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2008-513-Minutes for Meeting February 04,2008 Recorded 4/4/2008~`ilTES C G COUNTY OFFICIAL NANCYUBLANKENSHIP, COUNTY CLERKDS CJ 2008-513 COMMISSIONERS' JOURNAL 04/04/2008 08:40:23 AID 111111111111111111111111111111 III 2008-513 MINUTES OF MEETING LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2008 Commissioners' Conference Room - Administration Building, Second Floor - 1300 NW Wall St., Bend Present were Judge Michael Sullivan; Ernie Mazorol, Court Administrator; Dave Kanner, County Administrator; Commissioner Michael M. Daly; Erik Kropp, Deputy County Administrator; citizen member Jack Blum; Ken Hales, Community Justice; Jacques DeKalb, Defense Attorney; Sheriff Larry Blanton; Bob Smit, KIDS Center; Hillary Saraceno, Commission on Children & Families; and Becky McDonald, 9-1-1. Also in attendance were Chief Andy Jordan, Bend Police Department; Scott Johnson, Mental Health; District Attorney Mike Dugan; Ron Roberts, Redmond Police Chief- and citizens Pam Marble and Bob Marble, NAMI; and Jessi Watkins, JBar J Youth Services.. No representatives of the media were present. 1. Call to Order & Introductions Chair Sullivan called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m., at which time the attendees introduced themselves. 2. January 2008 Minutes. JORDAN: Move approval. BLANTON: Second. Approval was unanimous. 3. Public Comment None was offered. Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, February 4, 2008 Page 1 of 4 Pages 4. Mental Health Department Strategic Plan Scott Johnson stated his department is in the process of updating the Mental Health strategic plan for 2008-13; at this point there are over 40 pages; a summary was provided for review. He hopes to have it before the Board of Commissioners for their review and adoption in April. 5. Council Letterhead Ken Hales presented a draft of formal LPSCC letterhead that could be used for LPSCC correspondence, in particular, documents requiring the signature of the Chair, Judge Sullivan. Mr. Hales then asked for input. Several changes were suggested: • Tammy Baney is now Tammy Melton • Mike Dugan is Michael T. Dugan • Ron Roberts is Ronnie Roberts • A space is needed between the M. and Daly for Michael M. Daly It was decided that an e-mail address should be added; Ken Hales' will be used. The contact phone number will be Bonnie Baker's, and she will route calls as appropriate. 6. Oregon Criminal Justice Commission Report Ken Hales explained that the State is very interested in recommendations made by LPSCC that resulted in appropriation decisions of the Board of County Commissioners. Two other aspects, the accomplishment scorecard and coordinated activities between departments and other stakeholders, were noted. There were a number of instances when different department heads prioritized their requirements in regard not to new money but to redirecting current funding, and the State indicated that this speaks well for the Council. 7. Other Business Judge Sullivan presented a study, "Integrated Approaches to Family Court Processing", and briefly reviewed the study's key findings. (A copy of the document is attached for reference.) Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, February 4, 2008 Page 2 of 4 Pages He stated that impact court has been held the last two weeks. An additional judge was brought on board and saw fifteen different cases the last week. This process can be inconvenient to the Court, District Attorney, the police and others, and requires overtime or long hours. On the other hand, it helps to take care of a lot more cases that might have otherwise been delayed for months. They will do an additional two weeks of impact court in February and another two weeks in March, in the hope of bringing the docket on misdemeanor cases up to date. He said he is pleased with this initial effort, but it wasn't easy on anyone. Mike Dugan noted that impact court takes a big toll on the District Attorney's Office; the Deputy D.A.'s were told that they could not take any time off during that time period. However, a good number of cases were resolved and there were fewer instances of failure to appear than anticipated. Jacques DeKalb complimented Ernie Mazorol on the newspaper article regarding the family court case process. It is difficult work. He added that one of his defense attorneys left the firm with 100 cases slated to go to trial, and they are trying to work through them. Mike Dugan said that there is a tight schedule for the cases, and the Judge indicated no continuances would be allowed. Judge Sullivan added that if someone couldn't be there, they had to have a very good excuse. Mr. Mazorol stated that there were about 200 cases that were at least 18-24 months old. At that point there can be real concerns about having a speedy trial and due process. He noted that six weeks of impact court won't be enough, however; the system is broken. Judge Sullivan observed that it takes a lot of time to get a case to trial. There were over 1,300 cases before the Court last year. Being no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 4:05 p.m. Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, February 4, 2008 Page 3 of 4 Pages Respectfully submitted, Recording Secretary Attachments Exhibit A: Agenda Exhibit B: Sign-in sheets Exhibit C: Mental Health plan exhibit Exhibit D: Oregon Criminal Justice Commission memo Exhibit E: Sample LPSCC letterhead Exhibit F: Trends in State Courts Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, February 4, 2008 Page 4 of 4 Pages DESCHUTES COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL February Meeting A O G~J?ES QkA 4 February 4, 2008; 3:30 pm, Allen Room, 2nd Floor County Administration Building, 1300 NW Wall, Bend, OR Call to Order & Introductions Judge Sullivan II January Minutes Attachment 1 Judge Sullivan Action: Approve November minutes III Public Comment Judge Sullivan IV Mental Health Department Strategic Plan Attachment 2 Scott Johnson Action: Brief Council on plan elements VI Council Letterhead Attachment 3 Ken Hales Action: Presents draft and request input on changes VII Oregon Criminal Justice Commission Report Attachment 4 Ken Hales Action: Brief Council on report VIII Other Business Judge Sullivan * "Integrated Approaches to Family Court processing" Attachment 5 z z LU Q w J CL 00 O N co N LL C *z C i ) J y ~J- c~ UO C N v v u W v 0 m z z 0 vli W w J a 00 O N co L C Q) Q) Q L' u.. Q) co c h Do Q) N E v v o z a J k V U Ol O m Attachment 2 Deschutes County Mental Health Memorandum To: Members, Deschutes County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council From: Scott Johnson, Director, Deschutes County Mental Health Date: January 28, 2008 Subj: Deschutes County Mental Health Strategic Plan and Biennial Plan Criminal Justice section of Mental Health plan is attached for your review and comment Attached please find a first draft of the Criminal Justice section of the Deschutes County Mental Health Strategic Plan. We are currently updating the prior plan to cover 2008-2013. You will see that edits to the previous plan are referenced by a strikethFeugh (deletions) or bold text (new). I would appreciate your review of this information and any suggestions you may have. The plan will be presented to the Addictions and Mental Health Advisory Board and the County Commissioners for adoption in April. Also, state law requires us to prepare a "Biennial Plan" for 2009-2011. That plan is based on our Strategic Plan but only covers part of our work. We will make that document available for your review and comment in March or April. If you have questions or would like to see the complete Strategic Plan, contact me at 322-7502 or scottjohnson@co.deschutes.or.us. Thank you. b Attachment 2 Deschutes County Mental Health Contact Scott Johnson if you 2008-2013 Mental Health Strategic Plan would like to see the full Plan. Justice System Services and Alternatives to Incarceration Section Mental health and substance abuse treatment services and prevention strategies are essential to an effective public safety and justice system. It is the collective goal of mental health professionals, the courts, corrections and law enforcement in Deschutes County to ensure access to quality treatment, prevention and support services for youth and adults with mental illness who impact the criminal justice system. "People with mental illness or 'co-occurring disorders' exact a high toll on the justice system. Revenue spent on their care while incarcerated pulls scarce resources away from the justice system's primary function-prosecution of criminals. Besides: • Individuals with mental illness stay in jail longer; • They are more expensive to maintain; • Without proper treatment, they pose a high risk of re-offending; and • They are at high risk for suicide while incarcerated." - Oregon Partners in Crisis The Deschutes County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council and its members endorse a long-term community effort to develop and implement effective early intervention programs and projects that provide for public safety; present alternatives to incarceration; and better serve, treat and hold accountable individuals with mental illnesses and/or addiction issues. We support a comprehensive approach to this effort that includes the following: a. Alternatives to Incarceration Report (2006)-Seek opportunities to acquire resources to develop and expand alternatives to incarceration at levels that correspond to our population increase and the bed expansion planned for the Deschutes County Jail. Develop a treatment and public safety system that is balanced and that provides sufficient jail capacity (and in-jail health services) as well as the best possible behavioral health services pre and post adjudication. The Report's priorities will be advanced, where possible, as part of this jail expansion effort. Resources needed. b. Collaboration-Develop a lasting and formal partnership through the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council to address the criminalization of the mentally ill and to plan and carry out core strategies and programs. c. System Development-Emphasize a systems approach to improvements in programs, services and practices used to address the issues associated with mental illness and addictions. d. Diversion 1) Crisis and Intensive Outreach-Reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and incarceration through prevention and early intervention. Sustain the County's Community Assessment (Crisis) Team and Mobile Crisis Team for assessment and crisis intervention; expand the Attachment 2 Community Support Services Team for intensive wrap-around services to high-need clients (includes treatment and connection to programs and supports). 2) Coordination and Referral to Medical Center-Work closely with Cascade Healthcare Community and other hospital systems. Assure appropriate referrals and coordination of services. Increase the justice system's awareness of hospital and County roles, services and capacities. 3) Sage View-ASSUFe Support successful operation and availability of this secure (short- term) crisis stabilization, treatment inpatient psychiatric center for eligible individuals including Oregon Health Plan members and indigent County residents. Resources needed. 4) Psychiatric Emergency Services at St. Charles Medical Center-Assure sufficient E Rd access to short-term stays at the hospital for assessment and stabilization. New hold room unit (5 beds) opened in January 2006. DCMH Crisis Team continues to provide daily coordination. e. Crisis Intervention Training JClTj In cooperation with local law enforcement, Cascade Healthcare Community and NAMI of Central Oregon, offer CIT as an evidence based practice; increasing the ability of first responders to work with people with mental health or addiction issues. If that is not feasible given limited resources; offer an abbreviated introduction to mental illness and local services. W a nei iS IG RGhiRe a Assisted Deschutes County Sheriff in offering an 8-hour training (2007) for field officers and jail staff. Trained Bend Reserve Police Academy. 2008 trainings will include Redmond Police, Crook County Sheriff and Oregon State Police. Long term, offer periodic trainings for officers from all Central Oregon agencies. Coordinate project with Sheriff and Police Chiefs. Note: the 2007 legislature pass a new law requiring DPSST (Oregon Police Academy) to offer a training for new officers. Family Drug Court and Drug Court-In partnership with the courts and treatment providers, assure administration (through the County or other entity) of the necessary grants to sustain the Family Drug Court and develop an adult Drug Court if feasible. Coordination occurs through the Circuit Court. Family Drug Court-Prioritize families with minor children. Since inception (fall 2006), the court has the capacity to help 25 adults and their minor children (currently 42, January 2008). judge. Note: as of January 2008, Federal funds may be in jeopardy; require changes in the model and resource development. Resources needed. 2) Evaluation -Completed two initial evaluations of the Family Drug Court to determine benefit and opportunities for improvement and/or expansion. Ensure an annual reevaluation process through the most appropriate group. Attachment 2 3) Expansion Long-Term-Expand the FGmily Drug Court to serve adults in need of addiction treatment. Resources needed. g. Mental Health Court-With courts and program partners, sustain and expand this deferred treatment court as an effective treatment alternative for County residents with a mental illness who commit (primarily) non-person misdemeanors and some felonies. Note: participation requires the concurrence of the District Attorney, the individual and the Court. Deschutes County Mental Health services: assessment, treatment, case consultation. 2005 eapeEity 14 Gt Ane +;mo Expand the court in 2008-2009 from 12 members (2007) to (up to) 25 members. Continue to expand the court in conjunction with jail expansion, as resources allow. Resources needed. h. Jail Services 1) Services performed through jail staff include assessment, medication and stabilization, particularly of seriously and persistently mentally ill population. Challenges: cost of medication. County mental health is available for Gfter heurs, crisis assistance. Needed hospitalizations are accomplished cooperatively between jail and mental health staff. 