About the Program

The Program

You have been referred to the Morrow County Substance Abuse Court (MCSAC) because you have demonstrated a significant problem with drugs and/or alcohol.

If you are a young person under the age of eighteen (18), your parent(s) and/or guardian(s) have been referred to participate with you. It is important that you fully understand the program as a whole and dedicate yourself to the successful completion of this program.

This Court supervised intervention program, which involves intense probation combined with a variety of treatment options will take a minimum of twelve (12) months to obtain successful completion. The purpose of this program is to focus on your individual needs and concerns while addressing the issue(s) of safety within the community. The treatment services you will be referred to as part this program are based on abstinence from all illicit mind-altering substances. The Drug Court Team will be working with you to assist in your successfully graduation from the program. However, the choice of being successful in recovery is ultimately yours, based on your dedication to maintain a crime, drug and/or alcohol-free lifestyle.

What is Juvenile Drug Court

The twelve to eighteen month-long drug court -program that combines aggressive treatment with frequent court appearances. The Morrow County Substance Abuse Court (MCSAC) Mission in part is:

"To reduce juvenile crime and substance abuse by diverting youth to a court-managed treatment program which holds them accountable and emphasizes personal responsibility."

The Morrow County Substance Abuse Court (MCSAC) is a court-managed intensive treatment program. The MCSAC Juvenile components are open to 20 youths between the ages of 12 and 21. Juveniles who are involved in the criminal justice system and that are significantly abusing alcohol and/or drugs are the focus of this program. Young people formally charged in Juvenile Court with felonies that are not crimes of violence or significant drug trafficking, and juveniles charged with any misdemeanor are eligible for the program.

Although all of the Morrow County Substance Abuse Courts are designed to range in length from 12 to 18 months, a juvenile case is not necessarily bound by those time frames. Certainly, this is true with anyone having been dually diagnosed with both mental health related issues and substance abuse concerns. However, for the purpose of this program those persons in the program should be reserved the fact that consideration for graduation will not come prior to the minimum 12-month period. And, should consider themselves ahead fortunate when a recommendation comes any earlier.

What is an Adult Drug Court?

Basically put, the Adult Drug Court is not all that different than the juvenile component. Although adults are "found guilty" and juveniles are "found in violation". An adult can enter a "guilty" or "not guilty" plea and juveniles can only "admit" or "deny" the charges against them. Adult Drug Court attempts to deal with those adults over 18 years of age that are in one of several categories, for example:

Intervention in Lieu - An adult who is considered to be "Intervention In Lieu" or what is commonly referred to, as "Treatment In Lieu" is probably the easiest and most rewarding of all categories for an offender. This type of classification means that once you successfully complete all requirements of MCSAC and providing that you have been active in the program for at least 12 consecutive months, and met all other court requirements a recommendation is sent to the Prosecuting Attorney's office to have your pending conviction dismissed leaving the offender with a felony-free record. However, a person that chooses to be terminated unsuccessfully from MCSAC can be ordered back into Court to facing "sentencing" resulting in possible incarceration in a prison like facility.
Post-Conviction - The term "Post-Conviction" simply means that the person has already plead guilty or was found guilty of a particular crime and has already learned what the consequences for their criminal lifestyle will be as a result of that Felony level conviction.

A person in Drug Court having been convicted has the opportunity to ensure they never see the inside of a correctional facility as defined in their sentencing orders by the Judge, providing they complete the required 12 to 18 months of MCSAC successfully. Depending on the level of conviction and what is required, this type of offender could have his or her Community Control Sanctions (probation) reduced considerably.

Post-Release - This type of status refers to an offender who has served any part of their "residential sanctions" in either a halfway house; community based correctional facility or even a state institution as a result of a plea agreement or sentencing order by a Judge. The ultimate reward here would be to have the offender’s sentencing modified in some fashion upon successful completion of MCSAC, thus reducing the offender's chances of returning to prison and successfully completing his or her community control sanctions (probation) while remaining free to work, go to school and/or remaining an otherwise productive citizen.

Why is Drug Court Different?

