Get the latest information | Sign up for our email newsletter

Email:

Meth Action Coalition

Working to Stop the METH Epidemic in Deschutes County, Oregon

 

Family Drug Court

Judge Alta Brady presides over the Deschutes County Family Drug Court.  It is a court-supervised intensive treatment program, typically lasting 12 to 18 months, to serve parents who have had their children removed from their custody or are at risk of having their children removed as a result of substance abuse.  Family Drug Court is coordinated and closely monitored by the court under the direction of Judge Brady.  Representatives from partner agencies are organized as a treatment team.  Together, the team develops and supervises treatment plans for drug court participants and their families.

The goals of drug court are to:

  • Lessen impact of methamphetamine and other illegal drug use on community law enforcement agencies, courts and corrections
  • Reduce community rates of addiction and substance abuse
  • Help drug abusing parents and pregnant women to become sober and responsible caregivers
  • Create safe environments in which children are healthy and safe from abuse and neglect
  • Promote positive, pro-social behavior

Drug Court is in session every Monday afternoon in the Deschutes County Justice building at 1100 NW Bond Street in Bend, Oregon.

What is expected of a person participating in Drug Court?

Individual treatment plants are developed for all drug court participants and tailored around the unique needs of parents and families.  Basic expectations of all participants are:

  • Frequent court appearances
  • Frequent random drug testing
  • Intensive drug and alcohol treatment
  • Mental health treatment if appropriate
  • Community based self help/recovery meetings (12-step, AA, NA, MA DDA etc.)
  • Regular probation reporting
  • Parent coaching
  • Health, wellness and treatment of children
  • Health, wellness and treatment of parents
  • Communicable disease testing and referral 
  • Vocational Rehabilitation
  • Employment

Participants receive incentives for program compliance and progress on their treatment plan. Individualized treatment interventions and sanctions are given for non-compliance.  As a participant progresses, the treatment plan is adjusted with less frequent drug testing, therapy sessions, probation reporting and court attendance.

Launched in 2007, dozens of classes have now graduated from the drug court program and as of this writing, recidivism is in the single digits.