of FDA-approved medications for OUD or expand an existing MAT program in the jail to offer at least two—preferably all three—forms of medication, and to support continued access to MAT in the community upon release. Applicants must be committed to making a significant advancement in access to MAT services in their jails (e.g., implementing a MAT program in a jail that has no MAT program, expanding a MAT program that previously only continued medications to offering induction, expanding a MAT program that only inducts people on naltrexone to also offer induction on buprenorphine and/or methadone, or shifting from use of a community-based OTP to a jail becoming a licensed OTP).
• Applicants must identify a project coordinator who can devote at least 6 hours per week of their time during the 9-month planning period.

Commitment of Multidisciplinary Team

All jurisdictions selected for this planning initiative must identify a team of at least five (and no more than eight) local stakeholders. If selected, each team member must agree to participate in both virtual and in-person meetings with the other selected sites.

Individuals selected to serve on the planning team should plan on serving for the entirety of the 9-month planning process to ensure continuity. The selected individuals should have the authority and support of their home agencies to actively participate in the planning meetings and drive change in their agencies.

Full Details of Opportunity

Full details of this opportunity—including mandatory planning team members, optional team members, project coordination, and selection criteria—can be found at http://s.iir.com/BuildingBridges2.

How to Apply

All application components must be submitted via an online application at https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7359878/2023-Building-Bridges-Application.

A PDF version of the questions on the application is available at https://www.cossapresources.org/Content/Documents/Funding/2023_Building_Bridges_Online_Application.pdf.

The application deadline is no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on September 1, 2023. Applicants will receive a notice of submission upon completion of the application within the application software. For issues with submission, please email info@cossup.org.

Final award decisions will be made by IIR and BJA and are expected to be announced by September 14, 2023.

Informational Webinar

Do you want to learn more about the solicitation? BJA hosted a COSSUP Building Bridges Solicitation webinar on Monday, July 10, 2023. The recording is available on the COSSAP Resource Center.

Questions?

Should you have any questions about the application process, please send an email to info@cossup.org.

These intermediary organizations will provide subawards, oversight, and comprehensive training and technical assistance services to help build capability, capacity, and sustainability among community- and faith-based organization subawardees to meet the needs of people returning home from incarceration and to apply for and manage private and public grant funding in the future.

Eligible Applicants:

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

With this solicitation, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks to fund units of local government and federally recognized Indian tribal governments to plan, implement, or expand effective reentry practices and service delivery systems within local correctional facility (nonprison) settings, including jails, and for incarcerated persons transitioning from these facilities to the community. This funding is available to support the development and provision of innovative evidence-based reentry programming and services that address individuals’ needs of individuals returning to the community from jail and that reduce recidivism for the local population. Services can be provided in a wide range of local correctional settings, including jails, halfway house, and in the community.

Eligible Applicants:

• City or township governments
• County governments
• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
• Special district governments

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

The selected providers will provide individually tailored, culturally responsive support to tribes in their areas of expertise and will proactively work with other TTA providers to assist tribes in addressing the breadth of criminal justice needs in their communities.

Solicitation Categories:

• Category 1 - Tribal Justice System Strategic Planning and Coordinate Tribal Assistance Solicitation Outreach and Support
• Category 2 - Enhancing Tribal Courts, Tribal Justice Systems, and Intergovernmental Collaboration
• Category 3 - Addressing Illicit Substance Use and Related Crime
• Category 4 - Responding to Violent Crime in Tribal Communities
• Category 5 - Supporting Tribal Justice Systems in Alaska
• Category 6 - Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
• Category 7 - Enhancing Tribal Law Enforcement and Intergovernmental Collaboration

Eligible Applicants:

• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Small businesses
• Tribal nonprofits, having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Tribal institutions of higher education
• Consortiums (including tribal consortiums) with demonstrated national-scope and on-site experience working with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.

OJJDP aims to assist youth and their families negatively affected by opioids and other substances, especially youth in historically marginalized and underserved communities who will benefit the most from prevention and intervention programs.

The program's goal is to improve outcomes (such as improved academic performance and reduced school dropout rates) for youth impacted by opioids and other substance misuse through mentoring.

There are two categories in this solicitation:

• Category 1: Mentoring Strategies for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Misuse (Project Sites)—The focus of this category is to provide mentoring services as part of a prevention, treatment, recovery and supportive approach for those youth impacted by substance misuse. See the section titled Eligibility Information.
• Category 2: Statewide and Regional Mentoring Strategies for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Misuse—This category supports a broad-based approach to building mentoring program capacity in targeted regions throughout the country to help youth impacted by substance misuse. See the section titled Eligibility Information.

Solicitation Webinar:

View details about and register for a solicitation-specific webinar that will be held April 20, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET.

Providers for all categories in this solicitation are expected to participate in the BJA Adult Treatment Court Training and Technical Assistance Collaborative (TTA Collaborative) and work together to assist local, state, and tribal courts to plan, implement, and enhance the operations of treatment courts.

Solicitation Categories:

• Category 1: Foundational Training
• Category 2a: Training Initiative
• Category 2b: Resource Center
• Category 3: Site-based TA
• Category 4: State-based TA
• Category 5: Veterans Treatment Court TTA
• Category 6: Community Court TTA

Eligible Applicants:

• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Public and state controlled institutions of higher education
• Small businesses

Informational Webinar:

On April 6, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., ET, BJA will host a webinar to provide a detailed overview of this opportunity and answer questions. Register to participate.

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.