“If not you, then who?”: a qualitative case study of a drug treatment court

Abstract

ABSTRACT This qualitative case study included 11 members of a multidisciplinary adult drug court (ADC) team who participated in semi-structured interviews that explored their understanding of how their role as an ADC team member informs their practice. Interviews were analyzed according to thematic analyses procedures. Findings suggest the physical seating of the ADC team and the participants in the courtroom may foster or hinder a therapeutic approach. In addition, the analysis pointed to the importance of taking client privacy into consideration in the reporting of client information to support drug court participant agency. The results reveal the benefit of purposeful courtroom setup and operations conducive to a therapeutic approach, enhanced inpatient treatment options, and role clarity of team members. Further, the development of matrices of services supporting access to acute treatment for drug court participants is needed.