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Justice Related Contracts and Grants

Contracts

The Justice Coordination Department maintains oversight of more than 60 justice-related contracts. These contracts include areas such as law enforcement services, substance abuse treatment, jail diversion programs, legal aid services, juvenile detention and public safety.

Major Contracts Justice Coordination oversees:

  • Court Programs for the Sixth Judicial Circuit
    County provides local funding for adult drug court and juvenile diversion programs.
    • Count Funded Jail Diversion – Division N – ADC Jail Diversion Services- Funded through County General Funds – supports treatment, case management, and program services for individuals diverted from jail.
    • State Funded Prison Diversion – Division Z – ADC Prison Diversion Services – Funded through State Allocation – supports treatment and wraparound services for individuals diverted from prison.
  • Department of Juvenile Justice
    State-mandated funding that requires counties to share the cost for Florida Department of Juvenile Justice pre-dispositional detention care.
  • Guardian Ad Litem Program
    State-mandated funding that requires counties to share the program cost by providing space and communications.
  • Medical Examiner and Forensic Laboratory
    The mission of the Medical Examiner’s office is to investigate certain deaths and to be of service to families of the deceased and local government agencies.
  • Sixth Judicial Circuit Personnel
    County provides funding for about 40 court employees who report directly to the chief judge of the Sixth Circuit under an interlocal agreement signed in 1996 that continues to this day. The Florida Interlocal Cooperation Act of 1969 says, in part, that the county and the court wish to provide for the rights and duties of county-funded court employees.

Grants

Justice Coordination helps to oversee more than 10 grants with community partners, providing a variety of services to justice-involved residents. These services include diversion programs, behavioral health and substance use treatment, and domestic violence advocacy.

Pinellas County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Trust Fund

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Trust Fund monies are used to support local drug abuse treatment and prevention programs. All applications received are reviewed by the Substance Abuse Advisory Board and awarded upon approval by the Board of County Commissioners.

2022-2023 Alcohol and Drug Abuse Trust Fund Grant Awards

Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Countywide Grant (JAG)

The JAG countywide program is a federal pass-through appropriation that allows states and local governments to support a broad range of programs to prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system through these program types:

  • Law Enforcement.
  • Prosecution and Court.
  • Prevention and Education.
  • Corrections and Community Corrections.
  • Drug Treatment.
  • Planning, Evaluation and Technology Improvement.
  • Crime Victim and Witness.
  • Mental Health.

2024-2025 Justice Assistance Grant Countywide Awards

Justice Grant Programs

Adult Drug Court

Adult Drug Court (ADC) is a court-supervised specialty program designed to support individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). It is available to individuals charged with certain non-violent offenses and offers voluntary participation. Successful completion may result in reduced probation, withheld adjudication, or dismissal of charges.

  • Aurora Project – The Aurora Project provides treatment and therapy services for nonviolent offenders with histories of sexual abuse and/or victims of human trafficking who are in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Adult Drug Court Program.
  • Adult Neurotrauma Treatment Court – Outpatient drug treatment program to expand services in the existing Pinellas Adult Drug Court to offer an enhanced treatment drug court model and community-based SUD treatment and recovery support services (RSS) to drug-involved offenders (adults), including enhanced services for those experiencing neurotrauma.

Mental Health Court

Mental Health Court (MHC) is a pilot program launched in 2021 through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The court was created to reduce the incarceration of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) by connecting them to community-based treatment and support. The program focuses on participants whose criminal behavior is strongly linked to mental health needs. It also addresses co-occurring substance use disorders where applicable.

  • The MHC Pilot Program connects individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) to available community services.
  • Sometimes referred to as “AOT” (Assisted Outpatient Treatment)

Unified Family Court

The Unified Family Court (UFC) oversees juvenile delinquency and child welfare cases — including dependency, adoptions, and termination of parental rights. The goal is to streamline services for families by coordinating related cases under one judge.

Treatment Court Programs (Federal Grants)

  • Family Dependency Treatment Court Expansion – Families on Track (FDTC) – aims to lower the incidence of parental rights terminations for participating families, decrease the average time it takes for reunification and provide drug treatment and other ancillary services to parents to help bolster success.
  • Dependency Neurotrauma Treatment Court – Outpatient treatment program to expand services in the existing Dependency Drug Court (DDC) to offer an enhanced treatment drug court model, community-based SUD treatment, and recovery support services (RSS) to drug involved parents and their families, including enhanced services for those experiencing neurotrauma, includes a voluntary pre-petition track for families where a removal has not occurred, but where a CPI case is open related to parental substance use.

Juvenile Drug Court (JDC) Support Services

  • JDC Case Support – funded through county general funds (Division N). Includes assessments, case management and behavioral health (substance use/mental health) services.

Teen Court Support Services

  • Pinellas Teen Court – funded through county court fees and General Fund dollars.

Success Stories

Complex Care Reintegration Project (CCRP) Grant – A voluntary treatment program that was created to enhance resources, bridge gaps in services, and improve stabilization outcomes for adults with current or recent justice-involvement who have complex behavioral health needs. This project placed an emphasis on serving justice-involved individuals with histories of opioid use and/or high levels of emergency or crisis service engagement.

  • Success Story 1 – ‘I’ve had the pleasure to work with a client that has shown stabilization in multiple areas of their life. Through the course of treatment, they have established care for their mental and physical health. With their mental health, they have demonstrated a decrease in severity of psychological symptoms. With their physical health, they have received referrals for specialty providers and have learned techniques to improve their condition. This client has enrolled in the Pinellas County Health program, gained employment, and maintained sobriety throughout the duration of treatment. Overall, they report increasing their self-awareness, acceptance of who they are, and resilience. This client reports WestCare playing a significant role in their journey of recovery’. Amari Morris, RMHVI – Westcare Mental Health Counselor, Outpatient
  • Success Story 2 – While working with CCRP, I’ve had the opportunity to provide services to many individuals. One client in particular, Deanna (whom I recently contacted for an update on her progress insisted I use her name). After a successful discharge from CCRP, she enrolled at St. Pete College and began working toward her associate degree. She is employed full-time as a Case Manager for the Pinellas Ex-Offender Reintegration Coalition and is running a Peer Support Recovery business in her spare time. Deanna told me while in our program that she wanted to “pay it forward” and this is exactly what she’s doing. I look forward to hearing more about her achievements and congratulate her for her success! Nancy J. Hohnholz, LMHC – Westcare Mental Health Counselor, Outpatient Services

Unified Family Court | Sixth Judicial Circuit – The Unified Family Court Department was honored to be asked to participate in a video about one of the grants from the Dependency Drug Court called Opioid Affected Youth Initiative (OAYI). This initiative facilitated rapid access to care for at-risk children from Early Childhood Court and those of parents in Family Dependency Treatment Court. See video by Gina Jeffrey, Unified Family Court Director – Sixth Judicial Circuit. Click on Opioid-Affected Youth Initiative (OAYI)