Family Drug Court Research Articles

Post-Proceedings Support in a Family Drug and Alcohol Court

Abstract This article presents the findings from an evaluation of post-proceedings support (PPS) within Gloucestershire Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC). PPS is offered to parents in the year immediately following a completed FDAC hearing. The article provides background on the formation and development of FDACs across England and FDAC evaluations, before detailing the specific delivery model in use in Gloucestershire. The evaluation that took place March 2020–July 2022 examined the delivery, effectiveness and impact of the support services provided to families after legal proceedings concerning child welfare due to parental substance misuse. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study analysed quantitative data to assess outcomes such as parental cessation of substance misuse and family reunification, alongside qualitative insights through interviews exploring families' and professionals' perceptions and experiences. This evaluation sheds light on the strengths and limitations of this post-proceeding offer. It examines the extent to which the services can be said to contribute to sustainable recovery for parents and whether the model is transferable to other FDACs. It highlights the importance of continuing support for families and may provide ‘conceptual’ transferability and insights that will be relevant to other FDACs and beyond into children’s and families’ social work.

Reducing Foster Care Entry Rates for Children in Sacramento County: A Spotlight on Practice

Beginning in 2006, Sacramento County implemented multiple child welfare practices and policies to reduce high rates of foster care entries (e.g., early intervention family drug courts, differential response, team decision-making, a family-centered approach to safety and risk assessment). Those strategies were identified through interviews with County child welfare leaders; and then the strategies were placed chronically in a table to inform a longitudinal data analysis. Between 2000 and 2020, entry rates in Sacramento County declined at a faster rate than entry rates in California (when all state counties but Sacramento were combined), and by 2020 were statistically significantly lower than entry rates in California. Between 2000 and 2020, recurrence of maltreatment rates for children in Sacramento County were higher than California; however, those declined more rapidly than recurrence rates in California and were similar by 2020. Both foster care entry and child maltreatment recurrence rates for children in Sacramento County declined between 2000 and 2020, indicating that foster care entry rates were safely reduced but additional data about child safety and well-being are needed. In addition, although Black children less than one year old continue to enter care at higher rates within Sacramento County, their entry rates declined more rapidly than other ethnic and age groups. This suggests that Sacramento’s focus on the youngest children, with multiple services specially designed for Black children and families, may be contributing to these positive trends. Future studies should examine the individual impact of the multiple interventions and programs implemented in Sacramento County on the rates of entry into foster care. Further investigations could also help unpack the racial/ethnic group and age differences seen in Sacramento County foster care entry rates and inform the timing of future practice improvements.

Research supporting service transformation: Family Drug and Alcohol Courts and understanding the factors that contribute to their success

Abstract Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC) were introduced to England in 2008 following their development in the USA. Pilots launched across the country adopted a family-based strategy with the aim to improve outcomes for children that live with parents who misuse substances or alcohol. The numbers of children entering the care system has increased with ‘subsequent new borns’ being a particular concern frequently becoming ‘looked after’ by the state at birth. This article will focus upon an initial phase of a study that tracked the establishment of an FDAC pilot. It reveals how the FDAC team collaborated with Judges and a diversity of professionals and parents to create conditions through which ground-breaking practice was forged. The environment created is unique as it is one fully set within the context of each family’s lived experience. Through this approach parents have become full participants in court proceedings as opposed to purely subject to them. As a result, significant numbers of children have remained with or been returned to their families.

The co-occurrence of substance misuse, domestic abuse, and child maltreatment: Can Family Drug and Alcohol Courts play a part?

This review article focuses on the inter-relationship between substance misuse, domestic abuse, and child maltreatment, especially in the context of care (child protection) proceedings. It reviews what is known about the prevalence and impact of co-occurring domestic abuse and substance misuse on adult and child victims, and the response of criminal and family law and intervention programmes in supporting families to address these problems holistically. Special attention is paid to the role of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDACs), a radical problem-solving approach to care proceedings, which provide integrated interventions to the range of co-occurring problems that trigger the proceedings. Despite clear evidence of the greater harm to children when exposed to these two parental difficulties, the review has found a lack of systematic information on the prevalence of co-occurrence and a lack of effective integrated interventions, including within care proceedings. It argues that the FDAC approach is well suited to respond to co-occurring substance misuse and domestic abuse in care proceedings and it has the potential to break down silos across sectors. However, in the absence of empirical evidence, this premise would need testing. A particular focus of the review has been on efforts to overcome silos in practice, law and policy. Promising initiatives are described in criminal and family law to improve the response to domestic abuse that build on the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the first dedicated domestic abuse legislation in England and Wales. All of them are based on problem-solving approaches used in other jurisdictions. Despite these initiatives, the review concludes that there remain significant barriers to effectively align law, policy and practice to ensure that domestic abuse strategy recognizes and responds to the overlaps with substance misuse.

Family Drug Court grants available

In a re‐release of a December 2020 grant announcement, which includes some changes, the Department of Justice last week called for applications for funding under the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Family Drug Court Program. The program supports states and communities in the development and coordination of substance use intervention programs. There is now a two‐step process to apply. The Grants.gov deadline is June 22, which must be met in order to submit an application. This does not commit one to submitting an application. The JustGrants deadline is July 6. For more information, go to https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/fy2021/O‐OJJDP‐2021‐92009.

A Proof-of-Concept Pilot for an Intervention with Pregnant Mothers Who Have Had Children Removed by the State: The ‘Early Family Drug and Alcohol Court Model’

This paper describes a ‘proof-of-concept’ pilot of the ‘Early FDAC model’. The evaluated Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) model, on which Early FDAC is based, is summarised and the rationale for introducing the pilot variation is set out. This short paper describes the learning from the pilot that set out to work with 30 families across three FDAC teams between 2015 and 2019. At the time of the pilot, there were, and remain, few other interventions in England for pregnant mothers who have already had children removed. An adaptation of the evaluated FDAC model suggested itself because of the overlap with families in public law care proceedings and emerging evidence that FDAC delivers a better experience of justice for families and professionals, better outcomes for children and families and better use of public money. Pilot families were engaged as soon as possible in the pregnancy (hence ‘Early’), and continued to receive support for up to two years. The process started in pre-proceedings with the aim of avoiding court. Where proceedings were necessary, cases were heard in an FDAC court, with provision for a post-proceedings phase. There were problems with recruitment and engagement and families had fewer ‘solvable problems’. Nevertheless, outcomes were promising, with 18 families keeping their children. This represents one-third of the referred families and almost two-thirds of the families who undertook a ‘Trial for Change’.

The prenatal maternal representations of mothers at risk of recurrent care proceedings in the Family Drug and Alcohol Court: A thematic analysis.

A substantial number of birth mothers experience repeat removals of their infants and children due to child protection concerns. The perspectives of mothers going through repeat removals and their experiences of pregnancy are insufficiently researched. The current qualitative study aimed to explore the maternal representations of five pregnant mothers at risk of recurrent care proceedings. A thematic analysis of these mothers' responses to the Pregnancy Interview focused on their representations of themselves as mothers, of their babies, and of the mother-baby relationship. Seven key themes were identified: (1a) "Uncertainty and fear of losing the baby," (1b) "Uncertainty but hope of becoming a mother," (2) "Not wanting to be like their own mother," (3) "Experiencing recovery and pregnancy as two interdependent processes," (4) "Struggling to imagine the baby," (5) "The omnipresence of previous children," (6) "Pleasure at starting to have a connection with the baby," and (7) "Noting the baby's dependency." The results are clinically relevant as they highlight grief, maternal self-identity, recovery from substance abuse, and ability to manage uncertainty as critical areas of intervention for these mothers.