2) , DCMH will convened a meeting with representatives of the Courts and the jail to develop a plan for managing the care and custody of alleged mentally ill persons (AMIP) who are in custody of law enforcement agencies. In be The parties have reviewed policies for intervention with inmates with mentally illness. After identification of need for further information regarding the Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB), the State Director met locally with medical center, jail, county and court personnel; as well as Circuit Court Judges. 3) Within HIPAA and other confidentiality requirements or limitations, determine proper methods of sharing client information between DCMH, Deschutes County Jail health care staff and similar Juvenile Community Justice staff solely for the purpose of ensuring continuity of health care and reinstatement of benefits. Seek assistance of County legal counsel in establishing a process; including review of SB 913 (2005 Oregon legislative session). 4) Offer support for the efforts of the Sheriff's Office to develop a specialized unit as part of the 2011 jail expansion. Offer to assist in the related design and program development to assure effective services, and case consultation and referral post release. Jail Bridge Program-Expand and sustain community reentry services to adults with co- occurring disorders in the jail and the community corrections system in Deschutes County. Participate actively, where appropriate, with the Sheriff's Office and the Parole & Probation in the Reach In Program. Acquire dedicated resources to develop a team of (at least) three professionals to offer case management, treatment and support services. Adding second position in 2008 including capability to treat. Reduce recidivism and improve functioning in the community through housing and job assistance, treatment, medication management and other help. Note: significant expansion needed at time of jail expansion. One of two current positions is not sustainable long term. Resources needed. County Parole & Probation Specialization - Continue availability of specialized personnel with expertise and a mental health case load. Note FTE increased to 1.5 in 2007. Beneficial Attachment 2 to increase HE as caseload expands. Expand this capacity further in conjunction with jail expansion. Resources needed. k. Multi-disciplinary case coordination-Convene a regular meeting of jail, parole and probation, mental health, hospital staff to coordinate services for people who frequently use the services of multiple systems. Initiated in 2007. 1. Juvenile Services-(This section was provided by Juvenile Community Justice). Deschutes County Juvenile Community Justice operates a secure detention facility for juveniles under the supervision of the Juvenile Court, or juveniles with detainable law enforcement who are awaiting a Court disposition. The decision to detain a youth is a serious one and must comply with Oregon Revised Statute guidelines. While not participating in a formal study or technical assistance project regarding detention decision practices and developing alternatives to detention, the department constantly seeks to monitor and improve its use of detention to ensure the safest and most cost efficient ways to protect the public and reduce recidivism. As of this writing, a needs analysis is being done to ascertain the need for emergency shelter resources, as an alternative to detention for eligible youth awaiting court arraignment and disposition. Other challenges and needs being addressed in relation to effective use of detention include: 1) Ensuring sustainable funding for Functional Family Therapy, a family-based treatment model with the specific aims of reducing recidivism and preventing out of home placement, as well as sibling delinquency prevention. 2) Youth offenders with treatment-specific needs who await placement for long periods of time in detention due to lack of immediate treatment availability and / or a safe placement option in the home. These include offenders with serious mental health disorders and sexual offenders awaiting residential treatment. 4his Attachment 2 m. Supervised Housing-As recommended by Adult Parole & Probation, seek resources to develop and offer transitional, supervised housing for people with mental illness who are diverted from the justice system or are seeking to re-enter the community. The goal is to offer safe, stable housing for clients and to prevent recidivism. This need became more apparent with the 2004 closure of Park Place. Parole & Probation has developed a transitional housing option (2007) to replace lost space at the reopened Work Release Center. Services (monitoring, supervision, case management and treatment) are needed for residents in this housing. n. Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB) I ) Greater Awareness-Expand this program locally with additional staff, services and housing options. Four additional PSRB secure beds are expected in Deschutes County in 2009. Seek State assistance in training jail staff and others on the PSRB process and guidelines, clarify process to differentiate mental illness issues from criminal acts, and the County's role in revocations. Establish a method to better inform the jail of PSRB individuals residing in Deschutes County. County hosted fall 2006 meeting for educational purposes. Continue to seek opportunities to better clarify the PSRB program and process as well as the responsibility of varies parties to this process. Increase coordination with public defenders. Continue offering (County PSRB Coordinator) testimony to the courts when appropriate on PSRB cases. Continue work with law enforcement on roles and responsibilities during the revocation process. Note: Deschutes County has continued to have 10-12 under PSRB supervision (2008 figures are comparable to 2005). iac-lYd+Rg 2) Aid and Assist-Expedite the aid and assist process for PSRB clients to reduce unnecessary jail days awaiting processing. Arrange training for assistant district attorneys and defense attorneys on PSRB and the aid and assist process. Education and coordination with public defenders has provided some decrease in the delays in this process; continued improvement is needed. o. Addictions Treatment In 2008 and in cooperation with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, expand addictions treatment for people involved in the justice system. Expanded Bridge Program will also increase access to service for people with a serious mental illness needing dual diagnosis treatment. The development of the Family Drug Court has also expanded access to addiction treatment for qualified families. ~J-(E5 C,O DESCHUTES COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL - Memorandum Michael Sullivan Presiding Judge (Chair) Tammy Baney County Commissioner Michael M.Daly Commissioner/Alternate To: Mike Stafford, Public Safety Coordinator Oregon Criminal Justice Commission From: J. Kenneth Hales, Director Deschutes County Community Justice Date: January 14, 2008 Re: HB3369 Larry Blanton County Sheriff In response to our prior communication, the following comments and the Jack Blum Ci i attached table are provided on behalf of the Deschutes County Public Safety t zen Member Coordinating Council (Council). The accompanying table identifies actions Bev Clarno Citizen Member taken by the Council that have had an im act on the count's criminal or p y Jacques DeKalb juvenile justice systems, public safety agencies or other community based Attorney at Law programs that promote community safety. actions of the council take y Mike Dugan three forms. District Attorney Peter Gramlich 1. Funding or resource allocation recommendations to the Bend City Councilor Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Scott Johnson 2. Recommendations to County public safety agencies concernin Mental Health Dir. g program implementation or resource utilization Andy Jordon 3. Coordination of inter-agency policies, practices or activities Chief of Police, Bend Dave Kanner County Administrator Throughout 2007 the Council has experienced effective leadership, active J. Kenneth Hales participation of its members and a culture of cooperation and common Community Justice Dir. commitment to system improvement. The Board of Count Commissioners S' Ernie Mazarol frequently requests the Council's advice or recommendations. The nature of Court Administrator these requests have ranged from new facility development, system wide Becky McDonald strategic planning, prioritizing use of crime prevention funds and program Director, 9-1-1 development or service enhancements. Carl Rhodes Commander Additionally, the Council has served a$ a valuable forum and vehicle to Oregon State Police address inter-agency issues. This includes influencing agencies to modify Ron Roberts protocols to improve how components of the justice system work together. Chief of Police, Redmond The Council has been particularly effective at fostering inter-agency HillarySaraceno collaboration to redirect funds commit personnel resources or undertake new Commission on Children & Familes Director initiatives. This coordinating function has resulted in improved operational efficiencies and service effectivenes . Bob Smit KIDS Center Exec. Dir. cc: Judge Michael Sullivan