BJA FY 2026 Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative
Opportunity number: O-BJA-2026-172676
Program owner: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Summary: Federal funding for coordinated interventions across public safety, justice, mental-health, and substance-use agencies. The initiative seeks to reduce burdens on law enforcement and the justice system, increase treatment access, reduce recidivism and crime, and support interventions from pre-arrest through reentry.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance is offering funding for coordinated, direct interventions across public safety, justice, mental-health, and substance-use agencies. Supported approaches include civil commitment, institutional treatment, and step-down services from pre-arrest through reentry, with accountability measures intended to promote compliance with treatment plans.
The initiative seeks to reduce burdens on law enforcement and the justice system, address community disorder associated with untreated mental illness, substance use, and homelessness, decrease recidivism and crime, and improve public safety.
Who is eligible?
Applicant types: State governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; other units of local government; and qualifying nonprofit, for-profit, or other nongovernmental applicants.
Listed government applicants include states, counties, cities or townships, special districts, federally recognized tribal governments, certain tribal organizations, and other units of local government. A nonprofit or for-profit mental-health agency or another nongovernmental applicant is eligible only if designated by the state mental-health authority to provide services as a unit of state or local government. The applicant should attach documentation supporting that designation. Police departments and sheriff's offices are not separately named, but eligible government applicants may pursue the initiative's express law-enforcement and justice purposes.
What can the funding be used for?
Coordinated direct interventions across public safety, justice, mental-health, and substance-use agencies; increasing access to mental-health and substance-use treatment; appropriate civil-commitment and institutional-treatment processes; step-down approaches from pre-arrest through reentry; accountability measures supporting compliance with treatment plans; reducing burdens on law enforcement and the justice system; decreasing recidivism and crime; and improving public safety.
How to apply
Electronic submission is required through the listed Grants.gov opportunity package. The source reports September 25, 2026, as both the response date and package closing date. It does not identify a separate DOJ or JustGrants-stage deadline; applicants should consult the official BJA opportunity page and complete NOFO for any additional submission requirements.
Required materials
A qualifying nongovernmental applicant should attach documentation showing its designation by the state mental-health authority to provide services as a unit of state or local government. The supplied source does not identify the remaining application documents.
Program contact
OJP Response Center
[email protected]
202-514-9354
Official sources
- Grants.gov Public API checked August 31, 2026
- Office of Justice Programs checked September 2, 2026
Grant details can change. Confirm all requirements on the official source before applying.