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Rockingham County commissioners authorize grant applications for jail mental-health and substance-use programs
Summary
The board authorized county staff to apply for multiple federal and state grants — including a Justice and Mental Health Collaboration grant and a larger opioid/stimulant grant — to expand jail-based mental-health and substance-use treatment programs. Commissioners amended one request to increase the possible award amount to $1.3 million.
Rockingham County commissioners voted Thursday to authorize county staff to apply for several federal and state grants aimed at expanding mental-health and substance-use services in the county jail.
The board approved motions to seek funding from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and to apply for a separate federal program focused on opioid, stimulant and substance-use initiatives. Commissioners amended the opioid/stimulant application to permit requesting up to $1.3 million.
Why it matters: County leaders said grant funding would support expanding behavioral health services inside the Rockingham County Department of Corrections and could fund new staff and programs that help link people to treatment after release — measures the county says reduce recidivism and improve public safety.
The BJA Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program application discussed Thursday listed a maximum award of about $500,000. County staff said the exact award amount had not been finalized while they were working out budget categories. The application will target funding toward mental-health services in the jails and expansion into the county’s new facility.
On the opioid- and stimulant-focused program, commissioners debated and approved an amendment raising the requested amount from $500,000 to up to $1,300,000 after staff noted the grant’s available funding and program scope. County officials said the larger award would most likely fund three years of additional treatment positions including a substance-use counselor and a master’s-level alcohol and drug counselor.
Commissioners and staff described the jail’s existing mental-health work as a model other jurisdictions ask about. Several commissioners and staff who attended a Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) mapping workshop last week said the DOC’s current work to provide treatment during incarceration and continuity of care on release informed the grant strategy.
No final budgets were approved Thursday. Commissioners authorized the senior director of finance and the superintendent of the Department of Corrections to submit the applications on behalf of the county and to sign required documents.
Quotes: Commissioners and staff emphasized the county’s existing programs. “When you hear people in the community… I wish everyone could have sat in on that workshop because it was truly remarkable,” a commissioner said, praising the DOC team’s work on in-custody mental-health services.
Next steps: County staff will prepare and submit the grant applications and return to the board with funding details or required budget actions if an award is made.
