Enhancing the Van Buren County Men's & Women's Treatment Court Programs

Van Buren County (VBC) Courts is seeking BJA Enhancement category #3 funds to enhance two Adult Drug Treatment Court Programs (one for men and one for women). VBC is a rural jurisdiction (per the US Census) located in the southwest corner of Michigan's lower peninsula. Both ADCs enroll participants pre- & post-adjudication.

The current proposal is seeking funds in the amount of $499,991. The total number of participants to receive grant-funded services over the 4-year grant period is 128. The length of program participation is 18 months minimum (5 years maximum). To date, the average participation among female graduates is 20.6 months and among females unsuccessfully discharged, the average term of enrollment is 8.9 months. To date, the average participation among male graduates is 21.6 months and among males unsuccessfully discharged, the average term of enrollment is 10.6 months.

The ADC admission protocol involves the Prosecuting Attorney screening potential participants for legal eligibility during the preliminary conference. Potentially eligible participants are then screened by ADC case managers using the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS), TCUDS-V with opioid addendum, CMHS-W/M, PCL-C, and a screening form mandated by the State of Michigan. The screening process typically takes 1 week to complete, and a formal clinical assessment is conducted within the first 30 days of participation.

Participants enter the ADC in one of two ways: Pre-adjudication track individuals plead guilty to the pending charges and enter the program. If successful in the ADC, the pending charges are dismissed. Post-adjudication participants are sentenced to the program as a condition of probation or probation violation sentence. All judges, defense attorneys, and prosecuting attorneys are knowledgeable of the ADC. The annual evaluations of both ADCs will monitor jurisdiction arrestee recorders to assess whether the ADC population mirrors the arrestee population in terms of various demographic characteristics. Moreover, reasons for individuals not enrolling in the ADC will also be monitored.

The target population of the ADC is non-violent, adult (18 years+) individuals whose substance abuse contributed to his/her involvement with the criminal justice system. The ADC prioritizes high-risk/high-need participants, so participants deemed eligible are then assessed by a treatment provider for clinical eligibility using the BSAP. Program participants have access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) [i.e., Naltrexone, Vivitrol, Antabuse, & Campral] through a partnership with Van Buren County Community Mental Health. Participants in need of substance use treatment to address opioid and/or stimulant addiction will be referred to clinical treatment and recovery support services that best meet their needs.  

This application addresses the following Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards:

BPS 1 (pgs. 2, 4, 7, 9, & 10)

BPS 5 (pgs. 7, 9, 13, & 20)

BPS 6 (pgs. 3, 4, 7, 9 14, 20)

BPS 8 (pgs. 7 & 9)

BPS 10 (pgs. 7, 9, 18, & 19)

BPS 3 (pgs. 4 & 12)

BPS 4 (pgs. 5 & 12)

BPS 7 (pgs. 5 & 11)

BPS 9 (pg. 4)

Van Buren County Courts is not leveraging other federal funding to support the ADCs. However, it has received grants from OJP to support treatment court programs: ADC (2008-DC-BX-0041, 2010-DC-BS-0029, 2017-DC-BX-0019); sobriety court (2020-DC-BX-0074); family treatment (2012-DC-BX-0070); & mental health (2019-MO-BX-0043), completed the Drug Court Planning Initiative in March 2008, & the DWI Foundational Training in August 2017.