1. 4th Judicial District Family Reunification Grant
April 27, 2011
Colorado State Drug Court Conference

2. Presentation Overview
Family Reunification Grant Overview
Shirley Rhodus
Respondent Parent Counsel Social Worker
Yolanda Lewis-Harris
Court Appointed Special Advocate
Jon Whiteman
Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Jennifer West
Family Treatment Drug Court
Julia Roguski & Magistrate Billings-Vela
Questions & Answers

3. Grant Overview $500,000 annual award for 5 years
El Paso and Teller Counties
Targeted grant to create a community-based Family Reunification Coalition to increase the well-being of, and to improve the permanency outcomes for, children affected by Methamphetamine or other Substance Abuse

4. Community Coalition: AspenPointe Health Network
El Paso County Department of Human Services
Teller County Department of Social Services
Court Appointment Special Advocate (CASA)
Treatment Providers
4th Judicial District Methamphetamine Task Force
Respondent Parent’s Counsel Social Worker
Savio
4th Judicial District

5. Respondent Parent Counsel Social Worker
Programs and Services Offered
Respondent Parent Counsel Social Worker
Community Training and Education
Matrix Model Treatment
Court Appointment Special Advocates
Rural Substance Abuse Treatment Services
Family Treatment Drug Court
Treatment Link Coordination (TLC)
Management and Administration of Treatment Services

6. RESPONDENT PARENT COUNSEL SOCIAL WORKER

7. License/Certification
INTRODUCTION
Education Background
Work History
License/Certification

8. HOW ARE CASES ASSIGNED?
Attorney
Judges
Other Professionals

9. PROCEDURE ON WORKING CASES
INITIAL CONTACT:
- Phone Call
- Court
- Staff Meetings
- Home Visit
- Meeting with Attorney

10. Action on the Cases: Support Community Resources Attend Staff Meetings
Home Visit
Observe Parenting Time
Attend School Meetings
Transportation Assistance

11. SUCCESS STORIES
Cheryl – methamphetamine and alcohol abuse; severe delays in children’s developmental milestones (ages 2 and 4)
Kenneth – a military veteran; substance abuse and PTSD
Teri – methamphetamine addict

13. After Care Services Phone call from the client
Phone call to the client one month after the case closed
Home visit if needed

14. COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE
(CASA)

15. CASA Brief Overview of CASA
- Recruits, Screens and Trains community members as volunteer advocates
- 2 additional home visits made each month to ensure safe and stable environment for children
- Recitation of oral reports and submittal of written reports to court
- Bring awareness of children’s best interest to forefront
Expansion Grant
- Increased Government Funding by nearly 10%
- Increased Number of Children Served by > 10%

16. Work Done with Families and Children
Coach volunteers to be a “cheerleader” for parents as well as an
advocate the children
- Increased the number of reunifications
- Decreased the number of foster care and OOH placement moves
Help establish communication with professionals early and
often
Connecting Children with Supportive/Treatment Services
- Therapeutic Services
- Colorado’s Betty Ford’s Children’s Program

17. Successes:
System worked as an intervention
Quick return home and focused on stabilization of bio home
Committee Work/Collaborative Work:
Extends continuum of care for families not in FTDC
D&N families receive advocacy for reunification on substance
abuse cases
Over 120 children served in 3.5 years of grant
Best Practices Stable Placement and Permanency Committee
Coalition for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (CPCAN)
Alliance for Drug Endangered Children

18. Alliance for Drug Endangered Children

19. Origin of ADEC Methamphetamine Task Force of El Paso & Teller Counties
Was formed to eradicate methamphetamine production and use, and to repair its social impacts through development and implementation of a comprehensive integrated strategy of prevention, education, intervention, law enforcement, and treatment

20. Action Statements:
 Rally all sectors of the community around the vision and mission
Support the community to value and encourage healthy, drug-free living
Create and sustain an education and awareness campaign
Preserve and strengthen families and promote nurturing, healthy relationships
Promote a multi-disciplinary approach to address safety, health, and welfare of children and families who are impacted by substance use issues
Educate the community regarding self-sufficiency and treatment resources to support families in achieving and maintaining a drug-free lifestyle
Provide services to families based on best-practice standards

21. Mission and Vision
Our Mission: To reduce the impact of substance abuse on children, families and the community through the development & implementation of a comprehensive integrated strategy of: 
Prevention Education
Intervention Law enforcement
Treatment
Our Vision: The El Paso and Teller Counties Alliance for Drug Endangered Children exists to create and sustain a healthy community free of substance abuse.

