BJA FY25 De-escalation and Crisis Response Training Program | O BJA 2025 172498

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the BJA FY25 De-escalation and Crisis Response Training Program?

It is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It is designed to help jurisdictions strengthen how law enforcement and corrections personnel respond to people experiencing crises by supporting de-escalation and crisis response training programs.

What is the main purpose of this grant?

The main goal is to support the development, implementation, or expansion of de-escalation and crisis response training programs that improve interactions and outcomes when officers encounter individuals in crisis, particularly those affected by behavioral health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs), physical disabilities, and/or traumatic brain injuries.

What kinds of situations does the program focus on?

The program focuses on high-stress encounters where law enforcement officers or correctional officers interact with individuals experiencing crises, including situations involving behavioral health needs and disability-related factors (I/DDs, physical disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries).

Who is this training intended for?

Funding is intended to help agencies equip sworn law enforcement officers and correctional officers with de-escalation and crisis response skills and supports that are operationally useful in the field and in custodial environments.

What outcomes is the program trying to improve?

The program is meant to reduce the likelihood of force, improve safety for everyone involved, and promote more effective, trauma-informed responses during crisis encounters.

Does the opportunity emphasize training for both community and custodial settings?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly emphasizes training that is operationally useful both in the field (community-facing responses) and in custodial environments (correctional settings).

What types of training content does the opportunity appear to support?

While the excerpt provided does not list a specific required curriculum, the stated focus points toward scenario-based skills, decision-making under stress, communication techniques, and coordinated responses that consider behavioral health and disability factors.

Can applicants include technology as part of the project?

Yes. The opportunity describes funding as supporting tactical skills, proven strategies, and relevant technology that support de-escalation and crisis handling.

Is officer wellness an allowable focus area?

Officer wellbeing is described as a secondary but explicit objective. Proposals can reasonably align training efforts with reducing officer injury risk, lowering cumulative stress and trauma exposure, and improving confidence and competence in crisis situations.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include state governments, counties, cities or townships, federally recognized tribal governments, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments. Eligibility also includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and other entities as allowed by the NOFO.

Are campus law enforcement agencies included in the intended audience?

Yes. The program description highlights public/state-controlled colleges and universities with on-campus police departments, indicating campus law enforcement agencies are an important target audience.

Are hospital police departments included in the intended audience?

Yes. The description calls out public/state-controlled hospitals that maintain on-campus police departments, suggesting hospital law enforcement agencies are also a key audience for this opportunity.

What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?

The program is administered under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 16.065.

What category of funding activity does this fall under?

It falls within the Law, Justice, and Legal Services funding activity category.

Is this a competitive grant?

Yes. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary, which generally means awards are made competitively based on the merits of the application and alignment with program priorities.

What is the funding instrument?

The funding instrument is a grant.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The posting indicates an award ceiling of $700,000 per award.

How many awards will be made?

The excerpt shows "ExpectedAwards:" without a number, so the total number of awards is not specified in the provided information.

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is O-BJA-2025-172498.

What are the key dates listed for this opportunity?

The source data shows a creation date of April 15, 2026, and an original closing date of May 27, 2026.

What is the application deadline?

The original closing date listed is May 27, 2026. Applicants should treat that as the key submission deadline unless an amendment extends or changes it.

What types of needs should an applicant address in a strong proposal?

Based on the stated goals, strong applications typically make a convincing case for local need, describe a realistic plan to deliver and sustain high-quality training, and explain how the project will measurably improve outcomes for people in crisis while also enhancing officer safety and wellbeing.

What populations are specifically mentioned as a focus for improved crisis response?

The opportunity specifically highlights individuals with behavioral health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs), physical disabilities, and/or traumatic brain injuries.