Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP)

Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative 

Solutions

Strengthening Cross-sector Partnerships to Respond to the Impact of Substance Use in 

Rural Communities

Introduction

The United States is experiencing a crisis of drug 

overdose deaths. While no corner of the country has 

gone untouched by the overdose crisis, it has hit rural 

America particularly hard. In July 2022, the Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that 

drug overdose death rates continue to rise in rural and 

urban areas. In eight states—California, Connecticut, 

Maryland, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, 

Vermont, and Virginia—the rate of drug overdose 

deaths in rural counties was higher than in urban 

counties. 

The Reaching Rural Initiative is sponsored by the 

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice 

Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), 

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 

and the State Justice Institute (SJI). The Institute for 

Intergovernmental Research (IIR) is releasing this 

solicitation on their behalf.

BJA, CDC, and SJI support this initiative as part of an 

ongoing interagency partnership to strengthen public 

safety and public health collaboration under BJA’s 

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance 

Initiative Overview and Application 

Use Program (COSSUP). COSSUP provides funding 

and training and technical assistance (TTA) to state, 

local, tribal, and territorial partners to support a 

comprehensive response to illicit substance use and 

misuse; reduce overdose deaths; promote public 

safety; and support access to prevention, harm 

reduction, treatment, and recovery services in the 

community and justice system.

About The Opportunity

The one-year planning initiative is designed for rural 

justice and public safety practitioners; public health 

and behavioral health practitioners; city, county, and 

tribal leaders; and community groups. The planning 

initiative empowers rural practitioners to build deeper 

networks, particularly across sectors; adopt bold 

solutions to the persistent challenge of substance use 

and misuse in rural communities; and reimagine how 

diverse systems with different missions can engage 

with one another to more effectively serve justiceinvolved individuals with substance use or co-occurring 

disorders. For this solicitation, the term “sector” refers 

to different disciplines, such as judges, prosecutors, 

defense attorneys, probation officers, child welfare 
2 / Reaching Rural Fellowship Funding Application

workers, tribal court officers, public health workers, 

behavioral health practitioners, etc.

Rural communities vary in their capacity to commit 

multiple staff members to a year-long planning 

initiative. The planning initiative provides two 

pathways for communities to apply to participate. 

Applicants may apply to participate in the planning 

phase as an individual practitioner or as a cross-sector 

team, as outlined below, from the same community or 

region. 

The initial planning initiative is not a grant opportunity. 

Participants will be reimbursed for their travel 

expenses when attending sponsored activities, but no 

additional funding is provided due to being selected 

for the planning initiative. 

At the conclusion of the planning period (the end of 

calendar year 2024), Reaching Rural fellows will have 

the opportunity to apply for an implementation grant 

of up to $100,000 for up to 15 months to launch a 

project planned during the Reaching Rural fellowship. 

This funding will only be available to Reaching Rural 

fellows who have fully participated in the planning 

initiative. To be eligible to apply for the funding in the 

fall of 2024, all applicants will need to demonstrate 

that they have built a cross-sector partnership 

that, at a minimum, includes at least one justice or 

public safety practitioner, at least one public health 

representative, and at least one behavioral health 

practitioner that has been meeting since June 2024. 

Additional details about the funding opportunity will 

be distributed at the in-person kick-off.

Eligibility To Apply

All proposed activities supported under this 

solicitation are designed for rural communities. To 

determine if your community is defined as “rural,” 

use the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, a tool 

maintained by the Health Resources and Services 

Administration (HRSA). If you believe your community 

is rural but not identified as such by the HRSA tool, 

please provide documentation that your community 

has been designated rural by an alternative state or 

federal agency.

We aspire to recruit a diverse group of rural 

practitioners with different skills and backgrounds 

committed to learning from others and exchanging 

ideas. We encourage anyone interested to apply, 

regardless of their previous level of experience 

or exposure to this topic. We aim to engage rural 

practitioners who do not have prior cross-sector 

strategic planning experience but are enthusiastic 

about the opportunity to participate in this effort 

with other practitioners from their community and 

practitioners from other rural communities.

Additional eligibility information can be found below.

Cross-Sector Team Applicant 

Eligibility Requirements

Communities benefit from a comprehensive and 

coordinated response to substance use and misuse. 

Over the course of the planning period, cross-sector 

teams will have the opportunity to learn from other 

rural practitioners using evidence-based practices or 

promising approaches to implement community-based 

programs that address substance use challenges. 

Cross-sector teams are expected to use the 12 months 

to identify local opportunities to align agency-level 

efforts and commit to advancing your community’s 

response to substance use. Up to 10 teams from rural 

communities or regions will be selected to participate 

in this initiative. The lead applicant agency may be a 

county, city, parish, town government, or tribal entity. 

