***National GAINS Center***

***National Drug Court Institute***

***Checklist for Designing Problem-Solving Courts to Address
Co-Occurring Disorders***

***Roger Peters, Ph.D. & Fred Osher, M.D.***

***Directions***

The following checklist is intended as a guide for problem-solving
courts in developing services and community resources to meet the unique
needs of participants with co-occurring mental health and substance
abuse disorders. This checklist is divided into three parts and will
assist problem-solving courts to complete the *Community Mapping*
exercise for the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI) Operational
Training Program.

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  ***I. Core Program                                                     
  Modifications***                                                       
  ------------------ --------------- ------------------------ ---------- ----------------
  ***Activity***     ***Goal***      ***Proposed              ***Time    ***Individual
                                     Modifications***         Frame***   Responsible***

  **Court           Explicit                                            
  Commitment**       statements of                                       
                     inclusiveness                                       
                     of persons with                                     
                     co-occurring                                        
                     disorders                                           
                     should be                                           
                     developed                                           
                     within mission                                      
                     statements                                          
                     and/or program                                      
                     descriptions.                                       

  **Blended         Routine                                             
  Screening and      screening and                                       
  Assessment**       assessment                                          
                     address both                                        
                     mental health                                       
                     and substance                                       
                     abuse disorders                                     

  ** Court          Conditions,                                         
  Monitoring**       frequency of                                        
                     hearings, staff                                     
                     assignments,                                        
                     and program                                         
                     intensity                                           
                     reflect the                                         
                     presence of a                                       
                     co-occurring                                        
                     mental                                              
                     disorder.                                           

  **Education about All                                                 
  Co-Occurring       participants                                        
  Disorders**        receive                                             
                     education about                                     
                     the nature and                                      
                     treatment of                                        
                     co-occurring                                        
                     disorders                                           

  **Medication      Ongoing                                             
  Monitoring**       psychiatric                                         
                     consultation                                        
                     and assessment                                      
                     is provided to                                      
                     monitor                                             
                     medication                                          
                     needs, use and                                      
                     side effects                                        

  **Graduated       Consider the                                        
  Sanctions**        effects of                                          
                     mental health                                       
                     disorders in                                        
                     developing and                                      
                     applying                                            
                     flexible                                            
                     sanctions                                           

  **Liaison with    Coordinate                                          
  Community          treatment                                           
  Treatment          planning,                                           
  Services**         referral and                                        
                     monitoring with                                     
                     community                                           
                     mental health                                       
                     services                                            

  **Court Hearings  Adjust court                                        
  and Judicial       hearings and                                        
  Monitoring**       monitoring to                                       
                     address mental                                      
                     health needs of                                     
                     participants                                        
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