Core Competencies

OBJECTIVES

Recognize key core competencies

Identify the relationship between core competencies and best practices

BALANCING ACT FOR ALL TEAM MEMBERS

All Team Members Committed to the program’s mission and goals

Advocate for effective incentives and sanctions

Knowledgeable of addiction, alcoholism and pharmacology.

Knowledgeable of gender, age and cultural issues.

Help develop protocols and procedures

All Team Members Aware of the impact of substance abuse

/addiction

Aware of the impact of mental health issues

Ensure that gender, age and culturally specific treatment and ancillary services are reflected in all aspects of the program.

Attend staffing and court hearings

All Team Members

Knowledge of constitutional and legal issues

Knowledge of their own ethics

Respects the other team members ethics

Core Competencies

Each team member has important roles and core responsibilities for the team and the Drug Court.

Drug Court Judge Core Competencies

Judge – “The Leader”Research says: Spends 3 minutes or

greater with each client

Volunteer for drug court assignment

Term is longer than 2 years

Coordinates collaborative efforts with key stakeholders

Advocate and educate the community to generate interest and support

Procedural Fairness Knowledgeable of client’s case Know them by name Encourage them to succeed Emphasize treatment Not intimidating Approachable Let them tell their story Treat them fairly and with respect Impartial – do not prejudge

Judge – “The Leader”

Ensures court is constitutionally and statutorily compliant

Recognize ethical obligations of the other team members

Responsible for compliance with HIPAA and 42 CFR part 2 including a designation of a Confidentiality Compliance Officer

Judge – “The Leader”

Supervises client progress through the drug court continuum based on weekly court hearings, team input and client behavior. Leads the team in decision-making; holds the participant accountable for their progress by use of incentives and sanctions.

Develops a working relationship with the offender, monitors offender progress, and addresses personal and ancillary issues without losing the aura of judicial authority.

BALANCING ACT

Drug Court Coordinator Core Competencies

Coordinator – “The Juggler”

Records distribution of incentives and sanctions or lack thereof

Allocate and acquisition of resources

Develop MOUs, MOAs, and RFPs

Coordinator – “The Juggler”

Research shows:

Works with 2 or less treatment providers

Offers parenting classes

Offers family/domestic relations counseling

Offers anger management classes

Coordinator – “The Juggler” Creates and/or

maintain a database system

Oversees the evaluation process

Coordinator – “The Juggler”

Research shows:

Review data and/or regular reporting of program statistics to make program modifications

Coordinator – “The Juggler”

Develop on-going team building activities and conduct staff replacement training.

Coordinator – “The Juggler”

Responsible for the operation and appropriate and timely completion of proposed substance abuse court program activities. Facilitates case flow, activities of participating agencies, monitors the meeting of goals, objectives, and timelines; provides monitoring and contractual service quality assurance; writes grants.

Drug Court Prosecutor Core Competencies

Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”

Operates in a non-adversarial manner, promoting a unified team response.

Ensures community safety concerns by maintaining eligibility standards while focusing on therapeutic program outcomes.

Protects defendants due process rights

Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”

Gatekeeper/screener for access to drug court.

Represents ongoing public safety perspective in the team decision making process.

Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”

Contributes to team’s efforts in community education and local resource acquisition

Contributes to educating peers, colleagues and judiciary on efficacy of Drug Courts

Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”

Research shows:

Allows nondrug charges

Time between arrest and program entry is 50 days or less

Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”

Gatekeeper/screener for access to treatment through the substance abuse court. Attends all staffing and judicial supervision hearings, represents ongoing public safety perspective in the team decision making process.

Drug Court Defense Attorney Core Competencies

Defense Attorney

Ensures that the offenders legal rights are protected.

Participates as team member, operating in a non-adversarial manner, promoting a unified team response.

Defense Attorney

Protects participants due process rights.

Acts as both counselor and attorney at law

Defense Attorney

Research shows:

93% greater cost savings if attended staffings.

Defense Attorney

Contributes to team’s efforts in community education and local resource acquisition

Contributes to educating peers, colleagues and judiciary on efficacy of Drug Courts

Defense Attorney

Advocate for client’s access to and continued participation in the drug court; assists in screening; assures confidentiality requirements are met. Ensure clients rights and program requirements are explained. Attends all staffing and judicial supervision hearings, ensures participants due process rights.

Drug Court Treatment Liaison Core Competencies

Treatment Liaison

Ensures participant receives the appropriate level of care, at a reasonable cost.

Develop aftercare program, alumni associations and mentoring programs.

Treatment Liaison Ensures clients are

evaluated in a timely and competent process and the placement and transportation are effectuated in an expedited manner.

Provides treatment progress reporting with sufficient and timely information to implement incentives and sanctions.

Treatment LiaisonResearch shows:

Treatment communicates via e-mail with court had 119% greater reduction in recidivism.

Provides guidelines on the frequency of individual treatment sessions that a participant receives

Treatment LiaisonResearch shows:

Participants are expected to have greater than 90 days clean before graduation had 164% greater reduction in recidivism

Treatment attended staffings had 105% greater reductions in recidivism

Treatment LiaisonResearch shows:

Programs with treatment attendance at court had 100% greater reductions in cost.

Programs with treatment attendance at staffing had 105% greater reduction in recidivism.

Treatment LiaisonResearch shows:

Offers gender specific services

Offers mental health treatment

Offers residential treatment

Treatment Liaison

Screens all felony offenders at first appearance using validated screening instruments, and refers cases to team for consideration.

Conducts appropriate normed and validated chemical health assessments and facilitates rapid entry into treatment.

Organizes and presents progress/adjustment information at staffing. Attends all staffings and provides input on various and appropriate modalities of treatment.

Treatment Liaison - MH

Provide screening/assessment/diagnosis/case planning and community referrals for co-occurring disordered participants. Attends all staffing and court sessions. Represents ongoing public safety perspective in the team decision making process.

Drug Court Probation Officer

Core Competencies

Probation

Provides coordinated and comprehensive supervision to minimize participant manipulation and splitting of program staff.

Develop post program services, client outreach, mentor programs and alumni associations.

Probation

Conducts home visits and drug tests.

Develops effective measure for drug testing and supervision.

Provides team with sufficient and timely information to implement incentives and sanctions.

Probation – Case ManagerResearch shows:

For better outcomes, Drug test results should be back in two days or less.

In 1st Phase, drug tests are collected at least two times per week

In order to graduate, participants must have a job or be in school.

Probation – Case ManagerResearch shows:

In order to graduate, participants must have a sober living environment.

In order to graduate, participants must have 90 days or more clean time.

In order to graduate participants must have paid all court-ordered fines and fees (e.g., fines, restitution)

Probation – Case ManagerResearch shows: For better outcomes programs should:

Offers health care

Offers dental care

Probation – Case Manager

Coordinates case management services such as health, mental health, housing, transportation, etc.

Probation – Case Manager Identifies and screens eligible probation violation cases

and refers the cases to the team for admission consideration. Provides case management services within the program.

Provides individual, intensive supervision and a broad range of rehabilitative and case management services within the substance abuse court continuum.

Represents ongoing public safety perspective in the team decision making process. Organizes and presents progress/adjustment information at staffing. Facilitates cognitive behavioral groups.

Drug Court Law Enforcement Core Competencies

Law Enforcement/Probation Assists in identification

of potential drug court participants.

Processes and serves warrants.

Conducts home visits and trains peers to enhance supervision of participants. Joint function with Probation.

Law EnforcementResearch shows:

88% greater reduction in recidivism for teams with law enforcement on the team (field services)

64% greater cost savings for teams where a law enforcement representative attends court sessions.

Law Enforcement

Each division may utilize the law enforcement liaison officers in a slightly different manner, but basically, the role of the law enforcement is as follows: Conducts home visits or environmental checks;

Conduct periodic surprise “sweeps”/home visits of participants’ homes;

Attend and participates at weekly team meetings and drug court sessions;

TEAM TRAINING

Research shows: For better outcomes: Given copy of

guidelines for incentives/sanctions.

All new hires to the team complete a formal training or orientation.

COMPETENT TEAM

EFFECTIVE DRUG COURT BEHAVIORIAL CHANGE MEET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES PERSONAL SATISFACTION