TADCP Quarterly Newsletter - September 2012

7/30/2019 TADCP Quarterly Newsletter - September 2012

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nside This Issue

ume 2, Issue 3

ptember 2012A Publication by

2012 Officers

and Directorsennessee Association ofrug Court Professionals

ug Court Offers

Way Out 2

dge Talks About

r 15 Participants 2

ee 2-Day Cultural

oficiency Training 2

st District Programoves To New Office3

ddiction Severity

dex 3

ug Court Program

ows Success 4

embership

pplication 4

President

Kevin Batts

Vice President

Mary Schneider

Treasurer

Brad Price

Secretary

Rick Taylor

West Tennessee DirectorAngela Parkerson

Middle Tennessee Director

Marianne Schroer

East Tennessee Director

Judge Charles Cerney

At Large Directors

Ron Hanaver

Tracye Bryant

Jill Barrett

JUDGE DAVID BRAGG TO BE DRUG COURTAND DUI COURT PRESIDING JUDGE

Murfreesboro, TN --- August 7, 2012 ---

Mary Schneider, Director of the Rutherford

County Drug Court and DUI Court

Programs is pleased to announce that Judge

David Bragg will become the new presiding

judge for these programs beginning

September 6, 2012. Ms. Schneider states,

We are very sad to see Judge Ash move on

to other opportunities. He has been an

excellent judge and member of our team for

the past 14 years. The participants in our

programs look up to Judge Ash and some

consider him a father figure. Without Judge

Ash, this program never would have been as

successful as it is today. We will miss his

leadership.

Judge Bragg has been a substitute for

Judge Ash and the Drug Court and DUI

Court programs numerous times during the

past 2 years. Ms. Schneider states, JudgeBragg has a good report with the partici-

pants and has the right mix of toughness

and compassion to deal with them in court.

We look forward to Judge Bragg joining our

team. After volunteering to be the presid-

ing judge, Judge Bragg stated, I am hon-

ored to be asked to serve in this valuable

program. The Drug Court Program has a

demonstrated record changing lives while

saving taxpayers thousands of dollars and

turning tax takers into taxpayers. This gives

me an opportunity to join the County

Mayor, County Commissioners and the

Drug Court Foundation to help people

become productive, contributing memb

of our community. I am looking forwa

joining the team of professionals who

working to make a difference in the liv

non-violent offenders. I appreciate the

hours and hard work Judge Ash has vo

teered over the years to making this a

cessful program.

The Drug Court Program started in

and serves non-violent offenders who

mit crimes because of their addiction. T

are placed in a 12-month program thatincludes counseling, family therapy an

dom drug screens. The DUI Program s

in 2008 and identifies multiple DUI of

ers. This program is modeled after the

Court Program. Both programs have p

to be very successful and have improve

public safety of this community.

For more information on the Drug C

Program you may call, (615) 217-7

or visit the Website at

www.rutherfordcountytn.gov/drug_court/ind

Mark your calendars for

December 5, 6, & 7, 2012 to

attend the TADCP 8th Annual

Drug Court Conference. Once

again in Murfreesboro, TN., the

conference will be packed with

opportunities to learn and net-

work. Favorite speakers will

return, and new speakers will be

present to share insights and

updates for people just like you!

Youll have a chance to hearfrom colleagues near and far

about the innovative things hap-

pening around drug courts. Its

an exciting time to be in the drug

court field. Come be a part of it

with us!

Conference registration

begins September 12th and ends

November 9th. Go to www.tad-

cpconference.ezregister.com and

register online with the option to

pay by credit card, PayPal, or

check. To make hotel reser-

vations online, go to

www.murfreesboro.embassysuites.com,

or by phone call 1-800-

EMBASSY. When making

reservations online or by

phone, use Group Code DCP

to receive the conferencerate of $77 for single room

rate (additional charges over

one person).

Rooms are very limited

and are on a first come, first

served basis, so make your

reservations early. Once all

rooms in the TADCP group

have been filled, you will be

charged the standard hotel ro

rate. Room reservations mu

be made by November 9th.

TENNESSEES 8TH ANNUAL DRUG COURT CONFERENC

www.murfreesboro.embassysuites.com Group Code: DCP

REGISTRATION BEGINS: www.tadcpconference.ezregister.comREGISTRATION ENDS: November 9, 2012

COST: TADCP Members - $25 (if a member as of September 12, 2012)Non- Members - $75

T A D C

E

V

E

N

T

S

Mark You

Calendar

TADCP AnnuaTraining

ConferenceDecember 5-7, 2012

Embassy Suites Hote

Murfreesboro, Tenness


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ge 2 Tennessee Association of Drug Court Profession

CEUs, and CLEs pending approval

RUG COURT OFFERS A WAY OUT FOR ADDICTS IN TROUBLE WITH LAWNEW GRAD CLASS OF 14 COMPLETES PROGRAM

RANKLIN An intensive pro-

m adopted a decade ago to help

cts get clean and stay out of trou-

ecognized 14 more people whoered to its demands and now have

tter shot at sobriety. Drug Court, a

rsion offered in the 21st Judicial

rict, offers nonviolent offenders a

nce to stay out of jail but they

t follow a strict, two-year program

includes regular drug tests, in-

ent treatment and therapy.

gram administrators held a gradua-

tion ceremony Tuesday for 14 people.

Director Marianne Schroer said it was

a standing-room-only crowd. Im

happy to see so many people from thecommunity there to support the gradu-

ates, Schroer said.

Drug Court is funded through fees

collected in the districts criminal

court, grants and donations. In recent

years, said Schroer, grants have been

difficult to come by. Fundraising is

becoming a bigger priority, and in

October Schroer is hosting the pro-

grams second event this year. She

hopes to raise upwards of $20,000

during a breakfast at Pucketts

Grocery and Restaurant in downtowFranklin on Oct. 29. Earlier this ye

a similar event garnered $15,000.

For details on the Drug Court prog

or to make a donation, visit

www.21dc.org.

Source: The Tennessean 8/

HON. JANICE H. SNIDER, JUDGE OF HAMBLEN COUNTY RECOVERYCOURT SHARES ABOUT HER 15 PARTICIPANTS:

We are proud of the accomplish-

ts of several of our recent gradu-

and current participants. All of

recent graduates have stable, full

employment and several have

n offered the prospect of advance-t in their jobs.

wo current participants have

lled in our local college as incom-

freshmen of the 2012 class.

Another participant recently obtained

his GED, almost 15 years after he left

high school and had the distinction of

scoring a 92 on the science portion of

the exam. Afterward, a local employ-

er created a special position in theirmarketing department for this partici-

pant, which structured his work hours

so that they did not conflict with his

recovery related meetings and obliga-

tions. We never cease to be amaze

and grateful for the very special pe

ple that we have been blessed with

in our program.

All of our recent graduates

have stable, full time employmenand several have been offered thprospect of advancement in theirjobs.

FREE 2-DAY CULTURAL PROFICIENCY TRAININGhe National Drug Court Institute

partnered with Nationalelopment and Research Institutes

mplement the Cultural Proficiency

Drug Court Practitioners Training

ect for selected Drug Courts. The

ntgomery County Adult Drug

rt in Clarksville, Tennessee has

n selected as a training site. This

ect offers free 2-day trainings

gned to elevate current levels of

ural competency when working

African American and Latinos in

dated drug treatment. The

African American centric version of

the training will be offered November14-15, 2012 in Clarksville, TN. The

training will also cover Women's

Issues in Drug Court as well as the

role of Cultural Proficiency in Drug

Courts.

This 2 - day training is accredited

12 hours of substance abuse analcohol credits.

This free training is limited to 5

Drug Court Teams (ideally a mini-

mum of 5 team members per team

more or less depending on team

make-up and circumstances). To r

ister, reply to slrobertson@mont-

gomerycountytn.org with the name

your Drug Court and the names an

team roles of those attending. For

questions, call Sherry Robertson @

931-648-7696 ext. 7837.

This free training is limited to 5Drug Court Teams (ideally a mini-mum of 5 team members per team

-more or less depending on teammake-up or circumstances).


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THEPRESIDENT

CORNE

TADCP MEMBERSENJOY..

BY KEVIN BATTS

CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNIT(NAADAC AND CLE)

ANNUAL TADCP CONFERENCE

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

REPRESENTATION THROUGH THETADCP LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

FREE AND DISCOUNTED TRAINING OPPORTUNIT

On June 12, 2012, Governor Haslam sig

Executive Order No. 12, which transferred

Tennessee Drug Court Program from the Office

Criminal Justice Programs to the Tennessee Departm

of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Serv

(TDMHSAS). All functions of the Drug Court Prog

are now administered by, and are under the contro

the Commissioner of Mental Health. Drug Court

tracts which were executed with the Office of Crim

Justice Programs have been transferred to

Department of Mental Health. Effective July 1, 2

The Department of Mental Health assumed the auth

ty to receive, administer and supervise all grants

funds from whatever source, including federal, s

county and municipal governments, with respect to

programs and functions of the Drug Court Program.