Regional applications representing more than one 

jurisdiction are welcome, but one city, county, or tribe 

should be identified as the lead applicant.

Cross-Sector Team Composition

Each planning team must, at a minimum, consist of 

four people from three different sectors: justice or 

public safety, public health, and behavioral health. 
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Applicants are encouraged to include optional team 

members from additional sectors who bring value to 

the project. Travel funds will be provided for up to six 

people per planning team, one person per agency. 

This opportunity is designed for team members who 

can commit to the project for the planning initiative 

and have a working knowledge of how their agency 

interfaces with individuals with SUDs and the justice 

system. This may include agency leaders or mid-level 

staff members. Team members who are not agency 

leaders must include a letter of support from their 

agency director to participate.

Mandatory Team Member 1: A justice 

representative (e.g., prosecutor’s office, defense 

organizations/agencies, sheriff’s office, police 

department, community supervision [pretrial or 

probation], judicial officer). 

Mandatory Team Member 2: A second justice 

representative (e.g., prosecutor’s office, defense 

organizations/agencies, sheriff’s office, police 

department, community supervision [pretrial or 

probation], judicial officer) from a different agency 

than mandatory team member 1. 

Mandatory Team Member 3: A public health 

official

Mandatory Team Member 4: A substance use 

or co-occurring substance use and mental health 

treatment professional

Optional Team Member 5: To be determined by 

the applicant

Optional Team Member 6: To be determined by 

the applicant

Applicants will receive priority consideration if 

one of the team members is a judicial officer such 

as a judge or court administrator. Additionally, 

applicants will receive priority consideration if one 

of the team members is an elected or appointed 

local government representative or tribal leader.

Optional team members are encouraged from other 

agencies listed above (e.g., additional public safety, 

treatment, government representatives from different 

agencies, or an elected or appointed local government 

representative or justice leader) or additional sectors. 

Additional sectors include, for example, faith-based 

organizations, transportation agencies, housing 

agencies, peer recovery support services, child welfare 

agencies, social services, hospitals, fire departments, 

harm reduction services, or emergency medical 

services (EMS).

Under rare circumstances, applications may be 

considered with an alternative to a mandatory team 

member if appropriate justification is provided. If 

the team is assembled with all the mandatory team 

members except one, please feel free to apply, but the 

application must include a written explanation of why 

the mandatory team member is not included.

In limited circumstances, agencies serving on the 

cross-sector team may be physically located in urban 

or rural areas, but all activities supported by this 

program must exclusively target populations residing 

in rural counties or rural census tracts in urban and 

suburban communities, and the composition of the 

cross-sector team must, overall, be representative of 

rural entities within the applicant region.

Coordinator Role

The Cross-Sector Team Application must be 

completed by one of the partner agencies. The 

application should indicate which mandatory team 

member will be the local project coordinator. This 

individual will serve as the primary point of contact for 

the initiative and will be responsible for scheduling 

team meetings with the site coaches, ensuring team 

members attend all required meetings, and serving 

as the main point of contact for submitting required 

materials throughout the project.
4 / Reaching Rural Fellowship Funding Application

Individual Applicant Eligibility 

Requirements

This opportunity is designed for rural practitioners who 

work for:

 A local unit of government (city, town, county, 

parish).

 A federally recognized Indian tribal government 

(determined by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior).

 A nonprofit agency that works with a local unit 

of government or federally recognized Indian 

tribal government to respond to substance use or 

misuse issues and/or individuals with co-occurring 

disorders. 

Applicants who work for a for-profit company will be 

considered on a case-by-case basis but will need a 

letter of support from the local government or tribal 

entity they work closely within their current role.

Individuals must have the capacity to commit to the 

project for the year and have a working knowledge of 

how their agency and/or their current role interfaces 

with individuals with SUDs and the justice system. This 

opportunity will primarily benefit agency leaders and 

mid-level staff members. Individual applicants who are 

not agency leaders must include a letter of support 

from their agency director.

Benefits of Participating in the 

Reaching Rural Initiative

All attendees, whether they participate as an individual 

or a team, will:

 Assess local or regional opportunities for systemic 

change.

 Build leadership skills to facilitate cross-sector 

collaboration.

 Explore the implementation of evidence-informed 

strategies in diverse rural settings.

 Identify opportunities for different sectors (e.g., law 

enforcement, child welfare, prosecutors, defense 

attorneys, probation, judges, public health, 

behavioral health) to effectively align efforts.

 Prioritize opportunities and strategies and commit 

to action.

 Build a roadmap for local implementation.

 Identify resources to support the implementation 

of the roadmap.

 Commit to a project or individualized learning 

opportunity in month 5 of the project and devote 

focused time during months 6 through 11 to that 

effort. This portion of the planning initiative will be 

developed in collaboration with your assigned site 

coach.

