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Williamson County funds start of Family Recovery Court coalition; $40,000 contract and grant pursuit approved
Summary
The commissioners approved a $40,000 professional services agreement to hire a community partnership manager to launch a Williamson County Community Coalition and Family Recovery Court supports, and directed staff to pursue larger state and federal grants to sustain the role.
Williamson County Commissioners on June 30 approved a $40,000 professional consulting agreement to bring Amanda Keeter on as a systems project manager to help launch the Williamson County Community Coalition tied to Family Recovery Court efforts. The court approved items 19, 45 and 46 together (motion carried 5‑0) to use remaining grant funds through the fiscal year to fund Keeter’s start and to pursue additional grants for continuation.
Judge Ryan Larson, 395th District Court, described a year of community convenings and a case study showing how generations of justice involvement can create heavy fiscal and human costs. "The total expense for that just for this one family is approximately $2,000,000," Larson said while summarizing the county’s diagnostic review. He and other speakers emphasized a coalition approach that coordinates providers, nonprofits, faith groups and resource navigators to support families earlier and reduce repeat justice involvement.
County staff said the $40,000 is intended as a start‑up to be spent through the end of September; continuing the position would rely on additional grants. The county identified potential grant streams including a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) program the county estimated could bring roughly $800,000 and a Department of Health and Human Services substance‑use/mental‑health grant the county said could be as large as $2,000,000 to support drug and transitional courts.
Commissioners described the program as a community coordination effort rather than a county‑funded specialty court, with Amanda Keeter’s role focused on building MOUs and warm handoffs between providers and the court system. The court asked staff to continue grant applications and to report back with timelines and funding plans. The motion to approve items 19, 45 and 46 passed unanimously.
What happens next: Amanda Keeter will begin work under the federal grant through September; county staff will pursue additional grants and provide follow‑up budgeting information to the commission.
