BJA FY 19 A National Training and Technical Assistance Initiative to Improve Law Enforcement-Based Responses to People with Mental Health Disorders and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | BJA 2019 15317

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2019 15317

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within the U.S. Department of Justice, released this FY 2019 discretionary funding opportunity to select a single organization to run a National Training and Technical Assistance Center focused on improving law enforcement-based responses to people with mental health disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The core purpose is to strengthen how police and other local law enforcement agencies work alongside mental health and IDD service systems, so that communities can build more coordinated, effective, and safer cross-system responses for individuals who come into contact with law enforcement and have these needs.

At the center of the grant is the expectation that the awardee will operate a national-level Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) hub that actively assists states, tribes, and local governments. The work is not framed as producing guidance in the abstract, but as helping jurisdictions "grow and enhance" practical partnerships and operational approaches between law enforcement and mental health/IDD providers. That means supporting communities as they assess local needs, improve policies and practices, and ultimately improve outcomes during encounters that involve people with mental illness and/or IDD. The solicitation emphasizes that the National TTA Center is considered critical infrastructure for this area of policy and practice, including organizing the Center's structure and delivering assistance aligned with the priorities laid out by BJA.

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally signals substantial federal involvement during implementation, with BJA likely expecting close coordination, shared planning, and ongoing performance oversight rather than a hands-off grant. The opportunity was posted on April 10, 2019, with an original closing date of June 13, 2019. The program is associated with CFDA 16.738 and sits at the intersection of training and education, health-related service coordination, and information/statistics and related support functions, reflecting the cross-disciplinary nature of law enforcement and behavioral health collaboration.

Funding for the initiative had an award ceiling of $6,300,000, with BJA anticipating a single award. In practical terms, that structure points to an intent to consolidate national expertise and coordination in one lead provider rather than distributing funds across multiple grantees. Eligible applicants were broad and included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. This wide eligibility suggests BJA was primarily interested in securing the strongest national operator with demonstrated capacity to deliver large-scale training and technical assistance, manage partnerships, and support diverse jurisdictions rather than limiting the pool to a single organizational type.

Overall, this solicitation is about building and sustaining a national capability to help communities improve how law enforcement responds when mental illness and IDD are factors, by strengthening coordination with the service systems responsible for treatment and supports. The National TTA Center is positioned as the main vehicle for translating policy goals into field-ready practices, helping jurisdictions implement cross-system strategies, and improving local responses and outcomes for affected individuals.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the education, employment, labor and training, health, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 19 A National Training and Technical Assistance Initiative to Improve Law Enforcement-Based Responses to People with Mental Health Disorders and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.738.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 10, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 13, 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 $6,300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses.

Apply for BJA 2019 15317

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