FY25 Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity

BJA FY25 Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Webinar 

Serena Roche: Good afternoon and thank you for joining us today. As you may already know, the Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs and plays a vital role in strengthening the nation's criminal justice system. OJP assists state, local, and tribal jurisdictions with reducing and preventing crime, reducing recidivism, and promoting a fair and safe criminal justice system. Today's webinar, Fiscal Year 2025 Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative Training and Technical Assistance is presented by BJA's Senior Policy Advisor Brooke Mount, who will discuss the NOFO and with Deirdra Assey to assist and answer any questions about the process.

Before getting started, we would like to go through a few housekeeping items. Please note that today's webinar will be recorded. If you are using a computer and need to adjust your audio setting, at the bottom of your screen, click on the down arrow unmute button to adjust as needed. If you are still having an issue, within this icon, you can request that WebEx call your phone directly. You can submit your questions at any time, which will be answered at the end during a Q&A session. To submit your questions, at the bottom right of your screen, click the three dots and select Q&A. Be sure to send your questions to all panelists. Closed captioning is available. The closed caption button will be visible in the bottom left corner. Thank you again for joining us. Now, let's turn things over to Brooke.

Brooke Mount: Thank you so much, Serena. Before I dive in, I want to quickly introduce myself. My name is Brooke Mount, and I serve as a senior policy advisor with the Bureau of Justice Assistance. I support the public safety and mental health initiative, and also work closely with jurisdictions across the country that are developing and strengthening behavioral health policy and public safety collaborations. I'll be walking you all through the policy and programmatic components of the fiscal year 25 opportunity today. So, I'll be guiding you through the goals of this brand-new initiative, the application process, and key considerations to help you determine whether this TTA opportunity is the right fit for your organization. Our goal today is to make the NOFO as clear as possible, so that you can focus on crafting a strong competitive application.

I would like to clarify that this funding opportunity is for a TTA award, and attendees looking to hear about site-based opportunities should visit the BJA Funding Opportunities page. So, with that, let's go ahead and get started. Here's a quick overview of what we'll cover today. Just to help you follow along. We'll start with a brief overview of the Office of Justice Programs so you can see where BJA fits within the broader Department of Justice structure. From there, we'll move into a program overview of the PSMHI, what the initiative is, what it aims to accomplish, and how the training and technical assistance will support jurisdictions nationwide. Next, we'll walk through the key components of the FY25 funding opportunity. This will include eligibility, allowable activities, funding levels, and priority considerations that you should be aware of. After that, we'll provide an overview of the OJP funding process from application submission to award decisions, so you understand each step and what to expect. We'll also highlight application resources that are available to you, including tools, guidance, documents, and support services that can help strengthen your submission. And finally, we'll wrap up with a Q&A where you'll have the chance to ask questions and get clarification on anything we cover today. Please do not get concerned if we don't have enough time to answer your questions. We will make sure that all questions are followed up on at the conclusion of this webinar, and everyone will receive a response. If you do not receive a response, there will be information at the end of this presentation on where you can email your questions and we will make sure they are answered. So, with that, let's go ahead and jump into the OJP overview.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is located within the Office of Justice Programs, or OJP, which you may already be familiar with. OJP provides a wide range of services to the criminal justice community, including grants, training, technical assistance, and research. OJP is one of three major grant-making components of the Department of Justice office, which includes the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS. BJA was created in 1984 to reduce violent crime, create safer communities, and reform our nation's criminal justice system. BJA strengthens the nation's criminal justice system and helps America's state, local and tribal jurisdictions reduce and prevent crime, reduce recidivism, and promote a fair and safe criminal justice system. BJA focuses its programmatic and policy efforts on providing a wide range of resources, including training and technical assistance to law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, reentry, justice information sharing, and community-based partners to address chronic and emerging criminal justice challenges nationwide.

BJA supports the field in three primary ways. First, through investments. BJA provides funding to help jurisdictions accomplish their goals. Second, we focus on sharing knowledge. This includes research, technical assistance and dissemination of evidence-informed practices. Our goal is to help communities learn from one another, build capacity, and improve outcomes by leveraging what we know works in the field. And finally, BJA prioritizes engagement. We stay connected with practitioners, leadership, and community partners across the country to understand local needs, elevate emerging trends, and ensure our programs are responsive and practical. These three pillars really drive everything we do at BJA.

