BJA FY 2026 Veterans Treatment Court Program | O BJA 2026 172714

FAQs: BJA FY 2026 Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Program

What is the BJA FY 2026 Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Program?

The BJA FY 2026 Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Program is a Bureau of Justice Assistance notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) intended to help communities implement or strengthen veterans treatment court operations. It supports a court-based, problem-solving approach for justice-involved veterans with substance use and related behavioral health needs.

What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?

The core goal is to reduce the use of opioids, stimulants, and other substances (including alcohol) among high-risk and high-need veterans who are involved in the criminal justice system. The program is designed to connect eligible participants to structured treatment and recovery supports while maintaining judicial oversight and accountability.

Who is the program intended to serve?

The program targets veterans whose substance use and related behavioral health needs are contributing to criminal justice involvement. It emphasizes serving high-risk and high-need veterans, including individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

What types of courts are expected to be supported through this program?

Funded programs are expected to operate as problem-solving veterans treatment courts that blend coordinated treatment, supervision, monitoring, and supportive services into a single supervised pathway.

What core components are veterans treatment courts expected to include under this NOFO?

Veterans treatment courts funded through this opportunity typically combine: substance use disorder (SUD) treatment; mental health disorder (MHD) treatment; routine and mandatory drug testing; a system of incentives and sanctions to reinforce compliance and progress; and transitional or supportive services that help participants stabilize their lives.

Does the NOFO address co-occurring disorders?

Yes. The NOFO emphasizes that VTCs serve veterans who may have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (often described as MHSUD) and supports approaches that address clinical needs and criminogenic risks at the same time.

Does the opportunity recognize the needs of veterans with PTSD or TBI?

Yes. The NOFO specifically recognizes the needs of veterans affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Does the NOFO mention veterans with histories of violence?

Yes. The NOFO specifically recognizes the needs of veterans with histories of violence, alongside other behavioral health considerations such as co-occurring disorders, PTSD, and TBI.

How does the VTC model described here approach accountability?

The VTC model is described as maintaining judicial oversight and accountability while connecting participants to treatment and recovery supports. It also uses routine monitoring (including drug testing) and incentives and sanctions to reinforce compliance and progress.

What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement generally means the federal agency expects to have more substantial involvement than under a standard grant, such as in program guidance, priorities, reporting, or technical assistance.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 16.043.

What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services.

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is O-BJA-2026-172714.

When was the NOFO created?

The NOFO was created on 2026-09-21.

What is the application closing date listed for this opportunity?

The original application closing date listed is 2026-10-29.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The maximum award amount (award ceiling) listed is $2,500,000.

How many awards are expected to be made?

The posting indicates that awards are expected, but the exact number of expected awards is not provided in the information shared.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments, as well as other eligible entities as allowed under the solicitation.

What does the NOFO mean by "other units of local government"?

The NOFO clarifies that "other units of local government" includes towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general-purpose political subdivisions of a state.

What does the NOFO include under the term "state agencies"?

The NOFO defines "state agencies" to include entities such as state administering agencies (SAAs), administrative offices of the courts, state criminal justice agencies, state substance abuse agencies, and other state agencies involved with substance use, mental health, or related services.

Can a court or court administrative office serve as an applicant?

Based on the NOFO clarification that "state agencies" includes administrative offices of the courts, court-related entities may fall within the types of eligible applicants, depending on how they are organized and permitted to apply under the solicitation.

Why does the NOFO include detailed eligibility interpretations?

The clarifications reflect that veterans treatment courts are often partnerships across courts, local or state governments, behavioral health providers, and veteran-serving organizations, and multiple types of government-led applicants can potentially serve as the fiscal and administrative lead for a VTC effort.

What outcomes is the program aiming to achieve?

The opportunity is aimed at improving how jurisdictions respond to justice-involved veterans with significant treatment needs by supporting specialized court operations that hold participants accountable while expanding access to evidence-informed treatment and recovery supports. The intended outcome is reduced substance use and improved stability for participating veterans, which can reduce continued justice involvement and related harms in the community.