Expansion of Parental Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment Services and Resources

The OJJDP Family Drug Court Program seeks to build the capacity of states, state and local courts, units of local government, and federally recognized tribal governments to sustain existing family drug courts or establish new family drug courts. Category 1: Enhancing Family Drug Courts will support courts that are fully operational (for at least 1 year) to enhance services of existing family drug courts.

The Hancock County Family Treatment Court will expand evidence-based treatment services and social resources for parents diagnosed with substance abuse disorders who are involved in the child welfare system in Hancock County and further implement family treatment court best practice standards. The goal is to provide comprehensive treatment, social services, and support to parents and families, increasing reunification and decreasing recidivism. A secondary goal is to reduce the time children are in out-of-home care. The court plans to partner with Tulane University School of Medicine and School of Social Work (Porter-Cason Institute for the Family) to expand its treatment court services and implement best practices. The program will provide individualized counseling for addiction and other diagnoses, medication management, group therapy, family counseling, frequent random drug testing, on-call services, social services, regular court interface and staffing, coordination with child welfare services, and other individualized and family services as needed. CA/NCF