This is an archive of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP's) electronic newsletter OJJDP News @ a Glance. The information in this archived resource may be outdated and links may no longer function. Visit our website at https://www.ojjdp.gov for current information.
September | October 2015

OJJDP Hosts Family Drug Court Listening Session

On September 29–30, 2015, more than 40 state leaders, practitioners, family drug court experts, and child welfare and substance abuse treatment agency representatives gathered for an OJJDP-sponsored listening session on improving and enhancing family drug court services nationwide. The session was hosted by the American Institutes for Research in Washington, DC.

During the session, participants:

  • Reviewed lessons learned and the latest findings on the effectiveness of family drug courts.
  • Discussed processes for building an effective governance structure within the larger child welfare, substance abuse treatment, and judicial systems.
  • Explored strategies to achieve systems change.
  • Identified ways to improve practices and policies to serve families more efficiently.

In his introductory remarks, Administrator Listenbee emphasized OJJDP’s commitment to establishing new family drug court programs and expanding service delivery for existing programs. First established in Reno, NV, family drug courts address substance abuse and parenting within the child welfare system, with a focus on abuse and neglect cases in the family dependency court.

In fiscal years 2013 and 2014, OJJDP awarded nearly $8 million for family drug court implementation and enhancement, training, and technical assistance. Also, in fiscal year 2014, the Office awarded a $2.1 million grant to five states—Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, and New York—to implement family drug court reform statewide. The states are implementing systems reform to expand the scale and scope of family drug courts—increasing the courts’ reach into child welfare and substance abuse treatment systems—and ensuring the delivery of a full range of comprehensive services for families. Children and Family Futures (CFF), provides in-depth training and technical assistance to the five awardees and to family drug courts across the nation.

Family Drug Courts - Nationwide “Family drug courts have made great strides since the first one was established in Reno in 1995,” said Administrator Listenbee. “Now, 309 family drug courts in 36 states serve 30,000 children annually. And, according to research, these courts achieve significantly better outcomes compared to traditional family reunification services.”

On October 10, 2015, the Justice Department announced that it was awarding grants of more than $41 million to increase the effectiveness of adult, family, and juvenile drug courts nationwide.

“These awards continue our investment in an evidence-based approach that has been shown to make a difference, both in the lives of the participants and in the safety of their communities,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Karol V. Mason.

The competitive grant programs administered through OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Assistance will enhance training, establish statewide performance measures, and support local partnerships among judges, treatment and school programs, law enforcement, and others.

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With support from OJJDP, CFF partnered with leading drug court organizations and practitioners to develop Guidance to States: Recommendations for Developing Family Drug Court Guidelines. The publication, released in 2013, is serving as a roadmap for states and local jurisdictions to implement evidence-based practices in family drug courts.