The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), is accepting applications for Virginia’s Comprehensive Opioid Addiction Program (COAP) grant program. The intent of COAP funding is to improve cross systems collaboration between criminal justice and behavioral health stakeholders and to improve outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorders who are involved in the criminal justice system. The purpose of these grants are to assist localities develop and implement, or enhance existing evidence based programs for individuals with opioid use disorders involved in the criminal justice system.

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is making state general funds available for grants to support addiction recovery programs in local and regional jails. The General Assembly appropriated funds for up to four pilot programs not to exceed $38,400 in state general funds (SGF) each. These funds are available for this purpose pursuant to §9.102(53), which directs DCJS to:

develop a model addiction recovery program that may be administered by sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, jail officers, administrators, or superintendents in any local or regional jail. Such program shall be based on any existing addiction recovery programs that are being administered by any local or regional jails in the Commonwealth. Participation in the model addiction recovery program shall be voluntary, and such program may address aspects of the recovery process, including medical and clinical recovery, peer-to-peer support, availability of mental health resources, family dynamics, and aftercare aspects of the recovery process….

This is a competitive solicitation.  A local match, cash or in kind, of 25% of the SGF award is required.  Eligible projects will be reviewed based on applicant need and comprehensiveness of program model selected.

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Item 398 J.1. of the 2016 Appropriations Act requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to “solicit proposals from local or regional jails to establish pilot programs to provide services to mentally ill inmates, or to provide pre-incarceration crisis intervention services to prevent mentally ill offenders from entering jails. The Department shall evaluate the proposals in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Compensation Board, and shall report a list of up to six recommended pilot sites to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees no later than September 15, 2016.”

In response to the Appropriations Act language, DCJS is soliciting concept paper proposals from local and regional jails “to establish pilot programs to provide services to mentally ill inmates, or to provide pre-incarceration services to prevent mentally ill offenders from entering jails.”

Sites will be selected through a two-phase process: a Concept Paper phase and an Invited Applicant phase. The process is described in detail in the solicitation.