The Third Circuit Court's Supervised Treatment for Alcohol and Narcotic Dependency (S.T.A.N.D.) aims to eliminate juvenile's substance use and abuse and delinquent behavior. Currently the program has 40 participants and 12 are slated to graduate on September 2. The ceremony will be held at the Detroit Public Library's main branch on Woodward Avenue.
Each graduate has been in the program for approximately one year. In some circumstances, if the juvenile successfully completes the program, the original charge will be dismissed, allowing the juvenile to maintain a clean juvenile record. In other situations, the juvenile's participation in the program is a condition of probation. The goal for all participants is to have them go forward with drug and substance abuse free lives.
Like the other 14 Juvenile Drug Courts in Michigan, the S.T.A.N.D. Program utilizes therapeutic jurisprudence and case management to develop, coordinate, and monitor the juvenile's treatment. Each participant is assigned to a drug court team probation officer, treatment provider, jurist, and a probation monitoring officer. Jurist involvement is key.
Judge Karen Braxton leads the S.T.A.N.D. Program. She, Referee Raeigen Woods, and Referee Viola King preside over the weekly hearings for their assigned juveniles. They meet each week with the other treatment team members to ensure each juvenile attends the required group therapy, receives individual counseling, and completes random drug screenings. At the hearings, the jurists listen to parents, caregivers, and treatment providers and review school progress reports to ensure the juvenile is on the right track to maintain a life of sobriety. Progress is rewarded with incentives applause, high fives, movie passes, and gift cards. Also, there is a probation monitoring officer who goes to the participants' homes each week to complete a drug screen.
The S.T.A.N.D. Program promotes the participant's involvement in positive community and social activities and hosts an annual baseball and basketball game. This year, graduation will be held at the Detroit Public Library. Each attendee will have an opportunity to apply for a library card and tour the building. Graduates will walk across the stage in the Friend's Auditorium, adding to the ranks of 183 alumni who have completed the program since its inception in 2000.
Organizations that offer evidence-based treatment programs or have experience addressing dependency-recovery issues are welcome to submit proposals to become a part of the S.T.A.N.D. Program. Judge Braxton was recently appointed to the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges' Diversity Committee and may be reached at (313) 833-1776 for additional information about the S.T.A.N.D. Program.
Published: Mon, Aug 17, 2015
