St. Lucie County Adult Drug Court Enhancement Grant

St. Lucie County, with a population of 373,586 residents, established an Adult Drug Court (ADC) Program that has graduated over 900 participants since October 2002. The ADC functions as a pre-and post-adjudicatory program, addressing co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders through a multi-track system that differentiates participants by risk level. Program duration is based on the progress and clinical needs of the participant and typically spans 15 to 18 months for high-risk/high-need individuals. St. Lucie County is requesting funding in Category 2 Enhancement. If awarded, funds will be used to support program fees, including essential recovery support services for 160 eligible nonviolent high-risk/high-need participants over the life of the grant. Identification of eligible participants will occur at arraignment, followed by a screening process utilizing the RANT (Risk and Need Triage) tool, and completion of a financial affidavit to assess indigency for program fee assistance. A key strategy to this grant proposal involves hiring a wrap-around case manager to expand treatment and recovery services through the use of individualized case plans. Expedited assessments for FDA-approved Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) will enable prioritization for those at a higher risk of overdose. A second key strategy involves sending team members to attend the All Rise Annual Conference to advance efforts in adhering to All Rise Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards, ensuring fidelity to the team court model. To enhance equity and inclusion, the ADC will leverage support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to implement the Equity and Inclusion Assessment Tool (EIAT). This tool will help identify and rectify programmatic inequities, ensuring equal access to ADC for all eligible participants.