The drug court approach differs from the approach of traditional court as an example in traditional court the court officers including defense attorneys represent and argue different sides of an issue. In drug court programs, the judge, prosecutor and public defender and law enforcement discard adversarial roles. In drug court they are members of a team dedicated to one purpose--helping younger adults (teenagers) and typical older adults (anyone over 18 yrs. of age) with addiction problems. Treatment providers share in rather than direct treatment decisions.

Drug Court Team Members

Tom C. Elkin, Morrow County Court of Common Pleas Presiding Judge
Robert C. Hickson, Jr., Morrow County Court of Common Pleas Administrative Judge
Sara Babich, Magistrate
Richelle Ettel, Juvenile Case Manager
Jennifer Stober, Felony Case Manager
Andrew Szteiter, Treatment in Lieu & Family Case Manager

The MCSAC Team creates and manages the individual drug court plan for each participant. The MCSAC Team staff’s cases weekly prior to the drug court sessions and reviews each participant's progress with information from treatment providers.

What is the Program?

The MCSAC Program emphasizes community-based treatment and least restrictive services. Therefore, whenever possible, MCSAC participants remain in the family home while they are in the MCSAC Program, sometimes with the support of the House Arrest Program or other form of curfew or travel restrictions. Some participants' behavior and/or substance abuse may warrant out of home placement or residential treatment. Juvenile Drug Court sessions are held bi-weekly usually on a Wednesday afternoon, opposite of the Adult Drug Courts, which are also bi-weekly but on Thursday in the afternoons.

Most participants and a parent/guardian appear in court for a progress review. In addition to the bi-weekly court appearance, youth and their families participate throughout the week in an individual program plan. Each participant's plan includes an array of therapy or educational options and could include a conflict resolution workshop, parenting education course (for parents and guardians of participants). Each participant's plan (regardless if adult or juvenile) may also include, substance abuse treatment and/or mental health treatment and education. Drug court participants are subject to regular, frequent, random, visually supervised drug testing.

Participants financial obligations?

MCSAC has no direct funding for treatment. Persons referred for treatment often will be eligible for assistance on a sliding scale fee basis through the local Mental Health and Recovery Board of Delaware and Morrow Counties. If a participant, usually an adult resides outside of Morrow or Delaware County their local recovery board will provide assistance in most cases. Families or participants with adequate funds or insurance will be expected to pay for all or part of treatment. Families eligible for Medicaid, Veteran's benefits or SSI will be required to apply to those programs for funding.

MCSAC Fees/Probation Fines

At the time of the printing of this booklet you are required to pay $30.00 per month paid by the 10th of each month in the form of money orders or cash for probation fees. The terms MCSAC, Drug Court fees and probation fees are used interchangeable, they mean the same you are not paying twice for "probation fees".

The following is a brief listing of the financial sanctions previously mentioned in this booklet:

A. Curfew violation	$25.00 fine
B. No Call/No Show for office visits	$20.00 fine
C. Possession of intoxicants	$25.00 fine

Should you fail a drug screen you could be fined $20.00 for you first failed drug screen in addition to reimbursing MCSAC $7.00 for the actual test. Should you fail a second drug screen within a specified amount of time, you could be fined $40.00 as a sanction again reimbursing MCSAC the cost of the $7.00 test. On the chance you fail a third test in a specified amount of time, you will be fined $80.00, and a recommendation for termination from MCSAC will be brought before the Drug Court Team.

At any time, you are "sanctioned" you could face in addition to or in lieu of a fine a three to thirty-day incarceration at the Morrow County Correctional Facility. All fines are to be paid in full by the next Drug Court session unless otherwise specified, in the form of cash or money order. No personal checks or credit/bank debit cards will be honored.

Entering the Program

How did I get Referred?

This can be a difficult question to answer since anyone can be referred to the program based on a variety of initial reasons all centered on their particular interaction with the judicial system here in Morrow County. However, in this booklet you will find three flow chart examples that most commonly reflect the ways individuals or families can be referred into the MCSAC program.

INSERT ADULT FLOW CHART W/CORRECTIONS
INSERT JUVENILE FLOW CHART W/CORRECTIONS
INSERT FAMILY COUR FLOW CHART W/CORRECTIONS

Eligibility Criteria

The following is a list of criteria the Coordinator will take into account when you are screened for the MCSAC program. In some extreme cases, the MCSAC Advisory Committee will be consulted for recommendations based on the policies and procedures that support the MCSAC Mission Statement.

Your current charge can be deferred to community control sanctions (probation) by a Judge or Magistrate
No history of violent behavior or a pattern of violent behavior
No history of serve mental illness
Current and past criminal behavior is drug and/or alcohol motivated
A juvenile must be adjudicated as a Delinquent
No evidence to support that the participant/offender has been involved in significant drug trafficking
No evidence to support that the participant/offender has been involved in significant gang activities
Participant/offender cannot be referred with a DUI or DWI only offense
Participant/offender cannot be referred with any active holds or warrants from another jurisdiction and is otherwise eligible for security release
Participant/offender, not specific to juveniles, must not be charged or convicted with a crime any more serious than a Felony of the Third Degree (F-3)
A Family Court referral must have at least one child adjudicated as dependent, neglected or abused with an active Jobs and Family Services case plan (Children’s Services)

MCSAC Screening/Orientation

Your initial screening appointment will be set within seventy-two (72) hours of the referral in order to identify those participants eligible for MCSAC. A referral may be sent to the MCSAC Coordinator prior to any sentencing in cooperation with a Pre-Dispositional Investigation usually associated with the Juvenile Courts, or by the State of Ohio Adult Parole and Probation Authority or Morrow County Intensive Probation Department during the Pre-Sentence Investigations phases.

A written break down of results relating to the various screening tools such as the MAPP (Multi-dimensional Addictions and Personality Profile), "Am I An Addict" questionnaire, "Personal Drug Use" questionnaire, will be sent to the referral source with appropriate recommendations.

If the MCSAC Coordinator determines that the referred person meets the eligibility criteria, the referred person will be scheduled for an "in-take" to sign program paperwork and meet with the MCSAC Case Manager.

As a participant in the MCSAC Program you will be scheduled for the first available session of Drug Court. If you are between the ages of 12 and 17 you will be scheduled for Juvenile One Drug Court on the next available Thursday session between 3:30pm and 4:30pm. If you are between the ages of 18 to 21 you will be scheduled for Juvenile Two Drug Court on the next available Wednesday session between 3:30pm and 4:30pm. All adult referrals will automatically be scheduled for Adult Drug Court on the next available Thursday opposite date than Juvenile Two Drug Court between the hours of 4:00pm and 5:00pm. If the referring party is screened and accepted into the Family Drug Court, you will be scheduled similar to the Adult Drug Court with the exception that your review time is between 5:00pm and 5:30pm with the presiding judge or magistrate.

You will then follow a preset review schedule every other week in conjunction with your weekly office visit meetings with the MCSAC Case Manager.

Treatment Assessments/Follow Up

A treatment and/or AOD provider referral will be made during your orientation with the MCSAC Coordinator. The participant is required to attend that appointment within five (5) business days of setting the appointment. If a rescheduling of the treatment provider appointment is necessary for whatever the cause, the participant is required to notify the MCSAC Coordinator and/or MCSAC Case Manager the same day the rescheduling took place.

Several assessment tools, including the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI), "Who Me and WPI", could be utilized to determine the appropriate level of treatment or educational care that will be required to ensure a successful completion.

Upon completing the assessment process, the treatment and/or AOD education provider will notify the MCSAC Coordinator of any and all recommendations for the Court to take under consideration.

Committing to the Program

Following acceptance to MCSAC each participant, his or her parents or guardian (if acceptance involves a juvenile) sign a drug court contract. Each participant, and if a juvenile is participating, his or her family will receive an orientation from the MCSAC Coordinator prior to any Court interaction. The purpose of this orientation is to introduce the perticipant and any family members to the program and answer any questions they may have. Participants and/or families are required to sign releases that allow the sharing of confidential information. Remember, what sounds good today may become a scheduling problem for you and/or the family four months from now.