Now that we've covered some background on OJP and BJA's role, let's shift into the program overview for the PSMHI Training and Technical Assistance. This NOFO will support specialized TTA to awardees under the FY25 PSMHI grant program. The TTA will help grantees effectively and efficiently implement comprehensive service networks addressing untreated mental illness and substance use, connecting justice and health systems. The selected TTA provider will provide tailored implementation support to implement cross-system interventions that ensure access to appropriate mental health and substance use treatment, including through civil commitment, institutional treatment, assisted outpatient treatment, and stepped down approaches from pre-arrest through reentry, improving public safety and restoring public order.

The TTA will help grantees through targeted technical skills and actionable resources across four core areas. Crisis stabilization, treatment services, housing, and electronic health record systems and technology modernization. First, crisis stabilization. This includes developing and implementing 24/7 crisis stabilization centers with dedicated law enforcement access and no refusal policies. These centers provide rapid clinical and risk assessments, appropriate intervention, and safe alternatives to arrest or emergency department drop-offs. This model ensures individuals receive timely care in the right setting.

Second, treatment services. This area supports coordinated approaches for identifying and effectively treating individuals, especially high utilizers, whose untreated behavioral health needs contribute to homelessness, public safety challenges, and repeated system contact. It also includes the provision of evidence-based mental health and substance use treatment services, such as psychiatric medications, medication-assisted treatment, and civil commitment evaluations when clinically indicated. Another priority is the development of stepdown treatment approaches, which help individuals transition to increasing levels of independence while maintaining continuity of care.

Third, housing. This focuses on establishing transitional housing programs with appropriate treatment participation requirements. These programs play a critical role in continuity of care for individuals with behavioral health needs, and help reduce homelessness among people with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.

And fourth, electronic health record systems and technology modernization. This includes upgrading or implementing EHRs and related technologies, such as telehealth, with a particular emphasis on correctional settings. The goal is to improve coordination across justice, behavioral health, and crisis systems, ensuring better continuity of care, more seamless data sharing, and strong system integration overall. Together, these four core areas create a comprehensive network of crisis, treatment, housing stability, and technology infrastructure that supports long-term recovery and public safety.

This slide summarizes several of the key program requirements for applicants under this initiative. Training and technical assistance is designed to foster collaboration across justice, behavioral health, and community-based networks. The focus is on proving public safety by supporting adults and juveniles who come into contact with the justice system, with mental health, with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. TTA will also help equip law enforcement and courts with resources to expand mental health and substance use disorder treatment, while promoting the use of structured alternatives to prosecution when appropriate. In addition, TTA is intended to strengthen capacity across both justice and behavioral health systems. This includes enhancing training for law enforcement, court personnel, corrections officers, and other criminal justice professionals who regularly interact with individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders. TTA will also focus on building capacity of mental health and substance use treatment providers to effectively engage justice-involved, while improving communication and data sharing systems.

Now, let's shift into the NOFO specific information. This slide outlines who's eligible to apply for the PSMHI Training and Technical Assistance Program. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, 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, organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and other entities. For the purposes of this NOFO, the definition of other entities includes Native American Tribal Organizations that identify as any of the organizations enumerated above. If you fall into one of these groups, you are eligible to apply.

This slide provides an overview of the funding available under this year's opportunity. For fiscal year 25, BJA anticipates awarding approximately $3.2 million through this program. We expect to fund one award. The anticipated start date is October 1, 2025, and the award will have a 24-month performance period. Applicants may request up to $3.2 million in federal funding. As always, we encourage applicants to propose budgets that are realistic while justified and clearly aligned with the project goals and activities. These figures are provided to help you plan as you consider your application structure and scope.

The following application elements must be included in the application to meet the basic minimum requirements to advance to peer review and receive consideration for funding. Every application must include the SF-424, which is your formal application form. The proposal abstract, giving us a brief overview of your project. The proposal narrative, which is the core of your application and should clearly describe your project design, goals, and implementation approach. And finally, the budget is submitted through the web-based form. This includes both the budget details worksheet and the budget narrative, which should clearly explain and justify each cost.

