October 9, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio Department of Public Safety: (COLUMBUS, Ohio) – The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) today announced awarding $7.6 million in grants to support over two dozen specialized court dockets, crisis response teams, and community treatment programs that focus on gun violence reduction.
A total of 26 programs will receive funding as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 through the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP). OCJS is administering Ohio’s funds.
Funded projects encompass broad categories of assistance including specialized court programs that accept clients with mental health diagnoses or who are veterans, community treatment assistance, and mobile crisis response teams.
Eleven specialized docket programs will receive a total of $1.3 million.
Among the grant recipients, Marietta Municipal Mental Health Court (Washington County) will receive $150,002.64 to assist participants with residential costs since housing instability is an identified barrier to success for completing the program. Additionally, the funding will pay for a case manager to streamline the housing process for participants.
Additional specialized dockets receiving funding are:
- Allen County Common Pleas Mental Health Court: $82,412.98
- Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Veterans Treatment Court: $100,000
- Erie County Common Pleas Veterans Track: $57,444.08
- Fairborn Municipal Drug Court (Greene): $53,418.77
- Franklin County Common Pleas RISE and TIES courts: $199,940.19
- Hamilton County Juvenile Court: $105,862.31
- Medina County Common Pleas Recovery Court: $90,300
- Miami County Common Pleas Mental Health Court: $174,935.37
- Summit County HOPE Court/Community Support Services (joint project): $299,990.87
- Sylvania Municipal Domestic Violence Court (Lucas): $39,645.32
Four community treatment programs will receive over $900,000.
Among the grant recipients, the Mental Health Recovery Board Serving Warren and Clinton counites will receive $149,820.14 to expand its forensic assertive community treatment (FACT) team. This unit assists clients in managing symptoms of mental illness while navigating the criminal justice system and includes assistance with developing daily living skills and preparing for employment.
Additional community treatment programs receiving funding are:
- Case Western Reserve University Center on Evidence-Based Practices (Cuyahoga): $516,400.89
- Cuyahoga County Recovery Resources: $148,024.34
- Unison Behavioral Health Group (Lucas, Wood): $101,324.87
Ten mobile crisis response teams will receive a total of $2.3 million.
Among the grant recipients, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office will receive $184,348.70 to form a mobile crisis response team to help individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis instead of taking them to jail. It’s expected that by helping those in crisis, it will reduce the strain on public safety, public health, and Huron County residents.
Additional crisis response teams receiving funding are:
- Allen County Mental Health Addiction Recovery Board/Allen-Auglaize-Hardin Coleman Behavioral Health: $199,188.98
- Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board: $174,936.53
- Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board/Child Focus: $299,998.63
- Fairfield County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board/New Horizons Mental Health Services: $249,999.68
- Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County/Nord Center: $293,725.67
- Mental Health Recovery Board of Clark, Greene and Madison counties: $224,999.77
- Paint Valley Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board (Fayette, Highland, Pike, Pickaway, Ross): $349,809.56
- Shaker Heights Police Department (Cuyahoga): $171,158.04
- Stark County Mental Health Addiction Recovery Board/Coleman Behavioral Health: $250,000.28
A 19-member advisory board assisted OCJS with identifying projects throughout Ohio that met the objectives of the federal funding. OCJS sought and received approval from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance on the eligibility of entities seeking this funding.
OCJS is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. By statute, OCJS is the lead justice planning and assistance office for the state, administering millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding every year. OCJS also evaluates programs and develops technology, training, and products for criminal justice professionals and communities.
