BJA FY 19 Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness | BJA 2019 15183

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2019 15183

The BJA FY 19 Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness grant (Funding Opportunity Number BJA-2019-15183) is a discretionary grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, under CFDA 16.812 and the broader Second Chance Act framework. Its core purpose is to strengthen how correctional systems and community partners identify, plan for, and deliver services to people leaving incarceration who have both a substance use disorder and a mental health condition. The program is centered on improving reentry outcomes by making sure individuals are not only connected to treatment, but that the connection is coordinated, continuous, and guided by evidence-based practices that address both behavioral health needs and the criminogenic risks that contribute to recidivism.

A major emphasis of the opportunity is building or refining standardized screening and assessment processes inside jails or prisons. The expectation is that participating facilities will have a consistent way to screen all individuals in the correctional setting, rather than relying on ad hoc referrals or inconsistent practices. Screening and assessment are intended to feed directly into reentry planning, so that needs related to mental illness, substance use, and criminogenic risk are identified early enough to shape programming prior to release and to ensure an organized handoff to community-based services after release.

Another key component is collaborative, comprehensive case management that spans both the pre-release and post-release periods. The opportunity stresses that effective reentry for this population requires coordinated case planning among corrections, correctional health services, and community-based treatment providers, along with supervision agencies such as parole and probation when applicable. The intent is to move away from fragmented service delivery by developing shared case plans, clarifying roles across agencies, and ensuring that treatment engagement and supervision expectations are aligned rather than working at cross purposes. The funded work is expected to support structured pre- and post-release programming that addresses the combined challenges of mental illness, substance use, and reentry barriers, while also targeting factors associated with criminal behavior.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is limited to governmental entities: states, units of local government (including counties, cities, townships, and special district governments), and federally recognized Indian tribes. The grant is designed for systems-level and cross-system collaboration, meaning applicants are expected to be able to convene correctional institutions and community treatment partners and to implement facility-wide or jurisdiction-wide improvements rather than isolated pilot efforts that do not affect standard practice.

The solicitation was created on April 23, 2019, with an original application closing date of June 25, 2019. Awards were anticipated to support up to 10 recipients, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award. The funding activity categories tied to the opportunity reflect its interdisciplinary nature, spanning justice and legal services along with health and workforce-related areas relevant to successful reentry. Overall, the grant targets practical improvements that make reentry more predictable and supportive for people with co-occurring disorders, with the broader goal of improving public safety and reducing cycling between incarceration, untreated behavioral health conditions, and community instability.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the employment, labor and training, health, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 19 Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.812.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 23, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 25, 2019. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).

Apply for BJA 2019 15183

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: