The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced grant awards totaling $34 million to help communities address crises involving homelessness, mental health and substance use disorders, and other public health and public safety emergencies.
Law enforcement officers are typically first on the scene of a community emergency but they often have neither the training nor the tools to respond adequately. “These resources will support and strengthen partnerships between public safety agencies and local organizations, giving communities the tools to deliver badly needed services, reduce reliance on arrests and incarceration for social and behavioral health issues and take steps toward a more fair and equitable system of justice,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP.
Following are the fiscal year 2021 Bureau of Justice Assistance awards announced:
- Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program: nearly $18.3 million.
- Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program: $11.9 million.
- Collaborative Crisis Response Training Program: $2.3 million.
View the press release to learn more.