Adult Drug Court Enhancement Project

The Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program is designed to assist states, state courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments in developing and establishing drug courts for substance-abusing adult and juvenile offenders. Drug court programs funded by the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program are required by law to target nonviolent offenders. The program supports the following activities: adult drug court implementation, single jurisdiction drug court enhancement, statewide drug court enhancement, and planning efforts.

The Citrus County Florida Drug Court will use their Fiscal Year 2009 Drug Court Enhancement grant funds to continue to provide non-violent offenders with drug and substance abuse services. They will incorporate 10 key components of the Federal Drug Court Model, utilizing evidence-based practices. The program is structured with three levels of treatment and aftercare. The various levels determine the frequency of the four required components of the program; court sessions, random drug screens, substance abuse treatment groups, and AA/NA meetings.

The Program requires a minimum of eight weeks in Level I, 22 weeks in Level II, 22 weeks in Level III, and 24 weeks in aftercare, for a combined minimum of 18 months to complete our Program. The program has two defined target populations, felony and dependency. Felony clients are those applicants who have eligible new law violations involving drug offenses, offenses with drug use, or those who have violated probation with a positive alcohol or drug (AOD) screen. Felony clients are not eligible if they have a criminal history of violent or sexual offenses, or charges relating to the sale or trafficking of drugs. Dependency clients are those applicants who have an open case with the Department of Children and Families requiring completion of the Drug Court program with a current history and pattern of substance abuse or addiction. All potential clients are interviewed using a comprehensive application verifying that they meet eligibility criteria. Eligible clients are then assessed by the treatment provider to determine the specific diagnosis and the best practices of treatment associated with that diagnosis. Client services are supervised by the Treatment Team, the Drug Court staff, and treatment is delivered by a Florida licensed substance abuse treatment provider.

The Treatment Team monitors progress of the program. Office Staff provide AOD screens, maintains all historical documentation, and notify clients of any changes in their status. The Substance Abuse Treatment Counselor meets with clients in both individual and group sessions, to develop and maintain client treatment plans, and evaluate the progress or stage of recovery. Additional social services will be provided to address co-occurring disorders, unemployment, domestic problems, education and clients with disabilities. The primary goal is to reduce alcohol and drug-related crimes and addictions, rehabilitate and provide additional substance abuse training, and programs to promote long term recovery in program participants.

CA/NCF