Washtenaw County Juvenile Drug Court

The Washtenaw County Juvenile Drug Court program will celebrate its second anniversary in February 2006. Currently we provide a continuum of treatment services (residential and intensive outpatient) to youth diagnosed with substance abuse and substance dependence problems. Parents and guardians (and other family members) are highly involved with our program and are required to fully participate in their child’s recovery and in their own treatment if necessary.

Our program is unique in that our intensive outpatient programs (long and short term) are combined with a year-round, on site, fully accredited educational program staffed by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. The program also offers GED study if it is appropriate for an individual Juvenile Drug Court participant. In addition to the substance abuse treatment (individual, group and family), competency development activities and skill building groups are facilitated at least twice weekly. The program for youth diagnosed with substance dependence problems is designed to last from nine to sixteen months, while our program for youth with abuse problems is a shorter program and is designed to last for six months.

We have the capacity to serve 40 youth and their family members. Stakeholders from various agencies around the county such at the Washtenaw County Trial Court, the Washtenaw County Children’s Services Department, Dawn Farm (our substance abuse treatment provider), the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office and the Washtenaw County Intermediate School District possess distinctive abilities, and are dedicated to joining resources to create a successful, progressive program. The fact that we have the chance to help change the lives of generations to come by helping young people, and their family members, get clean and sober and stay clean and sober is a remarkable opportunity. It is an opportunity we welcome and work toward each day.