Expectations upon entering

When a participant enters the MCSAC Program he or she admits to the appropriate allegations against them in Court. The judge or magistrate then enters an order containing the terms and conditions of the disposition (sentence). This disposition can be suspended; as is the case with "Intervention in Lieu" Offenders, otherwise the disposition will contain specialized conditions ordering the now adjudicated juvenile offender or now convicted adult offender to complete SUCCESSFULLY the MCSAC program and all of its requirements.

MCSAC Road Map

The Road Map

In this section you will find information on the following topics:

Detailed Description of the Phase System

The Mapping Phase
II. The Exposure Phase
III. The Action Phase
IV. The Arrival Phase

The Morrow County Substance Abuse Court Program is divided into four phases. The phases have been developed as a "Journey". The four phases reflect the stages typically involved in a journey. The first phase is the Mapping Phase, the second phase is the Exposure Phase, the third phase is the Action Phase, and the fourth and final phase is the Arrival Phase. The road map for each phase includes strengths and challenges and short and long-term goals that can be measured in each of the following program areas:

Education/Vocation
Community
Family
Treatment/Well-being

The following descriptions briefly outline the purpose of each phase and the outcomes that are expected and hoped for in each phase.

The Mapping Phase

During the Mapping Phase the MCSAC Case Manager and/or Coordinator will ensure that the following are completed:

Chemical Dependency Evaluation
Needs Inventory
Development of an Exposure Road Map (during the fifth or sixth week)

In Phase I, the Mapping Phase, participants attend court on a bi-weekly schedule. Participants check in with the MCSAC Case Manager once a week.

Any participant who is already engaged in any form of treatment at the beginning of the mapping phase will continue that treatment at least until the exposure road map is completed.

The Mapping Phase is completed when:

The MCSAC participant has completed required treatment assessments and has their first counseling session.
The MCSAC participant has completed an Exposure Road Map that has been approved by the MCSAC Coordinator.

Rewards for finishing this phase include:

Moving to the Exposure Phase.

The Exposure Phase

In Phase II, the Exposure Phase, participants have already begun attending court on a bi-weekly basis. Participants check in with the MCSAC Case Manager according to the preset schedule. The MCSAC Team reviews the road map throughout all phases and makes any necessary changes. Toward the end of the Exposure Phase, the participant will meet with the MCSAC Coordinator to develop a road map for the Action Phase.

The Exposure Phase is completed when:

The MCSAC participant has accomplished at least two-thirds of the Exposure Road Map objectives.
When the Action Road Map has been developed and approved by the MCSAC Coordinator.

Rewards for finishing this phase include:

Moving to the Action Phase and a customized reward

III. The Action Phase

In the Action Phase participants put into action all that they have been exposed to and have learned in the program thus far. In Phase III, the Action Phase, participants attend court bi-weekly. Toward the end of the Action Phase, the participant and/or the parents will meet with the MCSAC Coordinator to develop an Arrival Road Map/Individual Relapse Plan for the Arrival Phase.

The Action Phase is complete when:

The MCSAC participant has had four consecutive weeks of negative tests.
The MCSAC participant has accomplished at least 80% of the Action Road Map objectives.
The MCSAC participant has developed an Arrival Road Map/Relapse Prevention Plan that has been approved by the MCSAC Coordinator.

Rewards for finishing this phase include:

Moving to the Arrival Phase
Customized reward

IV. The Arrival Phase, Part 1

The Arrival Phase of the program begins the transition out of Drug Court.

This phase is based upon the positive changes that the participant has accomplished in the Action Phase. The participant starts to experience life without the structure, demands, and supervision of Drug Court.

Phase IV, the Arrival Phase, is divided into two parts. In the first part, participants attend court every other bi-weekly session, and will check in with the MCSAC Case Manager according to schedule established. To move to the second part of the phase the participant must have negative tests for consecutive business 60 days. The participant and/or his or her parents will follow the Arrival Road Map/Individual Relapse Prevention Plan that they developed at the end of the Action Phase.

The Arrival Phase, Part 2

In the second part of the Arrival Phase, participants attend the bi-weekly court review session once every other month and check in with their MCSAC Case Manager once per calendar month. The participant and/or his or her parents will continue to follow the Arrival Road Map/Individual Relapse Prevention Plan that they developed at the end of the Action Phase.