Supervision Strategies for Social Work Students Managing Faith and Spirituality in Addictions Practice

Field placement in addictions treatment offers social work students several diverse and rich opportunities for learning. Addictions practice exposes students to spirituality as a domain of health and well-being foundational to many recovery programs. For practicum students, learning to manage personal religious beliefs and spirituality can be a significant need in field supervision. Based on the supervisory experiences of a field instructor and field coordinator who have collaborated in field education for 10 years (as well as were colleagues on a family drug court team prior), this article presents strategies for helping students manage their personal beliefs about faith and spirituality in addictions practice. Supervision strategies presented include: (a) separating spirituality from religion, (b) reframing addiction viewed as sin, (c) offering reflective feedback, (d) self-reflecting through journaling, process recording, and other assignments, and (e) promoting experiential activities to connect personally with people of different backgrounds.

Mandatory, fast, and fair: Case outcomes and procedural justice in a family drug court

Problem-solving courts are traditionally voluntary in nature to promote procedural justice and to advance therapeutic jurisprudence. The Family Treatment Drug Court (FTDC) in Lancaster County, Nebraska is a mandatory dependency court for families with allegations of child abuse or neglect related to substance use. We conducted a program evaluation examining parents’ case outcomes and perceptions of procedural justice to examine whether a mandatory problem-solving court could replicate the positive outcomes of problem-solving courts. We employed a quasi-experimental design that compared FTDC parents to traditional dependency court parents (control parents). We examined court records to gather court orders, compliance with court orders, case outcomes, and important case dates. We also conducted 263 surveys (FTDC = 232; control = 31) to understand parents’ perceptions of procedural justice in the court process. Overall, FTDC parents were more compliant with some court orders than control parents. Although FTDC and control parents did not have significantly different case outcomes, FTDC parents’ cases closed significantly faster than control parents’ cases. FTDC parents also had higher perceptions of procedural justice than control parents. Mediation analyses indicated that FTDC parents believed the court process was more fair and therefore participated more consistently in court-ordered services and therefore reunified more often than control parents. Mandatory problem-solving courts can serve parents through the same mechanisms as voluntary problem-solving courts. More research is necessary to examine which specific elements of problem-solving courts, aside from the voluntary nature, are essential to maintain their effectiveness.

Problem-Solving Criminal Justice: Developments in England and Wales

Problem-solving criminal justice is the court-based approach developed in efforts to tackle social, health and lifestyle problems linked to repeat patterns of criminal offending. Typically, these cover drug and alcohol dependence issues, mental disorder and youth and early independence vulnerabilities. This paper presents a critical analysis of three specific forms of problem-solving practiced in the English and Welsh court system – youth sentence review panels, the Family Drug and Alcohol courts and adult drugs courts. Empirical research is used to discuss the effectiveness and outcomes of these court approaches and argues r ealistic expectations in terms of what is considered ‘success’ for those attempting to become drug free, or establish conventional pathways and desist from crime, is essential. The b arriers and obstacles preventing a more extensive application of problem-solving criminal justice is also discussed, drawing on points connected to sentencing parameters, ‘political will’ and legal cultural impediments. It is suggested if problem-solving justice is to become more widely established in local and geographical areas of need, alterations are needed to the way court innovation is enabled. Specifically, closer working relations between the professional judiciary and the large body of volunteer ‘lay’ magistrates who preside over much lower criminal court judging in England and Wales is necessary.

Co‐occurring disorders in rural family drug court examined

New research examining the impact of the drug problem in an Ohio county's rural community found that nearly 80 percent of parents in a family drug court had a mental health disorder.

Children in the Opioid Epidemic: Addressing the Next Generation's Public Health Crisis.

