Mental Health Training Grant (JAG)
$7 million is provided to local corrections agencies, through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), for a statewide mental health training initiative. The funding is distributed on a per capita basis to probation departments, sheriff’s offices, and police departments for mental health related training delivered to their staff from May 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021 (extended from September 30, 2020).
The funds, available through the BSCC, is distributed for two priority areas:
- Mental health related training for local corrections staff
- Instructor training for the new STC Behavioral Health training included in all three core training programs (JCO, ACO, and PO).
The first priority area is the delivery of mental health training for corrections staff, including line staff, supervisors, managers and administrators. Mental health training is broadly defined to include single training or multiple subject courses of training that include content such as signs and symptoms of mental illness, substance use disorder, trauma informed care, stigma and bias, crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, and suicide prevention. The funds can only be used on STC certified courses and in the four STC approved categories of tuition, per diem, travel, and replacement costs.
The second priority area is statewide training for instructors on the new STC Behavioral Health Module that is included in the ACO, JCO and PO core training. Agencies that deliver their own core training are required to send one trainer. Additional slots will be made available for agencies that are interested in using the STC Behavioral Health Module for annual training. Agencies attending the training under this grant will receive free tuition to the class and all reasonable travel related costs will be reimbursed by the BSCC.
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Grant recipients must submit two reports each quarter.
Use links below to access reporting tools and tutorials.
Federal Performance Indicator Report
Mental Health Training Progress Report
Each agency receiving funds under this grant completed a Needs Assessment Survey to project the number of STC eligible positions that would receive mental health training during the grant period AND where they would send a staff person to the master instructor training for the new STC Behavioral Health training included core training. Based on those responses, the available grant funds were disbursed on a per capita basis according to the expressed statewide need. Each agency received $270 for each position reported on the Needs Assessment. Additionally, agencies that will send one staff person to the master instructor training will be reimbursed for all related travel expenses.
Each agency receiving funds under this grant must adhere to all the provisions in their signed grant agreement including and not limited to:
Mental Health Related Training
- The funds can only be used to send STC participating staff to mental health related training within the State of California. Mental health related training is broadly defined to include single classes or multiple class courses of training that include content such as signs and symptoms of mental illness, substance use disorder, trauma informed care, stigma and bias, crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, and suicide prevention and other courses with mental health related content.
- The training must be STC certified. It can be certified as an Request for Certification (RFC), Special Certification (SC), or Intensified Format Training (IFT) course. Work Related Experience (WRE) courses are not allowed. Information on obtaining STC certification can be found in the STC Policy and Procedure Manual for Participating Agencies.
- The grant funds can only be used for new training and cannot fund existing training efforts.
- The training must be completed within the grant award period of May 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021.
- The funds may only be spent for costs associated with STC certified mental health related training in the following four budget categories: 1) replacement; 2) travel; 3) per diem; and, 4) tuition, in accordance with current guidelines set forth in the STC Policy and Procedure Manual for Participating Agencies. The accounting records of participating agencies must be set up to collect and report quarterly information in these four budget categories.
- The Grantee is not required to train the number of positions reported in their needs assessment because agencies may find that the cost of their projections exceed the amount provided by this grant. In those cases, the number of staff trained at the end of the grant period may be fewer than the number of staff reported on the needs assessment.
- The Grantee must submit quarterly reports.
- The Grantee must establish a separate trust account for JAG funds. This account/fund must be established according to existing county or city auditor-controller/fiscal officer policies and procedures. These funds must be kept separate from STC funds and all other funding sources. Any interest earned from this account can be spent by the agency only for allowable expenses within the project scope.
Grantee must submit two (2) types of quarterly progress reports as follows:
- Mental health training progress report - This quarterly report provides information about how many staff were trained, the training that was provided, and how the funds were spent during the reporting period. This information will be provided in a format prescribed by BSCC.
- Federal performance indicators - This quarterly report is filed through the federal reporting system, Performance Measuring Tool (PMT), administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
These reports shall be submitted according to the following schedule:
Progress Report Periods Due Date
- May 1 through September 30, 2019 October 15, 2019
- October 1 through December 31, 2019 January 15, 2020
- January 1 through March 31, 2020 April 15, 2020
- April 1 through June 30, 2020 July 15, 2020
- July 1 through September 30, 2020 October 15, 2020
- October 1 through December 31, 2020 January 15, 2021
- January 1 through March 31, 2021 April 15, 2021
- April 1 through June 30, 2021 July 15, 2021
- July 1 through September 30, 2021 October 15, 2021
Grantee will submit a project close out summary report for the Mental Health Training Progress Report
Final Project Reports Due November 30, 2021
Grantees must submit required reports even if there is no activity or expenditures in the progress report period.