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Treatment Courts

The following courts fall under the Treatment Court umbrella:
Adult Drug Courts, DWI Courts, Family Dependency Treatment Court, Juvenile Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court.

Overview
Defining Treatment Courts: The Key Components
Types of Courts
Operational Treatment Courts
County Specific Information
Research and Reports
Resources

Treatment Court is a common term for drug courts. Treatment Courts represent a shift in the way courts are handling certain offenders and working with key stakeholders in the justice system. In this approach, the court works closely with prosecutors, public defenders, probation officers, social workers, and other justice system partners to develop a strategy that will pressure an offender into completing a treatment program and abstaining from repeating the behaviors that brought them to court.

Treatment courts are the single most successful intervention in our nation's history for leading people living with substance use and mental health disorders out of the justice system and into lives of recovery and stability. They improve education, employment, housing, and financial stability; and promote family reunification. Instead of viewing addiction as a moral failing, they view it as a disease. Instead of punishment, they offer treatment. Instead of indifference, they show compassion.

Treatment court strategies include regular appearances before a judge, intensive supervision by a probation officer, frequent drug and alcohol testing that is random and individualized, and using immediate sanctions and incentives to reward program compliance and respond to program non-compliance. Research shows that when these strategies are implemented correctly, treatment courts improve public safety and save taxpayer dollars.

Treatment courts stop the vicious cycle of relapse and recidivism by treating substance use and mental health disorders for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Treatment Court promote recovery through a coordinated, team approach including cooperation and collaboration of judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, probation authorities, coordinators, treatment providers, law enforcement, evaluators, and other ancillary service providers. Evidence-based practices are used in treatment courts to tailor individualized, appropriate services for participants in the program. The goal of treatment courts is to engage individuals in treatment long enough to experience the benefits of treatment in order to end the cycle of recidivism and successfully treat their substance use and mental health disorders that brought them into the criminal justice system.

Key Component #1: Treatment courts integrate alcohol and other drug treatment services with justice system case processing.

Key Component #2: Using a non-adversarial approach, prosecution and defense counsel promote public safety while protecting participants’ due process rights.

Key Component #3: Eligible participants are identified early and promptly placed in the treatment court program.

Key Component #4: Treatment courts provide access to a continuum of alcohol and other drug and related treatment and rehabilitation services.

Key Component #5: Abstinence is monitored by frequent alcohol and other drug testing.

Key Component #6: A coordinated strategy governs treatment court responses to participants’ compliance.

Key Component #7: Ongoing judicial interaction with each treatment court participant is essential.

Key Component #8: Monitoring and evaluation measure the achievement of program goals and gauge effectiveness.

Key Component #9: Continuing interdisciplinary education promotes effective treatment court planning, implementation, and operations.

Key Component #10: Forging partnerships among treatment courts, public agencies, and community-based organizations generates local support and enhances drug court effectiveness.

The following courts fall under the Treatment Court umbrella:
Adult Drug Courts, DWI Courts, Family Dependency Treatment Court, Juvenile Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court.

Adult Drug Court

Drug courts are an effective problem-solving approach for dealing with alcohol and other drug addicted offenders in the judicial system. Drug courts closely monitor the defendant's progress toward sobriety and recovery through ongoing treatment, frequent drug testing, regular mandatory check-in court appearances, and the use of a range of immediate sanctions and incentives to foster behavior change.

In drug court, judges collaborate with other traditional court participants (prosecutors, defense counsel, treatment providers, probation officers, law enforcement, educational and vocational experts, community leaders and others), whose roles have been substantially modified, but not relinquished, in the interest of helping defendants deal with addiction.

DWI Court

A DWI Court is dedicated to changing the behavior of alcohol and other drug-dependent offenders arrested for driving while impaired. The goal of DWI Court is to protect public safety by using the drug court model to address the root cause of impaired driving, alcohol and other drug problems, with the repeat offender as its primary target population.

Guiding Principles for DWI Courts

Guiding Principle #1: Target the Population

Targeting is the process of identifying a subset of the DWI offender population for inclusion in the DWI court program. This is a complex task given that DWI courts, in comparison to traditional drug court programs, accept only one type of offender: the person who drives while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The DWI court target population, therefore, must be clearly defined, with eligibility criteria clearly documented.

Guiding Principle #2: Perform a Clinical Assessment

A clinically competent objective assessment of the impaired-driving offender must address a number of bio-psychosocial domains including alcohol use severity and drug involvement, the level of needed care, medical and mental health status, extent of social support systems, and individual motivation to change. Without clearly identifying a client’s needs, strengths, and resources along each of these important bio-psychosocial domains, the clinician will have considerable difficulty in developing a clinically sound treatment plan.

Guiding Principle #3: Develop the Treatment Plan

Substance dependence is a chronic, relapsing condition that can be effectively treated with the right type and length of treatment regimen. In addition to having a substance abuse problem, a significant proportion of the DWI population also suffers from a variety of co-occurring mental health disorders. Therefore, DWI courts must carefully select and implement treatment practices demonstrated through research to be effective with the hard-core impaired driver to ensure long-term success.

Guiding Principle #4: Supervise the Offender

Driving while intoxicated presents a significant danger to the public. Increased supervision and monitoring by the court, probation department, and treatment provider must occur as part of a coordinated strategy to intervene with repeat and high-risk DWI offenders and to protect against future impaired driving.

Guiding Principle #5: Forge Agency, Organization and Community Partnerships

Partnerships are an essential component of the DWI court model as they enhance credibility, bolster support, and broaden available resources. Because the DWI court model is built on and dependent upon a strong team approach, both within the court and beyond, the court should solicit the cooperation of other agencies, as well as community organizations to form a partnership in support of the goals of the DWI court program.

Guiding Principle #6: Take a Judicial Leadership Role

Judges are a vital part of the DWI court team. As leader of this team, the judge’s role is paramount to the success of the Drug court program. The judge must also possess recognizable leadership skills as well as the capability to motivate team members and elicit buy-in from various stakeholders. The selection of the judge to lead the DWI court team, therefore, is of utmost importance.

Guiding Principle #7: Develop Case Management Strategies

Case management, the series of inter-related functions that provides for a coordinated team strategy and seamless collaboration across the treatment and justice systems, is essential for an integrated and effective DWI court program.

Guiding Principle #8: Address Transportation Issues

Though nearly every state revokes or suspends a person’s driving license upon conviction for a DUI offense, the loss of driving privileges poses a significant issue for those individuals involved in a DWI/Drug Court program. In many cases, the participant solves the transportation problem created by the loss of their driver’s license by driving anyway and taking a chance that he or she will not be caught. With this knowledge, the court must caution the participant against taking such chances in the future and to alter their attitude about driving without a license.

Guiding Principle #9: Evaluate the Program

To convince “stakeholders” about the power of DWI court, program designers must design a DWI court evaluation model capable of documenting behavioral change and linking that change to the program’s existence. A credible evaluation is the only mechanism for mapping the road to program success or failure. To prove whether a program is efficient and effective requires the assistance of a competent evaluator, an understanding of and control over all relevant variables that can systematically contribute to behavioral change, and a commitment from the DWI court team to rigorously abide by the rules of the evaluation design.

Guiding Principle #10: Create a Sustainable Program

The foundation for sustainability is laid, to a considerable degree, by careful and strategic planning. Such planning includes considerations of structure and scale, organization and participation and, of course, funding. Becoming an integral and proven approach to the DWI problem in the community however is the ultimate key to sustainability.

Family Dependency Treatment Court

Family dependency treatment court is a juvenile or family court docket of which selected abuse, neglect, and dependency cases are identified where parental substance abuse is a primary factor. Judges, attorneys, child protection services, and treatment personnel unite with the goal of providing safe, nurturing, and permanent homes for children while simultaneously providing parents the necessary support and services to become drug and alcohol abstinent. Family dependency treatment courts aid parents in regaining control of their lives and promote long-term stabilized recovery to enhance the possibility of family reunification within mandatory legal timeframes.

Juvenile Drug Court

A juvenile drug court is a docket within a juvenile court to which selected delinquency cases, and in some instances status offenders, are referred for handling by a designated judge. The youth referred to this docket are identified as having problems with alcohol and/or other drugs. Over the course of a year or more, the team meets frequently (often weekly), determining how best to address the substance abuse and related problems of the youth and his or her family that have brought the youth into contact with the justice system.

Mental Health Court

Modeled after drug courts and developed in response to the over-representation of people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system, mental health courts divert select defendants with mental illnesses into judicially supervised, community-based treatment. Currently, all mental health courts are voluntary. Defendants are invited to participate in the mental health court following a specialized screening and assessment, and they may choose to decline participation. For those who agree to the terms and conditions of community-based supervision, a team of court staff and mental health professionals works together to develop treatment plans and supervise participants in the community.

Veterans Treatment Court

Veterans Treatment Courts use a hybrid integration of Drug Court and Mental Health Court principles to serve military veterans, and sometimes active-duty personnel. They promote sobriety, recovery, and stability through a coordinated response that involves collaboration with the traditional partners found in Drug Courts and Mental Health Courts, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare networks, Veterans Benefits Administration, State Departments of Veterans Affairs, volunteer veteran mentors, and organizations that support veterans and veterans’ families.

Adult Drug Court

8th Judicial District (2014)
Anoka County (2016)
Carlton County (2014)
Crow Wing County (2006)
Dakota County (2008)
Faribault-Martin-Jackson Counties (2006)
Goodhue County (2019)
Hennepin County (1996)
Le Sueur County (2015)
Morrison County (2014)
Olmsted County (2016)
Ramsey County (2002)
Rice County (2014)
Roseau County (2017)
Scott County (2016)
St. Louis County - South (2002)
Stearns County (2002)
Steele-Waseca Counties (2014)
Winona County (2012)
Wright County (2016)

Multi-County Adult Drug Court

Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan Counties (2007)
Clay-Becker Counties (2008)
Cornerstone Drug Court: Cottonwood-Rock-Nobles-Murray-Pipestone Counties (2012)
SHORE Substance Use Recovery Court (Cook County (2016) and Lake County (2019)
Southwest Community Drug Court: Lincoln-Lyon-Redwood Counties (2009)

Juvenile Drug Court

Dakota County (2005)

Family Dependency Treatment Court

Blue Earth County (2008)
Dakota County (2006)
Faribault-Martin-Jackson Counties (2010)

DWI Court

Becker County-White Earth Nation (2015)
Beltrami County (2007)
Cass County - Leech Lake Tribal Court (2006)
Crow Wing County (2008)
Hennepin County (2007)
Mahnomen County-White Earth Nation (2013)
Norman County (2015)
Otter Tail County (2008)
Pennington-Marshall Counties (2012)
Polk County (2015)
Ramsey County (2005)
Red Lake County (2015)
Roseau-Kittson Counties (2008)
St. Louis County - South (2008)

Drug/DWI Hybrid Court

Aitkin County (2006)
Blue Earth County (2005)
Borderland Substance Abuse Court: Koochiching County & Lake of the Woods County (2005)
Itasca County - Leech Lake Tribal Court (2007)
St. Louis County - North (2006)
Wabasha County (2005)

Drug/DWI/Family Dependency Hybrid

Dodge County (2003)

Veterans Treatment Court

5th Judicial District: Blue Earth-Brown-Faribault-Jackson-Martin-Nicollet-Watonwan Counties (2013)
Anoka County (2016)
Carver County (2014)
Clay-Becker Counties (2014)
Hennepin County (2010)
Ramsey County (2014)
St. Louis County - South (2018)

Mental Health Court

Hennepin County (2003)
Ramsey County (2005)
St. Louis County - Duluth (2013)

Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts

White Earth Nation Juvenile Drug Court (2012)
White Earth/Mahnomen County Tribal Healing to Wellness Drug Court (2018)

Anoka (Tenth District)

Anoka County Drug Court
Lacy Greninger, Anoka County Treatment Court Coordinator
10thAnokaTreatmentCourt@courts.state.mn.us

2100 3^rd Ave.
Anoka, MN 55303-2489

Phone: (763) 760-6573
Fax: (763) 712-3247

Anoka County Veterans' Treatment Court
Lacy Greninger, Anoka County Treatment Court Coordinator
10thAnokaTreatmentCourt@courts.state.mn.us

2100 3^rd Ave.
Anoka, MN 55303-2489

Phone: (763) 760-6573
Fax: (763) 712-3247

Becker (Seventh District)

Becker / White Earth DWI Court
Judge Gretchen Thilmony and Tribal Judge David DeGroat preside over the DWI Court. If you are interested in observing DWI Court, hearings take place every other Thursday at 1:15 p.m. at the Becker County Courthouse in Detroit Lakes.

For More Information, Please Contact:
Tria Mann, DWI Court Coordinator
913 Lake Ave.
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
(218) 998-8460
(218) 998-8438
Tria.Mann@courts.state.mn.us

Related Links:

DWI Court Brochure

Beltrami (Ninth District)

Beltrami County DWI Court Program

What is DWI Court?

The Beltrami County DWI Court Program is designed to coordinate substance abuse intervention with judicial oversight through enhanced supervision and individual accountability. The need for a DWI Court in Beltrami County has been an evolutionary process. As the number of DWI offenders have increased over the years, those in the court system are exploring various ways to deter and address repeat offenders and pursue more effective treatment options. As the growth and success of drug court programs nationally has increased, that philosophy has been adapted to the DWI arena as well. The DWI Court is the best vehicle within the criminal justice system for expediting the time between arrest and entry into treatment and for providing consistent and lengthy structure so the offender will benefit from the treatment experience.

The mission statement of the Beltrami County DWI Court is “through a holistic team-based approach, the Beltrami County DWI Court seeks to enhance public safety and promote wellness in the lives of participants by providing effective substance abuse treatment, intensive supervision and offender accountability.”

DWI Court recognizes the direct connection between substance abuse and public safety, and the importance of providing rapid entry into appropriate levels of treatment for persons charged with a gross misdemeanor or felony DWI offense.
Judge Annie Claesson-Huseby, District Court Judge, presides over DWI Court hearings.

Who is eligible to participate in DWI Court?

An adult individual may be eligible for participation if he/she meets the following criteria:

Is currently facing a First Degree DWI (felony) charge with three to four DWI convictions within the past ten years, and the current charge is not a presumptive commitment to prison;
Is currently facing a Second or Third (gross misdemeanor) Degree DWI charges;
Is currently facing multiple probation violations on a Second or Third Degree DWI charge;
Is facing their first probation violation on a felony DWI offense for using drugs or alcohol, missing treatment or no contact with their probation agent;
Resident of Beltrami County;
Has been professionally assessed with moderate or severe Substance Abuse Disorder;
Voluntarily agrees to participate in DWI Court and comply and complete all DWI Court program requirements, including chemical dependency treatment; and
Has no disqualifying criteria.

*Other cases for offenders with an extensive DWI conviction record outside of the ten-year time frame will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis if factors indicate high risk, high need.

Who is on the DWI Court Team?

The DWI Court Team consists of: District Court Judge Annie Claesson-Huseby, Coordinator, Law Enforcement, County Attorney, Victim Advocate, Probation Officer, and Licensed Alcohol/Drug Counselors.

When is DWI Court held?

DWI Court is held bi-weekly on Wednesday afternoons at 3:30 pm, and is located in the Beltrami County Judicial Center, Courtroom 2 North. It is an open court and the public is welcome to attend. The DWI Court Team conducts a “staffing” at 2:00 pm bi-weekly on Wednesday afternoon concerning cases scheduled for court that day.

Questions or Inquiries

Mark Smith, DWI Court Probation Agent
(218) 850-0142
mark.l.smith@state.mn.us

Tiffani Ott, DWI Court Coordinator
(218) 391-9909
tiffani.ott@courts.state.mn.us

Please contact Mark Smith, DWI Court Probation Agent, if you are interested in the program. It is also beneficial to obtain a chemical health assessment as soon as possible to determine eligibility.

Blue Earth (Fifth District)

Blue Earth County Drug Court
The Blue Earth County Drug Court (BECDC) is a community-wide collaborative effort to reduce crime, increase public safety, lower recidivism, rehabilitate substance abusing offenders, and re-integrate them into the community in hopes that they become contributing members of society, by developing strong supportive relationships with family, friends and surrounding community; by providing multi-faceted interventions, frequent court contacts, intensive supervision and treatment.

Motto:
Creating a climate for rehabilitation, recovery and reducing crime.

