Family Drug Court. Peer Learning Court

Transcription

1 Family Drug Court Peer Learning Court Pima County Family Drug Court Location: Tucson, Arizona First Date of Operation: June 20, 2001 Capacity:80 parents/ 136 children Number of Graduates to Date: 253 Number Served: Children: 1043 Adults:564 Families:523 Model: Parallel Size of Jurisdiction: 1,000,000 Overview serves adult parents of children who are wards of Pima County Juvenile Court (PCJCC) through a dependency petition, and whose substance abuse problems contributed to their children s removal, as well as the children. The clients in this system come from Pima County, which encompasses 9,184 square miles and includes the San Xavier, Pascua Yaqui, and Tohono O odham American Indian lands, and is just 30 miles north of the United States/Mexico border. The greater Tucson area has approximately one million residents. The population is 55.3% Caucasian, 34.6% Hispanic/Latino(a), 3.5% African American, 3.3% American Indian,.2% Asian/Pacific Islander. 20.6% of families with children live below the poverty level. focuses on a collaborative approach, and an exchange of information to benefit the entire family. The joint staffing model ensures that child welfare professionals have a full understanding of the parents treatment and recovery, their strengths and weaknesses, thus ensuring the children s future safety and well-being. The full-time Intensive Case Specialists and Recovery Support Specialists see each client at least weekly in their home, or in other settings (in addition to their drug court appearance). All staff are trained in Motivational Interviewing, which increases engagement in treatment, motivation to succeed, and relapse prevention skills. Small caseloads and frequent contact lead to individualized, personcentered treatment plans and early identification of and engagement in all of the recovery support services (trauma therapy, parenting, peer mentoring) that are particularly suited

2 PAGE uman 2 Services to each client s recovery needs. The Case Specialist focuses almost exclusively on each client s substance abuse treatment, helping overcome barriers, communicating frequently with treatment case managers and therapists, and monitoring each client s attendance closely. This intensive approach to treatment is especially effective with methamphetamine users. This practice has increased treatment engagement and completion, as well as graduation rates. Target Population All parents with substance abuse issues in open dependency cases are eligible. Exclusionary criteria include: parents whose children have been in out-ofhome care 4 months or more (since completion of FDC takes a minimum of 8 months); parents who are minors; parents who live in remote areas of the county; parents who are not parties to the dependency case; parents who are assigned a Guardian ad Litem; perpetrators in ongoing sexual abuse cases; and parents with violent felony convictions. Program Services FDC works with AVIVA Children s Services, a local nonprofit, to provide alumni meetings and sober family activities for graduates and their children. AVIVA has provided a beautiful, comfortable setting for meetings, and provides food and childcare to encourage attendance. FDC works to provide the best, evidenced-based, culturally competent, comprehensive treatment services to parents in the Pima County dependency system. To date, there is nearly a one-to-one correlation between completion of the trauma therapy at AzCA/Las Familias and completion of substance abuse treatment, as well as a one-to-one correlation between completion of the Mission Statement: To break the cycle of child abuse and neglect due to parental substance abuse. Operations: Highlights Evidence Supported Practices Intensive Case Management Recovery Support Specialists Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Dialectical Behavior Therapy Services for Children Child Case Specialist Trauma Screening Developmental Assessments Celebrating Families! Court Appointed Special Advocates Substance Abuse Treatment for Parents Intensive Outpatient Motivational Interviewing Screening and Assessment GAIN Other Specialized Child Developmental Highlights Separate FDC Calendar for Fathers

3 PAGE uman 3 Services trauma therapy and FDC graduation or (successful) voluntary termination. Pima County FDC employs three adult Case Specialists to provide intensive case management for the parents who are accepted into FDC. The Case Specialists administer the GAIN to assess each client s needs for Co-location of child welfare and treatment services at the courthouse treatment and other services, and establishes working relationships with each client s CPS Case Manager, substance abuse treatment provider, and other service providers. The Case Specialist attends Adult Recovery Team meetings and other agency staffings to inform, share information, and advocate for appropriate treatment services for the client, and attends all dependency court hearings. The Case Specialist refers each client to additional support services, including FDC s contracted individual trauma therapy, as necessary. The Case Specialist makes announced and unannounced home visits, and is available to the clients and treatment providers by mobile voice and text. Partner Agencies and Organizations All Peer Learning Courts have a strong operational team as well as established relationships with service providers that help to strengthen cross-system linkages between substance abuse treatment, child welfare, dependency court, and other service systems. The has a network that includes the following partners: Child Welfare & Services for Children Child Protective Services Court Appointed Special Advocates Aviva Children s Services La Frontera Center: Children s community behavioral health services Substance Abuse Codac Behavioral Health Arizona Families First: Outreach and Treatment Recovery Support Specialists Courts Parents Attorneys Children s Attorneys Attorney General s Office Mental Health Las Familias: Trauma-specific individual and group therapy Other Community Partnership of Southern Arizona

4 PAGE uman 4 Services Consultant/Training Old Pueblo Community Services: Transitional Housing Key Outcomes There are several findings from a 2011 independent evaluation of the Pima County Family Drug Court. Male participants were more likely to be successful in terms of securing jobs, obtaining stable housing, and being reunified with their children than non-participants. Men in the program were also were half as likely to be screened to need and be referred to trauma treatment. AOD use during the program remained low and actually showed significant decreases, primarily due to reduced alcohol use. Significant decreases were also evidenced for mental health problems. Moreover, engagement in employment and education increased as did housing stability.

5 PAGE uman 5 Services CONTACT INFORMATION Division Director Chris Swenson-Smith, M.S.W. Children and Family Services Pima County Juvenile Court 2225 E. Ajo Way Tucson, Arizona P: F: chris.swenson-smith@pcjcc.pima.gov Judge Hon. Susan Kettlewell Pima County Juvenile Court 2225 E. Ajo Way Tucson, AZ P: susan.kettlewell@pcjcc.pima.gov The FDC Peer Learning Court Program is a Technical Assistance Project proved by the Center for Children and Family Futures and is supported by Award No DC-BX-K069 awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs. This content represents the work of The Center for Children and Family Futures, and does not reflect the opinions of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.