* Abbreviation: MAT — : medication-assisted treatment The United States is experiencing unprecedented rates of drug overdose deaths and drug-related problems. This epidemic is driven primarily by opioids. Although most responses to this opioid epidemic are focused on preventing harm to adults, there are at least 5 pathways by which opioid-related problems can spill over and affect child health and safety: 1. child or adolescent poisoning and overdose: this could happen because of intentional misuse or accidental ingestion of prescription drugs by young children; 2. opioid misuse in pregnancy: opioid misuse in pregnancy is associated with inadequate prenatal care, preterm birth, low birth weight, respiratory depression, and neonatal abstinence syndrome1; 3. impaired parenting and attachment: parents’ opioid misuse may impair their ability to adequately supervise, bond with, and care for their children; 4. material deprivation: money spent on drugs may come out of family finances needed to care for children; and 5. extended separation from parents: children may be separated from a parent with an opioid-related problem because of a parent’s incarceration, residential psychiatric or drug treatment, or death or because of a child’s placement in foster care. Indeed, quantitative and qualitative studies suggest that increases in parental opioid misuse and overdose death have resulted in concomitant increases in these adverse childhood experiences and that many children are ending up in … Address correspondence to Kenneth A. Feder, Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Hampton House Room 782, 624 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205. E-mail: kfeder1{at}jhu.edu

How does FDAC Succeed with Parents with Substance Misuse Problems? Exploring Relational Practices within the English Family Drug and Alcohol Court

Parental substance misuse is a significant risk factor for child maltreatment and is frequently involved in care proceedings. Outcomes are often poor and family reunification is prone to breakdown. In this article, the contribution of the English Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) is examined. Adapted from the US family drug treatment court model, FDAC offers a radically different approach to ordinary care proceedings by treating parents as well as adjudicating. The article draws on a mixed‐methods evaluation of FDAC which reports better recovery and reunification rates than ordinary court. It presents findings from interviews with 42 parents and 154 court observations of 89 cases, focusing on FDAC's relational practices. The article concludes that these relational practices offer hope to substance‐misusing parents and that the approach merits wider attention because of its therapeutic potential and distinctive approach to justice.‘The contribution of the English Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) is examined’Key Practitioner Messages FDAC is a helpful approach to care proceedings for substance‐misusing parents. Parents value clear, consistent and honest messages about their progress when delivered in the context of trusted relationships and intensive support. Parents need holistic help that takes into account damaging early‐life experiences. ‘Parents need holistic help that takes into account damaging early‐life experiences’

Child and Parent Outcomes in the London Family Drug and Alcohol Court Five Years On: Building on International Evidence

Parental substance misuse is a major social problem of international concern and frequent cause of referral to child protection agencies and court proceedings due to the significant child harm it can cause. Family drug treatment courts have emerged as one of the most promising interventions in recent years to enhance prospects for reunification, substance misuse cessation, and cost savings on out of home care. Despite the better results of Family Drug Treatment Courts at the end of the court case, there has been little investigation of their longer-term outcomes. This article first reviews the international evidence on longer-term outcomes, before presenting new evidence on outcomes of the London Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC), up to five years after the court case ended. The discussion considers the findings of the London FDAC, the first such court in England, in light of the international evidence and makes further research and policy recommendations. The article concludes that the scant international evidence base does not permit an authoritative answer on the contribution of family drug courts to the durability of family reunification and substance misuse cessation. It does however show the need for more family support, particularly in the first two years after court proceedings end. Despite the many challenges, largescale post-intervention evaluations of family drug courts are urgently needed to inform public policy and practice.

A Family-Centered Program to Break the Cycle of Addiction

Celebrating Families!™ (CF!) is a manualized family-centered program focused on the goal of breaking the cycle of generational substance use disorders (SUDs). It is one of the few evidence-based family-focused practices listed on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. Compared to another evidence-based program, Strengthening Families, CF! showed significant impact on family organization, positive parenting, parent involvement, and alcohol and drug use reduction. CF! is shown to be successful in unifying families from family dependency courts and as a prevention program for SUDs when offered by community social service agencies. A preliminary efficacy study illustrates changes within participating families consistent with the goal. The study’s purpose was to test the hypothesis that a family skills program such as CF! changed behavior by reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors. Data from 20 cycles of the program revealed that parents ( N = 263), referred from family drug court, expressed significant behavior changes toward their children in ways that increased protective factors after the 16-week program, and youth ( N = 106) showed better understanding of SUDs. Results suggest that this family skills program can be an intervention program for families at-risk for perpetuating the cycle of addiction, as well as prevention of family violence, abuse, and neglect. Agencies that serve families at risk can use the program to prevent costly foster care placements and SUDs by providing such programs.

