Core Competencies
OBJECTIVES
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Recognize key core competencies
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Identify the relationship between core
competencies and best practices
BALANCING ACT FOR ALL
TEAM MEMBERS
All Team Members
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Committed to the program’s mission and goals
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Advocate for effective incentives and sanctions
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Knowledgeable of addiction, alcoholism and
pharmacology.
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Knowledgeable of gender, age and cultural issues.
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Help develop protocols and procedures
All Team Members
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Aware of the impact of substance abuse
/addiction
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Aware of the impact of mental health issues
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Ensure that gender, age and culturally specific treatment
and ancillary services are reflected in all aspects of the
program.
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Attend staffing and court hearings
All Team Members
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Knowledge of constitutional and legal issues
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Knowledge of their own ethics
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Respects the other team members ethics
Core Competencies

Each team member
has important roles
and core
responsibilities for the
team and the Drug
Court.
Drug Court Judge
Core Competencies
Judge – “The Leader”
Research says:
 Spends 3 minutes or
greater with each client

Volunteer for drug court
assignment

Term is longer than 2
years

Coordinates collaborative efforts with key
stakeholders
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Advocate and educate the community to
generate interest and support
Procedural Fairness
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Knowledgeable of client’s case
Know them by name
Encourage them to succeed
Emphasize treatment
Not intimidating
Approachable
Let them tell their story
Treat them fairly and with respect
Impartial – do not prejudge
Judge – “The Leader”
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Ensures court is constitutionally and
statutorily compliant
Recognize ethical obligations of the other
team members
Responsible for compliance with HIPAA and
42 CFR part 2 including a designation of a
Confidentiality Compliance Officer
Judge – “The Leader”

Supervises client progress through the drug court
continuum based on weekly court hearings, team input
and client behavior. Leads the team in decision-making;
holds the participant accountable for their progress by
use of incentives and sanctions.
BALANCING ACT
Develops a working relationship with the
offender, monitors offender progress, and
addresses personal and ancillary issues
without losing the aura of judicial authority.
Drug Court Coordinator
Core Competencies
Coordinator – “The Juggler”
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Records distribution of
incentives and sanctions
or lack thereof
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Allocate and acquisition of
resources
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Develop MOUs, MOAs,
and RFPs
Coordinator – “The Juggler”
Research shows:
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Works with 2 or less
treatment providers
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Offers parenting classes
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Offers family/domestic
relations counseling
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Offers anger
management classes
Coordinator – “The Juggler”
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Creates and/or
maintain a
database system
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Oversees the
evaluation process
Coordinator – “The Juggler”
Research shows:

Review data and/or
regular reporting of
program statistics to
make program
modifications
Coordinator – “The Juggler”
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Develop on-going
team building
activities and
conduct staff
replacement
training.
Coordinator – “The Juggler”
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Responsible for the operation and
appropriate and timely completion of
proposed substance abuse court program
activities. Facilitates case flow, activities of
participating agencies, monitors the
meeting of goals, objectives, and
timelines; provides monitoring and
contractual service quality assurance;
writes grants.
Drug Court Prosecutor
Core Competencies
Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”
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Operates in a nonadversarial manner,
promoting a unified team
response.
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Ensures community safety
concerns by maintaining
eligibility standards while
focusing on therapeutic
program outcomes.
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Protects defendants due
process rights
Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”
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Gatekeeper/screener for
access to drug court.
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Represents ongoing
public safety perspective
in the team decision
making process.
Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”
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Contributes to team’s
efforts in community
education and local
resource acquisition
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Contributes to
educating peers,
colleagues and
judiciary on efficacy of
Drug Courts
Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”
Research shows:
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Allows nondrug
charges
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Time between arrest
and program entry is
50 days or less
Prosecutor – “Gatekeeper”
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Gatekeeper/screener for access to treatment
through the substance abuse court. Attends
all staffing and judicial supervision hearings,
represents ongoing public safety perspective
in the team decision making process.
Drug Court Defense
Attorney
Core Competencies
Defense Attorney
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Ensures that the
offenders legal rights are
protected.
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Participates as team
member, operating in a
non-adversarial manner,
promoting a unified team
response.
Defense Attorney
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Protects participants due
process rights.
Acts as both counselor
and attorney at law
Defense Attorney
Research shows:
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93% greater cost savings
if attended staffings.
Defense Attorney
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Contributes to team’s
efforts in community
education and local
resource acquisition

