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2023 Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program (US)

Deadline: 24-Apr-23

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), seeks applications for the Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program (Connect and Protect).

This program furthers the DOJ’s mission by supporting law enforcement–behavioral health cross-system collaboration to improve public health and safety as well as responses to and outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders (MHDs) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs).

Goals: Connect and Protect offers grants to eligible entities to plan, implement, or expand comprehensive collaboration response programs that target preliminarily qualified individuals with MHDs or MHSUDs and promote public health and public safety.

Objectives
  • An applicant should address all the objectives that are relevant to their proposed program/project in the Goals, Objectives, Deliverables and Timeline web-based form.
  • Design and implement a crisis response program based on current best practice to assist law enforcement officers to improve encounters with individuals who have MHDs or cooccurring MHSUDs. These could include any of the following:

    • Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT)
    • Co-Responder Teams
    • Law Enforcement-based Case Management Services
    • Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD)
    • Mobile Crisis Teams
    • Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams
    • EMS and Ambulance-based Responses
  • Plan and deliver a crisis response program, through coordination between law enforcement and a mental health agency, that includes services to improve or enhance the response.
  • Pay salaries, as well as expenses such as training (overtime) and coordination activities, to design and implement a police-mental health collaboration program (PMHC).
  • Engage residents through outreach and education to improve public health and public safety.
  • Build positive community relations and trust through public communication strategies.
  • Enhance officer knowledge and skills in responding to community members with MHDs or co-occurring MHSUDs.
  • Increase public safety and public health agencies’ capacity to develop and sustain the program by collecting data to inform practices, create stakeholder groups, develop policy, and encourage ongoing professional development.
  • Seek guidance through BJA’s 14 law enforcement-mental health learning sites, then incorporate and build upon successful strategies for PMHCs.
Priority Areas
  • The Department of Justice is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.
  • Priority Considerations Supporting Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
  • In support of this Executive Order, OJP will provide priority consideration when making award decisions to the following:

    • Applications that propose project(s) that are designed to promote racial equity and the removal of barriers to access and opportunity for communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality.
    • To receive this consideration, the applicant must describe how the proposed project(s) will address potential racial inequities and contribute to greater access to services and opportunities for communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality, and identify how the project design and implementation will specifically incorporate the input or participation of those communities and populations disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and the criminal justice system overall.
  • BJA will give priority consideration to rural communities. The Census Bureau defines rural as "any population, housing, or territory NOT in an urban area.

    • There are two types of urban areas:

      • "Urbanized Areas" – populations of 50,000 or more
      • "Urban Clusters" – populations of at least 2,500 but fewer than 50,000.

Program-specific Priority Areas

  • In addition to executing any OJP priority areas listed that may be applicable, priority consideration will be given to applications that:

    • Promote effective strategies by law enforcement to identify and reduce the risk of harm to individuals with MHDs or co-occurring MHSUDs who encounter law enforcement and improve public safety.
    • Promote effective strategies for the identification and treatment of females who have been incarcerated with MHDs or co-occurring MHSUDs.
    • Propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism. When appropriate, use validated assessment tools to target people who have been incarcerated with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment services.
    • To receive priority consideration under any of these areas, applicants must identify, in the proposal abstract, each area for which priority consideration is being sought, and describe, in the proposal narrative, how they will address each priority.

Note: Addressing these priority areas is one of many factors that OJP considers in making funding decisions. Receiving priority consideration for one or more priority areas does not guarantee an award.

Funding Information
  • Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards $550,000.
  • Period of Performance Duration (Months) 36.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • County governments
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
  • Special district governments
  • State governments
  • City or township governments
  • Additional Information on Eligibility:        
  • 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:
  • The applicant is designated by the state mental health authority to provide services as a unit of the state or local government.
  • The applicant must attach documentation to support this designation.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.