The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) FY20 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) supports cross-system collaboration to improve public safety responses and outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses (MI) or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse (CMISA) who come into contact with the justice system. This program supports public safety efforts through partnerships with social services and other organizations that will enhance responses to people with MI and CMISA. All FY20 JMHCP grant recipients will follow a two-phase process consisting of planning and implementation activities during which grantees will develop a coordinated approach to implementing or enhancing services for justice-involved individuals with MI and CMISA. The planning phase can be for up to 12 months and the implementation phase will begin once the grantee has met the requirements of the planning phase and will continue for the remaining time of the grant. At least one criminal justice agency and one mental health agency will participate in the administration of the program.

Under the FY20 JMHCP Purpose Area 1, the recipient will plan and implement a project that will place (embed) social workers and/or mental health professionals in law enforcement agencies to assist officers during encounters with people in mental health crisis. Funds can be used to pay for salaries as well as other expenses such as training and other coordination activities to ensure implementation of the collaborative program.