Bureau of Justice Assistance’s 

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program

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 an epidemic 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 March 2021, the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that drug overdose 

death rates continue to rise in both rural and urban areas. 

In five states—California, Connecticut, North Carolina, 

Vermont, and Virginia—the rate of drug overdose deaths in 

rural counties was higher than those in urban counties. 

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); the 

National Association of Counties (NACo); and the State 

Justice Institute (SJI) are co-sponsoring this initiative. The 

Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) is releasing this 

solicitation on their behalf. 

BJA, CDC, and SJI are supporting 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 Abuse 

Program (COSSAP). COSSAP 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.

Initiative Overview and Application

About the Opportunity

The Reaching Rural initiative is a 1-year initiative designed 

for rural justice and public safety practitioners; public health 

and behavioral health practitioners; city, county, and tribal 

leaders; and community groups. The 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 

justice-involved individuals with substance use or cooccurring disorders. For purposes of this solicitation, the 

term “sector” refers to different disciplines, such as judges, 

prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, child 

welfare 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 initiative. The Reaching Rural 

initiative provides two pathways for communities to apply 

to participate. Applicants may apply to participate in the 

Reaching Rural initiative as an individual practitioner or as a 

member of a cross-sector team from the same community 

or region. Participation is limited to up to 20 individual 

practitioners and up to 10 cross-sector teams. 

All proposed activities supported by this solicitation must 

exclusively target populations residing in rural communities 

or rural census tracts in urban or suburban counties as 

defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. 

The applicant organization does not need to be physically 

located in a Health Resources and Services Administration 

(HRSA)-designated rural area. If you believe your community 
2 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

is rural but it is 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. 

Benefits of Participating

All attendees, whether they participate as an individual or a 

team, will:

 Map local and regional assets that can be leveraged. 

 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 align efforts more effectively.

Cross-sector teams who participate will also:

 Prioritize opportunities and strategies and commit to 

action.

 Build a roadmap for local implementation.

 Identify resources to support the implementation of the 

roadmap.

Individuals who participate as a single entity and not as a 

team will also:

 Commit to a project or individualized learning 

opportunity in month 5 of the project and devote 

a minimum of 3 hours per month during months 6 

through 11 to that effort. This portion of the planning 

initiative will be developed in collaboration with your 

assigned site liaison.

Participation in the Reaching Rural initiative includes:

 Travel and per diem costs to participate in an 

orientation, a field visit to observe the implementation 

of evidence-informed practices in a rural setting, and a 

closing session at the end of the 12 months. 

 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 to include the Rural Justice Collaborative’s 

Innovation Sites, and technical assistance (TA) providers.

 Formal recognition for completing the planning 

initiative.

This is not a grant opportunity. Participants will be 

reimbursed for their travel expenses when attending 

sponsored activities, but no additional funding is provided 

as a result of being selected for the Reaching Rural initiative. 

Site Liaison

Each selected applicant will be assigned a site liaison, who 

will be your primary contact throughout the project. This 

person will ensure you stay on track to meet your goals, 

review your project plans, offer guidance and support, and 

provide you with technical expertise and guidance. 

Time Commitment

It is important to review the time commitment associated 

with participating in this initiative to determine if the 

Reaching Rural initiative is the right fit for you at this time. 

A sample overview of planned activities is provided below. 

Please note the schedule on the next page is provided as 

an example for applicants to assess the time commitment 

associated with the Reaching Rural initiative and does not 

represent the final schedule.

Attendance Requirements

Attendance at all 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 initiative. If the applicant does not 

attend the orientation session, they may not be eligible to 

remain in the cohort. 

Federal Engagement

BJA, CDC, and SJI are interested in deepening their 

collective understanding of effective intervention strategies 

in rural communities. To that end, you will be asked to agree 

to work closely with these entities as part of this project.

Eligibility

Please make sure you read the appropriate eligibility 

section based on how you are applying.
3 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

Optional activity for elected county officials: NACo will 

establish a network of elected officials from each site to 

foster peer-to-peer learning and education opportunities. 

As part of this network, NACo will host up to four virtual 

peer exchanges and one in-person event at the NACo 

Annual Conference in July 2023 in Travis County/Austin, 

Texas, for elected officials from the selected sites. The 

virtual peer exchanges will allow for elected officials to 

engage with national experts and a cohort of peers from 

various-sized counties across the country on innovations and 

strategies to address substance use disorders (SUDs). The 

in-person event will allow elected officials to participate in 

related content at the NACo Annual Conference and offer 

an opportunity for networking and peer learning. Travel 

scholarships will be provided.

approaches to implement community-based programs that 

aim to address the challenges of substance use. Crosssector 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. 

Cross-Sector Team Composition

Each team must, at a minimum, consist of four people 

from four different sectors: local or tribal government, 

justice or public safety, public health, and behavioral 

health. Applicants are encouraged to include optional 

team members from additional sectors who bring value 

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

per team and one person per agency. This opportunity 

is designed for team members who have the capacity to 

commit to the project for the year and have a working 

knowledge of how their agency interfaces with individuals 

with SUDs. 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. 

Tentative Month Description of Activity Estimated Time Commitment

December 2022 Virtual kick-off meeting 1-hour pre-work offline, 2-hour meeting 

December 2022/

January 2023 Virtual meeting with site liaison 1.5-hour meeting

January 2023 Pre-work for a face-to-face meeting 3 hours work offline

February 2023 In-person meeting 2.5 days of meetings + travel days

March 2023 Virtual site visit and follow-up work 2-hour meeting/2 hours follow-up work offline

April 2023 Virtual site visit and virtual meeting with site 

liaison and follow-up work

2-hour meeting/2 hours follow-up work offline and 

1-hour meeting/2 hours follow-up work offline

May/June 2023 In-person meeting 2.5 days of meetings + travel days

July 2023 Virtual site visit and follow-up work 2-hour meeting/2 hours follow-up work offline

August 2023 Virtual meeting with site liaison and follow-up 

work 1-hour meeting/2 hours follow-up work offline

September 2023 Virtual site visit and follow-up work 2-hour meeting/2 hours follow-up work offline

October 2023 Finalize plans/projects 4 hours work offline

November 2023 In-person meeting 2.5 days of meetings + travel days

Cross-Sector Team Applicant Eligibility 

Requirements

Communities benefit from a comprehensive and 

coordinated response to substance use and misuse. Over 

the course of the proposed project, cross-sector teams will 

have the opportunity to learn from other rural practitioners 

who are using evidence-based practices or promising 
4 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

Mandatory Team Member 1: An elected or appointed 

local government representative or tribal leader

Mandatory Team Member 2: A justice or public 

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

organizations/agencies, sheriff’s office, police department, 

community supervision [pretrial or probation], judicial 

officer)

Mandatory Team Member 3: A public health official 

Mandatory Team Member 4: A substance use treatment 

professional

As mentioned above, optional team members are 

encouraged from other agencies listed above (e.g., 

additional public safety, treatment, or government 

representatives from different agencies) 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).

Optional Team Member 5: To be determined by the 

applicant

Optional Team Member 6: To be determined by the 

applicant

Under very rare circumstances, we may consider accepting 

a team that is missing one of the mandatory team members 

if appropriate justification is provided. If you are able to 

assemble a team with all the mandatory team members 

except one, please feel free to apply, but your application 

must include a written explanation of why the mandatory 

team member is not included.

Agencies serving on the cross-sector team may be 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.

Our goal is to recruit a diverse group of rural practitioners 

with different skills and backgrounds who are committed to 

learning from others and exchanging ideas. We encourage 

anyone with interest to apply, regardless of their previous 

level of experience or exposure to this topic. We hope to 

engage rural practitioners who do not have prior crosssector strategic planning experience but are enthusiastic 

about the opportunity to participate in this effort with other 

practitioners from their community, as well as practitioners 

from other rural communities. 

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 serve as 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 liaison.

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 (as 

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 with in 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. 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. 

Our goal is to recruit a diverse group of rural practitioners 

with different skills and backgrounds who are committed to 

learning from others and exchanging ideas. We encourage 

anyone with an interest to apply, regardless of their previous 

level of experience or exposure to this topic. We hope to 

engage rural practitioners who do not have prior crosssector strategic planning experience but are enthusiastic 
5 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

about the opportunity to participate in this effort with 

practitioners from other rural communities. 

Selection Process

We are committed to ensuring a fair and open process 

for this initiative. Submitting a project proposal will not 

guarantee selection to participate in this initiative. The 

review committee will consist of federal sponsor (BJA, 

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

IIR, and the site liaisons. Applications will be reviewed 

and scored by the project partners, with final review and 

approval by 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. 

