Advancing Behavioral Health in Corrections: Training and Policy Innovation Initiative
🏛 National Institute of Corrections
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations seeking to improve behavioral health services and training in correctional facilities. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, faith-based organizations, tribal organizations, for-profit entities, and higher education institutions (including tribal colleges). All applicants must waive profit or fees. Foreign entities are ineligible. Applications may involve partnerships, but one eligible entity must serve as the lead applicant and administrator.
The initiative funds gap analysis, policy review, and development of evidence-based training curricula for corrections staff. Work addresses trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavioral techniques, medication-assisted treatment, and crisis intervention.
Program description
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) acknowledges the pressing challenges facing behavioral health care within correctional settings nationwide. Correctional facilities increasingly contend with complex mental health and substance use issues among incarcerated individuals, yet existing behavioral health services are consistently limited by service gaps, inconsistent institutional policies, and insufficient staff training, as revealed through research and dialogue with NIC’s Mental Health Network. These shortcomings jeopardize the rehabilitation and well-being of those in custody, while also causing elevated staff stress, burnout, and organizational instability.
Through this cooperative agreement, NIC will launch a comprehensive initiative to address these systemic concerns. The project will encompass an in-depth gap analysis of behavioral health services, a rigorous review of institutional policies to ensure alignment with national standards, and robust stakeholder engagement to inform program development. Input from corrections professionals and behavioral health experts will play a pivotal role in shaping project strategies and solutions.
A primary outcome of these efforts will be the creation of a dynamic behavioral health training e-course designed for correctional staff. This curriculum will draw on evidence-based best practices—including trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavioral techniques, medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders, and crisis intervention strategies. By equipping staff with practical, accessible tools rooted in the realities of correctional work, the initiative will enhance staff skills, foster professional development and wellness, and ultimately contribute to a safer and more stable correctional environment.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project Narrative/Statement of Need
- Gap Analysis and Policy Review Plan
- Behavioral Health Training Curriculum Outline
- Evaluation Plan and Measurable Outcomes
- Budget Narrative and Justification
- Organizational Capacity/Experience Documentation
- Letters of Support from Correctional Partners
- Proof of 501(c)(3) Status or Tribal Resolution
Program contact
- 👤 Cameron D Coblentz Grant Management Specialist
- 📧 mwyche@bop.gov
- 📞 202-514-0053
Funding track record
No recent recipient data available for CFDA 16.602 in our database.
This can happen for newer programs, programs that use non-standard award types (loans, direct payments, fellowships), or those funded through sub-agencies under different codes.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.602). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2015 | $147,500 | |
| 2016 est. | $200,000 | |
| 2017 est. | $450,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Nonprofits, for-profit organizations, faith-based groups, tribal entities, and colleges can apply. All must waive profit or fees for services.
Is a letter of intent required?
The eligibility text does not mention a letter of intent requirement. Check the full NOFO for application instructions.
What can I use funding for?
This supports gap analysis of behavioral health services, policy review, staff training development, and stakeholder engagement in correctional settings.
Can multiple organizations apply together?
Yes, but one eligible entity must be the lead applicant with administrative responsibility. Others serve as subrecipients.
What is the deadline?
The application deadline is July 31, 2026. NIC may make awards in future years based on merit and available funds.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Ground your proposal in real correctional facility needs. Survey staff or facilities to document specific behavioral health gaps and training deficiencies.
- Center trauma-informed care and evidence-based practices in your training curriculum. Show how staff will actually use these tools in daily operations.
- Build strong partnerships with corrections professionals, mental health experts, and the facilities you serve. Include them in your planning and gap analysis.
- Demonstrate your organization's experience managing correctional programs or behavioral health initiatives. Show past success with similar populations.
- Create a clear evaluation plan that measures staff skill gains, facility policy adoption, and ultimately safer correctional environments.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Weak needs documentation—applicants fail to conduct real gap analysis or rely on generic behavioral health statistics instead of facility-specific data. Vague training design—proposing broad curriculum without concrete modules, delivery methods, or evidence base for selected approaches. Insufficient stakeholder engagement—applications lack documented input from corrections professionals, mental health experts, or facilities in planning phase.
Similar grants
- OPEN Project TEACH — New York State Office of Mental Health
- OPEN Special Program Announcement for Office of Naval Research Research Opportunity: FY27 Communications and Networking Applied Research — Office of Naval Research
- OPEN Leading Edge Acceleration Projects (LEAP) in Health Information Technology — Office of the National Coordinator
- OPEN FY 2026 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals and Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Staff Exchange — Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs
- OPEN Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program — Health Resources and Services Administration