Caring for Denver – Alternatives to Jail

Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity.

Program Summary

Caring for Denver aims to fund a diversity of projects - from preventing people with substance misuse and mental health conditions from unnecessarily interacting with law enforcement or other aspects of the criminal legal system, to addressing mental health and substance misuse needs in jail or prison systems, to providing culturally responsive services based in community that promote mental health and address substance misuse for those impacted by the criminal legal system.

Projects and activities supported by Caring for Denver’s grantmaking must serve or support only residents of the City and County of Denver.

The overarching goal of this work is to address the mental health, substance misuse and trauma needs for individuals who are at risk of entering, currently involved with, or exiting the criminal legal system. Applicants will need to explain how their work will address at least one of the following shared impact goals, and, if possible, how they intend to measure their progress toward impact:

  • Reduced substance misuse (including maintained healthy relationship with substances)
  • Improved or maintained positive mental health (including reduced harm to self and others)
  • Increased equity in mental health and substance misuse outcomes
  • Reduced entry or recidivism for individuals experiencing mental health and substance misuse challenges

Applicants are encouraged to review summaries of current and past Alternatives to Jail grants on our Alternatives to Jail web page.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST May 1, 2023

Sponsor Application Deadline: 5:00pm MST May 10, 2023

Internal Application Requirements

  • Project Summary (2 pages maximum): Please detail: 1) how the project addresses the mental health, substance misuse and trauma needs for individuals who are at risk of entering, currently involved with, or exiting the criminal legal systems; 2) how the work addresses at least one of these goals and how progress will be measured: a) reduced substance misuse, b) improved or maintained positive mental health, c) increased equity in the mental health and substance misuse outcomes, d) reduced entry or recidivism for individuals experiencing mental health and substance misuse challenges; 3) how project activities will serve or support only residents of the City and County of Denver; how the work will done “with the community” not “for the community;” and 4) how the work will impact youth and/or adults who have touched the criminal justice system and have high-risk factors. Note: being a person of color does not mean “high-risk;” consider other factors such as having parents in the criminal justice system.
  • PI CV / Biosketch
  • Budget Overview (up to 1 page): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required. Indirect costs are limited to 10% by Caring for Denver.

To access the online application, visit: https://cuboulderovcr.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/6873/home

Eligibility

There are no special eligibility requirements.

Limited Submission Guidelines

Only one application is allowed for CU Boulder.

Award Information

The total amount available for all grant awards in this funding area is $14.8 million. Applicants should consider the total amount available to organizations and agencies in the amount they request.