The Third Judicial District Recovery Court was awarded a federal grant from the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for just under $2 million. The grant will be distributed over five years to serve all four counties in the district.
“This grant is a game changer for our program,” said Third Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Beth Boniface. “We will be more effective in assisting our participants without further financial burden to the counties that we serve.”
The grant will allow the Felony Recovery Court to expand case management, behavioral health and individual counseling services to participants in Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties.
“This grant actually allows us to get two more case managers,” said Judge Boniface. “We have two now, so we would have four. It allows us to get a data entry person. There is so much data.”
Hamblen County was home to a misdemeanor court when then Mayor Bill Brittain asked Judge Boniface to start a felony level court, in December 2020. From its inception, the Felony Recovery Court was funded through state grants with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and the Hamblen County Government.
“Hamblen County has been a tremendous volunteer on this,” said Judge Boniface. “They have matched whatever the state has given and that’s unusual. This will allow us to give back a little bit for the accounting that we need from the county.”
“Hamblen County is grateful to have been awarded the grant from SAMSHA,” said Hamblen County Mayor, Chris Cutshaw. “The positive impact this grant will have on our community is immeasurable. The opportunity the grant provides will help to restore balance and stability in lives and families in and around our community. A great and wonderful victory.”
The recovery court currently runs three sober living homes in Hamblen County, two for women and one for men. Although this grant can’t be used for new housing, it will allow Judge Boniface to bolster the 501(c)(3) she created to help fund the program. Now that the grant money will support the felony court, she can reroute the money in the 501(c)(3) to build more homes.
“We have 55 participants right now and with this grant we are going to be able to increase that to 200, so it will be a big boon to the community.”
Judge Boniface is excited about expanding the program to positively impact the lives of individuals struggling with substance use disorders, and helping them become healthy, productive members of their communities.
“It’s really amazing to watch people turn their lives around and get their kids back, get their GED, get a driver’s license, get a job, go to TCAT (Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology), get a skill,” she said. “That’s our vision, to just keep getting bigger and better and to help more people.”
