Overview
Juvenile Drug Treatments Courts (JDTCs) are specialized courts for youth with substance use or co-occurring disorders who come into contact with the juvenile justice systems.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program provides resources to state, local, and Tribal governments to create and enhance juvenile drug court programs for youth in the justice system with substance use challenges, specifically related to opioid use.
Funding
Since 2015, OJJDP has awarded over $24 million to fund JDTCs and over $10 million to fund training and technical assistance for these courts. In fiscal year (FY) 2021, OJJDP awarded more than $7.86 million to provide resources to state, local and Tribal governments to create and enhance juvenile drug treatment court programs.
- FY 2015–$4 million | $4 million for training and technical assistance
- FY 2016–$3 million for training and technical assistance
- FY 2017–$1,378,971
- FY 2018–$2,747,109
- FY 2019–$3 million | $3 million for training and technical assistance
- FY 2020–$5,077,277
- FY 2021–$7,860,740
Training and Technical Assistance
The goal of the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program is to assist courts in aligning with best practices and direct JDTC programs to better outcomes that are aimed at reducing substance use and recidivism.
The TTA program enables states, state and local courts, units of local government, and Tribal governments to develop, maintain, and enhance drug courts for juveniles and parents/guardians with substance abuse problems or co-occurring mental health disorders, specifically those related to opioid abuse.
The training sessions are geared toward funded and non-funded drug courts and take place across multiple platforms such as virtual sessions, in-person meetings, and technical assistance briefs for the field.
OJJDP awarded the 2019 Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Training and Technical Assistance Program to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) through a competitive process.
OJJDP provides coordination and training resources to JDTC practitioners through its network of TTA providers. OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination and training resources to JDTC practitioners through its network of TTA providers. OJJDP's National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) connects JDTC court professionals with targeted training and resources.
Tune-in-Tuesdays is a quarterly webinar series from NCJFCJ. The webinars provide participants with practical tools to address common challenges in JDTC programs in key topics and practice areas.
Contact
Leanetta Jessie
[email protected]
202–598–1160
Resources
The Adolescent Recovery Oriented Systems of Care is a multi-year project for juvenile drug treatment courts that seek to innovate by applying the principles of recovery capital to improve operations and enhance positive youth development.
Bureau of Justice Assistance's National Drug Court Resource Center – The center provides court professionals with resources to design, implement, expand and enhance court operations that align with best practices.
FindTreatment.gov – This resource from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration allows website visitors to search anonymously and confidentially for treatment for mental and substance use disorders.
JDTC Listserv – The listserv is a peer-to-peer networking and information sharing platform for juvenile drug treatment court professionals. Subscribers can engage with fellow colleagues, ask questions from the field and seek resource information.
Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Map – This interactive treatment court map from the National Drug Court Resource Center will display juvenile drug treatment court programs by location across the United States.
Motivational Interviewing Skills in Action for Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Teams: A Technical Assistance Bulletin (MI TAB) – Developed by NCJFCJ, this bulletin is designed to be a supplemental guide for practitioners who have already received motivational interviewing training. It consists of an information card and set of cue cards with which to apply motivational interviewing skills and strategies within the context of a Juvenile Drug Treatment Court.
TTA 360 – This is a centralized online request system from OJJDP's NTTAC that allows the public to submit request to OJJDP's TTA providers, create and manage their account, and view progress on requests in real-time.
Publications
- Final Report of the Cross-Site Evaluation of the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court (JDTC) Guidelines: Executive Summary
- In Focus Fact Sheet: Drug Courts
- Initiative To Develop and Test Guidelines for Juvenile Drug Courts
- Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Guidelines
- Creating Safety During Covid-19 and Beyond
- Starting a Juvenile Drug Court: A Planning Guide