Maricopa County Juvenile Drug Court Mentoring Initiative

The goal of the Juvenile Drug Courts Mentoring and Support Services Initiative is to build the capacity of states, state courts, local courts, units of local government, and tribal governments to enhance juvenile drug courts by developing and establishing a comprehensive support service initiative that would include mentoring and other appropriate support services (i.e., educational services, health services, employment services, community services, recreational activities, parenting programs, housing assistance) to serve substance-abusing youth who are assigned to the juvenile drug court program. This program is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 3797u.

Maricopa County intends to provide a larger network of recovery support services through the implementation of a mentoring program for juveniles participating in the Drug Court. This will improve the coordination and delivery of services as well as reduce recidivism rates for youth participating in the existing Drug Court Program. The target population for the Drug Court consists of juveniles who are adjudicated delinquent, between the ages of 13 to 17, can read at the 4th grade level, can attend at least three functions per week, and have been diagnosed chemically dependent. The addition of a mentoring component will enhance the Juvenile Drug Court Program and allow for a comprehensive approach customized for each juvenile. An evaluation component will determine the extent to which the Juvenile Drug Court Mentoring Program is meeting its goals and will include both process and outcome evaluations, along with providing the necessary data to track required performance measures.
CA/NCF