By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Livingston County officials are pursuing grant opportunities that will help them continue to support a couple of specialty courts.

Livingston County’s Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court help individuals struggling with substance use disorders and mental health disorders who are members of the community. The State Court Administrative Office, through the Bureau of Justice Assistance has made grant funding available for both for fiscal year 2022.

For the Veterans Treatment Court, this is new opportunity for federal funding. Specialty Courts and Programs Administrator Sara Applegate, wrote, in a memo to the Board of Commissioners, that this award would be very beneficial as Veterans Treatment Court typically receives a minimal amount of funding from the state, which has further been reduced over the last 3 years. They are applying for $50,000, with a 25%-in kind match required.

For Adult Drug Court they are applying for $125,000, with the same in-kind match. The courts previously applied for the Bureau of Justice Assistance grant in April of 2021, but have not received notification of the grant award. If that comes through, they would be ineligible for the 2022 award. Applegate notes that applying for both gives them a higher probability for receiving these federal funds.

If awarded, grant funding will begin on October 1st. The Livingston County Board of Commissioners approved the applications as part of their consent agenda, Monday.