Executive Order also transferred all contracts and le

which will remain in full force and effect, and are

administered and enforced by the Department of Me

Health. TDMHSAS Commissioner Douglas Va

welcomed the Drug Court Program with enthusi

saying We welcome the opportunity to work with,

value, the commitment of current drug court progr

across the state. We will all work toward our sh

goals of high-quality, evidence-based programs

services and enhanced access to the service delivery

tem for persons with substance use disorders.

Commissioner Varney, Assistant Commissi

Rodney Bragg, and Ellen Abbott met with Drug C

Coordinators from across the State in August to induce Drug Courts to TDMHSAS. They committe

working for improved funding for drug courts

assisting drug courts programmatically. Coordina

were advised that drug court reporting requirements

change dramatically. All certified drug courts will i

data into the TN WITS web-based system which

track participants from intake, through treatment,

throughout the drug court program. This tracking sys

will be made available free of charge to all drug co

and will eliminate the need for drug courts to gene

annual and quarterly reports. Useful managem

reports will still be available for drug courts and TDM

SAS. But with everyone on the same platform, th

reports will be just a click away. As Commissi

Varney told the coordinators, the Department of MeHealth is a great fit for drug courts. We serve

same population. Our goal is to help people get

ter...just like Drug Courts!

31ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT DRUG COURTPROGRAM TO MOVE TO NEW OFFICE

e 31st Judicial District Drug Court will be

ng to a new office in September. Program direc-

ad Price met with members of the Warren

ty Building and Grounds Committee and asked

rger office space for him and his staff of two,ase manager Marianne Cripps and administra-

ase manager Rhonda Williamson.

e three are currently located in one small office

ent to the Circuit Court courtroom. Price

med the committee that he has outgrown his

nt location and requires

room. When Price first

d in the position, he was

ne worker. Now he has

thers on staff and they

about 80 clients who

into and out of his

. The office Price and his staff are in now is

mall room with no partitions. If one case man-s working with a client, the others in the office

ear everything going on. Confidentiality is min-

dont want to cause trouble for anybody or ruf-

yones feathers, but Im just out of space and

more room, said Price.

mmittee members toured the courthouse

day morning looking for possible space to move

Court. When extra room could not be found,

decided to tour the Administrative Building and

d at an empty office suite adjacent to the

ce Department conference room. One office in

uite is empty and one is being used for storage

s time.mmittee members were concerned with the

ce Department conference room being tied up

commissioners regularly use the space for

meetings.

The committee members decided to move the

Environmental Codes officer across the hallway to

the empty office and also move the state auditor

(comptroller) across the hall into the storage room.Committee members decided to move the codes

enforcer because neither he nor the state auditor use

their conference room.

Drug Court will now be located in the suites

where the Codes Enforcer is now. Price and his staff

will have lots of room as the

suites have a conference room

and two large furnished offices

as well as a large storage room.

Price and his staff will be able

to utilize their conference room

in their suite as needed.

David Smiths last day as Environmental Codes

Officer was Aug. 31. Price and his staff will moveinto their new offices a couple of weeks later.

I dont want to cause trouble

for anybody or ruffle anyones

feathers, but Im just out of space

and need more room, said Price.

Warren County Drug Court will soon be moving into asuite of offices at the Administrative Building. Shown intheir current small office are from left, program director

Brad Price, administrative case manager, RhondaWilliamson and peer case manager Marianne Cripps.

e Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is one

e most widely used tools for the assess-

of substance use related problems in

s. Professionals all over the world use

SI to get a better understanding of their

t's treatment needs and outcomes. It is

most widely used substance abuse severi-

eatment planning, and outcome measure-

instrument in the United States.

e ASI was developed to serve as a stan-

zed and reliable instrument for evaluat-

dults seeking treatment for substance

e problems and is used frequently in a

of clinical, adult justice, and research set-

The semi-structured interview was

ned to address seven potential problemin substance abusing clients:

Medical status

Employment and support

Drug use

Alcohol use

Legal status

Family/social status

Psychiatric status

Clients are asked to respond to specific

questions about the problems they have expe-

rienced, both within the past 30 days and overtheir lifetimes. Thus, the ASI identifies both

urgent and chronic concerns. The ASI pro-

vides two scores: severity ratings and com-

posite scores. Severity ratings are subjective

ratings of the client's need for treatment,

derived by the interviewer. The severity rating

scales range from 0 (no treatment necessary)

to 9 (treatment needed to intervene in life-

threatening situation). Composite scores are

measures of problem severity during the prior

30 days.

