Roles in JDTC Discipline Specific Breakout Session

Role of the Judge The Judge is ultimately responsible for all policies and procedures of the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court. He is the leader of the JDTC. Ongoing interaction with the Judge is a central feature of drug courts. The adolescent is thus called in front of the Judge at regular intervals to discuss his/her progress in treatment, at home, in school/work, and in the community. At entry into JDTC, the Judge orients the juvenile and his/her family to the drug court program and makes sure that juveniles and their family members are aware of what will be expected of them while in the program. The Judge establishes a rehabilitative relationship with the juvenile and his/her family by being both tough and compassionate. The Judge shows compassion and encouragement while at the same time expressing a no- nonsense stand in terms of the youth and family. Thus, at times the Judge scares the youth with his demands and strictness, and at other times shows understanding and compassion. This combination of being exceedingly tough and compassionate on the part of the Judge is an essential element to the success of drug courts. The Judge emphasizes the court’s desire that each juvenile successfully complete the program while making clear the consequences of noncompliance.

Role of the Prosecutor The Drug Court Prosecutor is the representative of the Office of the State Attorney. He/she will participate as a team member, operating in a non- adversarial manner, promoting a sense of unified team presence and will ensure community safety concerns by maintaining eligibility standards while participating in a non-adversarial environment that focuses on therapeutic outcome. He/she coordinates sanction orders, violations of probation petition, review of orders and all other aspects of the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court that would be of a prosecutorial nature.

Role of the Defense Lawyer The role of the Defense Lawyer assigned to the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court will be primarily to act as a liaison between the JDTC team and the client. He/she will orient the client at the commencement of the JDTC and is responsible for representing the client’s rights in court and during the staff meetings. He/she advises the participants on their legal rights, legal options, program conditions and sentencing outcomes and monitors client progress to ensure appropriate program participation. He/she is present at all JDTC pre-court meetings and at the JDTC sessions.

Role of Juvenile Probation Officer The Juvenile Probation Officer (JPO) monitors the juvenile’s compliance with the JDTC requirements and the law. The JPO will participate fully as a drug court team member and is responsible for providing primary case management services for each client. The JPO is responsible for monitoring the youth’s curfew and compliance with household rules. Initially the JPO meets with the youth and family to explain the youth’s requirements and responsibilities while on probation. The JPO will explain to the youth/family the role each will play in the JDTC. The JPO maintains contact with the youth/family throughout their participation in JDTC. The JPO will also maintain contact with the youth’s school and meet with trust counselors, guidance counselors, teachers, and school officials to assure the youth’s progress and compliance in school. The JPO is required to be in contact with the youth seven times a week by phone. In addition, the JPO refers the adolescent and family to services needed and monitors the case for the duration the client is part of drug court.

Role of Coordinator The JDTCC is responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the JDTC. S/he chairs the weekly Drug Treatment Court Team Meetings; coordinates between all the JDTC partners (Judge, JPOS, treatment, attorneys, school, etc); screens youth for eligibility; explains the drug court program to youth and parents. The Coordinator is responsible for procuring incentives/rewards for drug court youths, identifying services that will assist youth and families (e.g., vocational training, job placement, teen-focused NA meeting, aftercare services, etc.). The JDTCC is responsible for the proper completion of required JDTC paperwork, including correspondence, reports and case records and all other related matters. The Coordinator provides supervision to the JDTC Case Managers, Case Specialists, and Urinalysis Specialist. The JDTCC provides each member of the juvenile drug treatment court team with a weekly status list that details the progress of each participant. The weekly status list has information pertaining to the outcome of the previous court hearing, and any sanctions or rewards that were given. It also details the status of compliance with the juvenile probation officers, home behavior, progress in school, and progress in treatment.

Role of School Liaison- Education Advocate The Miami-Dade County Public Schools district liaison’s responsibility is to assist drug court clients with school enrollment and facilitate the relationship between the drug court and the schools. He/she monitors attendance, suspensions, expulsions, conduct, and grades. In addition, he/she assesses and orientates juvenile drug treatment court clients in vocational areas. The school representative will make recommendations for alternative placements, if necessary, and will act as contact point for all team members concerning participant’s school in all matters pertaining to drug court.

Role of Treatment Provider The JDC works with the treatment providers to facilitate engagement and retention in treatment. The average time an adolescent is placed in a substance abuse program is between 4-6 months. Youth must complete 4-6 months of treatment in order to successfully graduate from drug court. Treatment providers are required to work collaboratively with the drug court team to retain youth in treatment and help him/her benefit from it. A representative from the treatment program is required to report on youth’s progress and to work collaboratively with the court to help the youth succeed in treatment. The provider reviews with the drug court team the teen’s motivation for treatment, treatment progress, school functioning, probation problems, if any; home, family and peer problems that may be interfering with progress, and appropriate sanctions and rewards for each adolescent. Additionally, providers are required to conduct a weekly drug test (random days and times) of the youth and report the results back to the drug court team. In the event that a child is non-compliant with a treatment provider’s rules or regulations, it is expected that the treatment provider will attempt to clinically intervene and encourage more acceptable, compliant behavior. However, if the treatment provider is unsuccessful in these attempts, the Juvenile Drug Court Specialist is to be notified and the treatment provider will be asked to participate at the next scheduled JDC staffing so the treatment provider and JDC team can collaboratively determine a course of action to facilitate complianc