Guidelines for adult collaborative treatment courts

(a) Minimum components

(1) The components specified in this standard should be included as minimum requirements in adult collaborative treatment courts.

(2) Adult collaborative treatment courts are evidence-based, postadjudication courts that provide an alternative to traditional criminal justice case processing. Adult collaborative treatment courts may include adult drug courts, impaired driving treatment courts, family treatment courts, and veterans treatment courts.

(b) Adult collaborative treatment court participants

(1) Adult collaborative treatment courts should serve a high-risk and high-need target population.

(2) Adult collaborative treatment courts may serve participants with lower risk or need levels. Adult collaborative treatment courts that serve more than one risk or need level should develop alternative treatment and service tracks.

(3) Adult collaborative treatment court candidates should be identified early. Those determined eligible for participation should be accepted and placed into an adult collaborative treatment court promptly.

(c) Treatment and social services

Participants should be given access to a continuum of treatment and social services that are responsive to their individual needs.

(1) Treatment levels should be divided into a phase structure to provide periodic reviews of treatment progress and address participant needs in an effective sequence. Each phase may vary in length. It should be recognized that a participant is expected to progress in treatment but may relapse.

(2) Adult collaborative treatment courts should have an assessment component to ensure that participants are initially screened and then periodically assessed to ensure that appropriate treatment and social services are provided and to monitor the participants’ progress.

(d) Monitoring

Abstinence from and use of controlled substances should be monitored and tested at the frequency determined necessary by the adult collaborative treatment court based on each participant’s behavior and needs.

(e) Judicial supervision

Adult collaborative treatment courts should provide early and ongoing judicial supervision, at a frequency consistent with the needs of each participant.

(f) Sanctions, incentives, and service adjustments

Adult collaborative treatment courts should respond directly to each participant’s behavior with sanctions, incentives, or service adjustments.

(1) A clear regimen of incentives and sanctions should be established and implemented to support each participant’s adherence to adult collaborative treatment court goals and conditions.

(2) Service adjustments should be provided when necessary to support a participant in achieving program goals and conditions. Service adjustments should not be used as incentives or sanctions. Service adjustments may include, but are not limited to, supervision adjustments, treatment adjustments, and learning adjustments.

(3) Adult collaborative treatment courts may establish additional responses to behaviors to address participant and court needs.

(4) Adult collaborative treatment courts should hold a hearing to determine whether a participant facing possible unsuccessful discharge should be terminated from the adult collaborative treatment court and criminal proceedings should be reinstated.

(g) Diversity, equity, and inclusion

(1) Adult collaborative treatment courts should ensure equitable access, services, and outcomes for all sociodemographic and sociocultural groups.

(2) Adult collaborative treatment court staff and service providers are encouraged to reflect the sociodemographic characteristics or sociocultural identities of adult collaborative treatment court candidates and participants.