Thurston County Family
and Juvenile Court Drug Treatment Courts
Family and Juvenile Court has several programs aimed at
rehabilitating parents and youth with drug or alcohol dependency:
• Family Treatment Court for Dependency Cases:
In 2000, Thurston County was the first
Court in the state to develop a Treatment Court program for parents
whose children have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
To a large degree, this program follows the mode) of criminal drug courts,
requiring weekly court appearances and participation in intensive drug and
alcohol treatment. Parents are additionally required to be fully engaged in
services to correct other parental deficiencies and are assigned a DSHS
social worker. The frequent formal court contact with parents provides an
opportunity to validate good work and redirect those who may be getting off
track. The program has served 112 parents since it began. Seventy parents
have been reunited with their children. The reunification rate is
significantly higher than for parents who do not participate in the
Treatment Court program.
• Family Treatment Court without a Dependency
Case:
In 2001 a second Family Treatment Court was developed
to assist parents in dissolution, paternity and non-parental custody actions
in achieving and maintaining sobriety and reestablishing their relationship
with their children. This treatment court operates on the same principles as
the Dependency Treatment Court but does not have the staffing or funding of
that court. Parents must find their own treatment resources. Since its'
inception, Family Treatment Court has had approximately 80 participants and
30 graduates. Graduates unanimously attribute their success to this program.
• Juvenile Drug Court:
In 2006, Thurston County started a Juvenile Drug Court with state funding
from the Chemical Dependency Disposition Alternative program. The Drug Court
currently has a capacity to serve up to 16 youth at a time who are assessed
to be chemically dependent. The program offers youth an alternative to full
prosecution for certain cases. Program participants are required to attend
court weekly, participate in intensive drug or alcohol treatment, and are
subject to case management by Juvenile Probation staff. Ten youth are
presently participating in this program.
None of the Family and Juvenile Court's Treatment programs has
earmarked funding. Two of the programs have access to treatment resources
for clients. There is no budget in any of the three programs to provide
incentives to clients or to celebrate graduations. Stakeholders in each
court would like to raise money in the community to fund these aspects
essential to program operation. Each program has considered forming its own
non-profit organization for these limited fundraising purposes.
Alternatively, each program is interested in an alliance with the Community
Drug Court Foundation - as a fully recognized part of the Thurston County
Drug Court community - or as a fiscal partner so that funds raised by these
drug courts could be accepted by the Foundation and distributed back through
the Foundation as needed.
To view the Thurston County Family & Juvenile Court Web Site -
CLICK HERE