Boulder County Community Justice Services receives two grants from the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide intensive case management and reentry services

Boulder County, Colo. - Community Justice Services (CJS) has been awarded two grants from the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), allowing CJS to continue providing intensive in-jail and reentry services for individuals suffering from severe mental illness, and expand services for those with substance use disorders at the county jail. The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) will provide a total of $727,554.00 over three years and fund a project known as STEER, or Strategy to Treat, Engage, Educate and Reenter. The second grant, from the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP), is also a three-year grant with an award amount of $884,014. This grant funds Project RENTER or Readiness, Engagement, Navigation, Treatment, and Recovery.

The STEER project will strengthen evidence-based practices developed with previous JMHCP funding and will increase treatment and coordination for behavioral health issues to interrupt the cycle of incarceration. Through the STEER project, CJS will collaborate with Mental Health Partners to implement screening and assessments, coordinated reentry case planning processes, peer coaching support, and seamless jail-to-community services.

The RENTR project builds upon existing jail-based services that were developed through the BJA Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program grant awarded to CJS in 2018. This project expands in-jail and re-entry services to individuals with substance use disorders. Through the RENTR project, CJS and its community partners will provide evidenced-based treatment services, peer recovery support, pre- and post-booking treatment alternatives to incarceration, and court-based interventions.

“We are grateful to have received these highly competitive grants which will enable us to sustain and expand our current suite of services for the justice-involved members of the community. Community Justice Services and Strategic Initiatives are two divisions within our Community Services Department that worked together to receive project funding and put together this programming. We look forward to initiating these initiatives with our dedicated staff who worked so hard to develop these applications,” said Robin Bohannan, Director of Community Services.

For more information regarding the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance grants or Community Justice Services programming, please contact Michele Hudson at mhudson@bouldercounty.org.