Fifth Judicial District Drug Treatment Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

BECDC Participant Handbook (Drug Court)

For more information, please contact:

Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
Blue Earth County Justice Center
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
(507) 469-5518
(507) 304-4710 (Fax)

Blue Earth Family Dependency Treatment Court (FDTC)
The mission of the Blue Earth County Family Dependency Treatment Court is to provide a judicially supervised collaboration to ensure families with chemical dependency issues have individualized and timely treatment and utilization of community based services; so they achieve recovery and children have a safe, stable and nurturing environment.

Goals:

A multi-disciplinary approach to assist chemically dependent parents involved in the child welfare system.
Establish timely permanency for children of parents with substance abuse issues with reunification as a preferred outcome.
FDTC participants reduce substance abuse. Strengthen the capacity of families to provide guidance, structure and nurturance for their childre

Brochures/Media/Publications:

BECFDTC Participant Handbook (Family Dependency Treatment Court)
BECFDTC Policies

For more information, please contact:

Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
Blue Earth County Justice Center
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
(507) 469-5518
(507) 304-4710 (Fax)

Fifth Judicial District Multi County Veterans Court (MCVC)
The Mission of the Fifth Judicial District Veteran's Court is to promote public safety and assist and support veterans and their families through a coordinated effort among the veteran services delivery system, community-based services, and the court - thereby leaving no veteran behind.

The Minnesota Judicial Council recently approved creation of a Veterans Court Program that will serve the counties of Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Jackson, Martin, Nicollet and Watonwan in the Fifth Judicial District. A partnership of veteran’s affairs and criminal justice agencies are responsible for the formulation of the multi-county program.

The program is being designed to handle cases involving defendants with veteran status through a judicially-monitored program of alcohol, drug and/or mental health treatment, rehabilitation services and strict community supervision. The Veterans Court Program recognizes that military veterans face unique challenges following their service and, in turn, need particularized treatment and support that is best provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and other veteran specific organizations. A Veterans Court will promote public safety while supporting veterans and their families through a coordinated effort among the veteran services delivery system, community-based services and the court with the stated goal of leaving no veteran behind.

The Veterans Court will be held at noon on the second and fourth Fridays of each month at the Blue Earth County Justice Center in Mankato. A pre-court staffing session will take place at 11 a.m. in the County Attorney’s Office on second floor of the Justice Center. The Honorable Bradley C. Walker, retired Marine Corps Colonel and Fifth Judicial District Chief Judge, will serve as the Veterans Court Judge.

The Blue Earth County Attorney’s Office created a Veterans Program in February 2012 with the help of many partners in the criminal justice system. The new multi-county Veterans Court will model the success of the Blue Earth County Program.

“We have seen firsthand the value in the Blue Earth County Veterans Program and are excited to work with a number of agencies to be able to help additional veterans throughout the seven counties in the Fifth Judicial District,“ said Patrick McDermott, Assistant Blue Earth County Attorney.

A $200,000 grant has been secured to establish the Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court, including hiring a case manager with experience working with veterans and to establish a veteran mentor program.
Brochures/Forms/Publications:

Calendar:

Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court Calendar

Veterans Court Referral Package:

For More Information Please Contact:
Veterans Court Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
507-469-5518

Brown (Fifth District)

Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan Counties
Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

PowerPoint Publications:

Ethics and Confidentiality

Treatment Court Coordinator
Megan Kjolsing, MS, LPCC
Phone: (608) 444-3910

Calendar:

Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court Calendar

Veterans Court Referral Package:

For More Information Please Contact:
Veterans Court Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
507-469-5518

Carlton (Sixth District)

Carlton County Drug Court

Treatment courts are collaborations between the courts, probation, law enforcement, treatment providers and community partners that work to reduce recidivism of offenders who are chemically dependent. In lieu of incarceration, treatment courts use a treatment-based approach coupled with intensive supervision and judicial oversight to help chemically-dependent offenders maintain sobriety. The offenders enter the treatment court for at least a year, during which time they are expected to complete treatment and remain accountable to probation through providing random urinalysis tests and complying with random home visits.

Carlton County began operating a drug court in August 2014. Each court has its own team of professionals that collaborate and meet weekly to help offenders succeed in the program. Each specialty court also requires that offenders appear in front of the judge and the team at weekly hearings.

By achieving a sober lifestyle, chemically-dependent offenders are less likely to commit crimes and are more likely to be employed and to be providers for their families. Treatment courts not only save money and increase public safety by reducing crime; they also change the lives of the offenders and their families.

For more information, please contact:
Jared Hendler
Treatment Court Coordinator
Carlton County Drug Court
100 North 5th Avenue West #320
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 720-1535

Cass (Ninth District)

Cass County/Leech Lake Wellness Court
The Cass County/Leech Lake Wellness Court is a joint collaboration between the Cass County District Court and the Leech Lake Tribal Court.

Wellness Court is a post-conviction specialty court which provides a non-adversarial community based approach to treat members with drug/alcohol dependence violations of law. The overall goals of Wellness Court is rehabilitating substance abuse offenders, thereby reducing crime and recidivism through intensive supervision, frequent court appearances, substance abuse treatment/counseling, and drug/alcohol testing.

The program is open to chronic substance dependent offenders who are determined to be chemically dependent. The participants are required to follow a course of treatment and court supervision which permits them to avoid incarceration if they are able to meet the requirements of the program. The requirements include completing treatment, biweekly court appearances, and random testing. If a participant violates one of the program requirements they face a series of graduated court sanctions which can include anything from community service work to jail. All participants must become employed during the course of the program or be full-time students. Participants are required to get their driver’s licenses reinstated. In order to graduate, participants must have had a lengthy period of sobriety and be approved for graduation by the Wellness Court team.

The Wellness Court project started in 2005 when members of the Cass County District Court and the Leech Lake Tribal Court attended drug court training to determine whether it would be feasible to have a program to combat one of the most severe problems facing Cass County, chronic drunken driving. Cass County at that time was one of the most deadly counties in Minnesota in terms of alcohol related fatalities.

After much planning the Cass County-Leech Lake Wellness Court became operational in April 2006 and has been in operation since that time. In 2007, the courts entered into the first Joint Powers Agreement in the nation, and the Leech Lake Tribal Flag was officially installed in Cass County District Court (another first in the nation).

The unique aspect of the Cass and Itasca County/ Leech Lake Wellness Court is that it requires the cooperation of two different court jurisdictions and two governmental entities. The judges of the two jurisdictions sit together for court hearings and make joint decisions that affect the participants, who include both Tribal members and non-Indians. Through the use of interactive television many of the hearings are held simultaneously at two different sites, i.e. the Cass County District Court in Walker and the Leech Lake Tribal Court in Cass Lake. Participants are allowed to appear at either site.

General Eligibility:

1st or 2^nd Degree DWI
Resident of Cass County or Leech Lake Tribal Reservation
No violent offense convictions on record

Contact information:

Shirley Smith, Coordinator
PO Box 3000
Walker, MN 56484
Shirley.j.smith@co.cass.mn.us
(218) 547-7237

Chippewa (Eighth District)

Eighth Judicial District Treatment
The Eighth Judicial District Treatment Court began operations July 1, 2014 with the mission of improving public safety and reducing direct and indirect costs to the community associated with substance abuse and related criminal activity.

Using evidence-based practices, the Eighth Judicial District Treatment Court will use a multi-cultural, multi–disciplinary approach to break the cycle of substance abuse and to improve offenders’ lives, by involving offenders in a rigorous and supportive program that includes intensive treatment, supervision, and personal accountability. Collaboration between the Adult Justice System and the community results in educated and productive adults, healthy families, and stronger, safer communities.

Cottonwood (Fifth District)

Cornerstone Drug Court: Cottonwood-Rock-Nobles-Murray-Pipestone Counties
The Minnesota Cornerstone Drug Court
Serving Cottonwood, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock counties

Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

For more information, please contact:

Heather Kirchner, MSW
Treatment Court Coordinator
1530 Airport Road
Worthington, MN 56187
Phone: (507) 295-1019

Faribault (Fifth District)

Faribault-Martin-Jackson

Faribault, Martin, Jackson Family Dependency Treatment Court

Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

Special Events Calendar:

Blue Earth County Family Dependency Treatment Count and Adult Drug Court

For more information, please contact:
Coordinator: Tracy Henning
Martin County Courthouse
201 Lake Avenue, Suite 243
Fairmont, MN 56031
(507) 344-4947

Calendar:

Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court Calendar

Veterans Court Referral Package:

For More Information Please Contact:
Veterans Court Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
507-469-5518

Grant (Eighth District)

Hennepin (Fourth District)

Hennepin County Drug Court
The Fourth Judicial District Court and Hennepin County implemented Drug Court in 1997, and revised the program in 2007, with the mission to increase public safety, improve chemical health, and reduce crime by targeting the population of adult, non-violent, chemically dependent, felony property and drug offenders, who are at high risk to reoffend. Drug Court is a voluntary, minimum 12-month, post-conviction program, involving the coordinated efforts of the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, law enforcement, social services, probation, and treatment specialists to quickly identify and intervene in order to break the cycle of chemical dependency and crime.

