Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program

The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Formula Grant Program (RSAT) assists states and local governments in developing and implementing substance abuse treatment programs in state and local correctional and detention facilities. The RSAT Program also assists states and local governments in creating and maintaining community-based aftercare services for offenders who are released from institutionally based substance abuse programs. Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Formula Grant funds may be used to implement three types of programs. At least 10 percent of the total state allocation for FY 2009 shall be made available to local correctional and detention facilities (provided such facilities exist) for either residential substance abuse treatment programs or jail-based substance abuse treatment programs as defined below.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the State Administering Agency, will utilize grant funds to maintain the continuity of existing RSAT programs and sustain the following goals: (1) Provide six to twelve months of substance abuse treatment for juvenile offenders incarcerated in state facilities; (2) Provide six to twelve months of substance abuse services for adult offenders incarcerated in state facilities and/or under community supervision. (These offenders will participate in a comprehensive array of substance abuse programming at major institutions, work camps, community correctional centers, and community based facilities. They will range from low intensity psycho-education and day/night treatment to high intensity residential therapeutic community programs); and, (3) Ten percent of grant funds will be used to provide a three month minimum of substance abuse services for adult and/or juvenile offenders incarcerated in local facilities and/or under community supervision.

The DJJ program model utilizes a therapeutic community approach, including 12-step counseling, individual counseling, group counseling, drug testing, other drug treatment, mental health counseling, victim awareness, domestic violence reduction, family counseling, impulse/anger control, and job skills development. The program model has three phases of activity. Phase I focuses on introducing juveniles to the supportive peer environment, and to personal examination and reflection. Phase II focuses on relapse prevention and transition planning. Phase III focuses on treatment which prepares the juvenile for return home and into the community. Phase II includes family transition meetings, contact with community support groups, community service, and job skills development.

The State of Florida has also allocated the use of funds to expand mental health and RSAT services for prisoners in state adult correctional facilities and in community based residential treatment facilities. The Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) operates a comprehensive array of substance abuse programming for incarcerated offenders at major institutions, work camps, community correctional centers (work release), and community based facilities. These programs range from low intensity psycho-education and day/night treatment to high intensity residential therapeutic community programs.

Under the FY 2009 RSAT funds, the DOC and DJJ RSAT programs, are designed as special residential overlay to existing substance abuse of mental health treatment systems within the departments. DOC and DJJ will continue to coordinate with DCF to identify aftercare programs that are available in the community and support offenders diagnosed with co-occurring disorders. Most of the substance abuse service providers that the DOC coordinates with are recipients of funding from the DCFS (through federal treatment block grants). For offenders assigned to post release supervision, correctional probation officers are responsible to follow through and ensure that offenders link with necessary services including drug testing.

NCA/NCF