TUKWILA—Washington State Association of Drug Court Professionals (WSADCP) is hosting its 28th annual conference for therapeutic court professionals on October 16 through 18 at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton at 16500 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila, WA 98188.
The 2024 WSADCP Conference, developed in partnership with Administrative Office of the Courts,
Washington State Health Care Authority, and the national All Rise Treatment Court Institute, will feature more than 30 trainings by national and local experts focused on promoting best practices in therapeutic courts and providing effective services to individuals and families impacted by substance use and other behavioral health disorders.
Therapeutic courts – sometimes known as “treatment courts” – provide an alternative to traditional case processing for adults and juveniles whose substance use disorder or other behavior health issues have contributed to their criminal charges or dependency cases. Therapeutic courts provide support, resources, structure, and accountability to help participants address the underlying issues that brought them into the criminal or child welfare systems, providing an off-ramp from incarceration, and an opportunity for rehabilitation, recovery, and family reunification.
The WSADCP Conference has grown significantly since its inception in 1997 when there were only about 20 attendees. This year, nearly 500 drug court and other therapeutic court professionals from across the state will attend the WSADCP Conference, including judges, defense attorneys, prosecuting attorneys, district attorneys, court coordinators, administrators, case managers, social workers, probation officers, treatment professionals, law enforcement, recovery support specialists, peer specialists, and therapeutic court graduates.
Under the 2024 theme “Stronger Together – Inspiring Connection”, the Conference will bring together professionals from every therapeutic court model in Washington State including Drug Courts, Community Courts, Mental Health Courts, Veterans Courts, Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts, Juvenile Therapeutic Courts, DUI Courts, Domestic Violence Courts, and Collaborative Courts (which includes Family Treatment Courts, Early Childhood Courts, Safe Babies Courts, and Indian Child Welfare Act Courts).
Practitioners from twenty-nine Washington counties and two tribal nations will be in attendance, representing therapeutic courts at the Superior Court, District Court, Municipal Court, Federal Court, and Tribal Court level. On October 18th, the Conference will feature specialized workshops for Community Courts and Collaborative Courts / Family Therapeutic Courts.
The keynote “From the Big House to the White House: Unlocking Potential” will be delivered by Christopher Poulos, an attorney, speaker, writer, consultant, and Executive Director of the Center for Justice and Human Dignity. The final plenary session, “The Science of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder” will be delivered by Dr. Lipi Roy, a physician, international speaker, MSNBC and NBC medical contributor, entrepreneur, and host of the YouTube series Health, Humor, and Harmony.
The statute that authorizes therapeutic courts in Washington, RCW 2.30, expresses how the Legislature recognizes “the effectiveness and credibility of any therapeutic court will be enhanced when the court implements evidence-based practices, research based practices, emerging best practices, or promising practices that have been identified and accepted at the state and national level.”
Three decades of national research about how to run an effective therapeutic court have culminated in the publication of All Rise’s Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards. With many of the WSADCP Conference workshops led by national experts from All Rise’s Treatment Court Institute, the conference provides Washington State therapeutic courts with the information, networking, resources, and skills they need to operate high-quality therapeutic court programs.
In addition to providing information about best practices, the WSADCP Conference enables attendees to make meaningful connections with others from across the state. The Washington State Therapeutic Court Alumni Association (WSTCAA) was founded after members initially connected at the Strength of Lived Experience Conversation at the 2023 WSADCP Conference.
Similarly, this year’s conference will offer several opportunities for therapeutic court alumni (many of whom are now working on therapeutic court teams as peer specialists or other professionals) to connect with each other. There will also be a session for prosecutors to discuss challenges and opportunities related to therapeutic courts, including eligibility and capacity issues.
More information about the 2024 WSADCP Conference including workshop descriptions and
presenter biographies is available at: wsadcp.org/conference-2024.
Earlier this year, Governor Inslee recognized Therapeutic Court Month, noting that Washington State has been a national leader in the therapeutic court movement. Indeed, this year marks 30 years of drug courts in the State of Washington. In 1994, Washington became home to the 12 and 17 drug courts in the nation. Based on the success of drug courts, other therapeutic court models were developed and continue to thrive.
Twenty-five years ago, Washington implemented the 2nd mental health court in the nation. Today there are an estimated 4,000 therapeutic courts in the United States. Drug Courts are classified as evidence based by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) based on their effect in reducing crime / recidivism.
The most recent Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) data shows that 88% of drug court participants in the State of Washington have no new felonies at 36-month follow-up and 77% have no new crimes at any level including misdemeanors. This recidivism statistic is based on all Washington drug court participants (not just graduates) and is even more significant when considering that 79% had prior felonies at drug court entry and 96% had prior convictions at some level including misdemeanors (an average of 5 prior felonies and 9 prior misdemeanors).
As a result of cost savings from crime reductions, a 2013 DSHS study found that Washington drug courts save taxpayers $4 for every $1 invested. WSIPP’s meta-analysis found that drug courts produce a return on investment 100% of the time.
For more information about the evidence supporting Washington State Drug Courts, read WSADCP’s report at: wsadcp.org/home-2/outcomes.
Source: Snohomish County Therapeutic Courts
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
