FAIRBORN — The Mental Health & Recovery Board of Clark, Greene, and Madison Counties, Judge Beth W. Cappelli of Fairborn Municipal Court and TCN Behavioral Health recently announced the court has been awarded $100,000 from Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services.

MHRB applied for the funds, which were then awarded to the only certified drug court in Clark, Greene and Madison Counties — Cappelli’s Fairborn Municipal Drug Court. The court provides therapeutically-oriented, medically-assisted drug intervention treatment and a monitoring program to help participants develop a sober lifestyle.

With the funds, TCN will provide treatment and supportive services to drug court clients who are dependent on opioids, alcohol or both.

“The main part of this grant helps those individuals who don’t have money for treatment,” Cappelli said.

The judge said the funding will help clients obtain things like sober housing, certification and licensure.

For example, a client might need to pay a fee for a license in order to drive to treatment, or might need funding to finish a nursing certification.

“Anything that helps them maintain their sobriety and gives them back their independence is wonderful,” Cappelli said.

The judge said the three agencies are collaborating to decide where the funds are most needed. They recently discussed the funds during a treatment team meeting, which is held before drug court twice a month.

The drug court — the first in Greene County — began operating in 2015. Cappelli said she usually sees ten people in the court at one time.

“The people that we take into our drug court — normal probation just hasn’t worked properly for them,” she said. “It’s stepped-up, much more intensive than normal supervision.”

Cappelli said the court is made up of two components: the treatment team and the judge’s involvement, which leads to a much more individualized approach.

“We don’t have success with everybody … but with somebody who hasn’t been successful, hopefully that was a stepping stone for next time,” she said.

Cappelli said she recently held a drug court graduation, where clients ended their time with her, but will continue probation for another year.

“We don’t want to just drop them — we want them to have a support system, that accountability,” she said.

“We want people to know that there’s help out there,” she added.