Mentoring for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use

The U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Justice Programs and its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, has released the FY25 Mentoring for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use funding opportunity. This program is designed to expand and strengthen mentoring services for children and youth who are impacted by opioid and other substance use, as well as their families. The solicitation recognizes the urgent national need to address the challenges faced by these populations and emphasizes prevention, treatment, recovery, and support through structured mentoring models. Funding is available in two categories. Category 1 focuses on local project sites, providing awards of up to $650,000 for organizations that deliver mentoring services within a specific jurisdiction. Category 2 supports statewide and regional initiatives, with awards of up to $1,980,000, enabling organizations to expand mentoring capacity across larger geographic areas. The total amount available under this opportunity is $15,100,000, with an anticipated 13 awards. Both categories allow applicants to allocate up to 20 percent of project funds for non-mentoring supportive services such as mental health or substance use treatment, provided these services align with the overall project design. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and tribal governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. National organizations and those with statewide reach may apply under Category 2. Applicants must demonstrate at least two years of experience delivering structured mentoring programs and must partner with a licensed or accredited substance use treatment agency. The lead applicant must directly implement the mentoring component, while treatment agencies provide supportive services. Applicants must also provide a mentoring organizational history as part of their submission. Applications require a two-step submission process. First, applicants must submit the SF-424 form in Grants.gov no later than October 23, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Second, the full application must be submitted in JustGrants by October 30, 2025, at 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Supporting documents include a project narrative, budget detail form, executive summary chart, mentoring program profile, organizational history, resumes of key staff, memoranda of understanding with treatment partners, and other standard federal forms. Pre-application requirements such as registration in SAM.gov and Grants.gov must be completed by early October 2025 to ensure eligibility. Applications will be reviewed in multiple stages. First, they must meet basic minimum requirements, including eligibility and completeness of required elements. Next, peer reviewers will assess them on criteria such as statement of the problem, goals and objectives, project design, organizational capacity, and budget. OJP will also consider factors such as geographic coverage, funding availability, and alignment with agency priorities. Programs will be expected to monitor performance through semi-annual progress reports and quarterly financial reports, documenting outcomes related to youth substance use, academic performance, and family resilience. For technical support, applicants can contact the OJP Response Center by phone at 800-851-3420 or 202-353-5556 (TTY available) or by email at OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov. Additional support is available through the Grants.gov help desk, the SAM.gov help desk, and the JustGrants service desk. Pre-recorded webinars and application guides are available online to assist applicants with the submission process. This opportunity was released on September 15, 2025, and is supported by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025. Awards are expected to begin on October 1, 2025, with project periods lasting up to 36 months.