Author: Lauren Curtis

Judges who received opioid use disorder (OUD) training are more likely to view OUD as a chronic disease and a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a recently released report.

The training also led more judges to conclude that funding should be increased for those who benefit from court-ordered OUD services.

The NCSC-directed Appalachian/Midwest Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI) administered the training through a learning model called the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, or Project ECHO.

Judge Geno Salomone of the Michigan 23^rd District Court praised the training, the first time ECHO was used by the courts. “I can speak for all of the panel members in Michigan…We loved using the ECHO model. Its brief-time limits are strictly adhered to, but informative. It allows a limited group of attendees access to a number of experts on the topic at hand, and it utilizes real cases. Equally as important, because of the strict scheduling, it avoids Zoom fatigue.”

More than 75 judges in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia completed a survey before the opioid training, and 54 did so afterward.

The surveys, conducted by Wayne State University’s Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, show:

• Ninety-two percent of the judges strongly agreed, post-training, that recovery is possible after a substance abuse relapse, compared with 75 percent pre-training.
• Eighty-five percent strongly agreed that addressing OUD should be a goal of the justice system, compared with 76 percent before the training.
• Seventy-five percent strongly agreed after training that funding should be increased for OUD services, compared with 67 percent before the training.
• Sixty-six percent strongly agreed post-training that judges should rely on experts to determine how to use medicine to treat those who abuse opioids, compared with 56 percent pre-training.
• Sixty-four percent of judges strongly agreed, post-training, that OUD is a disability under the American with Disabilities Act, compared with 21 percent before training.
• Seventy percent strongly agreed that OUD is a chronic disease after training, compared with 55 percent pre-training.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state courts accelerated efforts to implement online dispute resolution (ODR) programs that offer litigants a software platform in which to resolve legal problems, including negotiating settlements or exchanging information in preparation for in-court hearings.  ODR programs are intended to increase access to justice, especially for self-represented litigants, through increased convenience, case processing efficiency, and awareness of litigant options, while decreasing costs.  With SJI support, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has issued a new report describing a framework for program evaluation, as well as ongoing performance measures for ODR programs.  The framework employs a “balanced scorecard” approach to ensure that evaluation and performance measures take into account perspectives of important stakeholders, including courts, litigants, access-to-justice advocates, and funders of ODR programs.  All of the measures address the same underlying primary question: to what extent does the ODR program improve access to justice?  The report is available here.  The NCSC project team is also available to provide technical assistance to courts implementing new ODR programs.

Given the rapid advancement of technology solutions such as ODR, litigant portals, and artificial intelligence, SJI has committed to not only provide seed funding for these efforts, but also play a critical leadership role.  SJI is promoting the development and implementation of these technologies, and working with key stakeholders both nationally and internationally to adapt proven technology platforms in the state courts.  These developments will fundamentally change the way individuals interact with the courts, in addition to further streamlining court operations.

The Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, with SJI support, is hosting the Transformation of Youth Justice Symposium (September 8-9, 2021) and supplemental half-day Training Institutes (September 10, 2021). The two-day symposium is designed for multi-disciplinary professionals and youth-serving stakeholders seeking to learn, network, and become part of the nationwide movement to effectively transform youth justice and improve outcomes for children and families.

The Symposium will feature five plenaries and 30 workshops focused on current and significant cross-cutting issues impacting the youth-serving field. Participants seeking to expand their knowledge may also register to attend a supplemental half-day Training Institute session following the Symposium. Focused on six critical topics, these deep-dive sessions will highlight opportunities and methods to significantly enhance current practice to improve system performance and ensure the highest likelihood of achieving positive outcomes for youth and families. The Symposium and Training Institutes will emphasize the importance of peer-to-peer learning and collaboration to identify common challenges and solutions that lead to meaningful, sustainable, and measurable policy and practice change. To learn more, please visit: www.rfknrcjj.org/events.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has released a new resource, the Courts Continuity Assessment Tool (C-CAT), to help courts determine where the gaps may lie in their current continuity programming.

Available as an interactive online self-assessment survey (as of June 2021), or for download as an Excel spreadsheet, the C-CAT builds on prior NCSC work in this area funded by SJI.  This work includes the NCSC Courts Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning Guide and Template and the NCSC Emergency Management Lessons Learned Focus Group Report. The C-CAT incorporates advice from these new resources, and provides an interactive platform for assessing nine key areas of court continuity of operations:

1. Address Leadership Issues and Dedicate Staff
2. Build and Strengthen Collaborative Relationships
3. Identify Essential Functions
4. Develop Redundant Communications
5. Support the Needs of the Workforce
6. Address Courthouse Infrastructure Needs and Alternate Facilities
7. Address Information Technology (IT) Resilience
8. Identify Reconstitution and Cost Recovery Processes
9. Train and Exercise the Program 

Many of the questions included in the C-CAT are based on those found in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Continuity Assessment Tool (CAT), and the interactive guidance is consistent with available FEMA Continuity Planning Resources for Non-Federal Entities. Following FEMA recommendations, courts should complete an assessment of their continuity programs on a regular basis (e.g., annually).

