What's Happening at NDCRC
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Welcome to the
NEW
National Drug Court Resource Center!
Since October 2019, the NDCRC has been housed within the Social Science Applied Research Center (SSARC) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). We are excited to serve treatment and recovery courts nationwide in a variety of innovative ways.
The NDCRC focuses on providing treatment court professionals with the information needed to design and implement programs that align with best practice standards, expand and enhance court operations, and collect and analyze program data. We are in the process of redesigning our website to better meet these needs, and expect to launch the new website (
ndcrc.org
) at the end of May! The new website will feature many resources, including operational materials organized by court type, a calendar of professional development opportunities, a moderated discussion board, a nationwide map of treatment courts, and more.
Stay tuned for the latest on our new
Justice to Healing
podcast series, which is currently in development and will feature experts from all corners of the treatment court field. We are excited about these continued opportunities to serve!
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May is National Drug Court Month
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While courts are adapting to meet the needs of all participants, May is the perfect time to celebrate the commitment of treatment court teams to the well-being of participants and communities. Access NADCP’s
National Drug Court Month Toolkit
for information and resources to help you promote your program. In addition, visit their
National Drug Court Month Resource Center
website for more ways to celebrate the work you’re doing!
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NADCP RISE20 Goes Virtual
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In accordance with Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDCP) guidelines for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the
NADCP RISE20
conference will now be held virtually! Content will be available via livestream and on-demand after the conference has ended. Join NADCP May 26-29 for virtual vendors, new content addressing the impact of COVID-19 on treatment courts, and expert speakers. During this time you have access to an unprecedented 60 hours of continuing education credit! Visit the conference website for updated registration information and the virtual
schedule of events
. Be sure to stop by the virtual NDCRC booth!
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FY2020 Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program
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Due: June 1, 2020
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) revised the original discretionary grant program request for proposals (RFP) released on February 24. The solicitation includes four categories, which allow for the implementation and enhancement of Veterans Treatment Courts and Adult Drug Courts as well as statewide improvement programs.
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FY2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program
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Due: May 29, 2020
BJA has opened a solicitation for states, U.S. Territories, the District of Columbia, units of local government, and certain federally recognized tribal governments to assist in responding to and preventing spread of COVID-19 in their respective jurisdictions.
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TTA Collaborative Updates
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National Association of Drug Court Professionals
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The Center for Children and Family Futures and NADCP have published a
Best Practice Standards Guide for Family Treatment Courts
(FTC) nationwide. This evidence-based guide provides mandates, rationale, and key considerations for each of the eight standards, with a goal of serving families at a consistently high level across all states and territories.
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Center for Court Innovation
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The Center for Court Innovation is excited to announce a new publication:
Drug Courts in the Age of Sentencing Reform
. In recent years, several U.S. states have adopted legislation aimed at decreasing sentences for drug offenses. These reforms represent a promising effort to reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration. However, one consequence has been reduced enrollment in drug courts. This paper explores how drug courts can adapt themselves to sentencing reforms and continue serving as a powerful, lifesaving intervention for court-involved individuals with substance use disorders.
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Tribal Law & Policy Institute
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In response to COVID-19, TLPI has created an online resource -
Indian Country COVID-19 Resources
designed as a clearinghouse of relevant resources across a broad range of topic areas in pursuit of TLPI’s vision to empower Native communities to create and control their own institutions for the benefit of all community members, now, and for future generations.
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Each newsletter, we will highlight a state or territory and their work with treatment courts.
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Florida
Over the past few years, Florida has embarked on a major initiative to develop problem-solving court best practice standards to promote fidelity to the various problem-solving court models to help ensure positive outcomes for the courts and their participants. Currently, there are close to 200 problem-solving courts in operation throughout the state, including 96 drug courts, 31 mental health courts, 31 veterans courts, and 24 early childhood courts. The first set of
best practice standards
were approved by the Florida Supreme Court in 2017 for adult drug courts which were modeled after the NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards. Best practice standards were then approved in 2019 for early childhood courts with standards (or guidelines) currently under development and near completion for dependency drug courts, mental health courts, and veterans courts. In addition, a process for problem-solving courts to become certified based on approved standards is currently under development and near completion for consideration and approval by the Court. Read more about Florida’s problem-solving courts
here
.
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Treatment Courts respond to COVID-19
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, federal agencies have come together to provide guidance and training on how to continue to serve practitioners and participants in treatment courts during this time. See specific agency responses below, or visit our
COVID-19
resources page for a more complete list of resources and webinars.
The
National Association of Drug Court Professionals
(NADCP) has assembled a comprehensive
resource packet
. View their two-part webinar, “Treatment Courts and COVID-19” with the accompanying booklet, “What to Consider During a Pandemic.” Also see a list of executive orders, judicial branch changes, and public health initiatives by state.
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