Opportunity Information: Apply for 23PR17
The Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections (NIC) released a cooperative agreement funding opportunity called "Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety Training" (Funding Opportunity Number 23PR17, CFDA 16.601). The central purpose is to expand and strengthen mental health training for public safety and corrections-related personnel in response to the long-running shift of people with serious mental illness into jails and prisons following the closure of state psychiatric hospitals and the steady reduction of community mental health resources since the 1970s. The opportunity is framed around a corrections reality NIC describes as both widespread and costly: a substantial share of incarcerated people have mental health needs, and when those needs go untreated, day-to-day facility operations, staff safety, and individual outcomes often get worse rather than better.
The problem statement emphasizes prevalence as well as impact. The narrative cites research estimates indicating that mental health problems are common across correctional settings, with figures presented for federal prisons, local jails, and state prisons, and an additional set of figures for "serious psychological distress" among people in prisons and jails. NIC highlights that mental illness in custody is associated with greater difficulty adjusting to incarceration and a higher rate of infractions compared with people who do not have mental illness. Those infractions can trigger responses such as physical restraint and restrictive housing, and the opportunity description stresses that these measures may aggravate symptoms and distress, including anxiety, anger, depression, cognitive and perceptual disturbances, paranoia, and psychosis. Over time, this cycle can contribute to longer periods of incarceration, reduced chances of earning early release or favorable supervision decisions, and an average increase in length of stay described as about 12 months longer than for incarcerated people without mental illness.
Against that backdrop, the grant positions Mental Health First Aid and related training as a practical intervention aimed at improving outcomes for both staff and incarcerated individuals. NIC points to research suggesting that mental health training can help correctional staff reduce stress and respond more effectively to people experiencing mental health challenges, while also reducing the distress experienced by incarcerated individuals with mental illness. The intended downstream effects are fewer incidents and infractions, reduced reliance on punitive measures, and improved safety in facilities and supervised environments. In other words, the training is presented not simply as education, but as a safety and operations strategy that can interrupt a pattern where untreated illness leads to behavior, behavior leads to punishment, and punishment worsens illness.
Administratively, this opportunity falls under an "Other" category for both the opportunity type and funding activity, and it is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically signals substantial federal involvement during project implementation compared with a standard grant. The award ceiling is $255,000, and NIC expected to make a single award. The opportunity was created on June 12, 2023, with an original closing date of July 27, 2023. Eligibility is listed as "Others," with the details intended to be clarified in the additional eligibility section of the full announcement, which commonly means NIC may be open to applications from a range of entities such as nonprofit organizations, training and technical assistance providers, academic institutions, or other qualified organizations capable of delivering public-safety-focused mental health training.
One additional nuance in the posted text is that it includes internal editorial notes (labeled DL1 and DL2) questioning the clarity of the jail-related statistics and how the sources are being described. Those notes do not change the overall aim of the program, but they do signal that the published narrative was flagged for clearer wording about the inclusion of local jails and the meaning of the cited percentages. In practical terms, the core message remains that mental health needs are significant across prisons and jails, and NIC is using this opportunity to support training that equips public safety personnel to recognize, understand, and respond to mental health issues in ways that reduce harm, improve facility functioning, and enhance safety for everyone involved.Apply for 23PR17
- The Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety Training" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.601.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 12, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $255,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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