CROSS-SECTOR TEAM APPLICATION FORM

This application form should be used if your community is interested in applying for this opportunity as a cross-sector team. 

Please see the Individual Application Form on page 10 if you are applying as an individual and not as a team.

Application Timeline

Applicant webinar: August 31, 2022, at 2:00 p.m., ET. 

Please register for the webinar at http://s.iir.com/Reaching_

Rural and submit questions in advance of the webinar to 

COSSAP@iir.com no later than August 30, 2022. Emails 

containing questions should include the name, agency, and 

email address of the submitter and the question(s).

Applications due: September 30, 2022

Review of applications: October 1–26, 2022

Notification of selection: November 1, 2022

Project kick-off: December 5, 2022

APPLICANT ORGANIZATION

Applicant agency/organization:

Street address:

City or county: State:

Type of applicant:

County agency or entity

City or township agency or entity

Required Application Materials

 Completed team application form

 Completed essay questions 

 Letters of support from each team member and the 

agency director for each team member (if not the 

applicant)

Submitting an Application

Please download this application to your computer, 

complete it, and email the application with all supporting 

documents to COSSAP@iir.com. Any inquiries regarding this 

opportunity should also be emailed to COSSAP@iir.com.

Application Due Date

Applications are due September 30, 2022.

Tribal entity

Regional partnership

Geographic area served by your agency:
6 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

What is the population size of the community/communities to be served by this project?

Is the community of focus for this application considered rural as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer?

Yes No

If not, please provide justification for why you believe your jurisdiction is rural.

PRIMARY CONTACT FOR APPLICATION

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

PROJECT COORDINATOR

This person must be one of the mandatory team members and will be responsible for managing the local project 

activities related to this initiative, organizing and convening the local team, and ensuring milestones are met for this 

planning process.

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

Does this person have previous experience coordinating cross-sector activities? Yes No 

If yes, please explain:

PROJECT PLANNING EXPERIENCE AND FEDERAL FUNDING EXPERIENCE

The following questions are for informational purposes only. Our goal is to recruit a diverse group of rural 

practitioners with different skills and backgrounds committed to learning from others and exchanging ideas. 

We hope 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. 

How much experience does your jurisdiction have in cross-sector planning and collaboration?

 None Very little Experienced
7 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

Do you have an active criminal justice planning body in your community (often called a criminal justice coordinating council)?

 Yes No

Has your community received a federal grant in the last 8 years to address substance use? Yes No

ESSAY QUESTIONS

Please use as much space as you would like to respond to each question. However, it is not necessary to write a 

response that is more than two paragraphs per question unless you have more you would like to share. Our goal is to 

get to know your team through these questions. There is no specific response we are looking for.

How does substance use impact the agencies serving on your proposed team and your community?

What strengths exist in your community or within your local collaborations that you can draw upon over the course of this 

project to support your planning process?

What is motivating your jurisdiction’s interest in participating in this planning process? 

How will this opportunity allow the team to overcome obstacles that have hindered your community’s efforts to align in the 

past?
8 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

This initiative represents a collaboration with BJA, CDC, SJI, NACo, their TTA providers, and other partners. 

The collaborating partners expect to increase the understanding of effective public safety, public health, and 

behavioral health collaboration strategies in rural communities. Accepting entry into the Reaching Rural initiative 

signifies your commitment to the same. _______Initial

TEAM COMMITMENT

Each named team member must submit letters that demonstrate cross-sector support of this project and agreement to 

participate in project activities, including active engagement in the virtual kickoff event, potential peer exchanges, onsite TA, regular communication with the project coordinator and site liaison, and assistance with developing the final 

comprehensive, cross-sector strategy for achieving the goals and the objectives of the planning process. Letters should 

respond to the following:

1. How can you, in your role, meaningfully contribute to the team’s work over the next year and improve your 

community’s response to substance use? We recognize that each sector plays a different role and that not every 

role is responsible for direct service delivery.

2. Express commitment to the time requirements.

Important: If a team member is not an elected official, judge, or agency/department director, the individual must also 

submit a letter from their agency director indicating their support for the team member’s engagement in the project.

Mandatory: A local elected official or appointed administrator (e.g., county commissioner, county administrator, 

deputy county administrator, mayor, city manager, deputy city manager, city council member, tribal leader)

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

Mandatory: A local justice or, public safety leader, or mid-level staff person (For purposes of this application, “justice” 

or “public safety” includes representatives from a prosecutor’s office, defense organizations/agencies, sheriff’s office, 

police department, or community supervision [probation], or a judicial officer.) 

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:
9 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

Mandatory: A public health director or mid-level staff person

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

Mandatory: A substance use treatment agency director or mid-level staff person

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

Optional: A cross-sector representative

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

Optional: A cross-sector representative

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

Application Checklist

 _______ Application form

 _______ Letters of support

 _______ Support letter from the applicant’s 

agency director, if applicable
10 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

APPLICANT

Name: Title:

Office/agency:

Email: Phone:

APPLICANT’S EMPLOYER

Name of the agency you work for:

Type of agency you work for:

County agency or entity

City or township agency or entity

Tribal entity

Required Application Materials

 Completed application form

 Completed essay questions 

 Letters of support from the applicant and the agency 

director (if not the applicant)

Submitting an Application

Please download this application to your computer, 

complete it, and email the application with all supporting 

documents to COSSAP@iir.com. Any inquiries regarding this 

opportunity should also be emailed to COSSAP@iir.com.

Application Due Date

Applications are due September 30, 2022.

Nonprofit agency

For-profit agency

Applicants who work for a for-profit company will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require letters of support from 

the local governments or tribal entities that they work closely with in their current roles.

Geographic area served by your agency:

What is the population size of the community/communities to be served by this project?

Is the community you work in considered rural as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer? Yes No

If not, please provide justification for why you believe your jurisdiction is rural.

 

INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION FORM

This application form should be used if you are applying as an individual and not as a team. If you are applying as a team, 

please see page 5.
11 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

ESSAY QUESTIONS

Please use as much space as you would like to respond to each question. However, it is not necessary to write a 

response that is more than two paragraphs per question unless you have more you would like to share. Our goal is to 

get to know your team through these questions. There is no specific response we are looking for.

Please tell us about your job and/or role in your agency. How does substance use in your community impact your role, and 

what opportunities exist for you to improve your community’s response to substance use? We recognize that each sector 

plays a different role and that not every role is responsible for direct service delivery. 

What strengths exist in your community that you can draw upon in this project? What strengths do you possess that you 

hope to draw upon during this project?

What interests you about this initiative, and why is this a good time in your career to pursue this opportunity?

I have carefully reviewed the time commitments associated with this project and am committed to fully 

participating in all activities. _______Applicant Initials

This initiative represents a collaboration with BJA, CDC, SJI, NACo, their TTA providers, and other partners. 

The collaborating partners expect to increase the understanding of effective public safety, public health, 

and behavioral health collaboration strategies in rural communities. Accepting entry into the Reaching Rural 

initiative signifies your commitment to the same. _______Applicant Initials 
12 / Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM AGENCY DIRECTOR

Important: If you are not an elected official, judge, or agency/department director, you must also submit a letter 

from your agency director indicating their support for your engagement in the project.

About BJA 

BJA provides leadership and services in grant administration and criminal justice policy development to support local, state, and 

tribal law enforcement in achieving safer communities. To learn more about BJA, visit www.bja.gov and follow us on Facebook 

(www.facebook.com/DOJBJA) and Twitter (@DOJBJA). BJA is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.

Visit the COSSAP Resource Center at www.cossapresources.org.

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

Justice Assistance (BJA). BJA is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department 

of Justice. The contents of this document were developed by IIR and do not represent the official 

position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Institute for Intergovernmental Research

About IIR

IIR serves as the connecting point for COSSAP training and technical assistance (TTA) efforts and collaborates with BJA leadership 

and fellow TTA providers to work directly with COSSAP site-based grantees. IIR’s role includes publication production and design; 

planning, coordination, and delivery of national-level trainings and working group meetings; COSSAP Resource Center website 

development and maintenance; coordination of distance learning opportunities and resource dissemination; review, distribution, 

and tracking of TTA requests; coordination of and provision of TTA to five categories of demonstration projects; and coordination 

of other complementary activities. www.iir.com

Application Checklist

 _______ Application form

 _______ Essay questions

 _______ Support letter from the applicant’s 

agency director, if applicable

For-Profit Agency Application Item

If you are employed by a for-profit agency, 

please include a letter of support from the 

local government or tribal entity you work 

closely with in your current role.