Bob Warsaw OYA Supervisor Chairman, Desch ounty Public Safety Coordinating Council Dave Kanner Deschutes County Ad~mi~n(isstrator County Ad inistration 1300 NW Wall, Bend, OR Bonnie Baker Council Secreta (54 18; Ken Hales Council Coordinator, (541) 383-4383 Deschutes County Public Safety Coordinating Council 2007 Report of Programs, Services or Budget Changes J. Kenneth Hales, Director Deschutes County Community Justice DCPSCC Action or Board of County Policy or Funding Action Date Recommendation Commissioners Program Affect Provided or Action Fiscal Impact 1/9/06 Recommend Authorized Grand funds $500,000 plus submission of drug Mental Health received, drug departmental court grant Department to court developed in-kind request and multi- submit request in 2007, key resources departmental partners being participation Circuit Court, County Mental Health Dept., County Probation Dept., area ODHHS office 1/9/06 Developed N/A Improved LEO N/A interagency access and safety agreement between of prisoner area law transports to enforcement, circuit courthouse. court and county building services. 2/6/06 Recommended key N/A Program Unknown parties participate underway, to date in tri-county sexual 2,001 adults have abuse prevention received sexual program abuse prevention training 3/6/06 Recommendation to BoCC approved Allowed $240,000 BOCC to fund County general continued level of misdemeanor sex funds to augment misdemeanor sex offender other non-state offender supervision grant revenue in supervision CFY 2008 probation department budget 8/7/06 Endorsed proposal N/A Improved medical Unknown for area hospital to services to child provide nurse and adolescent examiners with sexual assault specialization in victims pediatric sexual assault examinations 10/2/06 Recommended Allowed use of Mental Health $80,000 BOCC continue previously Department to funding for Bridge allocated funds to maintain 1 mental program this purpose. health specialists to work with offenders with mental illness transiting out of the jail. 12/4/06 Recommendation to Approved request Functional family $240,000 BOCC to support of grant funds and therapy for functional family use of juvenile juvenile offenders therapy for department funds began operation specified juvenile to support in 2007 offenders. program 12/4/06 Recommendation to Approved Opened 22 bed $250.000 BOCC to reopen a $50,000 in facilities for adult transitional living County general offenders facility for adult fund monies to returning from offenders augment CFY jail or prison 2007-2008 incarceration. probation department funds 12/4/06 Recommended Allowed use of Mental Health $80,000 expansion of the previously Dept. expanded Bridge program allocated funds to services for jail this purpose inmates with mental health needs by adding a second mental health specialists 12/4/06 Recommended BOCC authorized Three juvenile $200,000 continued funding use of current crime prevention for specified resources to programs were juvenile crime maintain service financed through prevention levels CFY 2008 programs 12/4/06 Recommended Authorized Improved $50,000 expanded use of interdepartmental electronic electronic transfer of funds monitoring monitoring technology was procured and number of indigent offenders supervised increased 12/4/06 Recommended Encouraged Mental Health $20,000 mental health crises interdepartmental offender crisis (excluding intervention participation intervention compensation training be made training program for participating available to area was developed, deputies) law enforcement Sheriff's Office agencies deputies trained in 2007 12/4/06 Recommended Allowed use of Additional mental $80,000 expansion of previously health specialist Mental Health allocated funds to was hired to Court this purpose expand support of mental health court 5/7/07 Coordinated Allowed change Changed Unknown development of of departmental probation departmental policy policy department policy impacting system for use of jail stakeholders incarceration for probation and post prison release violations 6/4/07 Recommend Allowed use of Added 1 $60,000 probation dept previously additional PO to maintain current allocated funds this program for level of service for for this purpose remainder of CFY domestic violence 2008 diversion supervision 7/7/07 Recommend BOCC Adopted plan and New or expended $11,491,433 adopt 2007-2009 approved use of programs include Community other than State street crimes Corrections Plan grant, grant-in-aid supervision team, to support plan Drug Court implementation offender supervision, cognitive skills classes, expanded electronic monitoring and battering intervention treatment ~gv~vTes Co`Za o < Michael Sullivan (Chair) Presiding Judge Tammy Baney Commissioner Michael M.Day Commissioner/Alternate Larry Blanton Sheriff Jack Blum Citizen Member Bev Clamo Citizen Member Jacques DeKelb Attorney Mike Dusan District Attorney Peter Gramilch Bend City Councilor ScottJohnson Mental Health Dir. Andy Jordon Chief of Police, Bend Dave Kanner County Administrator J. Kenneth Hales Community Justice Dir. Ernie Mazarol Court Administrator Becky McDonald Director, 9-1-1 Lt Carl Rhodes Oregon State Police Ron Roberts Chief of Police, Redmond Hillary Saraceno Commission on Children & Families Director Bob Smit KIDS Center Exec. Dir. Deschutes County Public Safety Coordinating Council County Administration Building, 1300 NW Wall, Bend, OR, (541) 888-3118 Bob Warsaw Oregon Youth Authority Future Trends in State Courts 2007 Integrated Approaches to Family-Court Case Processing Ernest J. Mazorol III, Trial Court Administrator, State of Oregon-11th Judicial District Future Trends Statement: Deschutes County, Oregon uses an Integrated Family Court to improve the service it gives to families involved in litigation. So far, this resulted in fewer conflicting court orders, more reunifications of family members, and other benefits for families and the state's courts. In Deschutes County (Bend, Oregon), the Integrated Family Court was established in 1994, shortly after the National Center for State Courts published Court Coordination of Family Cases.U When the program started, the court employed unique service-delivery techniques that caught the attention of the National Center for State Courts, researchers, judges, court administrators, and a wide array of elected officials. " The program is virtually identical today as it was when it started over a decade ago. The court and community are confident in their approach based on prominent research findings and a recent publication to further justify integrated family courts. In Oregon, trial courts are consolidated into a single-level circuit court. All circuit-court judges throughout the state have general-jurisdiction authority. In Deschutes County, five of the seven circuit-court judges actively manage their family-court caseload under an individual case-assignment system. Two structural components exist in this family court- one is mandatory and the other is voluntary to the parties. Top Under the mandatory component, all cases (criminal and domestic) associated with a family are assigned to one judge throughout their court involvement. The court uses liberal assignment procedures to link family members when a child or children are involved in these matters. Beyond the traditional definition of family, cases are also linked with significant others, guardians, grandparents, etc. The court staff has set up internal and external d procedures to identify and link family members as they enter the system with new and ongoing case filings, and then assign those matters to the same judge. In a very small number of cases, affidavits have been filed against judges for prejudice. When this occurs, the entire family is typically reassigned to a different judge for these matters to remain together. Under the voluntary component, court staff meet with family members and counsel to discuss service-delivery options. If the parties sign a confidentiality waiver, which they commonly do, court staff assemble an array of service providers so a single plan can be developed for the entire family. The plan is created, with the family's input, in a multidisciplinary team meeting facilitated by court staff. The plan is documented and disseminated to those in attendance, accountability is established, and delivery dates are monitored. While the plan is developed separate from the courtroom, progress reports and additional services that may be ordered by the judge are frequently placed on the court record with the family and service providers in attendance. These practices quickly gained wide attention shortly after they were implemented. Several articles were written, presentations were made at conferences, and numerous site visits were conducted by interested jurisdictions. While the program received formal praise and many favorable comments, it failed to be implemented on a wide scale outside of Oregon for three primary reasons: 1. The scope was so broad that most jurisdictions felt it would be too difficult and time- consuming to develop and foster the relationships needed to align their community partners in an integrated manner with the court. 