There are a total of three main goals in this initiative, and goal one is to equip grantees to independently establish integrated service networks across public safety, justice, behavioral health, and housing systems. This includes building grantee skills in developing formal cross-system partnership agreements, and secure data-sharing protocols that enable streamlined information exchange between law enforcement, courts, correctional facilities, behavioral health providers, and housing agencies. Goal one also supports implementation of coordinated case management dashboards that track individual's progress through health care, justice, and housing systems. And finally, this goal supports implementation of transitional housing models with treatment compliance requirements that are coordinated with reentry planning and discharge protocols to ensure treatment continuity and reduce homelessness among individuals exiting corrections or crisis settings.

Goal two aims to build grantee capacity to achieve and demonstrate measurable outcomes that advance the identification, adoption, and implementation of treatment pathways, standards, and compliance that reduce homelessness and address untreated mental illness and substance use disorders.

This includes supporting implementation and enhancement of 24/7 crisis stabilization service operation, including no refusal policies, law enforcement drop off protocols, civil commitment evaluations, housing assessments, and transfer procedures for high acuity individuals. It also includes supporting grantees and their partners operating in correctional institutional treatment, civil commitment, and stepdown care settings, with a focus on compliance monitoring, coordination with support services, including housing programs and treatment continuity for individuals at risk of homelessness or repeated justice involvement. And finally, goal two aims to train law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and courts on increasing effective and maximally flexible implementation of civil commitment and assisted outpatient treatment programs that address public safety priorities across diverse state legal frameworks.

Goal three is focused on supporting the modernization of electronic health records and other technologies to improve data sharing, coordination, and accountability between justice and behavioral health systems. This includes building grantee capacity to enhance EHR and data systems in correctional and behavioral health settings, enabling timely information exchange for care coordination during incarceration, reentry, and community-based treatment. This goal also focuses on providing technical assistance to implement secure cross-agency data sharing frameworks that support decision making across crisis response, housing placement, civil commitment, and diversion pathways. And finally, it focuses on supporting grantee use of digital dashboards, notification systems, and integrated service tracking tools that improve real-time coordination and accountability across public safety and behavioral health partners.

Now, I'd like to highlight how funded awards will help advance the overall goals and objectives. The PSMHI training and technical assistance program will support TTA that enhances grantee's ability to efficiently and effectively build integrated public safety, justice, behavioral health, and housing networks that improve treatment access, housing stability, and public safety outcomes. The selected provider will deliver tailored support to strengthen grantee capacity in areas such as 24/7 crisis response, cross-agency partnerships, civil commitment and assisted outpatient treatment pathways, and transitional housing with treatment compliance. Additionally, technical assistance will help grantees modernize EHRs and other technology, improving care provision and coordination, accountability and continuity across justice and behavioral health settings.

These deliverables listed here are designed to ensure that the TTA provider is directly supporting grantees in building strong, integrated systems across public safety, justice, behavioral health, and housing. First, the framework for responding to implementation challenges will guide how tailored technical assistance is delivered, helping grantees strengthen cross-agency partnerships, expand 24/7 crisis response capacity and support pathways, such as civil commitment, AOT, and transitional housing treatment compliance.

Monthly summary reports will document emerging challenges, successful strategies, and lessons learned across sites. These reports help ensure continuous improvement while supporting accountability and coordination across justice and behavioral health systems.

The Resource Guide will provide grantees with practical tools and best practices to improve treatment access, housing stability, and public safety outcomes, including guidance on integrated service models and technology enabled coordination.

And finally, the data tracking template or dashboard prototype will support grantees in modernizing data systems such as EHRs and related technology to improve care coordination, continuity, and outcome tracking across justice and behavioral health settings.

To advance public safety and help meet its mission, OJP will provide priority consideration to applicants that propose, as applicable within the scope of this funding opportunity, projects designed to advance the goals listed below, including supporting law enforcement operations, including immigration enforcement, combatting violent crime, supporting services to American citizens, protecting American children, supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault.

It's important to know that you can't spend award funds on. The NOFO lays out program specific restrictions. These include things like lobbying, activities outside of the scope or anything that violates federal law. If it's not directly tied to what the program funds, you can't charge it. And if you're not sure whether or not something is allowable, please check the NOFO and the Financial Guide, and you can always ask us if you're unsure.

Although specific requirements may vary, I want to quickly walk through how all of OJP applications are reviewed. First, applications must come from an eligible applicant type. If the applicant isn't eligible, the applicant application cannot move forward. Second, the request has to fall within the program funding parameters. That means the amount requested and the type of activities proposed need to align with what the program allows. Third, the application must be responsive to the scope of the NOFO. In other words, the proposal needs to clearly address the goals and expectations of the program, not something unrelated or outside of the boundaries of the NOFO. And finally, all required components must be included. Applications missing any of the basic minimum requirements cannot proceed to peer review. So double checking completeness is essential before submitting.

Once applications are determined to meet basic minimum requirements, they move forward to peer review. Reviewers will evaluate proposals based on several key criteria. First, reviewers will look at the statement of the problem, which accounts for 10% of the score. This section should clearly describe the critical issue of the applicant is proposing to address and why it matters. The largest portion of the score focuses on project design and implementation and capabilities and competencies, each weighted at 35%. Reviewers will assess how well the proposal activities are designed, how they align with the stated goals and objectives, and whether the applicant has administrative and technical capacity to successfully carry out the project.

5% of the score is based on the plan for collecting performance measurement data, including how data will be used to guide implementation and improvement. And finally, 15% of the score is tied to the budget, with reviewers assessing completeness, reasonableness, and overall cost effectiveness. Together, these criteria help reviewers determine which proposals are most likely to successfully deliver high quality TTA aligned with the goals of the program. Please review the handy application checklist beginning on page 29 that provides a breakdown in developing a complete application package.

Next, I'd like to provide you with a high-level overview of how the OJP funding process works from start to finish. Your entity must register with SAM.gov and obtain a unique entity identifier. And you must maintain an active SAM.gov registration status at all times. For entries new to SAM.gov, the registration process can take time so start early at any point during the year to be sure your status reaches active before you need to submit a funding application. Renew your registration in SAM.gov every 12 months. Even if you've applied for a federal grant before, you need to check that your registration is current and renew it if it's not. Applicants who do not have an active SAM.gov status will not be able to complete step one of the application process in Grants.gov.

Also, be sure that your organization's point of contact in SAM.gov, especially the electronic business point of contact, or E-Biz POC, is current. The E-Biz POC may receive notices about time sensitive actions that need to take place during the application process.

Applications are submitted to DOJ electronically through a two-step process, and you'll be required to register and add users in two different systems. For step one, you'll submit the Application for Federal Assistance or SF-424 in Grants.gov. For step two, you'll complete the full application in JustGrants, which is DOJ's Grants Management System. Note that we recommend completing each step at least 48 hours before the deadline, not waiting until the deadline to submit materials. That's to ensure you have time to address unexpected errors and make corrections if needed. As a reminder, the Grants.gov deadline is earlier than the JustGrants deadline.

A few important points about Grants.gov. Be sure everyone you plan to have work on your funding application can access and take actions in Grants.gov. Do this in advance of the application to be sure you're ready to submit when the time comes. Grants.gov will only allow entities with an active SAM.gov registration status to submit an application for federal assistance. So, check to be sure your registration is not expiring soon.

One common question about the SF-424 is "Do I need a firm budget amount to submit this form?" And the answer is no. You can provide an estimate on this form and then update your funding request in JustGrants. Once submitted, the SF-424 helps to pre-populate standard information into your JustGrants application.

One other note about the SF-424. The individual listed in section 8F of this form is automatically identified as the application submitter in JustGrants. So, be sure that person is checking their email and is prepared to complete the application in JustGrants during step two. If this is your entity's first DOJ application, your SAM.gov E-Biz point of contact will also need to monitor their email and prepare to take actions to onboard your entity into JustGrants as you move to step two. You can find more information about the SF-424 in the links provided in the NOFO.

DOJ made one change to the Grants.gov step this year. We're no longer requiring every applicant to submit an SF-LLL in Grants.gov. Instead, applicants will be asked about their lobbying activities in the JustGrants application.

Your JustGrants application will align with the requirements described in the NOFO. Generally, applications contain most of these sections. The standard applicant information in JustGrants is pre-populated with data from your SF-424. You'll need to review and make edits as needed to the information in JustGrants. You do not need to go back and make changes to your SF-424 in Grants.gov. Just be sure the information in the JustGrants application is accurate and complete.

The proposal abstract is a brief summary of your proposed project that is publicly available if the project is awarded. So, be sure this doesn't contain any personal identifiable information. The proposal narrative provides much more detail about your proposed project, including the problems and needs it will address, goals and objectives, project design, and your organization's ability to implement the project.

Your budget should align with your proposal narrative and clearly explain how each cost will support the project. Costs should be reasonable and necessary for the proposed project. Since allowable costs will vary by DOJ program, you should look to the NOFO for more details on allowable and unallowable costs.

Additional application components may be required for certain DOJ programs. Be sure to read through this section in the NOFO carefully. You'll need to address multiple disclosures and assurances in your application. These questions guide applicants through programmatic, financial, and legal topics to ensure applicants understand what's required of them. Read those carefully and seek clarification when needed.

After the JustGrants deadline has passed, OJP will thoroughly review all applications. This process typically takes several months. First, we check to confirm that the application contains the basic minimum requirements that were described in the funding opportunity. For applications that miss these requirements, you'll receive notice that your application has been eliminated for further review.

For competitive opportunities, peer reviewers who are subject matter experts assess the technical merits of an application. OJP staff then assesses applications based on factors such as geographic diversity, past performance, and whether applications are likely to meet the funding opportunity's goals and objectives. We then evaluate the fiscal integrity of the applicant, examine proposed costs and determine whether the budget and budget narrative accurately explain the project's costs and whether those costs are allowable and reasonable. Finally, OJP reviews potential risks presented by applicants prior to making an award. This pre-award risk assessment takes into account a variety of factors, including an applicant's financial capability and past performance.

During the review process, OJP may contact you to clarify program or budget details. Applicants are often eager to learn how their application is progressing through the review process. Unfortunately, DOJ staff, including user support and the OJP Response Center, cannot share any information with you until final awards have been made public. You can visit OJP's Grant Awards website to see all OJP awards made by year, program, and even locality. This site is updated as awards are made.

If your application is selected, specific JustGrants users for your organization will be notified by email of an award and then they will also see the award in their JustGrants account. If you receive notice of an award, you must take steps in JustGrants to accept or decline it. The DOJ Award Acceptance Checklist on the JustGrants Resources website can walk you through those steps.

Now, I'd like to highlight a few key resources that can support you throughout the process. I want to point you to one of the most important tools available to applicants, the OJP Grant Application Resource Guide. This guide walks you through the full application process, including rules, required documents, submission steps, and common pitfalls to avoid.

Along with the OJP Resource Guide, applicants should also become familiar with the JustGrants Resources website. Here you'll find step-by-step training modules, login help, frequently asked questions, and user support, along with updates and guidance on common system issues.

This slide outlines where applicants can get help during the submission process. For Grants.gov, which is where you submit the SF-424, support is available 24/7 except on federal holidays. For JustGrants, which is where you complete and submit the full application to DOJ, assistance is available through the JustGrants Support Desk. If you have any additional questions after today's presentation related to this NOFO, the OJP Response Center is your main point of contact. They can help you answer questions about the NOFO, eligibility, requirements, or anything else you may need as you prepare your application. They are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and can be reached via email at [email protected].

As we wrap up, we encourage you to stay connected with BJA and continue accessing updates, resources, and funding announcements. You can follow us on Facebook, X, and YouTube. If you'd like to receive regular updates directly in your inbox, you can use the QR code on the slide or visit BJA's website at bja.ojp.gov to subscribe to Justice Matters and News from BJA. These newsletters are a great way to stay informed about funding opportunities, new resources, and ongoing initiatives. You can also subscribe to the Justice Programs News & Funding updates at the web address on the slide. These platforms are the best way to keep up with important announcements and learn more about tools and support available to your agencies.

Before we move into the Q&A portion of today's webinar, I would like to make one clarification. I did previously indicate on a slide that the start date for the period of performance for this NOFO was October 1, 2025, and that has been changed to June 1st, 2026. So again, just to clarify the period of performance start date for the FY25 PSMHI Training and Technical Assistance award is June 1st, 2026. Thank you so much.