Soliciting Applications for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge Network Expansion: the IMPACT Network

Since its founding in 1987, Policy Research, Inc. (PRI) has been invested in developing community interventions that achieve both public health and public safety goals that minimize the penetration of persons with mental illness into the criminal justice system. PRI is soliciting applications from communities interested in participating in a minimum of a year-long (approximately June 2021-June 2022) behavioral health and criminal justice-focused expansion of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge: the IMPACT Network.

The IMPACT Network expansion will engage both a group of current SJC sites and up to eight communities not receiving SJC funding to maximize what SJC sites have learned about how to accelerate behavioral health reform and diversion across the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on local jails, and with a commitment to pursue community-driven race-conscious solutions to reduce harm to populations overrepresented in, or disparately impacted by, the criminal justice system.

In addition to specific technical assistance provided by PRI and other national experts and SJC partners, IMPACT Network jurisdictions will engage in a learning community through a series of virtual convenings with a group of diverse sites also implementing systemic behavioral health and criminal justice reforms.

While there is no direct additional funding offered to sites selected to participate in the IMPACT Network, the opportunity will be provided free of charge.

Click here to view a recording of the informational webinar for communities interested in submitting an application.

Application submissions closed on May 14, 2021.

We thank you in advance for your interest and look forward to reviewing your application.