OJJDP FY 2023 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative | O OJJDP 2023 171693

Opportunity Information: Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171693

The OJJDP FY 2023 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), intended to help jurisdictions and organizations address how the opioid epidemic and other substance use disorders affect children, youth, and families. The program sits within OJP broader priorities around advancing civil rights and racial equity, increasing access to justice, supporting crime victims and people impacted by the justice system, strengthening community safety, and building trust between law enforcement and communities. In practice, the solicitation frames opioid-related harms not only as a public health issue, but also as a youth welfare and public safety challenge that requires coordinated prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery supports tailored to young people and their caregivers.

A central theme of the opportunity is OJJDP commitment to transforming juvenile justice systems so they "treat children as children," keep youth at home with their families and communities whenever possible, and expand opportunities for youth who are system-involved or at risk of system involvement. Applicants are encouraged to design projects that align with this youth-centered philosophy, emphasizing developmentally appropriate responses and community-based approaches rather than overly punitive ones. The solicitation also signals that strong proposals should recognize and address inequities, including the ways substance use and system involvement can disproportionately affect certain communities, and should incorporate strategies that promote fairness, access, and culturally responsive services.

Another defining requirement is meaningful and sustained youth and family partnership. OJJDP is explicit that young people and family members with lived experience should be treated as vital partners in understanding the problem, designing solutions, and improving outcomes. Applications must describe how youth and family partnership will be integrated into both the project plan and the budget, indicating this is not meant to be a symbolic role but a resourced, ongoing element of implementation. The solicitation describes several ways partnership can occur: at the individual level (for example, youth and families participating in case planning and direct service decisions before, during, and after contact with youth-serving systems), at the agency level (shaping policy, practice, program design, implementation, evaluation, advisory bodies, staffing, and budget development), and at the system level (contributing to strategic planning, system improvement initiatives, advocacy, and reform efforts). In other words, applicants are expected to show how the voices of youth and families will be incorporated into governance and decision-making, not just service delivery.

The funding is intended to support programs and strategies that identify, respond to, treat, and support children, youth, and families impacted by opioids and other substance use disorders. While the solicitation summary does not list specific allowable activities in detail, the stated purpose points to efforts such as early identification and screening, linkage to treatment and recovery supports, family-focused services, cross-system coordination among youth-serving agencies, and strategies that reduce risk factors while strengthening protective factors for young people. The overall aim is to improve youth and family well-being in ways that also promote public safety, recognizing that untreated substance use impacts can increase instability, victimization, and justice system contact.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city or township governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. This range suggests OJJDP is seeking multidisciplinary partnerships and encourages applications from both governmental and community-based providers, as well as academic institutions that may contribute evaluation capacity or specialized expertise.

Key administrative details include the funding opportunity number O-OJJDP-2023-171693, CFDA 16.842, and a grant funding instrument. The opportunity was posted March 27, 2023, with an original closing date of May 16, 2023. The award ceiling is $750,000 per award, and OJJDP anticipated making about 13 awards. Overall, the initiative is positioned as a targeted investment in community and system responses that reduce the harms of opioids and other substance use disorders on young people, with a strong emphasis on centering youth and family voice and creating developmentally appropriate, community-based pathways to safety, stability, and opportunity.

• The Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OJJDP FY 2023 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.842.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 27, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 16, 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 $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 13 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for O OJJDP 2023 171693

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