Milwaukee County Family Drug Treatment Court

The purpose of the Family Drug Courts Program is to build the capacity of states, state and local courts, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments to either implement new drug courts or enhance pre-existing drug courts for substance-abusing adults involved with the family dependency court as a result of child abuse and neglect issues. Applicants must provide services to the children of the parents in the program as well as to the parents. The program provides seed money, not long-term support. OJJDP expects successful applicants to develop and implement a sustainability plan during the grant period to continue operation of the family drug court when the grant ends. The program is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 3797u et seq.

The Milwaukee County (MC) Family Drug Treatment Court (FDTC) Implementation Grant established the FDTC according to the plan developed by MC Children's Court, Behavioral Health Division (BHD) District Attorney's Office, and Wisconsin Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare to improve timely and effective identification, assessment and treatment of women whose substance abuse has resulted in placement of their child in out of home care. The FDTC targets mothers or female legal guardians of children with a priority on new emergency detentions in which the child is age 0-12. FDTC will be an integrated family court with jurisdiction over the Child in Need of Protection and/or Services proceeding and the 4-phase FDTC program. Once engaged in this voluntary program, 94 participants (over 3 years) will: enroll in substance abuse treatment through BHD's provider network; receive recovery support services for health care, housing, education, employment, and transportation; and adhere to the FDTC Phase requirements, including weekly court appearances, random drug tests, visitation, reunification conditions, incentives and sanctions. Treatment engagement and retention, completion of phases, graduation, and family reunification are outcomes. An evaluator will gather child welfare, treatment, and court information into a coordinated database for quarterly and annual reporting.

CA/NCF