Bangor Family Treatment Drug 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 develop and establish drug courts for substance-abusing adults involved with the family dependency court as a result of child abuse and neglect issues. The program 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 Maine Judicial Branch seeks to establish a Family Treatment Drug Court in Bangor, Maine (BFTDC) to improve outcomes in child protective cases impacted by parental substance abuse. The BFTDC will target all parents with an open child protection case where substance abuse is indicated as a major contributor in the child's removal from the home. BFTDC participants will likely reflect the demography of the general child protective docket who are predominantly opiate addicted, Caucasian mothers, between the age of eighteen and thirty. Representatives from the Court, child welfare and behavioral health services will work as a team providing the target population with: frequent judicial oversight and monitoring; enhanced screening and assessment; integrated treatment and recovery support services; intensive case management supervision; random and monitored alcohol and drug testing; rewards and sanctions, and referrals to social supports including employment, educational and vocational services. As a result of these efforts, the BFTDC will increase retention in treatment, reduce substance abuse, expedite reunification or establish permanency more quickly, improve permanency and reunification outcomes and reduce recidivism. Progress will be measured by analyzing participant-level data entered into the Maine Drug Court Information System and development of an equivalent comparison group from which to evaluate outcomes. CA/NCF