Drug Court
Mission Statement
The mission of the Linn County Drug Court is to promote a safe community and to improve lives impacted by addiction, by reducing drug-related crime and by assisting offenders to become productive, drug-free and responsible citizens.
Drug Court Overview
A “drug court” as defined by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals is “a special court given the responsibility to handle cases involving substance abuse offenders through comprehensive supervision, drug testing, treatment services and immediate sanctions and rewards.”
Drug courts were developed as a partnership between the criminal justice system and the treatment community. This collaboration involves a drug court team that structures treatment sessions, supervision, and intervention, to break the cycle of substance abuse and associated criminal activity. The judge is the central figure. Drug court participants receive out-patient treatment, sanctions, incentives, and frequent Judicial Status Hearings.
Program Information
The Drug Court program is one of over 3,416 specialty courts in the US, and The Linn County adult program is one of 26 adult drug courts in Oregon.
Linn County only accepts high risk, high need participants and serves, on average, thirty participants in any given month. The Honorable Judge Thomas A. McHill presides.
The program is a 5 Phase system which incorporates national standards for treatment best practices, supervision through probation, weekly court appearances and random drug testing. The length of the program is a minimum of 18 months.
Linn County Alcohol and Drug is the treatment provider for the program, which includes the following group and individual treatment services: Men/Women’s gender group, Gender specific Foundations group, Cognitive Skills group, Recovery Skills, Accountability group and other specialized groups which include: Mental Reconation Therapy, Parenting in Recovery, Managing Emotions, Chronic Pain-management, and an Alumni Group. Individualized one-on-one counseling is also offered.
Counselor Participation
The Treatment Counselor(s) will provide evidence-based alcohol and drug counseling. The Counselor will be the primary treatment contact for all participants. The Counselor will work closely with the PO and Coordinator when building service and support plans and will have the responsibility for the development of appropriate treatment for the participants. Individual treatment plans will be developed based on the needs of each participant, but will not replace standard required groups. Additional services may be added to the treatment plan. The Counselor will communicate regularly with the Staffing Team on the status of participant’s progress in treatment and any needs that may arise. The Counselor will participate in weekly staffing meetings and offer recommendations with regard to interventions, sanctions, incentives, and approval of applicants and phase advancement.
The Treatment Provider (Linn County Alcohol and Drug) will provide reports required by funding sources, monitor opportunities for future grants, and participate with the Coordinator to access resources and community support. The treatment Counselor will participate in a quarterly Quality Improvement Meeting with the Probation Officer and Drug Court Coordinator. The Primary Treatment Counselor will attend on-going training opportunities.
