Funding Resources
JMHCP grants are available in two categories:
- Connect and Protect- Program objectives include:
- (1) Design and adopt best practices in crisis response to assist law enforcement officers during encounters with people with MI and CMISA;
- (2) Plan and deliver a law enforcement agency response program— in coordination with a mental health agency—advocacy and services to improve or enhance the response;
- (3) Pay salaries, as well as other expenses, such as training (overtime) and coordination activities, to design and implement a police-mental health collaboration program (PMHC);
- (4) Conduct an evaluation of the PMHC and community satisfaction;
- (5) Engage citizens through officer outreach and education to improve public safety;
- (6) Build positive community relations and trust through public communication strategies;
- (7) Enhance officer knowledge and skills in responding to community members with MI and CMISA;
- and (8) Increase public safety agency capacity to develop and sustain the program by collecting data to inform practices, stakeholder groups, policy development, and ongoing professional development.
- Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program: Program objectives include:
- (1) Enhance, expand, and operate mental health drop-off crisis stabilization treatment centers that support law enforcement, criminal justice agencies, and people who are involved in the justice system;
- (2) Increase community capacity for mental health advocacy and wraparound services shown to support people with severe mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system;
- and (3) Provide programmatic support and capacity building for criminal justice professionals—such as jails, courts, and prosecutors—and community supervision to target individuals with severe mental health needs at risk of recidivism.
Who is eligible to apply for grants?
Eligible applicants are limited to states, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Applications must demonstrate that the proposed project will be administered jointly by a criminal or juvenile justice agency and a mental health agency, although only one is responsible for submitting the application.
When can I apply for grants?
The solicitation for JMHCP applications is typically released in the first half of each calendar year. Please subscribe to updates from the CSG Justice Center to hear about these solicitations and other funding opportunities.
Applicant Guide
Below are resources and tools that JMHCP grant applicants can use when responding to a solicitation. The resources are organized into two sections: Framing the Problem and Writing the Grant.
Framing the Problem
Many successful grant applications began with a careful analysis of the scope of the problem in their particular jurisdiction. When describing your jurisdiction, it is important to document the frequency of contact between law enforcement and people with mental illnesses, the prevalence of people with mental illnesses in the local jail, or some other aspect of the problem. Concrete statistics can often lead to important policy or staffing changes that improve services and begin to address the root causes of the problem. The following resources are intended to assist JMHCP grant applicants in successfully analyzing the scope of the problem within their jurisdiction.
Consensus Project Resources
- Overview of the Consensus Project Report
People with mental illnesses are overrepresented in all parts of the criminal justice system—in their contact with law enforcement, in the courts, in jails and prisons, and in parole and probation caseloads across the country. This affects both rural and urban communities and is prevalent in both large and small states. For a concise background on the extent of the issue and some supporting statistics, consult the overview of the Consensus Project Report. - Collaboration Assessment Tool
In framing the problem, it is important to identify the need for a meaningful collaboration between the criminal justice and mental health systems. To support this effort, the CSG Justice Center has created worksheets to help applicants assess their existing level of collaboration. Applicants can use responses generated from the worksheets to identify administrative actions that should be implemented in order to successfully address the problem at hand.
National Resources
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) publishes reports that analyze trends in crime, incarceration, and criminal justice spending. BJS has also published reports specifically on the intersection of mental health and criminal justice, including the frequently referenced “Mental Health and Treatment of Inmates and Probationers” report (1999). Applicants can use reports published by BJS to compare known trends within their jurisdiction to what is reported by BJS at the state or national level. - National Institute of Justice
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) publishes reports that evaluate the effectiveness of various criminal justice programs and technologies. Of particular note is NIJ’s Mental Health Screens for Corrections, which compares the accuracy of two different mental health screening questionnaires. Applicants can use reports published by NIJ to identify evidence-based interventions that would be appropriate for the problem affecting their jurisdiction.
Data Gathering Tools
- U.S. Census – Data Access Tools
The U.S. Census Bureau provides data access tools that allow users to search demographic information by state, county, and city. Searchable data includes population density, income, health coverage enrollments, and other relevant demographic information. Applicants can use this data to describe the general population of their jurisdiction, which is requested in the program abstract component of the JMHCP application. - Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics – Table Building Tool
The Uniform Crime Reporting Program collects statistics for violent crime and property crime. By using the table-building tool, users can specify offenses, localities, and years of interest in order to calculate illustrative crime indicators such as volume, rate, and trend. Applicants can use these indicators to further define the law enforcement needs facing their jurisdiction. - Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention – Data Analysis Tools
The Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention has developed a suite of web-based data analysis tools that provide access to recent, detailed information on juvenile crime and the juvenile justice system. Users can search national, state, and county juvenile population counts, as well as information on juvenile arrests, juvenile court case processing, and youth in residential placement facilities.
Writing the Grant
Securing federal funding is a highly competitive process. Given this challenge, it is important to develop both a compelling project idea and a compelling written proposal. The following resources are intended to assist JMHCP grant applicants in successfully transforming their project idea into an organized, informative, and persuasive proposal.
- FY2021 JMHCP Solicitation
The JMHCP Solicitation provides information about eligibility, deadlines, requirements, selection criteria, and the review process. Carefully reading the solicitation and explicitly addressing each request for information is essential to writing a successful grant application. - Funding webinars
To help potential applicants, these webinars provide information about specific opportunities, capture guidance on how to apply, and answer questions. - Example Applications
Reviewing proposals from former grantees can be helpful in identifying the strengths of a successful application. To support this effort, BJA posts examples of applicants that were recommended for funding in FY 2010.