Facilitation Skills for Cognitive Behavioral Programs in Corrections | 25AC04

Opportunity Information: Apply for 25AC04

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is offering a cooperative agreement grant opportunity titled "Facilitation Skills for Cognitive Behavioral Programs in Corrections" (Funding Opportunity Number 25AC04). The focus of this opportunity is improving the quality and effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programming delivered within correctional settings by strengthening the facilitation skills of the people who lead these groups. NIC is emphasizing that CBT has become one of the most widely used interventions across the criminal justice system, in many cases becoming a core program model for addressing criminogenic needs and related behavioral health challenges among justice-involved adults and youth.

The opportunity is grounded in the idea that CBT helps individuals recognize the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and then learn practical strategies to change patterns that contribute to harmful or illegal behavior. In correctional contexts, CBT is commonly used to reduce recidivism and to address issues that often intersect with justice involvement, such as substance use, depression, violence, and other behavioral problems. The description highlights the broad set of skills CBT programs aim to build, including social skills, means-ends problem solving, critical reasoning, moral reasoning, healthier cognitive styles, self-control, impulse management, and self-efficacy. The core message is that these outcomes depend heavily on the capability of facilitators, not just the curriculum itself.

A major theme of the solicitation is that facilitator quality is a make-or-break factor for CBT programs. NIC points out that research on cognitive behavioral programs consistently identifies proper training as essential to achieving the outcomes these programs promise. Because of that, the grant centers on the development and strengthening of facilitation skills, treating training as the foundation for success rather than an optional add-on. The solicitation describes the ideal CBT group facilitator as someone who combines empathy with strong teaching and facilitation techniques, understands group dynamics and interpersonal interaction, can manage groups of justice-involved adults and at-risk youth safely and effectively, and can challenge participants in a constructive, non-coercive way. In practical terms, NIC is looking to support work that helps facilitators consistently deliver CBT with skill, fidelity, and appropriate group leadership.

Eligibility is fairly broad within the United States and includes nonprofit organizations (including faith-based, community, and tribal organizations), for-profit organizations (including tribal for-profit organizations), and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions). However, for-profit recipients must agree to waive any profit or service fee under the award. Foreign governments, international organizations, and non-governmental international organizations are not eligible. Applicants must be able to document appropriate status, including proof of 501(c)(3) status or an authorizing tribal resolution, depending on the entity type. NIC also allows collaborative applications involving multiple entities, but requires that one eligible organization serve as the primary applicant and the others be listed as subrecipients, with the primary applicant taking full responsibility for administering the funds and managing the program.

From a funding standpoint, this is a single-award opportunity: NIC expects to make one award, with an award ceiling of $250,000. The assistance mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally means NIC anticipates substantial involvement in the project beyond standard grant monitoring, often through collaboration on deliverables, direction, or technical coordination. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 16.601. The original application closing date listed is October 15, 2024, and only one application may be submitted per organization, so applicants need to consolidate internal efforts into a single submission if multiple departments or partners are interested.

Overall, the grant is aimed at strengthening the human side of CBT delivery in corrections: building facilitator competence so CBT groups are run with the structure, interpersonal skill, and instructional quality needed to produce real behavior change and measurable reductions in reoffending. The opportunity treats facilitator training as the key lever for improving outcomes, reflecting NIC's view that even well-designed CBT curricula will fall short if the people leading the groups are not properly prepared and supported.

• The National Institute of Corrections in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Facilitation Skills for Cognitive Behavioral Programs in Corrections" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.601.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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