BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Family-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance is offering the Second Chance Act Family-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program to support treatment and recovery services for parents with substance use disorders who have minor children or are pregnant and are under correctional control in a facility or community-based setting. The program is authorized under the Second Chance Act framework and related federal appropriations. Its overall goal is to address underlying substance use disorders in order to reduce crime and recidivism among parents of minor children. The program supports corrections-based treatment and recovery services as well as family-based substance use disorder treatment offered as an alternative to incarceration for parents charged with qualifying nonviolent drug or drug-related offenses. Applicants must offer clinically appropriate, family-focused treatment involving the parent, their child, and other appropriate family members. Projects must use validated assessment tools to identify participant and family strengths and needs and use the results to develop individualized case plans. Services may include substance use disorder treatment, early child intervention services, family counseling, legal services, medical and mental health care, nursery and preschool services, parenting skills, transportation, vocational services, and GED training. Applicants must implement incentives and sanctions based on participant progress, track successful treatment completion, and conduct process and outcome evaluations. Correctional-setting projects have additional requirements concerning separation from the general prison population and continuity of care following transfers. Alternative-to-incarceration projects have requirements concerning eligible offenses, provider approval and licensing, coordination with the Single State Authority for Substance Abuse, residential treatment, and consequences for unsuccessful program completion. Up to $13,000,000 is expected to be available, including up to $8,000,000 for Category 1 and up to $5,000,000 for Category 2. BJA anticipates eight Category 1 awards and five Category 2 awards, with individual awards of up to $1,000,000. The expected award period is 36 months beginning October 1, 2026. Allowable uses include hiring personnel, paying for mental health, substance use, and overdose prevention medication, and contracting for services such as case management, peer support, clinically appropriate treatment, training, and evaluation. Funds may not be used for prizes, rewards, entertainment, trinkets or other monetary incentives, client stipends, gift cards, vehicle purchases, or food and beverages. Other federal legal and programmatic restrictions also apply. No cost sharing or matching contribution is required. Category 1 is available to state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and other units of local government, including towns, parishes, villages, and other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state. Category 2 is available to nonprofit organizations with or without federal 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education, and to faith-based organizations. Applicants may submit more than one application if each proposes a different project, but each application must address only one category. All applicants must provide the mandatory Chief Executive Assurance to Collect and Report Recidivism Indicator Data and the mandatory Treatment Service Provider Certification and associated licensing, accreditation, or certification documentation. Category 2 applicants must also provide a memorandum of understanding with the correctional agency or agencies overseeing the facilities where the target population will be recruited. Submission is a two-step process. Applicants must first complete and submit the SF-424 through Grants.gov by September 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The full application must then be submitted through JustGrants by October 1, 2026, at 8:59 PM Eastern Time. Required application materials include Standard Applicant Information, a Proposal Narrative, a Budget, the mandatory recidivism data assurance, and the mandatory treatment service provider certification and supporting documentation. Category 2 applicants must also submit the required memorandum of understanding. The proposal narrative may not exceed 20 pages and must address Description of the Need, Project Goals and Objectives, Project Design and Implementation, and Capabilities and Competencies. The budget must identify and explain reasonable, allocable, necessary, and allowable project costs. Peer review scoring assigns 5 percent to Description of the Need, 15 percent to Project Goals and Objectives, 35 percent to Project Design and Implementation, 30 percent to Capabilities and Competencies, and 15 percent to the Budget. OJP may also give priority consideration to projects advancing stated agency funding priorities and to qualifying applicants meeting specified crime and disorder criteria, although priority consideration does not guarantee an award. Recipients must submit regular performance reports, a final performance report including required recidivism outcomes, and a separate closeout evaluation report describing the process, intervention, outcomes, and lessons learned. The NOFO was released August 17, 2026. Applicants are instructed to begin SAM.gov registration or renewal by August 25, 2026, and no later than September 10, 2026, although registration is not a pre-application advancement stage. The final application deadline is October 1, 2026, and the expected 36-month performance period begins October 1, 2026. The source does not state that this opportunity recurs annually or on another regular schedule. Program questions may be directed to the OJP Response Center at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov or 800-851-3420. Grants.gov assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726, and JustGrants assistance is available at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175.

Prioritize Project Design and Implementation and Capabilities and Competencies because they account for 35 percent and 30 percent of the application score respectively. Clearly document the need with evidence, connect goals and objectives to the NOFO, identify validated assessment tools and research-informed strategies, define the target population and baseline recidivism rate, explain evaluation methods, and demonstrate organizational and partner capacity. Ensure all basic minimum requirements and mandatory certifications are included because missing required certifications or the required Category 2 corrections MOU can result in denial. Keep the request at or below the $1,000,000 ceiling and ensure budget costs are reasonable, allocable, necessary, allowable, clearly calculated, and connected to project activities.