Building Supportive Services in Drug Courts

Abstract

Many drug courts focus on the provision of treatment services and only over time become involved in accessing and coordinating supportive services for clients. Because many clients lack a basic foundation for community reintegration, identifying supportive service needs in the early stages of participation helps to treat the person, not just the disease. Supportive services include housing assistance, educational and vocational training and skills development, physical health and testing services, prenatal services, entitlement counseling, debt counseling, fi nancial health, family and domestic violence counseling, child care and parenting, recreational and expressive therapies, mentoring, and other necessary social services.