Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment Capacity for Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2010 Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment Capacity in Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts (short title: SAMHSA Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts). The purpose of this program is to expand and/or enhance substance abuse treatment services in “problem solving” courts which use the juvenile drug court model in order to provide alcohol and drug treatment, recovery support services supporting substance abuse treatment, screening, assessment, case management, and program coordination to juvenile defendants/offenders. Priority for the use of the funding should be given to addressing gaps in the existing continuum of treatment. Grantees will be expected to provide a coordinated, multi-system approach designed to combine the sanctioning power of juvenile treatment drug courts with effective treatment services to break the cycle of criminal behavior, alcohol and/or drug use, and incarceration or other penalties. Treatment Drug Courts use regular appearances of the client before a judge (who is part of, or guided by, a team of relevant professionals) in order to monitor compliance with court ordered conditions and substance abuse treatment. There is a significant disparity between the availability of treatment services for persons with alcohol and drug use disorders and the demand for such services. According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 22.3 million individuals needed treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem. Only 10 percent of these individuals received treatment at a specialty facility in the past year. This disparity is also consistent for criminal justice populations, as estimates show only 10 percent of individuals involved with the criminal justice system who are in need of substance abuse treatment receive it as part of their justice system supervision. By providing needed treatment services, this program is intended to reduce the health and social costs of substance abuse and dependence to the public, and increase the safety of America’s citizens by reducing substance abuse related crime and violence. Treatment Drug Courts are problem-solving courts, often used as an alternative to incarceration, that quickly identify substance abusing offenders and place them under strict court monitoring and community supervision as well as provide the participant with effective treatment services. They are being created at a high rate with over 2,100 in existence in 2008, but many lack sufficient funding for substance abuse treatment. Treatment Drug Courts represent the coordinated efforts of the judiciary, prosecution, defense bar, probation, law enforcement, mental health, social service, and treatment communities to actively intervene and break the cycle of substance abuse, addiction and crime. Stakeholders work together to give individual clients the opportunity to improve their lives, including recovery from substance use disorders, and develop the capacity and skills to become fully-functioning parents, employees and citizens. One model of problem-solving courts that developed from the adult treatment drug court concept is the juvenile treatment drug court. The juvenile treatment drug court is a special court docket approach that builds community partnerships and enhances the capacity of the partners to assist in rehabilitating substance-abusing youth through an innovative, integrated approach that reflects the community’s norms, values, resources, and needs. (For more information on the key elements of a juvenile drug court, see Appendix F of this RFA.) SAMHSA Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts is one of SAMHSA’s services grant programs. SAMHSA’s services grants are designed to address gaps in substance abuse and mental health prevention and treatment services and/or to increase the ability of States, units of local government, American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes and tribal organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations to help specific populations or geographic areas with serious, emerging mental health and substance abuse problems. SAMHSA intends that its services grants result in the delivery of services as soon as possible after award. Service delivery should begin by the 4th month of the project at the latest. SAMHSA Juvenile Treatment Drug Court grants are authorized under Section 501 (d)(18) and 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus area 26 (Substance Abuse).

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