Joint Adult Drug Court Solicitation to Enhance Services, Coordination, and Treatment | BJA 2016 8988

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2016 8988

The Joint Adult Drug Court Solicitation to Enhance Services, Coordination, and Treatment is a discretionary federal grant opportunity jointly offered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Its main goal is to strengthen existing adult drug courts by improving how the court functions, how partner agencies coordinate with one another, and how participants receive evidence-based substance use disorder treatment and recovery support. The solicitation is designed for jurisdictions that already run an adult drug court and want to expand capacity, close service gaps, and improve outcomes through a more comprehensive, coordinated strategy that links the justice system and the treatment system more effectively.

A defining feature of this opportunity is that applicants submit a single, unified application but compete for two separate awards: one grant funded through SAMHSA and one funded through BJA. Together, those two funding streams are intended to cover both the criminal justice side of drug court operations (such as supervision, case management, court coordination, and related justice activities) and the clinical/service side (such as substance use disorder treatment and recovery supports). The intent is to reduce fragmentation by allowing a single proposed plan to address both sets of needs at once, rather than forcing applicants to pursue separate funding opportunities with separate applications and disconnected project designs.

The solicitation emphasizes improving drug court services and capacity through approaches that are evidence-based, meaning applicants are expected to rely on practices supported by research and established standards in the drug court and treatment fields. It also aligns with broader federal priorities, including Healthy People 2020s substance abuse objectives (HP 2020-SA) and SAMHSAs Strategic Initiative on Trauma and Justice, signaling an expectation that programs pay attention to trauma-informed and justice-involved population needs as part of effective treatment and recovery planning. Applicants are instructed to follow the requirements in the main solicitation as well as additional conditions and guidance incorporated by reference in a Requirements Resource Guide, meaning compliance is not limited to the notice itself but includes referenced materials as part of the full application and award framework.

Eligibility is limited and focused on government and court entities connected to a single operating jurisdiction. Eligible applicants include states or state courts applying on behalf of a single jurisdiction, local courts, counties, other units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior). Tribal governments have flexibility to apply directly or to apply through other public or nonprofit private entities. A key threshold requirement is that the jurisdiction must already have a fully operational adult drug court for at least one year as of September 30, 2016. The solicitation defines "operational" in practical terms: a judge must be formally designated as the drug court judge, there must be a drug court docket of cases, and defendants must be seen in drug court on a regular, recurring basis. In other words, the program must be actively functioning, not just planned or newly launched.

From the funding and administrative details provided, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number BJA 2016 8988, categorized as a discretionary grant within the Law, Justice and Legal Services activity area, and associated with CFDA 16.585. The award ceiling is $400,000, with an estimated 15 awards expected. The original closing date for applications was May 31, 2016, and the opportunity was created on March 31, 2016. The legal authorities cited include 42 U.S.C. 3797u et seq. and Section 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, which collectively underpin the justice and public health components of the joint funding structure.

Overall, the grant is best understood as a coordinated investment in mature adult drug courts that are ready to strengthen collaboration between courts, supervision, and treatment providers, while expanding or improving access to proven treatment and recovery support services. The structure encourages a single, integrated plan that addresses the full continuum of drug court operations and participant care, backed by clear eligibility requirements intended to ensure funds go to courts with an established operational foundation.

• The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Joint Adult Drug Court Solicitation to Enhance Services, Coordination, and Treatment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.585.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-03-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-05-31. (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 $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for BJA 2016 8988

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