Enhancing Information Sharing in Family Drug Courts: A Lean Six Sigma Case Study

AbstractGiven the variety of stakeholders involved in cases within family drug courts, efficient communication and information sharing, which are needed to support decision‐making, can be quite challenging. Through a case study in one family drug court system, this research employed an action research approach to improve the information sharing process following the Lean Six Sigma methodology. The solutions implemented through this study contributed to improving the quality of the services provided by this court system and its overall productivity. In addition, this research extends our knowledge about methods for improving court systems from which others can learn to guide future improvement efforts.

A short note on research impact: The public value of the social sciences

During the past few months I have been involved in designing an intensive support pathway for pregnant women who have previously lost children to public care or adoption. The new two-year pathway is an initiative within the Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) National Unit and is funded by the Department for Education. Co-Directors Sophie Kershaw and Mike Shaw of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London are leading the FDAC National Unit and also steering the development of the new pathway. Aiming to maximize women’s chances of retaining care of a newborn infant, the pathway is based on tailored and timely therapeutic help extending over the course of two years, with the same team of professionals. Both the length of commitment to birth mothers and that help is offered early in pregnancy and will continue whether care proceedings are/are not issued, makes this new initiative unique in England. Drawing on the findings from the first stage of our research funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the research team has been able to directly influence the shape of this new pathway, working alongside our practitioner colleagues and a stakeholder group of birth mothers. A group of 10 women who were part of a larger group of 72 mothers participating in the study are now drawn together from across the North, Midlands and from London to help in programme design and evaluation. These women have all experienced court-ordered removal of their own children, but now have a child in their care. The experiences of these women mean that they are uniquely and powerfully positioned to act as advisors to professionals and to serve as mentors for other women who will embark on the new pathway. Working alongside my colleague Claire Mason – lead qualitative researcher – we have experienced this work as social research at its very best. This has been an opportunity to engage in mutually enriching exchange with all stakeholders, to influence practice development for the social good and to pioneer solutions that are democratically designed. So, how did co-design work? A series of workshops were organized. The first workshop focused on loss and excerpts from birth mother interviews were shared

Family Drug Court, Targeted Parent Training and Family Reunification: Did this Enhanced Service Strategy Make A Difference?

AbstractThis article reports findings from an evaluation of reunification outcomes for children and families who participated in a family drug court (FDC) that incorporated the use of two innovative evidence‐based parenting programs. In addition to comprehensive FDC services, families participated in the Strengthening Families Program and Celebrating Families!TM programs in a sequential format. Data analyses were conducted on a sample of 214 children whose child welfare cases were adjudicated through the FDC and 418 matched comparison cases. Entry‐cohort survival analysis results indicated that families receiving FDC services were more than twice as likely to reunify in a 45 month observation window.

Family Drug Courts: Conceptual Frameworks, Empirical Evidence, and Implications for Social Work

Families in the child welfare system who are affected by substance abuse face distinct challenges to achieving reunification. Family drug courts (FDCs), which are child welfare courts based on a therapeutic framework of legal scholarship, arose 2 decades ago as an alternative approach for adjudicating these cases. A comprehensive review of prior empirical research on FDCs is presented to ascertain whether the model is a best practice for this population. The results of this review suggest that children in families that are involved in FDCs spend less time in foster care and are more likely to achieve reunification. This analysis incorporates findings from qualitative literature and undertakes methodological and values-based critiques in order to develop implications for social work research, practice, and policy.

Strengths Based Approaches to Practice and Family Drug Courts: Is There a Fit?

Strengths Based Approaches to Practice and Family Drug Courts: Is There a Fit?