The judge is the central figure in a team effort to keep participants engaged in treatment, to reward progress for meeting goals and to sanction noncompliant behavior. Drug Court participants receive ongoing judicial supervision from the court, are placed under intensive community supervision, undergo frequent drug testing and engage in long-term chemical dependency treatment. In addition, Drug Court assists participants in enhancing life-skills which may include such services as: job training, education, family counseling, etc. Drug Court encourages participants to take control of their own recovery, but it also has clear and definite requirements which if broken are swiftly dealt with by the judge.

Judge Gina M. Brandt presides over Drug Court. If you are interested in observing Drug Court, hearings take place every Monday at 2:00 p.m. and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in Courtroom #C-853 in the Hennepin Co. Govt. Center.

For more information, please contact:
Lisa Keller, Program Coordinator
(612) 348-9265
email: Lisa.Keller@courts.state.mn.us

Resources:

Drug Court Brochure
Drug Court Participant Handbook
Drug Court Eligibility Guidelines
NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards
Drug Courts: Justice that Heals (27 min. video) (co-produced by the MN Judicial Branch and TPT-MN Channel)

Hennepin County DWI Court
The Fourth Judicial District Court and Hennepin County implemented DWI Court in 2007, with the mission to increase public safety and reduce the number of alcohol related traffic deaths and injuries by effectively partnering our justice system and community resources to focus on the specific issues of repeat DWI offenders. DWI Court is a voluntary, minimum 18-month, post-conviction program involving the coordinated efforts of the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, law enforcement, social services, probation, treatment specialists, and victim advocates to quickly identify and intervene in order to break the cycle of chemical dependency and drunk driving.

Eligibility Guidelines:

Hennepin County resident
Must be 18 years of age or older
Second Degree Gross Misdemeanor or first-time Felony level charge
Hennepin County arrest and charged
Diagnosis of moderate or severe substance use disorder
Must complete an orientation and screening, voluntarily agree to participate in the program, and be approved by the DWI Court team

The judge is the central figure in a team effort to keep participants engaged in treatment, to reward progress for meeting goals and to sanction noncompliant behavior. DWI Court participants receive ongoing judicial supervision from the court, are placed under intensive community supervision, undergo frequent drug testing and engage in long-term chemical dependency treatment and attend community support groups. In addition, participants may participate in cognitive-behavioral groups, mental health counseling and psychiatric services. DWI Court encourages participants to take control of their own recovery, but it also has clear and definite requirements which if broken are swiftly responded to by the judge.

Judge Gina M. Brandt presides over the DWI Court. If you are interested in observing DWI Court, hearings take place every Thursday at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. in Courtroom C-857 in the Hennepin County Government Center.

For more information, please contact:
Megan Hennessy, Interim Program Coordinator
(612) 348-9633
email: Megan.Hennessy@courts.state.mn.us

Resources:

Hennepin County Veterans' Court
Hennepin County Veterans Court is a court that serves veterans charged with a criminal offense who are struggling with addiction, serious mental illness, and/or co-occurring disorders. It is a 12-18 month coordinated program that promotes sobriety, recovery, and stability involving cooperation and collaboration with the traditional problem solving court partners, with the addition of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care, the Veterans Benefits Administration, County Veterans’ Services, and volunteer veteran mentors. The program couples judicial reviews with intensive probation supervision including input from a multi-disciplinary team of professionals led by the judge. The Fourth Judicial District Court and Hennepin County implemented Veterans Court in July 2010 with the mission of promoting public safety by assisting and supporting veterans and their families through a coordinated response, through collaboration with the veterans’ service delivery system, community based services, and the criminal justice system.

Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is evaluated by the Veterans Court Team on a case-by-case basis. General requirements include:

Service in the U.S. Armed Forces;
Charged in Hennepin County with a non-violent felony, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor offense;
Residence in Hennepin County, or in close proximity to the court (metro area); and
Diagnosed with a treatable behavioral, mental health, or chemical health issue.

Judge Carolina A. Lamas presides over Veterans Court every Monday at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in Courtroom C-857 at the Hennepin County Government Center.

For more information, please contact:
Michelle Zywicki, Coordinator
(612) 348-6302
email: Michelle.Zywicki@courts.state.mn.us

What is Wellness Court?

Wellness Court is a post-conviction specialty court which provides for a non-adversarial community based approach to treat members with drug/alcohol dependence violations of law. The overall goals of Wellness Court are rehabilitating substance abuse offenders, thereby reducing crime and recidivism through intensive supervision, frequent court appearances, substance abuse treatment/counseling, and drug/alcohol testing.

The Mission of the Itasca County Wellness is to unite judiciary, criminal justice entities, substance abuse treatment providers, and the community to:

Enhance public safety
Ensure offender accountability
Reduce the illicit substance use of non-violent addicted offenders
Restore offenders to law-abiding productivity
Reduce the financial impact on society.

Wellness Court recognizes the direct connection between substance abuse and crime, and the importance of providing rapid entry into appropriate levels of treatment for persons charged with felony drug possession, gross misdemeanor or felony DWI, and accompanying offenses. The Itasca County Wellness Court, created in 2007 under and Joint Powers Agreement with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, was one of the first joint tribal-state jurisdictional courts in the nation. Itasca County Wellness Court continues to serve as a national model for a growing number of other joint jurisdictional wellness courts. Judge Korey Wahwassuck, District Court Judge and Judge Megan Treuer, Leech Lake Tribal Court Judge, preside jointly over Wellness Court hearings.

Who is eligible to participate in Wellness Court?

Participants must meet the following criteria:

Any felony possession of controlled substance crime in the Third, Fourth, or Fifth degree, or gross misdemeanor or felony level DWI crime involving an adult defendant
Resident of Itasca County or resides within a 20 mile radius of Grand Rapids
Non-violent criminal history
Chemical Health assessment with a minimum of outpatient services recommended
Voluntarily agrees to participate in Wellness Court

Who is on the Wellness Court Team?

The Wellness Court Team consists of District Court Judge, Tribal Court Judge, Coordinator, Law Enforcement, County Attorney, Public Defender, Probation Officer, and a Licensed Alcohol/Drug Counselor. Several other stakeholders and service providers attend the weekly pre-court meetings.

When is Wellness Court held?

Wellness Court is held once a week on Friday mornings at 10:00 am, and is located in the Itasca County Court House, Courtroom 321. It is an open court and the public is welcome to attend. The Wellness Court Team conducts a confidential “pre-court conference” at 8:30 am each Friday morning concerning cases scheduled for court.

Questions or inquiries?

Chad Christofferson, Wellness Court Probation Officer
(218) 244-8822
chad.christofferson@state.mn.us

Michelle Anderson, Itasca County Probation Agent
(218) 327-2869
michelle.anderson@co.itasca.mn.us

Tiffani Ott, Wellness Court Coordinator
(218) 391-9909
tiffani.ott@courts.state.mn.us

Jackson (Fifth District)

Faribault-Martin-Jackson

Faribault, Martin, Jackson Family Dependency Treatment Court

Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

Special Events Calendar:

Blue Earth County Family Dependency Treatment Count and Adult Drug Court

For more information, please contact:
Coordinator: Tracy Henning
Martin County Courthouse
201 Lake Avenue, Suite 243
Fairmont, MN 56031
(507) 344-4947

Calendar:

Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court Calendar

Veterans Court Referral Package:

For More Information Please Contact:
Veterans Court Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
507-469-5518

Kandiyohi (Eighth District)

Koochiching (Ninth District)

Borderland Substance Abuse Court
In July of 2011, the Koochiching County Adult Hybrid Drug Court (est. Feb. 2005) and Family Dependency Treatment Court (est. Oct. 2008) merged with the Lake of the Woods DWI Court (est. April 2007) to form the Borderland Substance Abuse Court (BSAC). In June of 2014, due to lack of participation, BSAC discontinued the FDTC. BSAC uses a non-adversarial multidisciplinary approach to provide Adult Hybrid Treatment Court services to offenders with criminal convictions in Koochiching County and Lake of the Woods County.

The mission of the Borderland Substance Abuse Court is to enhance public safety and promote accountability and long term recovery by providing a judicially supervised individual treatment plan to substance abusing program participants. The goal of the program is to return chemical free, self-sufficient, law-abiding citizens to the community.

Lake of the Woods (Ninth District)

Lincoln (Fifth District)

Southwest Community Drug Court: Lincoln-Lyon-Redwood Counties
LLR Adult Drug Court
Southwest Community Drug Court
Serving Lincoln/Lyon/Redwood Counties and the Lower Sioux Indian Community

Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

For more information, please contact:
Coordinator: Grady Holtberg

Lyon County Courthouse
607 West Main
Marshall, MN 56258
Phone: (507) 401-5062

Redwood County Courthouse
250 South Jefferson
Redwood Falls, MN 56283
(507) 401-5062

Lyon (Fifth District)

Mahnomen (Ninth District)

Mahnomen / White Earth DWI Court
Judge Jeffrey Remick and Tribal Judge David DeGroat preside over the DWI Court. If you are interested in observing DWI Court, hearings take place every other Monday at 3:00 p.m. at either the Mahnomen County Courthouse in Mahnomen or the White Earth National Tribal Center in Ogema.

For more information, please contact:
Tria Mann, DWI Court Coordinator
311 N. Main
Mahnomen, MN 56557
(218) 998-8460
(218) 998-8438
Tria.Mann@courts.state.mn.us

Related Links:

DWI Court Brochure

Marshall (Ninth District)

Marshall County DWI Court

Resources

For more information, please contact:

Melora Bergee, Treatment Court Coordinator
(218) 684-7029
141 Main Ave S
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Melora.Bergee@courts.state.mn.us

Martin (Fifth District)

Faribault-Martin-Jackson

Faribault, Martin, Jackson Family Dependency Treatment Court

Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

Special Events Calendar:

Blue Earth County Family Dependency Treatment Count and Adult Drug Court

For more information, please contact:
Coordinator: Tracy Henning
Martin County Courthouse
201 Lake Avenue, Suite 243
Fairmont, MN 56031
(507) 344-4947

Calendar:

Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court Calendar

Veterans Court Referral Package:

For More Information Please Contact:
Veterans Court Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
507-469-5518

Meeker (Eighth District)

Morrison (Seventh District)

Morrison County Drug Court

Morrison County Drug Court

Morrison County Drug Court was formed in response to the need for a new, more effective approach to drug offenders. Drug courts that have been developed in a number of other jurisdictions across the country demonstrate that recidivism rates are reduced for participants in “treatment-based drug courts” when compared to the standard incarceration or probation-based approach.

Drug Court Eligibility

In order to qualify for drug court, the individual must meet the following eligibility standards:

Resident of Morrison County.
Eighteen years of age or older.
Have an open criminal case.
Chemically dependent.
Qualify based on objective determination of risk and needs.

The Drug Court Program and its Phases

The Morrison County Drug Court program is a five-phased process lasting a minimum of 14 months. Each drug court participant will be assessed a participant fee. All participants are required to: (1) abstain from the use or possession of alcohol, products containing alcohol, illegal drugs, or any non-prescribed mood-altering substance; (2) have sober housing, (3) submit to observed, random drug testing; (4) comply with a curfew; (5) use a whereabouts line to report his or her location; and (6) engage in weekly pro-social activities consisting of employment, volunteering, education, or treatment-related activities. Other major components of the phases include:

Phase 1

Length of phase – minimum of 2 months
Drug Court attendance 3 out of every 4 weeks
Minimum of two meetings per week with Drug Court probation agent
Enter into recommended treatment program and abide by treatment expectations
Obtain and / or maintain health care benefits

Phase 2

Length of phase – minimum of 3 months
Drug Court attendance 3 out of every 4 weeks
Minimum of two meetings per week with Drug Court probation agent
Continued treatment and cognitive programming
Establish health care providers

Phase 3

Length of phase – minimum of 3 months
Drug Court attendance 2 out of every 4 weeks
Minimum of four meetings per month with Drug Court probation agent

Phase 4

Length of phase – minimum of 3 months
Drug Court attendance 2 out of every 4 weeks
Minimum of two meetings per month with Drug Court probation agent

Phase 5

Length of phase – minimum of 3 months
Drug Court attendance 1 out of every 4 weeks
Minimum of two meetings per month with Drug Court probation agent
Completion of 40 hours of community service work
Graduation!
Recovery does not end at graduation. Recovery is a process that lasts a lifetime.

Drug Court Participating Agencies

Morrison County District Court – Seventh Judicial District
Morrison County Attorney’s Office
Seventh Judicial District Public Defender’s Office
Central Minnesota Community Corrections
Morrison County Social Services
Morrison County Sheriff’s Department
Little Falls Police Department
Effective Living Center, Inc.
St. Cloud Hospital Recovery Plus
Northern Pines Mental Health Center

Murray (Fifth District)

For more information, please contact:

Heather Kirchner, MSW
Treatment Court Coordinator
1530 Airport Road
Worthington, MN 56187
Phone: (507) 295-1019

Nicollet (Fifth District)

Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan Counties
Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

PowerPoint Publications:

Ethics and Confidentiality

Treatment Court Coordinator
Megan Kjolsing, MS, LPCC
Phone: (608) 444-3910

Calendar:

Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court Calendar

Veterans Court Referral Package:

For More Information Please Contact:
Veterans Court Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
507-469-5518

Nobles (Fifth District)

For more information, please contact:

Heather Kirchner, MSW
Treatment Court Coordinator
1530 Airport Road
Worthington, MN 56187
Phone: (507) 295-1019

Norman (Ninth District)

Norman County DWI Court

Resources

For more information, please contact:

Melora Bergee, Treatment Court Coordinator
(218) 684-7029
141 Main Ave S
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Melora.Bergee@courts.state.mn.us

Otter Tail (Seventh District)

Otter Tail DWI Court
Judge Kevin Miller presides over the DWI Court. If you are interested in observing DWI Court, hearings take place every other Friday at 10:00 am for women and 11:00 for men. Held in Courtroom 1 at the Otter Tail County Courthouse in Fergus Falls.

For more information, please contact:
Tria Mann, DWI Court Coordinator
121 West Junius Ave.
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
(218) 998-8460
(218) 998-8438
Tria.Mann@courts.state.mn.us

Related Links:

DWI Court Brochure

Pennington (Ninth District)

Pennington County DWI Court

Resources

For more information, please contact:

Melora Bergee, Treatment Court Coordinator
(218) 684-7029
141 Main Ave S
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Melora.Bergee@courts.state.mn.us

Pipestone (Fifth District)

For more information, please contact:

Heather Kirchner, MSW
Treatment Court Coordinator
1530 Airport Road
Worthington, MN 56187
Phone: (507) 295-1019

Polk (Ninth District)

Polk County DWI Court

Resources

For more information, please contact:

Melora Bergee, Treatment Court Coordinator
(218) 684-7029
141 Main Ave S
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Melora.Bergee@courts.state.mn.us

Ramsey (Second District)

Ramsey County Adult Substance Abuse Court

(651) 266-9256, fax: (651) 767-8940

Ramsey County Substance Abuse Court (ASAC) started in October 2002. ASAC is designed to provide individuals the opportunity to improve their lives and break the cycle of substance abuse. The court uses assessment, treatment (chemical and mental health), strict supervision, random drug and breath testing, regular court hearings and immediate sanctions and incentives to help participants maintain a drug free lifestyle. The program represents a closer working relationship between criminal justice partners (judge, prosecutor, defense attorneys, case managers, and treatment providers) than is traditionally seen in criminal courts. ASAC serves approximately 55 participants in any given day.

Mission

Ramsey County Substance Abuse Court’s mission is to enhance public safety by reducing criminal activity and assist substance abusers to become drug/alcohol free, productive, and law-abiding citizens.

Goals

Reduce criminal recidivism among chemically addicted offenders
Increase the number of offenders who remain drug and alcohol free
Increase the benefit and reduce the cost to the County for providing services to chemically addicted offenders
Create a response to substance abuse issues among all agencies in Ramsey County

Referral into the ASAC Program

If you think your case is eligible for diversion into Adult Substance Abuse Court or into one of the other problem-solving courts, contact the Treatment Court Supervisor.
Allison Holbrook
(651) 266-8168

Eligibility

Adult Ramsey County resident
Charged with a non-violent Felony offense
Substance abuse/dependency diagnosis and a need for treatment
Willingness to participate

Program Requirements

The program is a minimum of 12 months in length and divided into three phases, each minimally four months in length. Movement through phases is based on accomplishment of general phase requirements as well as specific case plan goals. Program components include (but not limited to) chemical dependency assessment, treatment, and aftercare, assessment for participation in other programming (cognitive learning groups, mental health interventions), random alcohol and drug testing, regular court appearances, case management meetings, attendance of community support groups, obtain employment or pursue education, participate in pro-social activities, pay restitution and program fees. A formal graduation ceremony will be held to celebrate completion of the program.

Psychiatric Court Clinic (PCC)

The Psychiatric Court Clinic was developed for persons who suffer from co-occurring disorders (substance abuse and mental health) to bridge the gap between immediate intervention and community resources. The PCC provides screening and assessment, case planning, medication management and referral to community-based mental health agencies. Participants are eligible to receive services regardless of their insurance status. The PCC is staffed by a psychiatrist and psychiatric nurse on a weekly basis. Participants meet with the doctor and nurse during court sessions for case review and medication checks.

Accomplishments and Impact

Ramsey County Adult Substance Abuse Court has a proven record of success of changing lives, reducing recidivism and lowering incarceration rates. Evaluation and outcome data reveal that ASAC graduates are less likely to commit a new offense, less likely to be convicted of a new offense, and less likely to spend time in jail than those in a comparison group. Mothers have given birth to 28 drug free babies while in the program. Graduates experienced a 44% reduction in their LSI-R scores (Level of Risk and Services) from program entry to exit.

Team

The Honorable Mark R. Ireland and Judith M. Tilsen lead ASAC. The judges supervise participant progress through the RCMHC continuum based on regular hearings, team input, and participant behavior. They also lead the ASAC team in decision-making and hold participants accountable for their progress by use of sanctions and incentives. Marc Hedman is the Program Coordinator for the Adult Substance Abuse Court (ASAC) in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Awards

In 2010, the Ramsey County Substance Abuse Court was selected to serve a three-year term by the National Drug Court Institute as one of ten Adult Mentor Courts in the United States. In March 2013, the Ramsey County Substance Abuse Court was again selected for a three-year term by the National Drug Court Institute as one of ten Adult Mentor Courts in the United States.
On June 2, 2012 Judge Joanne Smith was inducted into The Stanley M. Goldstein Drug Court Hall of Fame at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Conference in Nashville, TN. This is the highest achievement given to drug court professionals with only 22 inductees since 2002.
ASAC Prosecutor, Kim Bingham, won the Metro Area Prosecutor Award at the MADD Statewide Recognition Ceremony in March 2012.

Program Materials

Program Brochure
Program Overview
Participant Handbook

Contact

Please contact the Treatment Courts Supervisor for additional information:
Allison Holbrook
(651) 266-8168

Ramsey County DWI Court

(651) 266-9277

The Ramsey County DWI Court is for persons charged with their third or more gross misdemeanor DWI offense or 1st degree felony DWI, non-presumptive commit to prison. The court provides intensive supervision for persons who are interested in changing their drinking and driving behavior and ending their cycle in the criminal justice system. (For general information and for those not charged with a third or subsequent DWI, refer to the Criminal Court page)

Eligibility

3 or more DWI's in a lifetime
Ramsey County resident
Gross Misdemeanor level charge or 1st Degree Felony – non presumptive commit to prison
Ramsey County arrest and charged
Diagnosis of substance dependence (substance or alcohol disorder moderate or higher)
No violent criminal history
Approval by the DWI Court team
Voluntary participation in the DWI Court Program

Goals

Increase the number of DWI offenders who become and remain alcohol and other drug free.
Reduce recidivism among DWI offenders thereby enhancing public safety.
Restore participants as law-abiding citizens.

Judge Mark Ireland and Judge Judith Tilsen preside over the DWI Court. If you are interested in observing the court, hearings take place every Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 131B of the Ramsey County Courthouse.

For more information, contact:
Tanya Jones, Program Coordinator
(651) 266-9277
tanya.jones@courts.state.mn.us
or
Allison Holbrook, Problem Solving Courts Coordinators Supervisor
(651) 266-8168

Informational Matierials:

DWI Program Brochure
Participant Handbook (non-Felony)
Participant Handbook (Felony)
Minnesota DWI Courts: A Summary of Evaluation Findings in Nine DWI Court Programs

Ramsey County Veterans Treatment Court

(651) 266-8168

The Ramsey County Veterans Treatment Court is a voluntary court program for eligible veterans who have been charged with a crime in Ramsey County. The mission of the Veterans Treatment Court is to promote public safety through enhanced supervision and individual accountability. The purpose of the program is to assist and support veterans by creating a coordinated response through collaboration with the VA, community-based services, and the criminal justice system.

Contact

Tanya Jones, Veterans Court Coordinator
(651) 266-9277

Ramsey County Veterans Court Program

Ramsey County Mental Health Court

(651) 266-9256, fax: (651) 767-8940

Mission and Goals
Target Population, Referral into the Program, Eligibility and Program Requirements
Current Operation
National Learning Site
Accomplishments and Impact
Team
Program Materials, Video, Training
Press, Publications, and Awards

Mission

The mission of the Ramsey County Mental Health Court (RCMHC) is to increase public safety by reducing recidivism among those whose criminal behaviors are attributable to mental illness. Through court supervision and the coordination of mental health and other social services, the Court supports a psychiatrically stable and crime-free lifestyle among its participants.

Goals

The goals of RCMHC are to:

Reduce recidivism.
Improve public safety.
Reduce the costs of prosecution, incarceration, and hospitalization to taxpayers.
Improve defendants' access to public mental health and substance abuse treatment services and other community resources.
Enhance collaboration between criminal justice agencies and the mental health system to better serve those with mental illness.
Improve the quality of life of mentally ill defendants.

RCMHC meets its goals by directing eligible defendants with mental health disorders from the criminal justice system to community-based mental health, substance abuse and support services. Rather than the traditional pattern of focusing on the criminal activity of the defendant, the RCMHC focuses on addressing and treating the defendant’s mental health and chemical health needs.

Target Population

The target population of the RCMHC is adult Ramsey County residents who have been charged with a crime that is related to a serious mental illness.

Referral into the Mental Health Court Program

If you think your case is eligible for diversion into Mental Health Court or into one of the other problem-solving courts, contact the Problem Solving Courts Supervisor.
Allison Holbrook
(651) 266-8168

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Mental Health Court program an individual must be:

18 years of age or older
Ramsey County resident (out-of-county considered on a case by case basis)
Charged with a Crime
Diagnosed with a significant mental illness
Legally competent
A person with no history of violent offenses
Willing to voluntarily participate and commit to the rigors of the court conditions and treatment plan

Program Requirements

The RCMHC program is a four-phase treatment process, lasting a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years. Each phase consists of specific requirements for advancement into the next phase and outlines the recovery support services delivery plan. Phase movement results upon accomplishing treatment goals as agreed in the treatment plan; court conditions as agreed at acceptance into the RCMHC program and specific phase requirements.
Participants who agree to be accepted into the RCMHC program are required to:

remain law abiding;
abstain from illegal or non-prescribed drugs;
submit to random drug and alcohol testing;
complete community service hours;
identify and maintain appropriate housing;
remain compliant with all medication and psychiatric appointments;
fully comply with mental health and chemical health treatment recommendations;
develop and sustain a long-term treatment plan;
participate in pro-social activities;
become involved with mental health and community support groups.

Current Operation

The Second Judicial District's Mental Health Court has been operational since May 2005 and developed based on the national problem-solving court model. The Ramsey County Mental Health Court (RCMHC) was created when it became increasingly clear that persons with mental illness and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders were in need of more specialized and individualized jurisprudential approaches.
The RCMHC directs eligible defendants with mental health disorders from the criminal justice system to community-based mental health, substance abuse and support services. Between its inception in May of 2005 and December of 2014, the RCMHC has provided services to 472 individuals with serious mental illness who have been charged with criminal offenses in Ramsey County.
RCMHC is currently funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Adult Mental Health, and two federal Bureau of Justice and Mental Health Expansion grants. By partnering with Human Services, the RCMHC team includes two community human services case managers who link participants to available community mental and chemical health services. This approach has demonstrated results by changing lives, lowering incarceration rates and reducing recidivism. To maintain adequate resources, the Court relies heavily on pro bono services.
At present, the state of Minnesota has three operational mental health courts and 39 operational drug courts. There are more than 400 mental health courts across the country with many additional courts in the planning phase.

National Learning Site

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Council of State Governments Justice Center selected Ramsey County Mental Health Court (RCMHC) as a National Learning Site (more commonly known as “mentor courts”). According to the national reviewing team, RCMHC was chosen not just for programmatic successes, but also for the ability to provide insight and guidance to other jurisdictions interested in starting or expanding a mental health court.

Accomplishments and Impact

The accomplishments of the RCMHC include connecting defendants to mental and chemical health services; reducing the incidences of criminal behavior; reducing the costs to the criminal justice system, corrections, public safety, and hospitals; enhancing the collaboration between the courts and the mental health community; improving the quality of life of defendants upon discharge (i.e., housing and treatment services in place); and assisting defendants with establishing more productive lives including self-sufficiency and self-confidence. Through the coercive authority and monitoring of the RCMHC as well as collaboration with the community, defendant’s mental illness and environmental factors drastically improve. The proven outcome is that people learn to engage in services, and when they have their next mental health crisis, instead of defaulting to the police on the street they default to the treatment system.
The impact of RCMHC has been significant. RCMHC has a proven record of success in changing lives, lowering incarceration rates, reducing recidivism, and improving medication compliance thereby increasing public safety and decreasing criminal justice and court expenses across the board. Evaluation and outcome data reveals that RCMHC graduates are less likely to be charged with a new offense, less likely to be convicted of a new offense, and less likely to spend time in jail than those in a comparison group of similarly situated offenders who did not participate in RCMHC.
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Team

The Honorable Mark R. Ireland and Judith M. Tilsen lead RCMHC. The judges supervise participant progress through the RCMHC continuum based on regular hearings, team input, and participant behavior. They also lead the RCMHC team in decision-making and hold participants accountable for their progress by use of sanctions and incentives. Marc Hedman is the Program Coordinator for the Ramsey County Mental Health Court.

Program Materials

RCMHC Program Brochure (2016)
RCMHC Participant Handbook (2016)
RCMHC One Page Fact Sheet (2016)
Volunteer Opportunities (2015)
Program Information (2015)

Video

2014 Minnesota CLE Criminal Law Webcast Ramsey County Mental Health Court: Working with the Mentally Ill Defendant.
2010 Ramsey County Mental Health Court on the public access television show One and the Same on the Suburban Community Channels SCC.

Trainings with Links

Minnesota CLE - May 27, 2014: Criminal Law Series Live Webcast
CLE - MAY 23, 2012: Working with the Mentally Ill Defendant
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Press and Publications

MN Judicial Branch: Ramsey County Mental Health Court Named a 2015-2016 National Criminal Justice/Mental Health Collaboration Learning Site (August 19, 2015)
William Mitchell Law Review: Ramsey County Mental Health Court: Working with Community Partners to Improve the Lives of Mentally Ill Defendants, Reduce Recidivism, and Enhance Public Safety (May 2015)
Minnesota Lawyer: Judge: Mental health court needs new money (March 16, 2015)
Minnesota Lawyer: Briggs attorneys receive MJF recognition (October 28, 2013)
Minnesota Lawyer: Mental Health Court decreases recidivism (August 19, 2013)
News Release: RCMHC Reduces Recidivism (July 2013)
2010-2012 RCMHC Report
Ramsey County Bar Association: Barrister Article (April 2011)
2009 RCMHC Report

Awards

2014 Minnesota Lawyer Unsung Legal Hero Award: Brandi Stavlo
2013 Minnesota Justice Foundation Private Practice Award: Alan Maclin, W. Knapp Fitzsimmons, Michael Wilhelm, and Ankoor Bagchi, Briggs and Morgan, PA
2013 Minnesota Justice Foundation Law Student Award: Suzula Bidon, RCMHC Student Certified Attorney
2009 Ramsey County Bar Association Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney: Warren Maas, RCMHC Pro Bono Attorney

Contact

Please contact the Treatment Courts Supervisor for additional information:
Allison Holbrook
(651) 266-8168

Red Lake (Ninth District)

Red Lake County DWI Court

Resources

For more information, please contact:

Melora Bergee, Treatment Court Coordinator
(218) 684-7029
141 Main Ave S
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Melora.Bergee@courts.state.mn.us

Redwood (Fifth District)

Rice (Third District)

Rice County Treatment Court
Rice County Treatment Court (RCTC) is a hybrid court, serving participants with felony level offenses motivated by substance use disorder, including Felony DWI offenses.
The mission of Rice County Treatment Court is to reduce the adverse impact of serious and repeat offenders on the citizens and criminal justice system of Rice County and create a system that is more effective for participants. The point of entry for participants into Rice County Treatment Court is post disposition with RCTC sentenced as a condition of probation. The Rice County Treatment Court model follows “The Ten Key Components” as developed by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

RCTC Brochure

Rock (Fifth District)

For more information, please contact:

Heather Kirchner, MSW
Treatment Court Coordinator
1530 Airport Road
Worthington, MN 56187
Phone: (507) 295-1019

Scott (First District)

Scott County Treatment Court
Court Information
Scott County Treatment Court (SCTC) started in October 2016. SCTC is designed to provide individuals the opportunity to improve their lives and break the cycle of substance abuse. The court uses assessment, treatment (chemical and mental health), strict supervision, random drug and breath testing, regular court hearings and immediate sanctions and incentives to help participants maintain a drug free lifestyle. The program represents a closer working relationship between criminal justice partners (judge, prosecutor, defense attorneys, case managers, and treatment providers) than is traditionally seen in criminal courts.

Mission
Scott County District Court, in the First Judicial District of Minnesota, will provide a post plea treatment court program to reduce addiction and criminal behavior among non-violent adult offenders residing in the county. Scott County Treatment Court aims to break the cycle of crime and addiction by providing high risk and high need offenders a multidisciplinary strategic response consisting of treatment, wraparound services, support and legal accountability. This is done with the expectation that recidivism will be lowered, overdose deaths prevented, the collateral damage against families and communities will be reduced, the costs to the criminal justice system and community will be decreased and addicts in the criminal justice system will be able to become productive, responsible members of their families and community.

Eligibility

Scott County resident
Charged with a non-violent Felony offense
Substance abuse/dependency diagnosis and a need for treatment
Willingness to participate

Program Requirements
The program is a minimum of 14 months in length and divided into five phases. Movement through phases is based on accomplishment of general phase requirements as well as specific case plan goals. Program components include (but not limited to) chemical dependency assessment, treatment, and aftercare, assessment for participation in other programming (cognitive learning groups, mental health interventions), random alcohol and drug testing, regular court appearances, case management meetings, attendance of community support groups, obtain employment or pursue education, participate in pro-social activities, pay restitution and program fees. A formal graduation ceremony will be held to celebrate completion of the program.

Program Materials

Program Brochure

For more information, please contact:
Heidi Kastama
Scott County Treatment Court Coordinator
200 4^th Ave West
Shakopee, MN 55379
(952) 493-8373

St. Louis Duluth (Sixth District)

Duluth Drug Court

Treatment courts are collaborations between the courts, probation, law enforcement, treatment providers and community partners that work to reduce recidivism of offenders who are chemically dependent. In lieu of incarceration, treatment courts use a treatment-based approach coupled with intensive supervision and judicial oversight to help chemically-dependent offenders maintain sobriety. The offenders enter the treatment court for at least a year, during which time they are expected to complete treatment and remain accountable to probation through providing random urinalysis tests and complying with random home visits.

St. Louis County has four treatment courts: the Duluth Drug Court, the Duluth DWI Court, the Range Hybrid Drug/DWI Court, and the Duluth Mental Health Court. Each court has its own team of professionals that collaborate and meet weekly to help offenders succeed in the program. Each specialty court also requires that offenders appear in front of the judge and the team at weekly hearings.

