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November 25, 2019 | Criminal Justice, Drug Courts, Opioids, Reports & Studies

The NJOTF was created by Resolutions of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) during their annual meeting in 2017. The Conferences recognized the need to respond to the mounting stress on criminal and family court dockets impacting state court systems across the country. Through collaboration with multiple sources inside and outside government, including experts on treatment, prevention and data, the members of the Task Force approved a comprehensive set of policy and best practice recommendations. This report is centered around these findings and recommendations. ...

November 14, 2019 | News Bites

Each issue of News Bites will highlight unique news articles from around the United States in the areas of public health and safety, substance use disorders, and the criminal justice system. This newsletter will feature stories that you may have missed but are important to the field....

November 12, 2019 | Public Health, Recovery, Reports & Studies

This statement describes (1) what is known about the prevalence of recovery homes across the United States; and (2) investigations and actions selected states have undertaken to oversee such homes. It is largely based on GAO’s March 2018 report (GAO-18-315). For that report, GAO reviewed national and state data, among other things, and interviewed officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, national associations, and five states—Florida, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. GAO selected these states based on their rates of opioid overdose deaths, their rates of dependence or abuse of alcohol and other drugs, and other criteria....

November 12, 2019 | Criminal Justice, Innovative Initiatives, Treatments

Tennessee Recovery Oriented Compliance Strategy (TN ROCS) was founded in 2013 by Circuit Court Judge O. Duane Slone to work with drug offenders with opioid use disorders (OUDs) who did not qualify for his drug recovery court. The program relies on the practices and principles of drug court, requires fewer resources, and is based on three components: (1) obtaining an accurate screening and assessment and providing a referral to the proper level of treatment for an appropriate period of time; (2) frequent accountability through appropriate levels of supervision; and (3) the knowledge that the judge has power over the participant’s freedom....

November 11, 2019 | Reports & Studies, Treatments

Innovation Now is a program that re-imagines how we can address addiction as a national. The initiative showcases innovative programs and intervention from every sector that are actively transforming the field of addiction across the country. This report focuses on ten innovative solutions that are transforming addiction prevention, treatment and recovery....

October 29, 2019 | Criminal Justice, Reports & Studies

The Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards (FTC Standards) were written to reflect the shift toward person-centered, strengths-based, family-focused, and action-oriented practices. The Family Treatment Court Standards embrace the fundamental principle of working with the entire family affected by substance use disorders (SUDs) or co-occurring disorders with a goal toward long-term recovery and reunification through healing and wellness. ...

October 18, 2019 | Fact Sheets

In August 2019, the RAND Corporation (RAND) published an extensive, 265 page report on fentanyl entitled, The Future of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids (the Report). Considering the importance of the Report, the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) designed this Fact Sheet to assist policymakers’ understanding of the Report by distilling key aspects into readily digestible paragraphs....

October 16, 2019 | Legal & Legislative Research

Currently, 35 states and the District of Columbia have enacted involuntary commitment laws for those suffering from alcoholism and/or substance use disorders (SUDs). In order to protect an individual’s civil rights, each state ensures that the committed person receives due process by providing the person the right to an attorney during the commitment process....