The NCSC provides other resources related to continuity of operations and court security, including an Updated Personal Security Tips document – revised since 2009, that covers several areas related to the personal safety of judges and court staff in various settings.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Family-Centered Justice is a court-wide approach committed to focusing on the family unit though meaningful, strength-based and trauma-responsive engagement, intentional case coordination, and multidisciplinary support.  Similar to family-centered practice in child welfare, Family-Centered Justice promotes the value of family voice and family well-being.

The Family-Centered Justice program aims to transform the delivery of justice to children and families in courts throughout the United States by infusing effective family drug court principles into the broader family and dependency court system. The objective is to increase the capacity of state courts to intervene effectively with parents with substance use and/or co-occurring mental health disorders who are involved with the court as a result of child abuse and neglect issues. This program has the potential to impact of the lives of many children and families across the United States by supporting out-of-the-box solutions to address the shortcomings of traditional court processes. Through multi-disciplinary, collaborative work, participating jurisdictions will implement strategies believed to lead to improved outcomes for families impacted by parental substance use and child welfare involvement. The Family-Centered Justice funding opportunity is supported by SJI.

Family-Centered Justice Application Due Date: July 9th, 2021 at 5PM ET

Up to six sites will be selected to receive up to $50,000 in funding for a twelve-month project that includes a planning period. Applicants must demonstrate, at a minimum, buy-in from the courts, child welfare, and treatment. Selected grantees are expected to have a collaborative infrastructure in place that is capable of building the locality’s capacity to meet a broad range of needs for families involved with substance use disorder treatment, child welfare systems, court, and other service organizations. Grantees are expected to implement targeted approaches designed to increase well-being, improve permanency outcomes, and enhance the safety of children and families experiencing substance use disorders.

Access the Family-Centered Application
Access the full Family-Centered Solicitation and Application

Difficult Conversations Webinar Series Recording

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), with support from SJI, hosted a series of five webinars titled Opioids and the Courts- Difficult Conversations. NCJFCJ and expert faculty explored challenges associated with referring children and families to services in dependency and delinquency cases. The faculty and webinar attendees had the opportunity to discuss how courts and services providers can work together to meet the needs of families and improve their lives. Recordings of this webinar series and links to related resources can be found on the NCJFCJ website.

In addition to the webinar series, the NCJFCJ provided training and technical assistance to juvenile and family courts across the country to address the effects of opioid use disorders (OUDs) and other substance use disorders (SUDs) on children and families.  

The project involved recruiting judicially-led court sites to engage in Targeted Resource Mapping to document the continuum of services available for children and families affected by OUDs and other SUDs. The project had two primary, interrelated goals for the sites to 1) gain knowledge of existing services on a local level; and 2) identify and address service gaps in an effort to ensure a healthy and effective continuum of services.

As a result of that work, the NCJFCJ developed the Targeted Resource Mapping Toolkit (Mapping Toolkit). The Mapping Toolkit includes templates to develop a Targeted Resource Map (resource map), Targeted Resource Directory (resource directory), and Targeted Resource Mapping Action Plan (action plan).

The Mapping Toolkit is intended to encourage and provide guidance to courts that are seeking to better understand existing resources, identify and address service gaps, and build relationships with providers in their community. 

Click here to learn more about the Lessons Learned in Targeted Resource Mapping.

Funds Available for Mental Health Courts at the Bureau of Justice Assistance

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is now accepting applications for its Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. This year, funding is available through this program to jurisdictions creating or expanding a mental health court.

The grant program seeks to provide support to justice system agencies partnering with mental health agencies to reduce crime and recidivism
associated with people with mental illnesses and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. 
Grants are awarded over a period of 36 months beginning October 1, 2021 and are valued at up to $550,000 per award.

Applicants must meet two deadlines as part of a new two-step application process for all Department of Justice grants: 

•    June 22, 2021: The SF-242 and SF-LLL must be submitted to Grants.gov
•    July 6, 2021: The full application must be submitted to JustGrants

New this year, grant applicants must comply with Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities. See the grant solicitation for details on complying with the order.

Download the Solicitation

Additional Resources for Applicants

Assistance is available on navigating the Department of Justice’s new JustGrants system, including FAQs, an application submission checklist, and recordings of past virtual Q&A sessions. You can access the full library of training resources here.

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424 and SF- LLL in Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. 

For technical assistance with submitting the full application in DOJ’s Justice Grants System (JustGrants), contact the JustGrants Service Desk at 833-872-5175 or JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov.