Carbon County will have a drug treatment court by the end of the year.

On Wednesday, the county received a $300,952 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program. Carbon officials applied for the funding earlier this year in the hopes of securing enough to begin a specialized court to combat the growing drug epidemic in the area.

“The court and county are especially grateful for support given to the grant by Sen. Patrick Toomey, Rep. Matthew Cartwright, state Rep. Doyle Heffley, as well as the residents of Carbon County who have been especially interested in creating this type of specialty court,” a statement released by the Carbon County Court of Common Pleas said.

“The opioid epidemic hasn’t spared the communities of Carbon County, where people are looking for ways to address the underlying issues of drug addiction,” Cartwright said. “I am pleased this vital grant will enable Carbon County to fund their new drug court and help people get the treatment they need.”

“In recent years, the heroin and opioid epidemic has resulted in Carbon County seeing a sharp increase in crime and drug use,” Toomey said. “Drug treatment courts can help to mitigate those social costs by putting eligible offenders addicted to drugs into treatment instead of jail. I am hopeful this grant will help Carbon County mitigate opioid-related crime and help those battling addiction turn their lives around.”

Carbon County will add the required 25 percent match — $100,318 — to bring the total funding for the drug treatment court to $401,270. The money will be used to pay for one adult probation officer, upgrade a part-time support staff to full-time, training, computer equipment, cognitive behavioral interventions, drug testing supplies and incentives.

The courts said that there is an aggressive timeline for the implementation of a drug treatment court. Officials plan to begin reviewing potential applicants into the program in November with the first applicants admitted in December.

“We would be targeting high-risk individuals who are in danger of recidivism,” Rick Parsons, chief adult probation officer, said in May when the county applied for the grant. “There are people who are struggling, who really do need treatment, and statistics show us these specialty courts are working.”

Drug treatment court will be a partnership between the commissioners, courts, Criminal Justice Advisory Board, District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Adult Probation, the Correctional Facility, Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission, Carbon Monroe Pike Mental Health and Disability Services, and several other state and local agencies.

The idea of a drug treatment court comes on the heels of Carbon County’s veterans treatment court, which began just under two years ago.

The county has seen much success with that specialty court, with its first graduates expected to complete the extensive program in December.

Carbon County will now join the 34 counties that already have drug treatment courts.