By achieving a sober lifestyle, chemically-dependent offenders are less likely to commit crimes and are more likely to be employed and to be providers for their families. Treatment courts not only save money and increase public safety by reducing crime; they also change the lives of the offenders and their families.

For more information, please contact:
Jared Hendler
Treatment Court Coordinator
South St. Louis County Drug Court
100 North 5th Avenue West #320
Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 720-1535

Duluth DWI Court
Beth Elstad
Treatment Court Coordinators
St. Louis County DWI Court
100 North 5th Avenue West #320
Duluth, MN 55803
(218) 720-1547

Duluth Mental Health Court
Heather Korpela & Elizabeth Henderson
Treatment Court Coordinators
St. Louis County Mental Health Court
100 North 5th Avenue West #320

Duluth, MN 55802
(218) 726-2464

St. Louis Virginia (Sixth District)

Range Hybrid Court

Treatment courts are collaborations between the courts, probation, law enforcement, treatment providers and community partners that work to reduce recidivism of offenders who are chemically dependent. In lieu of incarceration, treatment courts use a treatment-based approach coupled with intensive supervision and judicial oversight to help chemically-dependent offenders maintain sobriety. The offenders enter the treatment court for at least a year, during which time they are expected to complete treatment and remain accountable to probation through providing random urinalysis tests and complying with random home visits.

St. Louis County has four treatment courts: the Duluth Drug Court, the Duluth DWI Court, the Range Hybrid Drug/DWI Court, and the Duluth Mental Health Court. Each court has its own team of professionals that collaborate and meet weekly to help offenders succeed in the program. Each specialty court also requires that offenders appear in front of the judge and the team at weekly hearings. Carlton County began operating a drug court in August 2014.

By achieving a sober lifestyle, chemically-dependent offenders are less likely to commit crimes and are more likely to be employed and to be providers for their families. Treatment courts not only save money and increase public safety by reducing crime; they also change the lives of the offenders and their families.

For more information, please contact:

Aleesha Ward
Treatment Court Coordinator
Range Hybrid Court, Lake County
300 5th Avenue South
Virginia, MN 55792
(218) 471-7223

Stearns (Seventh District)

Stearns County Drug Court
The Stearns County Drug Court is a tool designed to meet the goals of accountability and crime prevention. The Stearns County Drug Court is designed to prevent crime by treating the underlying treating substance addiction issue(s) associated with criminal activity and thereby reducing recidivism. Treatment providers keep the court informed about participant’s progress so that sanctions and incentives can be consistently and immediately implemented by the court. Compliance with the program requirements is within the participant’s control and is based on measurable performance goals. Participants are treated firmly, but fairly and consistently, with dignity and respect. Participants who do not successfully complete all three phases of the Drug Court program face traditional sanctions/sentencing options in district court.

Stevens (Eighth District)

Traverse (Eighth District)

Watonwan (Fifth District)

Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan Counties
Fifth Judicial District Adult Drug Court Manual

Brochures/Media/Publications:

PowerPoint Publications:

Ethics and Confidentiality

Treatment Court Coordinator
Megan Kjolsing, MS, LPCC
Phone: (608) 444-3910

Calendar:

Fifth Judicial District Veterans Court Calendar

Veterans Court Referral Package:

For More Information Please Contact:
Veterans Court Coordinator: Kevin Mettler
401 Carver Road
P.O. Box 3543
Mankato, MN 56002
507-469-5518

Wilkin (Eighth District)

Wright (Tenth District)

Wright County Adult Drug Court – The Turn

The Turn Publications

For more information please contact:

Darnell Brethorst, Wright County Court Services

The Turn Coordinator

10 2nd St NW Room 402

Buffalo, MN 55313

Phone: (763) 682-7711

darnell.brethorst@co.wright.mn.us

Minnesota Drug Court Research & Presentations

The Minnesota Statewide Adult Drug Court Evaluation, a two-and-a-half-year study, compared 644 non-participants to 535 participants from 16 drug court programs covering 23 counties. The two groups were matched on key characteristics including criminal history, chemical dependency status, and key demographics. The study was produced by the Minnesota Judicial Branch State Court Administrator’s Office.

Minnesota Statewide Drug Court Evaluation

Follow Up (2014) Report (PDF)

Minnesota Statewide Drug Court Evaluation (2012)

Report (PDF), 2-Page Summary
Appendix of Tables (PDF)
Minnesota Statewide Drug Court Evaluation Committee Member Directory (PDF)
Offender Drug Courts Tracking Sheet Template

Drug Court Team Member Surveys

Drug Court Conference Plenary Part II: Minnesota Statewide Drug Court Evaluation: Overview, Progress, and Preliminary Analysis (2011)

Minnesota Judicial Branch, State Court Administrator's Office Presentation (PowerPoint)

Use of Cost-Effective Evidence-Based Practices in Minnesota (2011)

Report

National Drug Court Research & Presentations

Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards (2013)

Volume I

Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards (2015)

Volume II

Further Analysis of Best Practices in Drug Courts (2012)

NDCI Drug Court Review: Volume VIII, Issue 1

NPC Research

Minnesota DWI Courts: A Summary of Evaluation Findings in Nine DWI Court Programs (PDF)

Since 2012, there have been three major studies released of Minnesota’s drug courts:

2012 Drug Court Evaluation:

In 2012, the Minnesota Judicial Branch released the first comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of Minnesota’s drug courts. The groundbreaking study, which compared 535 drug court participants to similar offenders who experienced traditional court processes over two-and-a-half years, found that drug courts:

Significantly reduced recidivism;
Reduced incarceration and related costs for drug court participants; and
Improved what the study called, “community functioning measures” for drug court participants. Specific improvements:
- Unemployment dropped from 62 percent at drug court entry to 37 percent at drug court discharge for all participants – including those who did not graduate.
- The unemployment rate for participants who graduated from a drug court program dropped from about 50 percent at entry to less than 15 percent at graduation.
- Twenty percent of graduates raised their highest educational attainment during their time in the drug court program.
- Almost three-fourths of graduates who were not compliant with their obligation to pay child support at the beginning of their drug court participation were compliant upon completion.

2014 Drug Court Evaluation:
The 2012 drug court evaluation showed the real impact that Minnesota’s drug courts were having on some of the most high-risk drug offenders in the state. At that time, it was decided that continued monitoring of the progress of these drug court participants was in order to learn whether the improved outcomes were sustainable in the long-term.

Thanks to this continued evaluation, for an additional year-and-a-half, the long-lasting impact drug courts have on the lives of participants, and the real benefits drug courts provide to Minnesota communities, are now available.

Drug Court participants continue to have a significantly lower rate of recidivism: Comparing offenders who spent similar amounts of time outside of incarceration (“at-risk time”) during the evaluation period, the new study shows drug court participants consistently had significantly lower recidivism rates. For example, among those offenders who reached four years of “at-risk time” during the evaluation, 28 percent of drug court participants had received a new conviction, compared to 41 percent of non-drug court participants.
Drug Court participants also spent fewer days incarcerated: Drug court participants spent, on average, 74 fewer days incarcerated in jail or prison compared to similar offenders during the four-year evaluation period. The average cost savings for each drug court participant was $4,288 as a result of this reduced incarceration.

2014 DWI Court Evaluation:

Nine existing DWI courts were evaluated in this study funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The study showed that:

DWI courts reduce recidivism: DWI court graduates (those who completed a DWI court program) had lower re-arrest rates compared to DWI offenders who experienced traditional court processes at eight out of the nine DWI courts included in the evaluation. The reduction in re-arrest rates ranged from 31 percent to 78 percent among graduates of these programs.
Minnesota DWI courts have completion rates well above the national average: The nine DWI courts included in the evaluation had completion rates ranging from 65 percent to 86 percent; well above the national average of 53 percent for drug and DWI court programs. In addition, these completion rates are at least double the national completion rate (35 percent) for intensive, non-court-monitored outpatient treatment. According to the evaluation, “this indicates that the court monitoring component in DWI courts may well lead to participants staying in the program longer, and to higher completion rates.”
DWI courts save taxpayer money: Six of the seven programs that were included in a cost analysis showed cost savings due to reduced recidivism for DWI court participants. The average cost savings to local agencies and the state in these six programs ranged from $1,694 to $11,386 per participant over two years.

Drug Court Research Publications and Reports »

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