Court Treatment
Court treatment programs provide comprehensive, integrated behavioral health services that work in conjunction with the judicial system. The purpose of court treatment programs is to appropriately respond to the abuse of alcohol and/or other drugs, mental illness, posttraumatic stress disorder, family problems, or other concerns and their related criminal and/or civil judicial actions, in order to reduce recidivism and further involvement in the criminal justice system. Court treatment includes services provided to persons referred through various types of problem-solving courts, including drug, mental health, veteran's, family dependency, tribal, re-entry, and others.
The treatment team works in collaboration with judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, probation authorities, law enforcement, pretrial services, treatment programs, evaluators, and an array of local service providers. Treatment is usually multi-phased and is typically divided into a stabilization phase, an intensive phase, and a transition phase. During each phase, the treatment team is responsible for assessing the behavioral health needs of the person served within the parameters of the legal sanctions imposed by the court. The treatment team either directly provides or arranges for the provision of screening and assessment, case management, detoxification/withdrawal support, intensive outpatient treatment, outpatient, residential treatment, medication use, self-help and advocacy, recovery, health and wellness, relapse prevention, and education regarding factors contributing to the person’s court involvement.
A court treatment program may be a judicial or law enforcement organization that provides or contracts for the identified services or may be a direct treatment provider working as part of the court treatment team.