Application due date: January 22, 2026

SAMHSA’s GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, operated by Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA), is continuing to provide direct training and technical assistance to jurisdictions across the nation to better support people with behavioral health needs who are involved in the civil and criminal justice systems. The GAINS Center is seeking applications from jurisdictions interested in collaborating with subject-matter experts on Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Community Expansion: Using AOT as a Tool to Reduce Arrests and Increase Access to Community-based Services through a topical Learning Collaborative (LC) opportunity.

About the AOT Community Expansion LC

The primary goal of the AOT Community Expansion LC is to support communities interested in enhancing existing AOT programs or establishing new AOT programs to strengthen cross-system partnerships with early contact agencies, thereby expanding AOT as an early intervention tool and improving access to community-based services. These early contact agencies in Intercepts 0 and 1 may include crisis services, law enforcement, behavioral health providers, courts, and emergency departments. This LC will support teams in identifying and engaging community partners that have frequent interaction with individuals who may be eligible for AOT and are at risk of criminal justice involvement, homelessness, or repeated crisis contact. Teams selected for this LC will work intensively to assess how AOT is currently functioning within their local and state statute and determine optimal ways to use AOT as an option for diversion, including approaches that support pre-arrest referral to community resources.

Selected teams will work together to develop strategies for building or enhancing cross-system partnerships that support the sustainability and effectiveness of AOT within their community. Throughout the LC, teams will be supported by subject-matter experts (SMEs), engage in peer-to-peer learning, and receive targeted technical assistance. As appropriate, teams will explore how state leadership can help support efforts to implement and enhance AOT in local jurisdictions. Additionally, teams will be encouraged to include a local evaluator on their team who can suggest metrics and processes to collect, maintain, analyze, and report data of interest to the team and the larger community.

Application and Selection Process

  •  Applications for the AOT Community Expansion LC are due by January 22, 2026
  • The application process consists of two requirements:
    • Complete the Microsoft Forms application
    • List key partners who will participate in the team

All applicants will receive notification via email regarding the status of their application by the week of February 9, 2026.

Informational Webinar

January 15, 2026, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET

Please join us for an informational webinar on January 15, 2026, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET.

Attendees will learn more about this opportunity and hear from individuals who have participated in previous LCs about their experiences.

Important Note

Applications from jurisdictions interested in this opportunity are due shortly after the informational webinar. While interested jurisdictions may wait until after the webinar to apply, your jurisdiction does not need to wait until after the webinar to submit an application. Applications may be submitted at any time prior to the January 22 deadline.