BJA FY22 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program | O BJA 2022 171081

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2022 171081

The BJA FY22 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) is a discretionary federal grant offered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, designed to help communities improve how they respond when people with mental health disorders (MHDs) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs) come into contact with the criminal or juvenile justice system. The program is grounded in the broader Office of Justice Programs (OJP) priorities of advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and justice-impacted individuals, strengthening community safety, protecting the public from evolving threats, and building trust between law enforcement and the community. In practical terms, the opportunity focuses on building coordinated, cross-system approaches that reduce harm, improve outcomes, and make public safety responses more effective and humane.

A central feature of JMHCP is collaboration. The funding is meant to support partnerships that connect justice agencies with mental health, substance use treatment, social services, and other community-based organizations so that people with MHDs and MHSUDs are met with appropriate care and supports rather than cycling repeatedly through jail, court, or emergency systems. The goal is not simply to add services in isolation, but to strengthen how systems work together, such as through shared protocols, coordinated case handling, diversion options where appropriate, improved crisis response, and better linkage to treatment and stabilization services. The program is oriented toward improving both public safety and individual outcomes by aligning justice practices with evidence-informed behavioral health strategies.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, with additional eligible applicant types referenced in the full solicitation. Even with this wide eligibility, BJA sets a firm requirement for how projects must be structured: applications must clearly show that the project will be jointly administered by (1) an agency responsible for criminal or juvenile justice activities and (2) a mental health agency. That joint administration requirement is a core screening criterion, signaling that the program is specifically intended to break down silos between justice and behavioral health systems and ensure accountability on both sides.

From a funding standpoint, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number O-BJA-2022-171081; CFDA 16.745) anticipated making about 27 awards, with an award ceiling of $550,000 per award. The opportunity was posted on April 1, 2022, and had an original closing date of May 27, 2022. The funding instrument is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary. Overall, the JMHCP grant is aimed at helping jurisdictions create or strengthen coordinated, collaborative models that improve responses to justice-involved people with behavioral health needs, while also advancing equity, access to justice, and community trust.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY22 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.745.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 01, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 27, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $550,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 27 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O BJA 2022 171081

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