Rice County Treatment Court Enhancement Project

The Rice County Treatment Court (RCTC) Enhancement will enhance the capacity and service delivery of the existing RCTC with special emphasis on increasing direct, reliable, and timely access to community resources for participants, increasing participant accountability and increase team members capacity to meet participant needs. Through this enhancement plan, RCTC will increase inclusive practices, lower barriers to accessing culturally responsive services by developing formal partnerships with local organizations that special in culturally responsive services and diversify committee members to incorporate the input of historically underserved communities. This enhancement aligns with the 10 Key Components of evidence-based treatment courts. RCTC will increase the probability of post-commencement success and sustainable long-term recovery by expanding timely and reliable access to community resources and connections for RCTC participants, increasing service options for participant accountability and increasing team member availability and capacity to support participant needs. Achievement will occur through establishing formal partnerships with services providers facilitating peer recovery support, culturally responsive recovery navigation, education assistance, transportation, childcare, harm reduction options, and employment services. RCTC will develop and implement internal assistance programs to address the needs of safe drug-free housing, reliable transportation, and accessing government/identification documents. Additionally, RCTC will implement the use of various technology to manage location monitoring, hiring a part-time support staff to increase abstinence monitoring, and establishing a direct pathway to access withdrawal management services. Lastly, RCTC will secure consistent and reliable defense counsel, enhance the ability to provide a variety of incentive options, increase available pro-social activities, implement a centralized electronic record management system, and establish a continued education fund to ensure teams access to relevant and up to date training. Outcomes: RCTC enhancement plan will improve post-commencement recovery outcomes for RCTC participants, serving at least 60 treatment court participants over the course of the project, and reduce the impact of substance use on the community. Collectively, the primary activities will comprehensively reduce the gaps in the systems of support. Service Area: Rice County, Minnesota, with a population of 67,262 people, is located approximately 40 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Rice County Treatment Court has an established capacity to serve 25 participants at a given time. Intended Beneficiaries: Individuals eligible for and participating in Rice County Treatment Court programming, with a focus on underserved communities.