Louisiana Veterans and Drug Court Expansion Project

Louisiana legislation has triggered a policy shift resulting in reduced caseloads for Probation & Parole and reinvestment in evidence-based programming (such as specialty courts) to provide justice-involved citizens with the treatment/care needed to promote long-lasting success and healthy outcomes in lieu of incarceration. The Stakeholder Partnership of this project wish to take advantage of the moment through Category 4: Statewide Adult Drug Court Enhancement. This project will invest in a local TTA pilot to promote sustainable evidence-based practices and a broad strategy to align probation and parole specialized caseloads with treatment courts, beginning with mental health and veterans treatment courts. Without Federal funding, the Partnership would not be able to engage in a robust effort to get this accomplished, particularly with the benefit of adding a research/evaluation component that this grant offers; the timing could not be better for such targeted investment into the futures of these programs in Louisiana. This project seeks to enhance current practices by 1) targeted evidence-based training for P&P agents (primary) and other targeted stakeholders (such as court staff and critical law enforcers/correctional officers (secondary)); 2) piloting a new specialized caseload for P&P in two of its Districts, Amite and Covington, that will serve as a model for the state, if successful; 3) leverage and expand the peer support services currently available in the  throughout the service area to best serve the target population (justice-involved persons with SMI/COD); and 4) fund other gaps in services to provide the most robust evaluation of a model program for replication. All impacted specialty courts in the catchment area are post-adjudication with an average of 100 clients impacted annually. This project seeks $1,497,297 to support these aims.

Each program in the catchment area utilizes a multiphasic, 18-month approach as specified by best practices dictated by NADCP. MAT to address opioid use disorder is supported by both jurisdictions. In addition, each program works closely with their treatment providers to put into practice individualized treatment plans for each client to provide treatment and services for opioid use, stimulant use, and substance use disorders. This primarily project focuses on Standard IX of NADCP’s best practice standards (see page 9). The lead applicant has not received previous OJP funding to support specialty courts; however, subawardees and partners have received previous OJP support.