Justice Coalition approves TAD grant, endorses county‑run treatment and tighter testing

Portage County’s Justice Coalition voted on Jan. 15 to forward a Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) grant request to the state and approved immediate changes to the county’s justice program testing protocols.

The coalition approved moving the TAD application — roughly $317,000 in state funds requested for treatment and diversion services — and supported shifting program delivery from a contractor model to an in‑house, county‑run justice programs operation. During the meeting the justice programs director said the county has already begun hiring staff to run the program internally and is collecting more complete data with a goal of full transparency by 2026.

The meeting opened with a 10‑minute presentation by Kamiko Hagen, executive director of Options Treatment Programs, who described the agency’s curricula and its work with treatment courts. "Our program is designed to skill base with our clients… so that when they're in the community, they can make better, less risky decisions," Hagen said, describing a 46‑session core curriculum (SABISA), follow‑up advanced practice groups and a separate "thinking for a change" (T4C) track focused on criminal thinking patterns and social supports. Hagen added that the program moved to virtual delivery during COVID and has maintained quality assurance measures in online groups: "We've had a ton of success doing it virtually," she said.

The justice programs director told the coalition the biggest grant change this year was the move to a county‑run program and the removal of Justice Point as the contractor. The director said the office plans to expand testing and check‑ins for participants assessed at low or standard risk if they have substance‑related crimes, and to require more engagement from OWI second/third/fourth offenders who had been receiving minimal in‑person contact under prior arrangements. "My proposal is to do more than that," the director said of testing and monitoring.

Coalition members moved and approved the TAD grant request and the temporary testing changes by voice vote. No formal roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript; the chair called for vocal assent and recorded unanimous 'ayes' with no recorded opposition.

Why it matters: The TAD program funds diversion and treatment services intended to reduce recidivism and jail use by providing alternatives to incarceration. Shifting to an in‑house county program and increasing monitoring could change who delivers services, what data the county collects, and how resources are allocated moving forward.

Next steps: The justice programs staff said they will continue to assemble the grant materials for submission and begin the staffing and onboarding process for the in‑house program. The Justice Coalition set a follow‑up meeting for Jan. 15 to continue oversight and updates.