This publication aims to help court planners to develop opioid intervention courts that incorporate the best knowledge currently available, while following a consistent model that can be evaluated and refined for the benefit of the field as a whole.
This article provides the first step toward the creation of research-based best practices for opioid intervention courts. It notes that as practitioners implement more opioid intervention courts and researchers evaluate the model, the field can learn lessons about what works and what needs improvement. The article’s goal is to help court planners develop opioid intervention courts that incorporate the best knowledge available while following a consistent model that can be evaluated and refined for the benefit of the field. The article provides a history of the development of the first opioid courts in the United States; the move toward national essential elements for opioid intervention courts; it lists those essential elements, including broad legal eligibility, immediate screening for risk of overdose, informed consent after consultation with defense counsel, suspension of prosecution or expedited plea, rapid clinical assessment and treatment engagement, recovery support services, frequent judicial supervision and compliance monitoring, intensive case management, program completion and continuing care, and performance evaluation and program improvement.