Applications are due April 17, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.

• Download the 2023 RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund Request for Proposals

OCJS AND RECOVERYOHIO LAW ENFORCEMENT FUND

The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. By statute, OCJS is the lead justice planning and assistance agency for the state, administering millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding every year. OCJS also evaluates programs and develops technology, training, and products for criminal justice professionals and communities.

The RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund is part of Governor Mike DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative, which was developed to ensure Ohio acts aggressively to address the public health crisis caused by the repercussions of the drug epidemic and mental illness. Funding is provided to support the recommendations of the RecoveryOhio Advisory Council.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Application - The application forms will be made available through OCJS’s online grants management system. For technical assistance on any part of the RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund application, call OCJS at 614.466.7782 and ask to speak to your Grants Coordinator.

OCJS Grants Administration Regional Contacts

Review - RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund proposals will be reviewed by OCJS staff and DPS personnel. Project budgets will be reviewed to assure that costs are allowable. A formula using population numbers along with consideration for services provided by the applying Task Forces will be used to determine final funding amounts. Final recommendations are made by the OCJS Executive Director and approved by the Department of Public Safety Director.

Notification - Funding decisions will be posted on the OCJS website and notifications will be emailed to selected applicants. Before final approval, applicants must complete and return all required forms.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants include: County, municipal, township, and village law enforcement agencies, which are a part of a drug task force. These entities may only apply for a grant award from the RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement fund if they meet the following criteria:

The grant award will only be given to a drug task force whose implementing agency participates in OIBRS or in the Uniform Crime Reporting program as set forth in section 5502.62(C)(6) of the Revised Code.

A drug task force receiving funding is required to deconflict using CaseExplorer available through Ohio HIDTA. Technical assistance is available from Ohio HIDTA John Glasgo (john.glasgo2@ohiohidta.org); and

Drug task forces are required to report drug activity to DISCO on a regular basis, collaborate with the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC); and are required to adhere to the OTFCA Best Practices.

Drug task forces are required to attend Ohio Task Force Commanders Association meetings, which will take place twice a year. Important grant and project management information is shared at the OTFCA meetings and commanders and drug task force staff should make attending the all-day meetings a priority.

REQUIREMENTS

All RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund applicants must have an organization, or subgrantee, that will serve as the fiduciary agent and assume overall responsibility for the grant. This organization, or subgrantee, must be a unit of local government. A unit of local government has legislative autonomy, jurisdiction, and authority to act in certain circumstances. Units of government include a county, municipality, township, or village. If two or more jointly apply, they must designate one body to take the lead role and identify that agency's fiscal officer. The law enforcement agency cannot act as the subgrantee.

PROGRAM PURPOSE

The RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund will provide funding to defray expenses that a drug task force organization incurs in performing its functions related to the enforcement of the state’s drug laws and other state laws related to illegal drug activity as well as activities related to the RecoveryOhio Initative. Each applicant will need to demonstrate how their application meets the stated purpose of the fund.

LENGTH OF FUNDING

Projects may apply for up to 12 months of funding, operating between May 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024.

PROPOSAL COMPONENTS

Use the following checklist as a general guide for submitting proposals to OCJS. Read the entire RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund RFP before completing and submitting proposals.

• Title Page
• Demographic Information/Area Served
• Project Description
• Project Objectives
• Timeline/Activities
• Organization/Staff Capacity and Collaboration
• Budget

FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

Applications are submitted online through the OCJS Grants Management System. Application materials will be available in the online Grants Management System March 15, 2023. New applicants must first register in the online grant system at www.ocjsgrants.com. Applicants that have previously used the system may use their existing account. It is recommended that new applicants contact OCJS once they register in the system.

The deadline for submission is by 5:00 p.m. EST on April 17, 2023. Failure to follow the specified requirements will also result in the application not being reviewed or considered for funding.

IMPORTANT: Applications must be in the APPLICATION SUBMITTED STATUS in the OCJS Grants Management System to be considered for funding.

For technical assistance on any part of the RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement Fund application, call OCJS at 614.466.7782 and ask to speak to your Grants Coordinator.

OCJS Grants Administration Regional Contacts

RecoveryOhio Recommendations and Law Enforcement Involvement

RECOVERYOHIO LAW ENFORCEMENT FUND GRANT PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

Demographic Information/Area Served

Applicants should explain or clearly describe the problem or issue to be addressed, and its impact on the community. Application will be evaluated as to how effectively it:

• Clearly describes the nature and scope of the problem. The development of the nature and scope of the problem should be data driven. The applicant will need to provide relevant national, state, and local level data/statistics, as well as agency statistics, to document and support the problem to be addressed. Please upload the previous three DISCO reports your agency has submitted.
• Clearly provides specific demographic information on the target population, such as race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, geography. This should include the following:
  • Population Served – The population served will be based on the task forces’ collaboration board/list of participating agencies identified in the application. Agencies listed as part of a collaboration board must be active participants in the drug taskforce. When a municipality is being served exclusively by one task force without the participation of the sheriff of the jurisdiction, the population estimate shall include only the population for that municipality. Population totals must include only the actual population being served.* Task forces should use the 2010 population census from the following site only: https://devresearch.ohio.gov/default.htm
  • Counties Served – Each task force must also indicate a numerical “Counties Served” designation. The “Counties Served” number includes all counties being served by the task force with the participation of that county’s sheriff explained in the Organization/Staff Capacity and Collaboration section.

Project Description

Applicants should describe a plan of action that the proposed project will implement in order to address the identified problem discussed in the problem statement. The application will be evaluated as to how effectively it:

• Clearly describes the proposed activities and approach (i.e., model or practice) to be taken given the nature of the problem to be addressed. The approach should seem logical given the characteristics and needs of the identified target population.

• Clearly describes the law enforcement activities linked to the RecoveryOhio initiatives on pages 4 and 5 of this solicitation that are either currently being done by the task force OR that will be completed with the RecoveryOhio funding. This section should be as detailed as possible.

Project Objectives

Applicants should describe the outcomes or changes anticipated as a result of the proposed project. Objectives should be related to the RecoveryOhio Initiative and Law Enforcement Linkages. The achievement of the objectives should provide an outcome that reflects a measurable change for the target population due to the services offered by the program. Please provide two objectives, with performance indicators and baseline numbers that further the goal of the program.

There are two types of objectives:

• Outcome objectives describe the measured changes (impact that will occur as a result of implementing the proposed project.
• Process (or Output) objectives describe the “process” (activities/steps) that a program will implement.

Applications must provide two objectives and at least one objective should be an outcome objective. Each objective should include performance indicators, baseline numbers and data collection methods that further the goal(s) of the program.

Application will evaluated on how effectively it:

• clearly identifies project objectives (measured change as a result of implementing the proposed project).
• clearly identifies performance measures (how you will measure that change, what instruments and/or tools are to be used, etc.).
• clearly identifies any baseline data that exists.

Timeline and Activities

Applicants should describe how the programmatic and grant administrative activities as well as the related outcomes and objectives will be reasonably achieved in the given project period. Application will be evaluated as to how effectively it:

• presents a comprehensive, thorough timeline that is well-defined and comprehensively specifies what will be done, who (individuals and organizations) will do it, and when it will be accomplished. Include activities such as anticipated collaboration meetings, OCJS grant reporting deadlines and any other activities specific to the project. The timeline should be reasonable given the nature of the problem, the target population, and the approach/response discussed in earlier sections of the application.

Organization and Staff Capacity and Collaboration

Applicants should provide a comprehensive discussion of the history and accomplishments of the organization responsible for implementing the project. Identify any key staff that will be involved in the project, including the project director and other individuals who will be responsible for administering the grant and implementing the program. Application will be evaluated as to how effectively it:

• clearly identifies the mission of the agency that will serve as the subgrantee and/or implementing agency.

• clearly identifies the key staff, including any volunteers that will be participating in the proposed project, including their qualifications, experience, and education.

• clearly identifies community partners that will help implement the RecoveryOhio Initiatives described in the Project Description, including their role in the projects (proposed or ongoing) and the key staff, and their qualifications and experience.

Budget

Describe any costs associated with implementing the program. The application will be evaluated as to how effectively it:

• presents a clear and detailed budget with a narrative that clearly explains and justifies the budget information.
• justifies the costs of the proposed programs and that the costs are considered reasonable in view of the types and range of activities to be conducted, the number of participants to be served, and the expected results and benefits.
• clearly links budget items to RecoveryOhio Initiatives identified in Project Description section as well as objectives.

Executive Summary

While not a scored piece of the application this section is important in that information is pulled for reports to various government agencies please respond appropriately to the instructions in the grants management system.