Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program
🏛 Community Oriented Policing Services (USDOJ-OJP-COPS)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 27, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies supporting officer and family mental health. Category 1 serves agencies with no established mental health programs; Category 2 serves agencies with existing programs seeking expansion. Category 3 is open to nonprofits, higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations providing technical assistance. Agencies must have primary law enforcement jurisdiction and cannot serve only specialized crimes or correctional institutions.
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Program description
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing and the Administration’s priority of Making America Safe Again by supporting the nation’s state, local, territorial and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the FY26 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program. The mental health and wellness of law enforcement officers and their families is a priority of the Administration. Through the LEMHWA program, the Department of Justice supports this priority by providing funding directly to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies to implement new or enhance existing programs that offer training and services to support officers emotional and mental health including, counseling programs, peer mentoring, suicide prevention, stress reduction, and police officer family services.
As community policing is common sense policing, throughout the FY26 LEMHWA program NOFO materials, the terms “community policing” and “common sense policing” are used interchangeably, unless otherwise specified.
The COPS Office seeks to increase the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services through this NOFO in the following three funding categories:
Category 1: FY26 Start-up LEMHWA Implementation Projects
• The purpose of this program is to provide funding to law enforcement agencies that do not have established law-enforcement specific mental health and wellness programming. These funds will serve as start-up funding to support the development of new mental health and wellness services and programming for employees of law enforcement agencies and their families. This program also serves to increase grant funding accessibility for small and understaffed departments, especially those in rural communities, to implement mental health and wellness programs.
• Implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, stress reduction, clinical support, and other promising practices for wellness programs are highly encouraged.
• Agencies that currently offer rudimentary or limited wellness services and are seeking to develop a comprehensive wellness program for their department are encouraged to apply.
Category 2: FY26 Enhanced LEMHWA Implementation Projects
• The purpose of this program is to provide funding to law enforcement agencies who have current wellness programs in place and are seeking to enhance or expand upon those existing wellness programs.
Category 3: FY26 LEMHWA Community of Practice Initiative
The purpose of this initiative is to provide support to current and future LEMHWA grantees, that include peer support and technical assistance through the development and facilitation of an innovative forum where grantees can learn from their peers and share promising practices.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- NOFO application form
- Project narrative describing mental health and wellness program
- Budget and budget narrative
- Letters of support from agency leadership and mental health partners
- Evidence of organizational capacity and past program success (if applicable)
Program contact
- 👤 Community Oriented Policing Services
- 📧 AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov
- 📞 800-421-6770
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 16.070 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
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$200,000
Top States by Funding
- CA 7 awards $1.4M
- AR 4 awards $0.8M
- MT 3 awards $0.6M
- NC 3 awards $0.5M
- TX 3 awards $0.5M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 16.070). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $9,142,614 | |
| 2025 est. | $10,000,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $10,000,000 |
FAQ
Which law enforcement agencies are eligible?
State, local, tribal, and territorial agencies with primary law enforcement jurisdiction. Statewide investigative agencies and correctional-only agencies are ineligible.
What is the deadline for this grant?
The fixed deadline is July 30, 2026. Plan applications well in advance.
What types of activities can be funded?
Peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, stress reduction, and clinical support for officers and families.
What should we know about the three categories?
Category 1 is for new programs, Category 2 expands existing programs, and Category 3 supports technical assistance networks. Choose the category that matches your current status.
What is the typical funding amount?
Awards are up to $250,000, depending on your project scope and proposal strength.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Apply in the correct category based on your current status (new program vs. existing program). Wrong category choice causes rejection.
- Emphasize officer and family wellness outcomes. Agencies want measurable improvements in mental health access and utilization.
- Include specific peer support and suicide prevention strategies in your proposal. These are priority activities.
- Build partnerships with mental health providers early. Collaboration strengthens competitive applications.
- Detail how your program serves rural or small departments, especially for Category 1. Accessibility to understaffed agencies is a priority.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying in the wrong category based on existing programs. Poor clarity on measurable outcomes and officer participation rates. Insufficient detail on peer support and clinical intervention protocols.
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