2. Judge burnout doing this type of work is high and the learning curve is steep, reducing interest among judges to move in this direction or serve under the assignment long-term. 3. While the program's concept and foundation were solid, research was unavailable to justify and sell a dramatic shift in philosophy and procedure among interested jurisdictions. Top In August 2002, the National Center for State Courts published Integrating Criminal and Civil Matters in Family Courts. l~1 Several recommendations were adopted and advanced to support court and community collaboration and the integration of criminal cases in family court. In November 2006, the Center for Policy Research published Integrated Approaches to Manage Multi-Case Families in the Justice System, a report funded by the National Institute of Justice of the U.S. Department of Justice. 'A The study compared three separate sites, and the evaluation sample included 406 families, 1,399 case filings, and 8,680 hearings. Recognizing that research limitations exist in any study, key findings did evolve to further justify, adopt, and advance the approach used in the Deschutes County Integrated Family Court. Here is a sample of the study's key findings: • Fewer conflicting court orders existed in family cases processed under an integrated approach. Less than 8 percent of the families studied had evidence of conflicting orders, compared to 15 to 25 percent of families processed under traditional court methods. • Higher reunificationsmay result under the integrated approach. Among two study sites, there was roughly a 50 percent greater chance of a child being reunified with the family than under traditional court methods. • Major criticisms were dismissedby professionals who participated in the study related to due process, judicial bias, and coercion. Judges, attorneys, and service providers set aside claims related to these concerns. • Criminal family-court cases provide greater knowledgefor the trial judge. Judges may be more strict or lenient based on how the family is complying and have more leverage when criminal cases are included in the assignment system. • Numerous advantages were citedamong professionals for the integrated approach, such as universal understanding of the case, less contradictory and fewer duplicate orders, and increased accountability for families and professionals to fulfill their obligations in the service plan. • Trial needs may lessenin dependency and criminal cases. In one site, stipulations occurred in dependency cases 76.5 percent of the time. In criminal cases, guilty pleas were entered in cases 87.7 percent of the time compared to 71.6 percent under traditional court methods. • Drug treatment ordersare more likely to occur in an integrated approach. This may result from greater awareness of drug issues or increased access among the service providers. Families with dependency cases in one site were ordered to drug treatment 75.9 percent of the time compared to 52.4 percent of the time using traditional court methods. • Less time in carewas noted for children in Deschutes County compared to the other sites. This shorter stay in care, although significant, could not be attributed to any specific reasons. Top Regardless of these and other beneficial findings, courts still have internal and external obstacles to overcome if they plan to move in this direction. Beyond broad judicial support, the bench must consider areas such as structure, resources, calendar systems, training, technology, etc. In addition, service providers and counsel must be prepared to change their traditional practices to align services and reduce adversarial techniques. These commitments may not be easy to obtain, but sufficient data are available to justify integrated, community-wide efforts in family-court procedures. Change occurs as momentum mounts. Traditional approaches are quickly moving out of fashion as evidenced by the continued and rapid expansion of specialty courts. The time is ripe to explore new ways to deliver services more effectively, especially in light of the frustration judges and policy makers experience and voice daily. Best practices now exist to invest the time, effort, and resources to move the courts and the communities they serve in a promising direction. Top ji1H. Ted Rubin and Victor Eugene Flango, Court Coordination of Family Cases (Williamsburg: National Center for State Courts, 1992). ii Carol R. Flango, Victor E. Flango, and H. Ted Rubin, How Are Courts Coordinating Family Cases? (Williamsburg, VA: National Center for State Courts, 1999). iii Brenda K. Uekert, Ann Keith, and Ted Rubin, Integrating Criminal and Civil Matters in Family Courts: Performance Areas and Recommendations (Williamsburg, VA: National Center for State Courts, 2002). iv Dr. Nancy Theonnes, Integrated Approaches to Manage Multi-case Families in the Justice System (Denver: Center for Policy Research, 2006). Future Trends in State Courts is a product of `Knowledge and Information Services Office: Copyright © 2007 The National Center for State Courts. All Rights Reserved.