Contributes to
educating peers,
colleagues and
judiciary on efficacy of
Drug Courts
Defense Attorney
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Advocate for client’s access to and continued
participation in the drug court; assists in
screening; assures confidentiality
requirements are met. Ensure clients rights
and program requirements are explained.
Attends all staffing and judicial supervision
hearings, ensures participants due process
rights.
Drug Court Treatment Liaison
Core Competencies
Treatment Liaison
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Ensures participant
receives the appropriate
level of care, at a
reasonable cost.
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Develop aftercare
program, alumni
associations and
mentoring programs.
Treatment Liaison
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Ensures clients are
evaluated in a timely and
competent process and
the placement and
transportation are
effectuated in an expedited
manner.
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Provides treatment
progress reporting with
sufficient and timely
information to implement
incentives and sanctions.
Treatment Liaison
Research shows:
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Treatment communicates
via e-mail with court had
119% greater reduction in
recidivism.
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Provides guidelines on the
frequency of individual
treatment sessions that a
participant receives
Treatment Liaison
Research shows:
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Participants are expected to
have greater than 90 days
clean before graduation had
164% greater reduction in
recidivism
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Treatment attended staffings
had 105% greater reductions
in recidivism
Treatment Liaison
Research shows:
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Programs with treatment
attendance at court had
100% greater reductions in
cost.
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Programs with treatment
attendance at staffing had
105% greater reduction in
recidivism.
Treatment Liaison
Research shows:
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Offers gender specific
services
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Offers mental health
treatment
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Offers residential
treatment
Treatment Liaison
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Screens all felony offenders at first appearance using
validated screening instruments, and refers cases to
team for consideration.
Conducts appropriate normed and validated chemical
health assessments and facilitates rapid entry into
treatment.
Organizes and presents progress/adjustment information
at staffing. Attends all staffings and provides input on
various and appropriate modalities of treatment.
Treatment Liaison - MH
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Provide screening/assessment/diagnosis/case planning
and community referrals for co-occurring disordered
participants. Attends all staffing and court sessions.
Represents ongoing public safety perspective in the
team decision making process.
Drug Court Probation Officer
Core Competencies
Probation
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Provides coordinated and
comprehensive supervision
to minimize participant
manipulation and splitting of
program staff.
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Develop post program
services, client outreach,
mentor programs and
alumni associations.
Probation
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Conducts home visits and
drug tests.
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Develops effective
measure for drug testing
and supervision.
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Provides team with
sufficient and timely
information to implement
incentives and sanctions.
Probation – Case Manager
Research shows:
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For better outcomes, Drug test
results should be back in two
days or less.
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In 1st Phase, drug tests are
collected at least two times per
week
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In order to graduate,
participants must have a job or
be in school.
Probation – Case Manager
Research shows:
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In order to graduate, participants
must have a sober living
environment.
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In order to graduate, participants
must have 90 days or more clean
time.
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In order to graduate participants
must have paid all court-ordered
fines and fees (e.g., fines,
restitution)
Probation – Case Manager
Research shows:
For better outcomes programs
should:
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Offers health care
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Offers dental care
Probation – Case Manager
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Coordinates case
management services
such as health, mental
health, housing,
transportation, etc.
Probation – Case Manager
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Identifies and screens eligible probation violation cases
and refers the cases to the team for admission
consideration. Provides case management services
within the program.
Provides individual, intensive supervision and a broad
range of rehabilitative and case management services
within the substance abuse court continuum.
Represents ongoing public safety perspective in the
team decision making process. Organizes and presents
progress/adjustment information at staffing. Facilitates
cognitive behavioral groups.
Drug Court Law Enforcement
Core Competencies
Law Enforcement/Probation
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Assists in identification
of potential drug court
participants.
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Processes and serves
warrants.
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Conducts home visits
and trains peers to
enhance supervision of
participants. Joint
function with Probation.
Law Enforcement
Research shows:
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88% greater reduction in
recidivism for teams with
law enforcement on the
team (field services)
64% greater cost savings
for teams where a law
enforcement
representative attends
court sessions.
Law Enforcement
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Each division may utilize the law enforcement liaison
officers in a slightly different manner, but basically, the
role of the law enforcement is as follows:
 Conducts home visits or environmental checks;
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Conduct periodic surprise “sweeps”/home visits of
participants’ homes;
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Attend and participates at weekly team meetings
and drug court sessions;
TEAM TRAINING
Research shows: For
better outcomes:
 Given copy of
guidelines for
incentives/sanctions.
 All new hires to the
team complete a
formal training or
orientation.
COMPETENT TEAM
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EFFECTIVE DRUG COURT
BEHAVIORIAL CHANGE
MEET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
PERSONAL SATISFACTION