Participation in the planning initiative includes:

 Travel and per diem reimbursement to participate 

in three in-person meetings: an orientation, a field 

visit to observe the implementation of evidenceinformed practices in a rural setting, and a closing 

session.

 Monthly mentorship and guidance aimed toward 

your local needs.

 Monthly assignments that help you apply core 

concepts to your local community or region.

 Access to a diverse network of peers, innovative 

rural communities (including the Rural Justice 

Collaborative’s Innovation Sites), and technical 

assistance (TA) providers.

 Formal recognition for completing the planning 

initiative.

Time Commitment Associated With 

the Reaching Rural Initiative

It is important to review the time commitment 

associated with participating in this initiative to 

determine if the planning initiative is the right fit 

for you. A sample overview of planned activities is 
5 / Reaching Rural Fellowship Funding Application

provided below. Please note that the schedule is an example for applicants to assess the time commitment 

associated with the Reaching Rural initiative and does not represent the final schedule.

Tentative Month Description of Activity Estimated Time Commitment

February 2024 Virtual kick-off meeting 1.5-hour meeting

March 2024 Pre-work for the face-to-face meeting and 

meeting with coaches

2 hours of pre-work offline

1 hour meeting

April 22-26, 2024 In-person meeting 2.5 days of meetings plus travel days

May 2024 Individuals: Virtual meeting with coaches 

and follow-up work

Teams: On-site strategic planning with 

coaches

1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

4 hours of pre-work offline

1-day meeting in community with team members

June 2024 Virtual meeting with coaches and followup work1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

July/August 2024 Virtual meeting with coaches and followup work or in-person site visits1-hour meeting with coaches and 2 hours of follow-up

work offline one month

2.5 days of meetings plus travel days the other month

September 2024 Virtual meeting with coaches and followup work1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

October 2024 Virtual meeting with coaches and followup work1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

November 2024 Virtual meeting with coaches and followup work1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

December 2024 Virtual meeting with coaches and followup work1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

January 2025 Virtual meeting with coaches and followup work1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

February 2025 Rehearsal and prep for final presentations 1-hour meeting with coaches

2 hours of follow-up work offline

February 2025 In-person meeting 2.5 days of meetings plus 2 travel days

Attendance Requirements Associated with 

the Planning Initiative

Attendance at all in-person and virtual planning 

sessions is expected. Excused absences are allowed 

and should not exceed 10 percent of participation. 

The in-person orientation session is mandatory as a 

foundation for the planning initiative. If the applicant 

does not attend the orientation session, they may not 

be eligible to remain in the planning initiative.
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Selection Process

We are committed to ensuring a fair and open process 

for this initiative. Submitting an application will not 

guarantee selection to participate in this initiative. The 

review committee will consist of federal sponsor (BJA, 

CDC, SJI) representatives, select rural practitioners, IIR, 

and the site coaches. The project partners will review 

and score applications with the final approval of BJA, 

CDC, and SJI. All selection decisions are final. BJA, 

CDC, and SJI will be consulted on all aspects of the 

project, including site selection.

How To Apply

All application components must be submitted via 

online application:

 Cross-Sector Team application link here: http://s.iir.

com/d5a7RnpQ

 Individual application link here: http://s.iir.com/

XbmG95w7

A PDF copy of the Cross-Sector Team application 

questions can be accessed at http://s.iir.

com/6hZdeuBH. A PDF copy of the Individual 

application questions can be accessed at http://s.iir.

com/TzX9VUQU. All required application components 

must be submitted via online application no later than 

5:00pm ET on December 15, 2023. Applicants will 

receive a notice of submission upon completion of the 

online application. 

About BJA 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides leadership and services in grant administration and criminal justice policy 

development to support local, state, and tribal justice strategies to achieve safer communities. To learn more about BJA, visit 

https://bja.ojp.gov and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DOJBJA) and X/Twitter (@DOJBJA). BJA is part of the 

U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.

This project is supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-21-GK-01074-MUMU awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance 

is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of 

Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, 

Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). 

Final selection decisions will be made by the project 

partners by December 19, 2023. Questions about your 

application? Please send an email to COSSUP@iir.com

and we will respond to your inquiry promptly.

Application Timelines

Applicant Webinar: November 14, 2023, at 

1:00pm ET. Please register for the webinar at 

http://s.iir.com/Reaching-Rural-Solicitation and 

submit questions in advance of the webinar to 

COSSUP@iir.com no later than November 13, 2023. 

Emails containing questions should include the 

name, agency, and email address of the submitter.

Applications due: December 15, 2023

Notification of selection: January 26, 2024

Project kick-off: February 22, 2024

Applicant Checklist

______ Online application

______ Letters of commitment

______ Support letter from the applicant’s 

agency director, if applicable

Visit the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use 

Program (COSSUP) Resource Center at www.cossup.org.