Ellis County Drug Court - An Adult Drug Court serving High Risk, Felony drug offenders within Ellis County, Kansas.

Total Amount Requested: $749,266Ellis County Drug Court is requesting assistance with the enhancement (Category 2) of its existing operations.  Priority consideration is sought due to its rural Kansas location.  The court began in 2018 and implemented training from NDCI to serve high-risk and high-needs offenders sentenced in Ellis County. Felony offenders with substance abuse disorder and convicted of non-violent crimes are eligible post adjudication.This project will allow the court to expand service in their Adult Drug Court to forty high-risk and high-needs drug-addicted offenders at once during the operations of the court, per year. The program can be completed in as little as fifteen months, but some have taken nearly three years to achieve their goals. The average graduate completes the program in approximately eighteen months.  This project will fund substance abuse treatment for participants through Smoky Hill Foundation. MAT services can be provided, but not locally. Peer mentor services will be funded at Smoky Hill Foundation, as well as clinical hours through High Plains Mental Health Center.  Recovery housing assistance will be provided at the local Oxford Houses. Defense attorney Curtis Brown will provide direct and ancillary legal services to participants. Evaluator Dr. Paul Lucas will continue with research and the evaluation of the court. A Family Recovery Group will be funded, which is a closed group for participants and their families to learn strategies to support recovery. Funding for team members to attend NADCP’s National Conference is included.  The budget is designed to break down barriers to success that include transportation, housing, mental health, and intensive substance abuse treatment.  The following NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards are addressed in the project narrative:  Standard I: Target Population, pages 1, 3, 11. Standard II: Equity and Inclusion, page 3. Standard III: Roles and Responsibilities of the Judge, page 7. Standard IV: Incentives, Sanctions and Therapeutic Adjustments, pages 4-5, 8. Standard V: Substance Use Disorder Treatment, pages 2, 6, 9-10, 12-13. Standard VI: Complementary Treatment and Social Services, pages 6-7, 10-12, 19. Standard VII: Drug and Alcohol Testing, page 5, 8. Standard VIII: Multidisciplinary Team, pages 10-11, 15. Standard X: Monitoring and Evaluation, pages 10, 20. Ellis County Drug Court currently receives funding from the 2019 BJA Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program, # 2019-DC-BX-0061. Their goal is to continue with funding to expand their treatment court. Ellis County Drug Court is not seeking any other federal funding.