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Commissioners approve sole‑source $82,589 contract to bring trauma‑responsive training to county treatment court
Summary
Cheshire County commissioners authorized a sole‑source contract with Dr. Brian Meyer to provide trauma‑responsive training and evaluation to the county’s treatment court under a DOJ drug court treatment grant; staff said only one proposal was received after wide solicitation and procurement recommended sole‑source authorization.
Cheshire County commissioners on April 23 authorized a sole‑source contract with Dr. Brian Meyer for trauma‑responsive consulting and training for the county’s treatment court, a contract totaling $82,589 that runs from May 1, 2025, through Aug. 30, 2026. The work will be paid from a Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance drug court treatment grant.
Suzanne (department head) explained staff pursued open competition after DOJ initially required a competitive bid but received a single proposal. Allison, who led outreach to accredited trauma‑responsiveness trainers, said she contacted roughly 100 individuals listed on a national training association’s roster (about 50 emails were delivered) and received one responsive proposal from Dr. Meyer, whom staff described as a frequent national presenter and a subject‑matter expert in trauma‑informed practice.
Allison told the board the scope includes observation of court team operations, role‑specific training for clinicians, judges and staff, assistance with courtroom layout and an evaluation component intended to produce publishable research; staff said the model aims to move the court from trauma‑informed awareness to trauma‑responsive practice. She said Meyer reduced his normal rates for the project because the county is a small rural jurisdiction and the work would help certify the county’s drug court as trauma‑trained.
A commissioner moved and the board voted unanimously to authorize the sole‑source contract and to execute related documents. Commissioners recorded yes votes for Clark, Stewart and De Bernardo.
Why it matters: County staff said most treatment‑court participants have significant trauma histories and that embedding trauma‑responsive practice could change clinical referrals and case outcomes. The contract includes training for clinicians and court team members and an evaluation step envisioned as publishable research, which staff said could put the county’s program in a statewide learning collaborative.
Next steps: Staff will finalize the contract and monitor deliverables and expenditures under the DOJ grant. If any unexpected terms appear in the formal agreement, staff said they would bring the item back to the board for review.
