McHenry County’s Drug Court and local nonprofits who assist people with mental illness and substance abuse were left scrambling Wednesday after receiving notice that they were losing grants essential to funding those programs.

The loss of nearly $1 million for the highly touted court program called into question whether it could continue.

But late Wednesday, multiple national media outlets were reporting that, amid widespread pushback to the sudden cuts by President Trump’s administration, they were being restored.

Wednesday, McHenry County court system officials estimated almost $1 million in losses to programs helping people in the justice system with substance use disorders. The money was among far-reaching cuts in grants, reportedly totaling about $2 billion nationwide, that had been provided by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration but that the agency said did not align with its goals.

Officials in McHenry County’s 22nd Judicial Circuit Court were notified Wednesday that federal funding through a SAMHSA grant for the county’s Drug Court program has been “unexpectedly terminated,” according to a news release from the McHenry County courthouse.

Court officials said about $1 million in expected federal funding over the next four years has been lost.

“The loss of this funding presents significant challenges” for the Drug Court program, “particularly with respect to staffing and maintaining services at the current level,” according to the release, before news emerged late Wednesday and into Thursday that the money was being restored.

It was unclear early Thursday morning whether the county had received word of the administration’s reversal.

County officials had said Wednesday they were trying to figure out how to move forward without the federal funding – and whether they could do so.

“We are currently working with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, county administration and all of our justice partners to navigate the funding issues created by this decision and to evaluate all available options,” McHenry County Trial Court administrator Dan Wallis said in the release. “Our priority is to ensure continuity of services to the extent possible while addressing the very real impact this has on dedicated program staff.”

Courthouse leaders said they were trying to identify “potential paths forward” and “reviewing next steps” for the affected programs.

“The court recognizes the uncertainty this development creates for employees and program participants, and remains committed to transparency, thoughtful decision-making and continued collaboration with its justice partners,” officials said in the release. “Additional updates will be provided as circumstances evolve.”

Nationally, the federal agency cut about 2,000 grants representing almost $2 billion in funding, The Associated Press reported. The cuts were made under a regulation that says the agency may terminate any federal award that “no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”

AP reported at just before midnight Wednesday night that the grant money had been restored.

Trump has made government efficiency and streamlining a priority since taking office for his second term, cutting scores of federal jobs and other spending, although some have been restored as a result of court challenges or agency reversals.

The McHenry County Adult Drug Court was recognized in 2022 as one of 10 national mentor treatment courts by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and the U.S. Department of Justice.

The county’s Adult Drug Court began in 2011, and officials have long touted its successes in helping people who have struggled with drug dependency and troubles with the law to turn their lives around. Participants must meet the program’s requirements and avoid repeat offenses.

“The 22nd Judicial Circuit has relied on this federal support to advance evidence-based treatment, accountability and supervision for justice-involved individuals struggling with substance use disorders,” officials said.

Other groups with local ties that could be affected by the federal SAMHSA cuts include Thresholds, which received word Wednesday that federal grant money received through the Illinois Department of Human Services has been pulled, Thresholds Chief Communications Officer Emily Moen said in an email prior to news of the apparent reversal. The nonprofit provides mental health services in McHenry County and elsewhere.

Funding for the Illinois Prevent Prescription Drug/Opioid Overdose-Related Deaths program had been terminated by the federal government effective Tuesday, officials said. The program received $158,000 through IDHS to “support community-based substance use treatment” through June, Moen said.

“While IDHS has reaffirmed its commitment to the program’s goals, continued funding is now uncertain,” Moen said in the email. “After years of bipartisan efforts that are now starting to reduce opioid-related deaths, these cuts undermine critical progress in addressing the overdose crisis.”

Thresholds also works with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office on a new initiative in which McHenry County jail detainees deemed unfit to stand trial would start receiving specialized psychiatric care while waiting for an open bed in a mental health facility.

It wasn’t immediately clear Wednesday if that program was affected by the cuts.