Opinion ID: 2194658
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Referral to CODAC

Text: On December 2, 2003, DCYF proceeded to file involuntary termination of parental rights petitions with respect to Brooklyn and Isaiah. These petitions sought to terminate Amanda's parental rights on the basis of G.L.1956 § 15-7-7(a)(2)(iii) (unfitness due to chronic substance abuse problem) [12] and § 15-7-7(a)(3) (twelve months in state custody with no substantial probability of child's safe return to parent within a reasonable period). [13] While DCYF's petition to terminate Amanda's parental rights was pending, DCYF referred Amanda to CODAC, a substance abuse treatment facility, and she began working with her primary counselor at that agency, Judith Legner, in January of 2004. Amanda attended half of her scheduled meetings at CODAC. She attended four appointments: on January 27, 2004, February 17 and 24, 2004, and March 11, 2004. Ms. Legner testified that Amanda admitted, during her intake session at CODAC, that she had used marijuana and alcohol. In addition, even though Amanda produced a positive screen for cocaine on January 27, 2004, she denied having used that drug. Based on the four sessions that Ms. Legner conducted with Amanda, she concluded that further treatment would aid Amanda, but she could not state conclusively in her trial testimony whether or not Amanda had a substance abuse problem; Ms. Legner testified that a full assessment of a CODAC client usually requires three months of treatment. Judith Legner's last meeting with Amanda was on March 11, 2004. Amanda testified that she stopped going to CODAC because DCYF would not pay for her appointments, and she further testified that she felt she had complied with all of the DCYF case plans, except for the provisions regarding CODAC. Although Mr. Bernardo testified that Amanda was in a state-funded slot for CODAC payment and that DCYF funded the co-payment for counseling and urine screening, he acknowledged in his testimony that once DCYF had filed its petition to terminate Amanda's parental rights, it did not continue to provide her with a funding source.