Porter County Juvenile & Family Drug Court
Overview
Porter County has been identified as an area with substantial substance abuse problems for both adults and juveniles. Following the implementation of the County's successful adult Alcohol & Other Drug Court Services project, the Circuit Court aims to create a specialized Juvenile Drug Court. This Court will follow the guidelines of the Indiana Judicial Center's Problem Solving Court Rules in accordance to Indiana Code 33-23-16 and under the approval of Circuit & Superior Court Local Problem Solving Court Rules. The Court shall also adhere to the Principles of Effective Intervention and the U.S. Department of Justice's sixteen strategies to implement a juvenile drug court. These strategies include: collaborative planning, teamwork, clearly defining a target population and eligibility criteria, judicial involvement and supervision, monitoring and evaluation, community partnerships, comprehensive treatment planning, providing developmentally appropriate services, gender-appropriate services, cultural competence, focus on strengths, family engagement, educational linkages, drug testing, goal-oriented incentives and sanctions, and confidentiality.
The Porter County Juvenile & Family Drug Court (PCJFDC) shall provide programming and supervision to juveniles identified with either substance dependence and/or severe substance abuse. The mission of the PCJFDC is as follows:
"The Juvenile Drug Court program shall focus on reduced recidivism and the improved quality of life for juvenile offenders and their families. By the means of intensive supervision, judicial oversight, promotion of pro-social activities, and planned rehabilitation services, juvenile offenders will learn skills and experience a system of support which promotes their recovery from substance abuse."
Goals & Objectives
The Porter County Juvenile & Family Drug Court shall promote substance free living for identified juveniles while focusing on reduction of drug-related criminal activity in the community. In order to enable juveniles to attain this goal, the following areas of functioning shall be embraced: Individual, Family, Peer, and Community. These areas are focused on while embracing the eight Principles of Effective Intervention (Assess Actuarial Risk/Needs, Enhance Intrinsic Motivation, Target Interventions, Skill Train with Directed Practice, Increase Positive Reinforcement, and Engage Ongoing Support in Natural Communities, Measure Relevant Processes/Practices, and Provide Measurement Feedback).
To this end, the goals and objectives of the PCJFDC are:
- Foster positive life skills encouraging productive functioning free of substances in the community (Individual)
- Foster positive relationships with members of the community
- Increase independent living skills of the juvenile
- Help juvenile engage in educational programming
- Identify needs and strengths of the family and environmental support (Family)
- Empower families to set boundaries and parameters in the home with the substance abusing juvenile
- Provide education and support to increase family functioning and problem solving
- Identify and address other family needs in the home to assist in family stability
- Develop and maintain positive peer relationships through pro-social activities (Peer)
- Foster positive relationships with peers free of substance use
- Encourage commitment to positive interactions with peers in the community
- Maintain substance free living while developing new relationships
- Promote accountability and develop relationships in pro-social events (Community)
- Implement independent living skills in social environments, such as employment, community groups, extracurricular activities
- Encourage supportive relationships with adults in our community
- Engage in community activities that foster substance free living
Program Phases
Phase One (Target 12 weeks/3 months) – "ORIENTATION PHASE"
Drug Court Team Responsibilities:
- The Drug Court Team shall review all Phase I rules and conditions with the participant and his/her family.
- Referral to Family Court Services as identified.**
Juvenile Responsibilities:
- Juvenile's beginning the Drug Court shall be placed on either Drug Court Monitoring I or II. Determination of which program shall be determined by the Drug Court Team.
- Juvenile to achieve 30 consecutive days with "negative" drug screens to advance to phase two.
- Juvenile and parent to attend Court each week and bring Drug Court Binder.
- Attend face-to-face Probation meetings as directed.
- Juvenile and parents to aid in creation of Phase I Case Plan in conjunction with the juvenile's therapist.
- Juvenile and parents to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff.
- Attend individual counseling as directed.
- Attend substance abuse treatment as directed.
- Attend any other treatment program as directed and listed in the Drug Court Case Plan and/or Treatment Plan.
- Juvenile to complete Relationship Ring with their therapist as directed.
- Juvenile to complete treatment plan with therapist as directed.
- Juvenile to attend school or approved educational program and/or obtain employment.
- Juvenile to obtain weekly progress reports from teachers/employers.
- Juvenile to begin formulation of Relapse Prevention Plan as directed by their therapist.
- Juvenile to be assigned to the Chronic Offender Response Team.
- Juvenile and parents to assist in completion of Phase II Case Plan as directed by Probation Officer.
- Juvenile and parents to complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of phase one
Parent Responsibilities:
- Juvenile and parent to attend Court each week and bring Drug Court Binder.
- Juvenile and parents to aid in creation of Phase I Case Plan in conjunction with the juvenile's therapist.
- Parent(s) to attend counseling services as identified and directed.
- Parent(s) to attend Probation meetings as directed.
- Parents and juvenile to identify a minimum of three appropriate peers for their child's Contact List. Parents shall meet with identified peers.
- Parents and Probation Officer to identify restricted areas within the home.
- Juvenile and parents to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff.
- Parents engage and participate in substance abuse assessment and follow all recommendations, if requested.
- Parents to submit to a urinalysis as directed.
