Deadline: 23-Oct-2025
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), through its Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), has announced a funding opportunity to enhance and expand mentoring services for children and youth affected by opioids and other substance use, as well as their families.
This initiative seeks to strengthen supportive networks for young people impacted by substance use, aiming to break cycles of dependency and foster resilience within families and communities.
The program will support mentoring models such as one-on-one, group, and peer mentoring, or a combination of these approaches, targeting youth aged 17 or younger who are either using substances, at risk of use, or living with family members struggling with substance dependency. Mentors must be adults over 18, or older peers under adult supervision, and applicants must clearly outline the number of new and existing mentoring matches to be supported during the project period. Projects may also allocate up to 20 percent of their funds to supplemental non-mentoring services like mental health treatment, substance use treatment, or other supportive interventions that align with the overall program design.
This opportunity places strong emphasis on training mentors to recognize signs and symptoms of substance use among youth, ensuring early intervention and sustained recovery. It also encourages projects to engage families alongside youth to create a holistic support system. Applicants are required to include a Mentoring Program Profile document in their submissions to ensure program clarity and alignment with objectives.
With a total funding pool of $15.1 million, OJJDP expects to make 13 awards—eight for local project sites with grants of up to $650,000 each, and five for statewide or regional initiatives with grants of up to $1,980,000 each. Projects will run for 36 months beginning October 1, 2025. Eligible applicants vary by category but include state and local governments, tribal governments, school districts, higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, and national organizations with statewide mentoring reach.
This funding aims to not only provide crucial support to youth impacted by substance use but also to help prevent future substance dependency by fostering protective relationships, improving youth outcomes, and strengthening community safety.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.