Caroline County commissioners voted April 1 to direct staff to apply for a grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to expand services for the county Problem Solving Court.

The grant application, proposed by Deputy Administrator Daniel Fox and Michelle Bethke of the Problem Solving Court program, would fund evidence-based contingency management incentives and support peer-support services for participants who have substance use disorders. Bethke told the board the county already performs drug testing and the proposed program would use that testing to trigger small, immediate incentives delivered as electronic gift cards dispersed through the University of Maryland as part of the study partnership.

Bethke said the grant would aim to reduce recidivism and decrease first‑responder time spent on overdose calls by rewarding negative drug tests and adding peer support specialists. “This grant would further support our problem solving court program by continuing to treat participants with a substance use disorder, reduce first responders’ time handling calls for overdoses, and reducing recidivism,” she said.

Bethke said the University of Maryland is partnering with the county and at least two neighboring counties on the project. The university would manage the incentive distribution portal and would disperse electronic gift cards directly to participants after negative tests are verified. Peer support services would be contracted to local providers Bethke named during the meeting.

Bethke reported the Problem Solving Court currently has nine participants and said staff recently filled a case manager vacancy. Commissioners questioned how incentives would work and how follow‑up with graduates would be handled; Bethke said follow‑up and alumni programming were goals but that current staffing levels limit post‑graduation outreach.

A motion to direct staff to apply for the grant was made and seconded; the commissioners voted in favor. The board gave staff permission to submit the application and pursue the funding opportunity.

The county will apply for the grant through the county administration office in partnership with the Problem Solving Court and the University of Maryland. The application and any grant award will be subject to the county’s grant policy and any subsequent board approvals for program startup or budget adjustments.