# Presentation: 076858

## FAMILY DEPENDENCY DRUG COURT

*THIRD DISTRICT JUVENILE COURT*
*Salt Lake County, Utah*

## The Need

*The age group 18 – 45 are the most likely to engage in substance abuse*
*Women represent 64% of methamphetamine users in need of treatment*
*50% of drug abusing women who become pregnant, continue to use drugs while pregnant*

## The Need

*Nationally, drugs are a factor in 80% of child abuse and neglect cases*
*According to the National Institute of Health*
*1 out of every 3 children live in a family struggling with substance abuse issues*
*Children live in 30% to 40% of meth lab homes*
*The presence and use of drugs is the number one cause of child abuse and neglect*

##    The Need in   Salt Lake County

*8,919 CPS cases were investigated in 2005*
*There were 4,898 supported child victims of abuse and neglect*
*1,175 child victims had drug abuse officially listed as a contributing factor in their abuse and neglect*

## Behavioral Indicators of Drug Exposed Children

*Depression*
*Anxiety*
*Eating disorders*
*Interpersonal problems*
*Difficulty adjusting to change*
*2 to 4 times more likely to experience addiction issues in their lives*

## Emotional Indicators of Drug Exposed Children

*PTSD*
*Attachment Disorder*
*Low Self Esteem*
*Guilt and Self Blame*
*No Values*
*Helplessness and Hopelessness*

## Treatment Referrals

*What happens when clients are referred to treatment without court involvement?*
*50% to 60% of clients don’t show for intake*
*40% to 80% of clients drop out in 3 months*
*90% of clients drop out in 12 months*
*Of clients who remain in treatment, 40% to 60% are abstinent at one year*
*Of the clients who were initially referred to treatment, less than 2% will be abstinent at one year*

## Child Welfare                                    Requirements

*Adoption and Safe Families Act – ASFA*
*Permanency hearing must be held within 12 months of child entering foster care*
*Utah Law parallels ASFA*
*Permanency hearing must be held within 12 months of child entering foster care*
*Permanency hearing must be held within 8 months if the child is 36 months of age or younger*
*The Court can grant a 90 day extension if it finds substantial compliance with the treatment plan*

## The Mission

-   *. . . of the Family Dependency Drug Court is to treat substance abuse addiction through an intense and concentrated program to preserve families and protect children.*

## Key Factors

*Teamwork*
*Early Identification and Assessment*
*Expedited Treatment Interventions*
*Accountability/Detectability*
*Ongoing Judicial Supervision*

## The Drug Court Team

*Judge*
*Attorney General*
*Guardian Ad Litem*
*Defense Counsel*
*DCFS Drug Court Specialist*
*Treatment Specialist*
*Coordinator*

## Family Dependency Drug Courts              

*Third District Juvenile Court*
*Judge Christine Decker – West Jordan*
*Judge Kimberly Hornak – Salt Lake/Matheson*
*Judge Frederic Oddone – Salt Lake/Matheson*
*Judge Robert Yeates – Salt Lake/Matheson*

## Admission Criteria

*The court finds the children are the victims of abuse and/or neglect *
*The parent acknowledges that substance abuse affects their ability to parent*
*The parent does not present with*
*Severe mental illness*
*Felony conviction for violent acts*
*Is not a convicted sex offender*

## Treatment Matching

*Participant’s needs are determined through a clinical substance abuse assessment.*
*Participants are placed in treatment per the findings of the assessment and through collaborative discussion.*
*The participant’s behavioral and personality profile are matched to the treatment provider’s program and service delivery system.*

## Treatment Services

*A full compliment of services are provided, including:*
*Detox*
*Residential treatment – including:*
*Women and children programming*
*Father’s and children programming*
*Day treatment programming*
*Intensive outpatient services*
*Outpatient services*
*Aftercare*

## Incentives

*Frequently used incentives include:*
*Judicial acknowledgement and commendation*
*Drug court team recognition and support*
*Drug court peer recognition and support*
*Reduced frequency of judicial reviews*
*Step down in treatment regime*
*Medallions*

## Sanctions

*Sanctions are imposed for:*
*Positive, missed, or diluted drug screens*
*Failure to attend treatment or leaving treatment*
*Failure to engage treatment*
*Failure to comply with other specified court orders*

## Sanctions

*Sanctions are graduated and tailored to the violation and the participant*
*Most common sanctions include:*
*Jail*
*Essays/Reports*
*Community service*
*Increased frequency of judicial review*
*Other – specific to the participant*

##         Graduation                                                                                                     	   Requirements

*At least 8 months participation in drug court with at least 6 months of sobriety*
*All legal matters have been resolved*
*Participant has obtained a 12 step sponsor*
*The participant has established a consistent level of progress and compliance*
*The participant has been reunified with their children*
*The participant has completed a life plan that includes aftercare*

##        Family Dependency Drug Court    A National Evaluation

*A study of Family Dependency Drug Courts indicate:*
*There is improved collaboration between agencies and better parent compliance with service plan requirements*
*There is a more elaborate support system for families while ensuring child safety*
*There is heightened judicial oversight of children and families*

##           Family Dependency Drug Court    A National Evaluation

*Drug court parents are motivated to get treatment they would otherwise not receive*
*Drug court parents are more likely to enter treatment, spend more time in treatment, and are more likely to complete treatment than parents in comparison groups*
*Parents are more likely to be reunified with their children*

##     Family Dependency Drug Court    Third District Juvenile Court

*Participant Profile*
*79% of the participants are women*
*70% of the women are single mothers*
*The participants have an average of 2 dependent children*
*The average age of participants is 29*
*58% have a high school diploma*
*72% identify meth as their drug of choice*

##     Family Dependency Drug Court    Third District Juvenile Court

*The drug court serves approximately 140 parents a year*
*There are approximately 50 parents involved in the drug court program at any given time*
*58% of the parents successfully graduate from drug court*

##     Family Dependency Drug Court    Third District Juvenile Court

*Data indicates, of the parents who successfully graduated from drug court:*
*89% of graduates were reunified with their children*
*8% had subsequent substantiated CPS referrals within 6 months of their drug court completion date*
*None of the CPS investigations resulted in the children being removed a second time*

##     Family Dependency Drug Court    Third District Juvenile Court

*Data indicates, of the parents who were discharged unsuccessfully from drug court:*
*6.5% of the parents were reunified with their children*
*33% of the cases in which reunification occurred, the children were subsequently removed a second time within 6 months of the parent’s discharge from drug court*

##     Family Dependency Drug Court    Third District Juvenile Court

##        Family Dependency       Drug Court

*is about . . .*