Not My Child seeks county support for recovery workforce programs; asks for pilot and scaled options

Laura Reno, executive director of Not My Child, asked the county to consider two discrete investments to expand substance‑use recovery and workforce supports: (1) a local Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) training cohort to be run in Queen Anne's County and (2) employer workshops under the group's Partners in the Workplace initiative. Reno said Project Restart — launched in 2022 — has supported more than 50 individuals in 2026 and pointed to concrete outcomes including completion of certified peer and forensic peer trainings and job placements.

Reno framed two funding options: a small, targeted pilot to bring a CPRS cohort to the county and a larger countywide expansion. In her remarks she described a modest local request and also referenced a larger scale figure (a second referenced figure in the transcript appeared inconsistent and may reflect different scopes of program expansion). She said Not My Child has applied for county opioid restitution funds in prior cycles and would welcome county guidance on the application and selection process to ensure the organization can be considered for local funding. "We are asking the county to invest alongside us so that together we can bring more of an impact home to Queen Anne's County," Reno said.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about prior applications and the county's opioid restitution process; Reno requested a staff contact to explain next steps. The transcript contains two different cost figures associated with program scale; county staff or the nonprofit should be asked to confirm the precise amounts before any appropriation.