Coordinated Collaborative Court Screening and Referral Initiative

Best Practices for treatment courts advocate for minimal delay between arrest and placement in programs, yet analysis of the San Mateo County collaborative courts reveals a significant average delay of over 200 days. At the same time, the opioid crisis is worsening. The San Mateo Superior Court located in San Mateo County, California plans to address both issues by creating a unified diagnostic and screening calendar. The goal of this calendar is to create a place where cases may be referred for robust screening and diagnostic services post arraignment. The calendar will allow the court to monitor treatment in jail and ensure handoffs between jail and community-based treatment are as seamless as possible. 
 
This calendar, supported by a case manager based in correctional health services and two Partners for Justice Advocates based in the County Private Defender Program, would collect information and assess defendants from the Maguire and Maple Street Correctional Facilities for eligibility across treatment court programs. The proposed project emphasizes motivational engagement and judicial oversight to ensure seamless transitions between custodial and community-based treatment.  This three-year project is expected to decrease delay in referrals, enhance treatment outcomes and streamline court processes.  

 
The Court anticipates that the project will serve approximately 822 participants with substance use disorder over three years. The jails and the County Health System already provide a robust array of treatment and supportive services, but service coordination is lacking. The proposed case manager would serve as the lynchpin in maintaining continuity of care between correctional and community settings