Local Juvenile Drug Court Receives Grant to Expand Treatment

A UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Jefferson County (Alabama) Family Court drug treatment program has received a grant of more than $1 million to expand treatment services of the court’s Juvenile Drug Court .The three-year grant, awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, will be administered by UAB’s TASC (Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime) program.

Posted on October 24, 2005 at 2:15 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Jefferson County (Alabama) Family Court drug treatment program has received a grant of more than $1 million to expand treatment services of the court’s Juvenile Drug Court .The three-year grant, awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, will be administered by UAB’s TASC (Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime) program.

The SAMHSA expansion grant will fill gaps in the services offered through TASC. It will provide funding to hire a drug court coordinator, increase the capacity for UAB’s community-based Intensive Adolescent Program (IAP) and offer continuing care for juveniles graduating from the IAP.

It also will fund an aftercare component for juveniles completing residential treatment and IAP, as well as expand the family component to educate and build family support.

“With increased services available in the community, comprehensive assessment and timely intervention, the number of juveniles committed to residential treatment facilities should be curtailed,” said Judge J. Brian Huff, Presiding Circuit Judge of the Family Court of Jefferson County.

“We believe this grant will help make our community-based treatment even more effective,” said Foster Cook, Director of UAB Substance Abuse Programs. “We anticipate that the project will serve 95 youths and 40 parents/guardians per year.”

The Jefferson County Family Court Drug Court began in January 1996 as one of the first programs in the State of Alabama exclusively for juveniles. The program is a post-adjudication format, which means charges against the juvenile have been found true and the juvenile is under judicial supervision.

The Drug Court handles cases that involve juveniles whose drug use has risen to the level of requiring substance abuse treatment. This treatment is linked with frequent drug testing, a strong judicial presence and a probation supervision component that offers the availability of graduated sanctions for non-compliance