Hamilton County juvenile court seeks no‑match grant to fund on‑site mental‑health services at detention center

Hamilton County juvenile court asked commissioners to pursue a no‑match grant to fund on‑site psychiatric counseling and crisis intervention for youth in the county juvenile detention center and for some probation clients.

Sam Mars, juvenile court, said Sarah Spencer from the county’s economic development office found “this opportunity, to pursue a no match grant to provide psychiatric counseling services, crisis intervention, whatever the need of the day may be for our kids in the juvenile detention center, as well as some probation kids.”

Mars told commissioners the proposal is for a three‑year award at $150,000 per year and that the court intends to contract with a service provider to be on site five days a week for eight hours a day. “Our intention with this is to, contract with a service, to be on on-site 5 days a week, 8 hours a day so that should this grant, no longer be there in 3 years, the county would not have to deal with an employee,” Mars said.

Commissioner Shipley noted the item came up in the county’s Security and Corrections committee and indicated the committee would likely support pursuing the grant. Commissioner Beck clarified the funding source, asking whether this is a state grant; Mars answered that it is his understanding it is a state grant.

The transcript records the request and the discussion but does not record a motion, mover, second, or final vote on the grant application or a budget amendment. The proposal as described would, if awarded, include amending the juvenile court’s fiscal‑year 2025 revenue and expenditures budget by $150,000 per year for the three‑year award and authorize officials to sign related documents.

If approved and awarded, staff said the county would contract with a provider rather than hire an employee so the county would not have ongoing personnel obligations after the three‑year grant period.