All certified Drug Courts in Tennessee willbe required to utilize ASI when entering data

into the TN WITS system, maintained by

TDMHSAS.

ASIAddictionSeverityIndex


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TENNESSEE ASSOCIATION OF DRUG COURT PROFESSIONALS

one-year membership to TADCP is $25 per person. An organizational membership from 1/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 is $200 for 2-10 membeand $10 for each additional member greater than 10. Please make checks payable to TADCP.

Is this application for an individual membership or orgranizational membership? Individual Organizational

Please specify the membership organization_______________________________________________________

mary contact person

e

nization

Drug Court

Mailing Address

City, State, ZIP

Phone Number

Fax Number

E-Mail Address

MEMBERSHIPAPPLICATION

A Publication by the

O. Box 639Minnville, TN 37111

C O M P U T E RTR

A

I

N

I

N

G

New Horizons Nashville has

pricing set up with TADCP forcomputer training.

The following prices are for TADCPmembers:

Access - $88 per level per student

Word - $58 per level per student

Excel - $68 per level per student

OLA Access - $67 per user forOnline Anytime

Feel free to call or email for anyadditional information:

Ph: 615-850-5919Fax: 615-251-6925

Email: [email protected]

31ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT DRUG COURT PROGRAM

CONTINUES TO SHOW SUCCESS WITH GRADUATESesday, February 28, 2012, the 31st Judicial District Drug Court

m recognized nine more individuals for completing the inten-

pervision and treatment program, during graduation cere-

. Since becoming operational in July 2004, the 31st Judicial

Drug Court Program, which serves Van Buren and Warren

, has had 75 individuals complete the program successfully.

ug Court Program boasts an 82% success percentage for the

tes.e main goal of the Drug Court Program is to help individuals

e productive law abiding citizens and become drug addiction

he Drug Courts objective is being accomplished by holding

pants to a higher degree of accountability through intense

sion, treatment, and increased court appearances. The Drug

Program is a minimum of 18 months. There are three different

each participate will go through, each phase lasting a mini-

f six months. Participates are not

owed to move to another Phase unless he or she has completed

requirements for the previous Phase. Individuals, who fail to

comply with the rules of the drug court program, are given harsh

sanctions. Sanctions may include; serving jail time, being placed back

on house arrest, being moved back a Phase, and others.

Many may ask why Van Buren and Warren County has a drug

court program for individuals with substance abuse issues. Would not

the community be better served by incarcerating these individuals?

The simple reason is: Drug Court works! Individuals who have a sub-

stance abuse problem, who break the law, and are then sent to prison,70% of the time, will return to the community having a substance

abuse addiction, and will commit more crimes. Treating a persons

substance abuse addiction, with a higher degree of accountability, sub-

stance abuse treatment, and intense supervision, has proven to help

the individual become a productive member of our community. The

individual is required to work, pay taxes, and provide for his or her

family, taking the financial responsibility away from the tax payers of

Van Buren and Warren County. The tangible savings to the residents

of Van Buren and Warren County for having a Drug Court program

are; 1) sending a person to the Van Buren or Warren County jail cost

tax payers approximately $35 per day. The cost per person to op

the Drug Court Program costs $4.50 per day. The average time

son stays in the drug court program is 540 days. Because Van B

and Warren County have a successful drug court program, the t

ble cost savings for the taxpayers has been $1,021,140 since the

court program became operational. The un-tangible cost to the

munity for sending an individual to serve his or her sentence in

verses getting treatment are; the individual is not paying taxes, individual is not supporting his or her family, the county is havi

provide medical treatment, babies are born addicted to drugs (e

drug free babies have been born since drug courts inception), t

individual will return to using drugs once released from jail, con

committing more crimes, thus continuing the never ending cycl

If you would like more information about the Drug Court

gram, you can contact the Drug Court Director; C. Brad Price a

474-1071.

TADCP Quarterly Newsletter - September 2012

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