ADDRESSING DIVERSITY

IN DWI COURTS:

LESSONS LEARNED FROM

ACADEMY COURTS

ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY

DUI/DRUG COURT

Judge Charles Auslander

Court CoordinatorLee Rushton

Building A Strong Team

Benefits of having two Judges include:• Judges provide relief to each other in Program

responsibilities

• Consistency for participants and team

• Greater comfort level for team and participant

Two Judges work as the Team Leaders in the Program

Building A Strong Team

Benefits of treatment attending staffing:• Counselors directly report any necessary

information on each participant’s progress

• Accuracy of the information improved on each participant

• Minimizes triangulation by a participant

• Allows for instant feedback from team members

All Counselors Attend Staffing

Building A Strong Team

Benefits of full-time PO:• Provides consistency in supervision for all

participants

• Acts as a single point of contact for compliance issues

• Can supervise after hours

• Can perform house and welfare checks

One full-time certified probation officer handles the supervision of all participants

Building A Strong Team

Benefits of representative attending staffing:• The staff member directly relays information on

participants residing within the Diversion Center

• Reduces a participant’s ability to use triangulation

• Allows incorporation of available resources to help provide a more job training and continuing education programs

Diversion Center Representative regularly attends staffing

Abstinence Monitoring

• Results within one business day

• The Lab Director is able to regularly attend staffings, answer testing questions, and keeps team informed as to the latest trends

• Communication is more effective and allows the Program to stay informed on any necessary issues

On-Site Lab provides greater efficiency and service

Abstinence Monitoring

• The Drug Lab is open for testing 10 hours per day, 5 days a week (Monday-Friday). Alternative testing site for Saturdays and Sundays

• Eliminates windows of possible use

• Back up testing site available for missed screens

• Allows for flexibility for the participant’s schedules

Increased Accountability through testing 7 days a week

Community Partnerships

• Allows the participant to remain employed, or will assist a participant to gain employment

• Allows participant to attend the Program’s requirements, including substance abuse counseling and 12 step meetings

Diversion Center: an alternative to traditional incarceration which includes

work release and educational opportunities

Community Partnerships

• The Phoenix Project is a collaborative effort to create a network of wrap around accountability, support, education and employment services for individuals involved in the legal system

• The intent of the Phoenix Project is to address needs, which when successfully met, prevent and intervene in criminal behavior. The project will focus primarily on addressing needs related to accessing and utilizing 1) continuing education opportunities; 2) resources for employment training and skill development; and 3) services for managing underlying alcohol/drug and mental health concerns

The Phoenix Project

Community Partnerships

Other Non-ProfitsLocal Recovery Residences:

Acceptance Recovery Center (ARC) for long-term residential substance use treatment. The Palm House for sober living environment

Medical Services:The Athens Mercy Clinic provides indigent medical care

Athens Nurses Clinic for Low Income/Indigent medical care.Athens Specialty Care Clinic for HIV/AIDS population

Mental Health Services:Advantage Behavioral Health Systems for higher “levels of care” treatment for mental illness and substance abuse detox

Victim Services: Project Safe for domestic violence interventions and support The Cottage for sexual assault interventions and support

Basic Needs Assistance:The Food BankBus Passes

Local Employers

MAT Partnerships

• The Council of Accountability Court Judges of Georgia provides an MAT Grant to cover costs.

• Alkermes provides Vivatrol medication at a discounted rate.

• Medlink provides medical services to dispense the Vivatrol medication.

Judge Mary Jane Knisely

Court CoordinatorChristina Escamilla

STEER

obriety

reatment

ducation

xcellence

ehabilitation

Montana Population1,000,000

Yellowstone County Population 155,634

Billings Population 109,000

Four reservations surrounding Billings:

Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Fort Peck, Fort Belknap

Montana is currently ranked 4th on the list for 10 worst states for problems

with drivers under the influence

STEER History

Established in January 2011

Serves high risk/high need felony offenders• DUI, Criminal Endangerment, and Aggravated DUIs

Served over 230 clients

Multidisciplinary team• Judge, coordinator, prosecutor, defense counsel,

Billings Police Department, Highway Patrol, probation & parole, and substance abuse treatment staff

STEER Sustainability

Client Programming Fees• $40/week for drug testing• $10/week for court

Montana Department of Transportation (MDT)Yellowstone County DUI Task ForceSAMHSA Expansion GrantMedicaid ExpansionRiverStone Health

• Community medical referral & infection disease testing

Additional Community Support

Court Depot 13

Continuous Alcohol Monitoring

• SCRAM a minimum of 90 days

• CBAC – portable breath test device

• Ethyl Glucuronide Test (ETG)

• Frequent and random drug testing

• Immediate notification of positive alcohol and

drug testing results, allowing swift therapeutic

sanction/intervention

Telemed Therapy Services

• Addresses rural Montana

• Develop a detailed treatment plan at the end of phase one

• Once it has been presented and approved they are granted

permission to relocate to their original home

• Appear via PolyCom for court appearances

• Required to continue drug testing, self-help meetings,

substance abuse counseling, and continue to be monitored

by the Department of Corrections

Substance Abuse TreatmentEvaluated by a certified Licensed

Addictions Counselor (LAC)

Evidence-Based Treatment Services

Detox Patients at risk for complications of withdrawal as a result of their use of mood altering substances.

Inpatient Designed as a medically monitored 24 hour, seven day a week program for those who have addictive illnesses.

Day Treatment Patients who may require more than 12 hours of daily intensive therapy in which to gain skills to implement an abstinence-based recovery plan.

Intensive Outpatient Provide quality addiction treatment while allowing you to maintain your commitments at work, school, or home.

Aftercare/Relapse Prevention

Provides ongoing support for patients early in recovery who have recently completed a more intensive treatment program.

Medication Assisted Treatment

VivitrolProven to treat alcohol dependence and opioid

dependence. Should be taken with counseling

Medication targets limbic region

• Basic drives or urges

• Rewards

• Pleasure

Counseling targets the cortex

• Decision-making

• Thinking

• Reasoning

• Planning

True North

• Re-entry offender based program – began in 2016

• 3.5 level of care

• Incarcerated for a minimum of 90 days

• Minimum program length of time is 90 days

• Community re-entry (must have a job, save and secure housing)

• 5 participants of STEER successfully completed

Day Treatment

• Can be used as a step-down program for clients

who have completed a 3.1 - 3.5 level of care

• 30 hours/week of Individual/Group counseling

• Living in Balance/Life Skills

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)/Thinking Errors

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

• Family Week

Yoga & Art Therapy

• Gender Specific

• Provides a safe and supportive environment

for men and women to encourage each other

in their healing and recovery

• Improve self-esteem

• Creative outlet

• Healthy leisure activity

• Stress relief

Yoga & Art Therapy

SOUTH ST. LOUIS

COUNTY DWI COURT

Judge Shaun Floerke

Court CoordinatorBeth Elstad

Who We Are

DWI Court opened doors 2008

NPC Research MN Statewide Evaluation all DWI Courts 2014:

• Working at full capacity – 50 clients

• Highest grad rate (86%)

• Highest Risk Profile

• Lowest Recidivism (Participants and Grads)

• Third Highest Cost Savings

Targeting

Felons (4 in 10)

6 days mandatory minimum if in treatment courts

Expanded to prison bound felonies

Best Practices

Minimize Jail Time

Courts that

typically impose

jail longer than 6

days have higher

(worse) recidivism

Mandatory

No fighting

Probation meets you at the jail

Can bail, challenge, litigate everything

Ultimately if you are in, there are only two doors out

Comprehensive Evaluation

Legal screening including RANT DWI: determines need/risk

Comprehensive clinical assessment (determines need) – Single treatment provider

LS/CMI done after the fact

NPS Stats: targeting works, solid outcomes and cost savings

Reduced Recidivism

Compared to offenders who experienced traditional court processes, the SSLC participants (regardless of where they graduated from the program) had:

• 3 times fewer rearrests for any charge in Year 1

• 66% fewer rearrests, and 66% fewer new DWI arrests 3 years after program entry

• Half as many victimizations (person and property arrests) 2 years after entry

• 60% fewer felony arrests 2 years after entry

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

1 Year 2 Years 3 Years

0.100.25

0.510.11

0.28

0.500.34

0.62

0.83

Ave

rage

Nu

mb

er

of

Re

arre

sts

Number of Years from DWI Court Entry

Graduates DWI Court Comparison

Reduced Recidivism

High-risk participants (individuals with three or

more prior arrests) had the highest reductions in

recidivism (showing the greatest benefit from this

program), while lower risk participants (those

with two or fewer prior arrests) show little

reductions in recidivism

Reduced Recidivism Cost Savings

Overall, the SSLC program had:

• A criminal justice system cost savings of $2,407 per participant per year

• A 128% return on its investment after 5 years (a 1:1.28 cost-benefit ratio)

• A 255% return on its investment after 10 years (a 1:2.55 cost-benefit ratio)

Trauma Informed

Learning that our participants had higher incidents of ACE’s

Trauma guided treatment placement

Gender specific treatment and court programming

Gender Tracks

1/5 female

Gnawing sense it wasn’t working

Research on treatment outcomes, gender difference

Split

Dynamic change for both groups

Evidence Based

Feedback Informed Treatment

No “one side fits all” INDIVIDUALIZED (tough to teach a court)

Multi-pathways to recovery

Treatment

Full continuum of care

When a need/gap was identified we created it

Community collaboration

Progressive & Pragmatic

Treatment

Evaluation

Peer Reviews

Ongoing team/community training

Innovative

Yoga

Dedicated probation officer to Ignition Interlock

Gender specific alumni groups

Multiple pathways to recovery ~ multiple pathways to monitor and supervise

EL PASO DWI DRUG

COURT INTERVENTION &

TREATMENT PROGRAM

Judge Robert Anchondo

Court CoordinatorLeticia Medina

Law Enforcement & Treatment

• El Paso Police Officer since 2000

• Assigned to Patrol Operations till 2005

• SFST Certified and Intox Operator

• Transferred to the DWITF

• Assigned to the CCR#2 DWI Treatment Court in 2007 as a Surveillance Officer

Officer Juan Ferrel

Law Enforcement & Treatment

• 19 year Veteran with El Paso Sherriff ’s Office

• Worked 4 years in County Jail as a member of SRT

• Assigned 7 years in the Patrol Division (3 years as FTO)

• Assigned to the CCR#2 DWI Treatment Court in 2009

• Assigned part time to the STI Unit from 2009-2010

• Surveillance Officer for the Veterans Treatment Court from 2012-2014

• SFST Certified and IntoxOperator

• Medal of Valor Recipient

Officer Julio Gonzalez

History

Started by Judge Robert Anchondo in 2004

Program began with only 2 offenders

As of 2016, 480 offenders have participated in the program

360 offenders have graduated

26 graduates have re-offended since graduating the program

History

93 offenders have been revokes, modified or otherwise removed from the program since 2004

Recidivism rate of the program is 14%

Success Rate of the DWI Drug Court Program is

86%

How We Became Involved

Officer Julio GonzalezOfficer Juan Ferrel

• Assigned full-time to the County Criminal Court #2 DWI program since 2007

• Salary partially covered CDJ grant then in-kind

• Assigned part-time to the County Criminal Court #2 DWI program since 2009

• Salary in-kind

Law Enforcement Objectives

Duties and Roles of Law Enforcement

How LE helps treatment providers

Importance of having LE on your team

Role of Law Enforcement

Conduct Home Visits

Compliance Checks & Surveillance Checks

Attend Court Staffings, Hearings & Graduations

LE & Treatment

How Our Experience Helps Treatment

Increased Credibility & Accountability

A Broader Base of Support

Verification of Information

Sharing Information

Increased Credibility & Support

Keep them honest

Check/verify information provided to counselor

Living conditions

Social media

A Broader Base of Support

Available 24/7

Photographs

Body Language

Patterns

Home Environment

Verification of Information

False Documents

Locations

Work

Excuses

Sharing Information

Importance of Law Enforcement

Field ExperienceObservation SkillsInvestigate SkillsInterviewing SkillsSafetyArrest PowersStreet KnowledgeLatest Crime TrendsVisibility

Questions?