Board accepts grants for Recovery Court and jail‑based restoration; adds two behavioral‑health FTEs

The County Board on March 14 authorized two grant acceptances and appropriations tied to behavioral‑health services. The Board accepted and appropriated $22,958 in Federal Block Grant funding for the Recovery Court Program (FY2026) to support supplies, treatment services/materials, incentives for Recovery Court participants and evidence‑based training for staff. That action authorizes the County Manager to execute related grant documents.

More substantively, the Board accepted $492,811 from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services for the Arlington County Jail‑based Restoration Program (FY2026). The Board appropriated those ongoing grant funds to develop and implement a program in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office and authorized the creation of two (2.0) full‑time‑equivalent grant‑funded Behavioral Health Therapist positions to work at the Arlington County Detention Facility as part of the Department of Human Services team. Both grants were approved and appropriated on the consent agenda with recorded votes of 5–0.

The actions will fund program supplies and staffing to expand behavioral‑health services for people involved in the criminal‑justice system and to support the county’s recovery‑court operations. The Board authorized the County Manager to execute necessary grant documents in a form approved by the County Attorney.