Deadline: 27-May-22
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. This program furthers the DOJ’s mission by supporting law enforcement-behavioral health cross-system collaboration to improve public health and safety responses and outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders (MHDs) and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs).
OJP 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. The Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program is part of the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP). It offers grants to promote public safety and public health by helping entities prepare, create, or expand comprehensive plans and then implement these collaborative projects to target preliminarily qualified individuals with mental health disorders (MHDs) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs).
Objectives
- Design and implement a best practice program in crisis response based on present information to assist law enforcement officers during encounters with people who have MHDs or co-occurring MHSUDs.
- Plan and deliver a law enforcement agency response program, in coordination with 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 citizens through officer outreach and education to improve 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 agency 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, then incorporate and build upon successful strategies for PMHCs.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $15,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $550,000
- Expected Number of Awards: 27
Eligibility Criteria
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- State governments
- City or township governments
- Others
- County governments
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=339113