Request for Proposals - Veterans Treatment Court Strategic Planning Initiative
We are seeking applications to participate in statewide strategic planning for their veterans' treatment courts, with the goal of enhancing statewide and court-based responses to justice-involved veterans in need of treatment.
Summary
The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (“BJA”), and the Center for Court Innovation (“the Center”) are partnering to support the enhancement and funding of veterans treatment courts through BJA’s Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Planning, Training, Technical Assistance, and Resource Center Initiative. Under this grant funding, the Center provides statewide training and technical assistance to develop and enhance the veterans treatment court model and other problem-solving justice efforts.
In September of 2019, BJA and the Center selected—through a competitive request for proposals—five states across the U.S. to receive funding and technical assistance under the 2019 Veterans Treatment Court Strategic Planning Initiative to support statewide efforts to enhance their veterans treatment courts. The first cohort was comprised of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine, and California. Center staff worked intensively with the first cohort to develop individualized statewide strategic plans. Each state used their strategic plan to identify and act on key priority areas. Areas of work included improved identification and screening of justice-involved veterans, training on veteran related topics, enhanced connection and engagement of veteran peer mentors, and improved definition of eligibility and target population. Due to the success of the first cohort, BJA has funded a second round of this initiative.
The primary goal of the 2022 Veterans Treatment Court Initiative is to enhance, support, and strengthen veterans treatment courts around the country. As outlined below in more detail, this program will provide financial and technical assistance to support statewide enhancements and trainings for veterans treatment courts for up to five states. This will take the form of strategic planning and passthrough funding (Category 1) or strategic planning and follow-up TA (Category 2). The goal is to encourage the strengthening of VTC adherence to best practice standards, readiness for states and local jurisdictions to apply for federal funding to support their programs, and successful replication of the VTC model and the application of VTC principles to wider populations.
Each selected applicant will participate in statewide strategic planning for their veterans treatment courts, with the goal of enhancing statewide and court-based responses to justice-involved veterans in need of treatment. The strategic planning process will include a needs assessment, an on-site visit, action planning, and a final strategic plan report. In addition, it is anticipated that an in-person all-sites visit will be held during the project.
Deadline for Proposals
All applications are due by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on April 29, 2022. Applicants will submit all application materials through the “VTC Strategic Planning Initiative Proposal Form” (see “Proposal Requirements” below). Applicants will be notified of a selection decision by May 20, 2022.
Pre-Application Webinar
The Center for Court Innovation will host an informational webinar before the application deadline to review the project objectives and allow for questions and answers about the application process. Participation in the 60-minute webinar is optional. It is open to anyone interested in submitting a proposal.