Family Drug Court Statewide System Reform Implementation Grant Program

OJJDP is seeking to infuse effective family drug court practices established at the local level and institutionalize them in the larger state-level child welfare, substance abuse treatment, and court systems. The purpose of this state systems improvement effort is to expand the scale of family drug courts and scope to serve all families in the child welfare system affected by parental substance abuse issues more effectively and improve child, parent, and family outcomes.

The New York State Unified Court System seeks to continue the Statewide System Reform Program (SSRP) which reforms how courts respond to families in the child welfare system affected by substance use disorders. The objectives of this program are to achieve earlier identification of substance use disorders, improve parental participation and length of stay in treatment, and increase rates of family reunification. The Child Welfare Court Improvement Project (CWCIP) will support multi-disciplinary collaboration in designated New York jurisdictions to replicate the practices piloted in eight counties in up to an additional fourteen. The projected outcome of implementing improved strategies in twenty-two counties is benefiting 85% of children who are the subjects of child welfare petitions. CWCIP goals include (1) continuing two CWCIP staff from the planning stage, (2) contracting with a technical assistance entity to add staff supporting implementation, (3) continuing the established organizational structure which promoted cross-system collaboration in the pilot counties, and (4) refining and expanding the work of the pilot counties. The implementation phase will build on the objectives from the planning phase to support families affected by substance abuse issues in the child welfare system. CA/NCF