FY 2026 Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative
🏛 Bureau of Justice Assistance (USDOJ-OJP-BJA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 3, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for public safety and justice agencies working on mental health and substance use interventions. Eligible applicants include city and county governments, states, territories, federally recognized tribes, and nonprofit or for-profit mental health agencies designated by state mental health authorities as service providers. Applicants must demonstrate how they will coordinate across public safety, mental health, and substance use sectors. Non-governmental organizations must provide documentation of state mental health authority designation. The initiative supports pre-arrest through reentry interventions in communities experiencing mental illness, substance use, and homelessness.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
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Program description
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY2026 Public Safety and Mental Health Initiative (PSMHI). This opportunity supports comprehensive service networks addressing untreated mental illness and substance use to reduce the burden of on law enforcement and the justice system; restore order in communities affected by homelessness, mental illness, and substance use; decrease recidivism; reduce crime; and improve overall public safety and restore confidence in public spaces.
This initiative supports coordinated, direct intervention efforts across public safety, justice, mental health, and substance use agencies to increase access to mental health and substance use treatment through civil commitment, institutional treatment, and step-down approaches from pre-arrest through reentry, using accountability measures that ensure compliance with treatment plans. This program moves beyond temporary interventions by supporting appropriate institutional care and civil commitment processes, when appropriate, for individuals unable to care for themselves.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (federal application form)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Narrative
- Statement of Designation (for nonprofits/for-profits from state mental health authority)
- Organizational Capacity documentation
- Letters of Support from partner agencies
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Justice Assistance
- 📧 OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
- 📞 202-514-9354
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.745 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$11,050,000
-
$5,450,000
-
$750,000
-
$750,000
-
$750,000
-
$750,000
-
$750,000
-
$750,000
-
$749,997
-
$748,065
Top States by Funding
- KY 3 awards $17.1M
- TX 9 awards $5.4M
- NY 8 awards $5.2M
- MI 6 awards $4.1M
- FL 5 awards $3.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.745). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $35,150,822 | |
| 2025 | $16,412 |
FAQ
Can a nonprofit apply without state mental health authority designation?
No. Nonprofits must be designated by the state mental health authority as a service provider and provide documentation.
Who else is eligible?
City and county governments, states, territories, federally recognized tribes, and designated mental health agencies.
What activities does this fund?
Coordinated interventions including civil commitment, institutional treatment, step-down care, and reentry services for individuals with untreated mental illness and substance use.
Does the grant require cost sharing?
Yes, cost sharing is required. The specific percentage should be verified in the full NOFO.
What is the funding range?
Up to $3,000,000 per award, though actual awards may vary based on scope and reviewer scoring.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Demonstrate coordination with law enforcement, courts, mental health providers, and substance use treatment agencies in your narrative.
- Show how your program will reduce reliance on incarceration for people with mental illness and substance use disorders.
- Include specific metrics for measuring reduced recidivism, improved treatment access, and public safety outcomes.
- Highlight existing partnerships and infrastructure rather than proposing entirely new systems from scratch.
- Address how your program moves beyond temporary crisis interventions to provide sustained treatment and institutional care options.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to demonstrate clear coordination between public safety and mental health systems. Proposing interventions without measurable accountability mechanisms or treatment compliance measures. Not addressing the state mental health authority designation requirement for nonprofit applicants before applying.
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