FY 2020 Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Program

This program supports local jurisdictions’ efforts to reduce the number of deaths and injuries of individuals with forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease or developmental disabilities such as autism who, due to their condition, wander from safe environments. It provides funding to law enforcement and public safety agencies to implement locative technologies to track missing individuals; and to such agencies and partnering nonprofit organizations to develop or operate programs to prevent wandering, increase individuals’ safety, and facilitate rescues.

Kevin and Avonte’s Law, enacted in 2018, authorized BJA to support local efforts to address this public safety challenge by providing grants to health care agencies, law enforcement, and other public safety agencies, and, additionally for Category 1, nonprofit organizations that (1) implement locative technologies to track missing individuals, and/or (2) develop or operate programs to prevent wandering, increase individuals’ safety, and facilitate rescue.

Note that BJA will give preference to applicants that employ person-centered approaches that minimize restrictive interventions and provide a direct link to individuals, and families of individuals, with forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease or developmental disabilities such as autism.