The Colorado Juvenile Drug Treatment Court fidelity Improvement Project

OJJDP's FY 2017 Juvenile Drug Treatment Court (JDTC) Program will support existing JDTCs in implementing system changes, service delivery, and programming practices that are in alignment with the JDTC Guidelines released in December of 2016.

The Colorado Judicial Department’s Colorado Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Fidelity Improvement Program will improve the statewide service delivery of integrated treatment courts that primarily work with young people ages 14 to 17 through the implementation of an accreditation process that assesses, evaluates, and enhances programming statewide for this population. Currently, the Colorado Judicial Department has increased programmatic support to juvenile problem-solving courts through a training track at the Colorado Convening on Children Youth and Families focusing on strategies to engage juvenile offenders and improving data-driven decision-making practices.

The project will (1) survey the active programs that meet the eligibility criteria to measure their current policies and practices in order to determine targeted priorities for developing implementation or reinforcement strategies; (2) strategize methods to evaluate and maintain performance in anticipation of integrating into the Colorado Problem-Solving Court Accreditation Program; and (3) develop an implementation guide for the other 17 jurisdictions in Colorado to provide evidence-based programs that serve young people with substance use or mental health disorders and maintain fidelity to reduce involvement in the criminal justice system.
CA/NCF