FY 2023 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects | O COPS 2023 171540

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2023 171540

The FY 2023 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects grant is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), designed to help law enforcement agencies put practical mental health and wellness supports in place for sworn personnel and, where appropriate, certain civilian staff who are routinely exposed to trauma. The program sits within the broader community policing framework, which emphasizes proactive problem solving and partnerships to address the conditions that contribute to crime and fear of crime. In that same spirit, this solicitation focuses on strengthening the internal health and resilience of agencies so they can serve communities more effectively, while also aligning with DOJ priorities around civil rights and racial equity, access to justice, victim support, community safety, and trust between law enforcement and the public.

At its core, LEMHWA Implementation Projects funds the implementation or expansion of wellness programs that directly address officer emotional and psychological health. The COPS Office highlights that chronic stress, stigma around help-seeking, and repeated exposure to traumatic events can contribute to serious personal and professional harms, including family strain, substance misuse, injury, and increased suicide risk. Congress authorized this work through federal public safety statutes (including the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994), enabling the COPS Office to support programs that deliver training and services such as peer support and mentoring, suicide prevention, stress reduction, clinical support connections, and family-oriented resources.

Funding is structured as multiple awards with an award ceiling of up to $200,000 per award, with approximately 47 awards expected under this solicitation. The opportunity is specifically for state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies. Projects can be designed to serve a single department, a consortium of departments, or a broader group of personnel across a county or statewide footprint, as long as the core purpose remains the delivery of concrete mental health and wellness training, programming, and support services for law enforcement.

The COPS Office is looking for projects that are both practical and shareable. Program goals emphasize identifying and expanding promising practices and producing knowledge products that reflect “good guidance” principles: they should be quality-driven and action-oriented, grounded in the best available evidence, written in clear and usable language for the field, and designed to be memorable enough that agencies can apply them in real-world, high-stress situations. Applicants are encouraged to use existing field learning, including the LEMHWA Report to Congress and the Eleven Case Studies, as inspiration for program design that is realistic and replicable.

A strong application under this topic area is expected to explain how the proposed activities will improve wellness for the agency or agencies served, define the intended service area and scale (for example, one department versus multiple departments), and describe privacy protections that will help ensure individuals can seek support without fear of stigma or professional repercussions. The proposal should also identify the outcomes the agency plans to track and report, since the COPS Office expects award recipients to be able to describe what was delivered, who was served, and what changes resulted (for example, increased utilization of peer support, improved awareness of warning signs and resources, or strengthened referral pathways to clinicians).

The primary deliverable is straightforward: the award is meant to produce actual training, programming, and support services centered on officer emotional and mental health, including suicide prevention, peer support structures, and clinical and family support services. Beyond that, the COPS Office encourages additional deliverables that capture lessons learned and promising practices in ways that can help other agencies, such as short reports, articles, webinars, conference presentations, or tools that can be adapted elsewhere. Recipients may also be invited to join a community of practice with other awardees to share approaches, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and help the COPS Office spread what works across the profession.

Several types of proposals are explicitly out of scope. Applications from entities that are not state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies will not be considered. Projects also will not be considered if they fail to focus on developing or enhancing mental health and wellness training, programming, and support services tied to emotional and psychological health, suicide prevention, peer support, and family support. The solicitation also draws a line against proposals that primarily seek to buy technology, software, mobile applications, or equipment without pairing those purchases with broader training and services that make the tools meaningful in practice. Similarly, proposals focused solely on health screenings or fitness programs do not fit the intent of this opportunity, because the emphasis is on mental health supports and service delivery rather than general wellness checks or physical fitness initiatives.

Administratively, applicants are encouraged to include letters of support when proposing site-specific work, and to follow the COPS Office Editorial and Style Manual for deliverables. Program questions are directed to the COPS Office Response Center (800-421-6770) or AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov during standard weekday business hours Eastern Time. The opportunity listing notes a creation date of February 21, 2023, and an original closing date of April 14, 2023, under Funding Opportunity Number O-COPS-2023-171540 and CFDA 16.710, categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services.

• The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.710.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 21, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 14, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 47 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O COPS 2023 171540

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