22. Community Training and Education
Annual Community Forum:
Inside the Medicine Cabinet: How Prescription Drugs Affect the Family
Exploring the Lives of Drug Endangered Children and Their Families: A
Multi-disciplinary Perspective
The Decisions We Make
Collaborating for a Healthy Community
Treatment Works: A Fresh View on Addiction, Recovery and the
Community Response to Methamphetamine
Mini-Forums:
May Upcoming in Teller County – It’s Not What You Think – Bath Salts,
Spice and other drug trends
February - What to Know Before You Go

23. High School Health Class Presentation: Community Presentations:
- “The Brain, Drugs & Addiction”
Community Presentations:
- Core DEC Awareness – designed to educate community about
drug endangered children and encourage collaboration across
agencies and sectors
- Time to Act! - For parents who think or know their child is
using drugs
- National DEC Webinar Re-Broadcasts

24. WHO ARE WE REACHING? Child Welfare - GALs
CASA Staff & Volunteers Mental Health
- Substance Abuse Treatment Home Visiting Professionals
- Law Enforcement
- Probation
Community Corrections
Department of Youth Corrections
Family & Child Advocates
Wrap Around Educators
MADD

25. IN THE COMMUNITY School Involvement: Community Awareness:
“The Brain, Drugs & Addiction” – High School Health Class Presentation
Parent Town Halls with District 11
Community Awareness:
Core DEC Awareness – designed to educate community about drug endangered children and encourage collaboration across agencies and sectors
Time to Act! - For parents who think or know their child is using drugs
National DEC Webinar Re-Broadcasts
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative
Resource/Health Fair Participation
Social Media – Facebook & Twitter
Inter-agency Collaboration:
- 4th Judicial Best Practices Committees
Service Delivery Subcommittee
Adolescent Subcommittee
- DHS Substance Abuse CORE Providers
- Clinical Advisory Committee

26. Colorado Springs:
DUI Task Force
Colorado Springs Fire & Life Safety Consortium
El Paso County:
Coalition for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect
Community Partnership for Child Development
Health Services Advisory Council
Family Services Advisory Council
Strong & Health Families
El Paso County Parent Education Consortium
Community Action Team of the Fetal, Infant & Child Mortality Review
Alliance for Kids Early Childhood Council
Region:
Nurse Family Partnership
Military Impact Child Development Planning Group
State & Southern Colorado Coalition for Girls
Colorado:
Colorado Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
State Meth Task Force

27. FAMILY TREATMENT DRUG COURT

28. A Joint Service Management Project of:
Colorado's 4th Judicial Family Treatment Drug Court A Placement Prevention Model
A Joint Service Management Project of:
El Paso County Department of Human Services
Savio
AspenPointe Health Network
TANF
Fourth Judicial District

29. Doing Business Differently…
Joint Service Management Requires Different Participation by Each Member
JSM Partners are Jointly Responsible for….
Program Design and Development
Continuous Quality Improvement
Case and Program Outcomes
Collection and Reporting of Data

30. Making It Work Systemic Problems Addressed Head On
Some of the JSM Partners were Competitors
This Was Shift In Their Relationship
Getting Judicial On Board – Changing Standard Practice
Developing Trust and Cooperation Within The Treatment Team

31. 5 Year Longitudinal Studies
2010 Outcomes
Program Summary
116 Families Served
178 Adults
223 Children
Discharge Status
78% Children At Home
14% Children With Kin
8% Children In Foster Care
5 Year Longitudinal Studies
91% No Founded Report of Abuse/Neglect, D&N or Placement

32. SUCCESS STORY

33. Questions & Answers