Enhancing Des Moines DUI Court through accessibility, accountability, support and technology.

Des Moines DUI Court is seeking funding under Category 3: Adult Drug Court (DUI Court) to enhance our existing court established in 2017.  Our court is a post-adjudication mandatory program.  The target population is the high risk/high needs offender as determined by validated risk/needs assessments such as the Computerized Assessment and Referral System (CARS), Impaired Driving Assessment (IDA) and/or Ohio Risk Assessment (ORAS) with at least two or more prior convictions for DUI related offenses.  The program is a minimum of 24 months and a maximum of sixty months.  The average length of participation is currently 30 months.  Our participants come from the greater Seattle area, however we have the capabilities of reaching potential participants within a fifty mile radius.

Participants are provided with access and referrals to licensed Washington State providers for substance use disorder, co-occurring disorder and medically assisted treatment who can treat those with alcohol, opioid, stimulant and other substance use disorders.  Additionally, our DUI Court has a Memorandum of Understanding with Lakeside Milam to provide services including evaluations, intakes, drug testing and in-patient/detox referrals to our clients.  Our case manager and public defenders work diligently with participants to engage them in services close to their home, work, or school that accepts their private insurance or Medicaid.  Additionally, we have resources and agencies available for those who cannot obtain health care coverage.

Des Moines DUI Court is requesting $392,500 for the duration of the grant.  We anticipate over the grant life period up to fifty DUI Court participants will receive services with these grant funds.  Our DUI Court is not currently seeking any other federal funding, however we are seeking a final year of partial funding through the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The following NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards are addressed in the application (beginning on page six): Target Population; Roles and Responsibilities of the Judge; Incentives, Sanctions, and Therapeutic Adjustments; Substance Use Disorder Treatment; Drug and Alcohol Testing; Multidisciplinary Team; Census and Caseloads and Monitoring and Evaluation.  Our primary goals, objectives and deliverables include: increasing our participant cap to 20+; enhancing our drug testing program; adding more staff to DUI Court case management; garnering knowledge and skills through trainings/conferences; providing client access to interpreters, jail alternatives and cognitive behavioral therapies; and providing more  early interventions such as evaluations, intakes and drug testing to potential DUI Court participants.