School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the Department of Education and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have announced the School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court. Recognizing the need for coordination among schools, mental health providers and juvenile justice systems, the program aims to ensure that these systems have a shared framework for working with and supporting youth.

According to the announcement, there is a growing body of evidence highlighting community-based approaches to juvenile crime. Furthermore, evidence suggests that that using secure placements has a limited impact on reducing juvenile crime. OJJDP is committed to helping schools, mental health providers and juvenile justice systems to coordinate and strengthen their efforts to ensure that youth and families have access to support services that reduce juvenile crime and improve communities. The School Justice Collaboration Program will engage these stakeholders in improving school climates, responding early and appropriately to student mental health and behavioral needs and using positive, alternative responses - such as diversion programs - to avoid referring students to law enforcement and juvenile justice.

Applicants may apply to two categories:

1. Local School Justice Collaboration Program – This category will provide grants to local juvenile and family courts to address their coordination of services. Applicants are limited to local juvenile and family courts (including rural and tribal juvenile and family courts) that partner with a local education agency that has applied for the Department of Education’s School Climate Transformation Grants-LEA (SCTC) and the SAMHSA Now is the Time Project AWARE-LEA program. Applicants must also partner with local law enforcement as part of their collaborative effort. OJJDP anticipates selecting up to four grantees that will be awarded up to $600,000 each for a 36-month project period.
2. School Justice Collaboration Program National Training and Technical Assistance – OJJDP will select a training and technical assistance provider that will support the implementation of and sustainability of these initiatives, develop tools and resources to help stakeholders and work with a limited number of sites to support the implementation of school discipline approaches. Applicants are limited to nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations) and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). One cooperative agreement of as much as $2 million will be made for a 24-month period. 

Applications are due July 21, 2014.

For the complete grant announcement, click here.