Recent Grants

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks applications for formula funding under the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP). Byrne SCIP provides funding for the creation and/or implementation of extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related programs/initiatives. This program furthers DOJ's mission by assisting state, local, and tribal efforts to prevent or reduce crime and violence, with a particular focus on gun violence and the programs and initiatives that target the risk factors that are likely to lead to this kind of violence.

In general, FY 2024 Byrne SCIP will support state crisis intervention court proceedings and related programs or initiatives, including, but not limited to, ERPO programs, mental health courts, drug courts, and veterans' treatment courts. Although Byrne SCIP provides assistance directly to states, it is also designed to assist units of local government through its pass-through requirements. 

ERPO Programs 

• Implementing ERPO Programs – an extreme risk protection order (ERPO) empowers law enforcement, and in some states, family members, health care providers, and others to petition a court for a civil order that temporarily prevents a person from accessing firearms if they are found to be a danger to themselves. In 2021, the Department of Justice released model legislation that provides a framework for states to consider as they determine whether and how to craft laws allowing law enforcement, concerned family members, or others to seek these orders and to intervene before warning signs turn into tragedy.
• Training for those implementing ERPO programs
  • Training for judiciary and court staff on ERPO proceedings
  • Training for family members on ERPO
  • Training for first responders on ERPO
  • Training for social service providers on ERPO
  • Training for clinicians on ERPO
• Communication, Education, and Public Awareness of Existing ERPO Laws
  • Outreach to community members, stakeholders, municipal leaders, law enforcement agencies, and those engaging with individuals deemed to be at high risk of firearm violence to raise public awareness about the value and public safety benefits of existing ERPO laws and programs, and effective implementation of such laws and programs.
  • Development and distribution of ERPO fact sheets, brochures, webinars, television or radio engagement (e.g., advertisements, spotlights, etc.), and social media outreach (e.g., YouTube, Facebook, X) in order to execute the communication, education, and public awareness strategy.
  • Publication of best practices regarding ERPO programs.

Related Court-based Programming 

• Develop processes to identify, triage and connect court-involved people in crisis to services.
• Expand the capacity of existing drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts, including to assist clients who are most likely to commit or become victims of gun crimes.
• Implementing or expanding domestic violence courts focused on those at risk for gun related violence.
• Embed social workers in prosecutor, public defender and/or courts agencies to provide screening, assessment, and referral to services for people in crisis, such as court-based navigators.
• Prosecutor, pretrial, or court diversion programs.
• Development and implementation of validated gun violence risk assessment tools, enhancement of existing tools and service case management and navigation programs to assess the risks and needs of clients and connect them to critical services to mitigate their risk of gun violence and enhance their access to effective interventions.
• Community courts that connect people in crisis with community resources.
• Programming and training on domestic violence cases and related protection orders, including relinquishment of firearms.
• Threat assessment training for prosecutors, judges, law enforcement, and public defenders.

Referrals to Community-based Services for People in Crisis 

(see the National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care Best Practice Toolkit and Guidance for Emergency Responses to People with Behavioral Health or Other Disabilities) 

• Pre-arrest law enforcement and first responder deflection.
• Assertive community treatment.
• Behavioral threat assessment programs and related training.
• Triage services, mobile crisis units (both co-responder and civilian only), and peer support specialists.
• Suicide and crisis prevention and referral to services.
• Technological supports such as smartphone applications to help families and patients navigate mental health and related systems and telehealth initiatives, including technology solutions for telehealth visits outside the hospital.
• Behavioral health responses and civil legal responses to people in crisis, such as regional crisis call centers, crisis mobile team response, and crisis receiving and stabilization facilities for individuals in crisis.
• De-escalation training for law enforcement, first responders and other justice practitioners.
• Embedding social workers with law enforcement and co-responder programs.
• Specialized training for individuals who work with or are in families of adults and youth who are in crisis.
• Related law enforcement-based programs, training, and technology, focused on crisis intervention for those at risk to themselves or others.

Funding for Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Programs or Initiatives 

• Development and or delivery of specialized training, including crisis response and intervention training (CRIT), and overtime for officers to attend such training.
• Training for school resource officers on identifying youth at risk for firearm violence.
• Supplies, equipment, technology, and training to safely secure, store, track, and return relinquished guns, such as gun locks and storage for individuals and businesses and software or other technologies to track relinquished guns.
• Gun safety training for community members.
• Systems purchase or enhancement to facilitate service and/or tracking of ERPOs.
• Technology, analysis, or information-sharing solutions for ensuring law enforcement, probation, prosecutors, the courts, and public defenders are informed when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a firearm.
• Data collection, analysis, and strategic planning to address community gun violence.
• Personnel, supplies, and other related costs for crisis intervention officers or co-responders.