FY 2026 Veterans Treatment Court Program
🏛 Bureau of Justice Assistance (USDOJ-OJP-BJA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 7, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for units of local government, state agencies, and tribal governments that operate or plan to implement veterans treatment courts. Applicants must serve high-risk/high-need veterans with substance use disorders and/or co-occurring mental health disorders in the criminal justice system. Courts must provide judicially supervised, integrated treatment with substance use and mental health services, drug testing, and incentives/sanctions. Geographic scope is national; any state, local, or tribal unit can apply.
Eligible entities include towns, counties, state administering agencies, state courts, criminal justice agencies, and substance abuse agencies. Federal agencies are typically not eligible. Tribal nations and their justice systems may apply.
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Program description
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY2026 Veterans Treatment Court Program. This opportunity supports the implementation and enhancement of veterans’ treatment court (VTC) operations to reduce the use of opioids, stimulants, and other substances, including alcohol, by high-risk/high-need veterans in the criminal justice system.
VTCs effectively integrate substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health disorder (MHD) treatment, mandatory drug testing, incentives and sanctions, and transitional services in judicially supervised court settings that have jurisdiction over veterans in the criminal justice system who have SUD and/or co-occurring mental health disorders (MHSUD), including those with a history of violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Letters of Support (from courts, treatment providers, veteran organizations)
- Organizational Capacity Statement
- Evaluation Plan
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Justice Assistance
- 📧 OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
- 📞 202-514-9354
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.043 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$7,013,902
-
$4,500,000
-
$3,250,000
-
$2,500,000
-
$2,500,000
-
$2,500,000
-
$2,000,000
-
$1,490,209
-
$1,330,028
-
$1,295,136
Top States by Funding
- NY 2 awards $8.3M
- NC 8 awards $7.1M
- DC 3 awards $6.8M
- SC 2 awards $5.8M
- KS 2 awards $4.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.043). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $23,514,883 | |
| 2025 | $2,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for the Veterans Treatment Court Program grant?
Units of local government (towns, counties, municipalities), state agencies, and tribal governments operating veterans treatment courts. Courts must have jurisdiction over veterans with substance use or mental health disorders.
What is the deadline for applications?
The deadline is October 29, 2026. Applicants should submit by this fixed date. There is no rolling acceptance.
What activities and services can the grant fund?
Funding supports implementation and enhancement of veterans treatment courts, including treatment services for opioids and stimulants, mental health services, drug testing, incentives/sanctions, and transitional services.
How is this grant competitive?
Applications compete on ability to serve high-risk/high-need veterans, strength of the treatment court model, capacity to provide integrated services, and sustainability planning.
What funding amount should I expect?
Award amounts vary; the funding pool indicates potential awards up to $2.5 million. Exact amounts depend on project scope and applicant need.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Build your application around data about your veteran population and their substance use/mental health needs. Show who you will serve and why.
- Emphasize judicial supervision and integrated treatment. Highlight how substance use and mental health services will work together, not separately.
- Include letters of support from local court systems, law enforcement, treatment providers, and veteran service organizations. Partnerships strengthen competitiveness.
- Develop a detailed budget that covers treatment services, drug testing, judicial time, and staff. Clearly justify each cost.
- Plan for sustainability beyond the grant period. Show how your court will maintain operations and funding after the award ends.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak partnerships. Applicants without strong letters from courts, treatment providers, and veteran organizations often fail. Applications underestimating judicial supervision requirements. Many ignore that VTCs require active judicial involvement throughout. Lack of substance use and mental health integration data. Applicants must show how treatment components will coordinate, not operate separately.
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