- Juvenile and parents to assist in completion of Phase II Case Plan as directed by Probation Officer.
- Juvenile and parents to complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of phase one.
Phase Two (Target 12 weeks/3 months) – "WORKING PHASE"
Drug Court Team Responsibilities:
- Drug Court Team to review all rules and conditions of Phase II with the juvenile and his/her parent.
- Drug Court Team to establish and review juvenile's curfew weekly.
- Referral to Family Court Services as identified.**
Juvenile Responsibilities:
- Juvenile to achieve an additional 45 consecutive days with clean drug screens to advance to phase three.
- Attend Court every week or as directed by the Court.
- Attend face-to-face Probation meetings as directed.
- Attend individual counseling as directed by therapist.
- Continued participation in the Chronic Offender Response Team.
- Juvenile and parent to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff.
- Juvenile to attend substance abuse treatment as directed by therapist
- Juvenile to write an assignment related to ongoing treatment when directed by Team.
- Juvenile to choose an approved pro-social activity to participate in throughout the program.
- Juvenile to attend school or approved educational program and/or obtain employment.
- Juvenile to obtain weekly progress reports from teachers/employers.
- Juvenile to create and finalize Relapse Prevention Plan with therapist as directed.
- Juvenile to aid in completion of Phase III Case Plan with therapist when directed.
- Juvenile to maintain daily journal.
- Complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of phase two.
Parent Responsibilities:
- Attend Court every week or as directed by the Court.
- Juvenile and parent to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff.
- Parent(s) to attend counseling services as identified and directed.
- Parent(s) to attend Probation meetings as directed.
- Parents and Probation Officer to review appropriate peer list and possibly add to Contact List. Parents shall meet with peers.
- Parents and Probation Officer to review restricted areas within the home and possibly reduce restrictions.
- Parents participate in ongoing substance abuse treatment, if recommended by therapist.
- Complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of phase two.
Phase Three (Target 12 weeks/3 months) – "MAINTENANCE PHASE"
Drug Court Team Responsibilities:
- Drug Court Team to review rules and conditions of Phase III with juvenile and his/her parents.
- Drug Court Team to establish and review juvenile's curfew weekly.
- Referral to Family Court Services as identified.**
Juvenile Responsibilities:
- Juvenile to achieve and additional 60 consecutive days with clean drug screens to advance to phase four.
- Attend Court two times per month or as directed by the Court
- Juvenile to attend Probation meetings as directed.
- Juvenile to attend individual counseling as directed by therapist.
- Continued participation in the Chronic Offender Response Team, if necessary.
- Juvenile and parents to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff, as deemed appropriate per participant.
- Juvenile to attend substance abuse treatment as directed by therapist.
- Review Relapse Prevention Plan with therapist.
- Choose an approved second pro-social activity to participate in throughout the program.
- Attend school or approved educational program and/or obtain employment.
- Weekly progress reports from teachers/employers.
- Juvenile to attend Victim Impact Panel.
- Juvenile to participate in Drug Court Participant Group as directed.
- Juvenile to participate in completion of Phase IV Case Plan with therapist.
- Complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of phase three.
Parent Responsibilities:
- Attend Court two times per month or as directed by the Court
- Juvenile and parents to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff, as deemed appropriate per participant.
- Parent(s) to attend counseling services as identified and directed.
- Parent(s) to attend Probation meetings as directed.
- Parents and Probation Officer to review appropriate peer list and possibly add others to Contact List. Parents to meet peers.
- Parents and Probation Officer to review restricted areas within the home and possibly end restrictions, if appropriate.
- Parents participate in ongoing substance abuse treatment, if recommended.
- Complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of phase three.
Phase Four (Target 12 weeks/3 months) – "GRADUATION PHASE"
Drug Court Team Responsibilities:
- Drug Court Team shall review all rules and conditions of Phase IV with juvenile and his/her parents.
- Juvenile shall obtain a curfew as agreed by Team and parents.
- Referral to Family Court Services as identified.**
Juvenile Responsibilities:
- Juvenile to achieve and additional 90 consecutive days with clean drug screens to advance to graduation.
- Attend Court one time per month or as directed by the Court.
- Juvenile to attend Probation meetings as directed by Probation Officer.
- Juvenile to attend individual counseling as directed by therapist.
- Juvenile and parents to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff, as deemed appropriate per participant.
- Juvenile to attend substance abuse counseling as directed by therapist.
- Continued participation in the Chronic Offender Response Team, if necessary.
- Juvenile to write an assignment related to completion of treatment.
- Continue in pro-social activities through the program.
- Attend school or approved educational program and/or obtain employment.
- Juvenile to develop and participate in a service learning project as directed.
- Complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of program.
Parent Responsibilities:
- Attend Court one time per month or as directed by the Court.
- Juvenile and parents to ensure attendance and participation at any home visits performed by Drug Court staff, as deemed appropriate per participant.
- Parent(s) to attend counseling services as identified and directed.
- Parent(s) to attend Probation meetings as directed by Probation Officer.
- Parents monitor peers and continue to evaluate appropriateness of each.
- Parents participate in ongoing substance abuse treatment, if recommended.
- Complete letter to the Judge to petition completion of program.