NCJ Number
217304
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 43-59
Date Published
February 2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This 4-site national study compared outcomes for 250 parent participants in family treatment drug courts (FTDCs) with a sample of similar nonparticipants.
Abstract
Parents who participated in FTDCs entered substance-abuse treatment more quickly, stayed in treatment longer, and completed more treatment episodes than parents who did not participate in FTDCs. The children of FTDC parents entered permanent placements more quickly and were more likely to be reunified with their parents compared to children of nonparticipants. In addition, the FTDC program facilitated positive child-welfare outcomes beyond the influence of positive treatment experiences. Despite differences in some features of the FTDCs in the four sites, all of the sites provided a core set of common services, including more intensive judicial monitoring, immediate substance abuse assessment and referral, and wrap-around services provided through a collaborative drug court team. All sites excluded cases that involved child fatalities or sexual abuse, serious mental illness, cases that were being immediately moved to termination of parental rights, and cases that involved parental incarceration. FTDC participation in all sites was voluntary. The samples at each site consisted of 50 FTDC cases and 50 comparison cases in addition to 50 Tier 1-only cases in 1 site. A total of 451 cases were examined. Data were collected for the primary parent in the cases (usually the mother) and all children. Data sources were child welfare records and case files, drug and alcohol treatment records, and court records. 7 tables, 3 figures, 13 notes, and 21 references