The Arrival Phase is complete when:

The MCSAC participant has had 10 consecutive weeks of negative tests.
The MCSAC participant has accomplished his or her Arrival road map objectives.
The MCSAC participant has satisfied all financial obligations/payments including ALL fines, restitution, etc.

Program Guidelines

Guidelines

In this section you will find information on the following topics:

Appropriate Dress
Language and Behavior
Court Room behavior
Weapons
Smoking
Punctuality and Advance Notification of Absences

The following program guidelines have been developed and approved by the MCSAC Team. All participants and parents should read through these guidelines carefully.

To avoid un-necessary sanctions and misunderstandings, please ask if you have questions. Many MCSAC treatment partners have their own separate "protocols" or guidelines for behavior that must be followed as well. In the absence of other guidelines, the following guidelines hold true for all programs.

Appropriate Dress:
Participants are expected to dress appropriately for all MCSAC Program activities. Clothing displaying drug or gang symbols, colors, or language is prohibited. Hats are not to be worn in the courthouse.

Language and Behavior:
During all MCSAC activities each participant is expected to refrain from the use of profanity and the glorification of alcohol or drug use. No racist, sexist, homophobic, sexual, violent or other offensive comments will be tolerated. Abusive behavior (in the form of insulting language, physical gestures, aggression, or otherwise offensive behavior) will be sanctioned and may be grounds for expulsion.

Courtroom behavior:
The Drug Court Team expects all drug court participants to show respect and courtesy to all courtroom staff, families in attendance, and other observers. No food or beverages are allowed in the courtroom.

Weapons:
No weapons are allowed at ANY MCSAC activities. If a weapon is found on a participant he or she will be sanctioned and may be expelled immediately from the MCSAC Program.

Smoking:
Smoking is prohibited at all MCSAC functions regardless of participant's age.

Punctuality and Advance Notification of Absences:
Drug court participants are expected to be on time for an activity, twenty-four hours’ notice should be given when possible. All attendance, notification and/or lateness issues will be reported to the court and are subject to sanction.

Drug Testing

In this section you will find information on the following topics:

Frequent and Random
Testing Colors
Confirmation Tests
Testing Rules

Drug testing is an essential aspect of the drug court program. It is, however, only one measure of a participant's progress in the program. Drug tests will be frequent, random, and visually supervised. Various drugs will be tested on a random basis.

Frequent and Random Testing:
MCSAC utilizes observed Urine Analysis (UA) Redi-tests to determine the presence of drugs. In addition, participants are subject to random Breathalyzer Tests. Other forms of testing, such as hair testing, saliva testing, or "The Patch" may be used. Missoula MCSAC also conducts tests to determine the presence of adulterants and/or dilution of the urine sample.

Confirmation Tests:
All positive Redi-tests and an occasional negative test are sent to a certified laboratory for verification of the presence of drugs or adulterants and for calibration of drug levels. The lab chosen at the time of the printing of this booklet is Scientific Laboratory, Inc. in Virginia and this lab is capable of testing any drug in the participant's system including but not limited to: caffeine, nicotine, and all illegal substances.

Testing Rules:

The following seven rules apply to MCSAC drug and alcohol testing:

Participants must sign in and date the appropriate sign-in sheet at each check in. If the participant doesn't sign in, credit for the test will not be given.
Participants must be prepared to produce a urine sample and take a Breathalyzer upon request.
A missed check in will result in a positive UA. No exceptions will be made. If a participant plans to be out of town and is unable to check in with the MCSAC Case Manager, then notice must be given prior (at least 24 hours) approval for the absence and missed check in.
Diluted samples will be considered as positives. If a test shows adulterants, the test is considered positive and subject to review for possible criminal charges.
If a participant's test is positive on the Breathalyzer for the presence of alcohol, law enforcement will be called to perform a confirmation test. If the second test is positive, the participant will be cited for public intoxication or under age consumption. The citation will be sanctioned in the MCSAC Program.
Participants are financially responsible for each Redi-test and Breathalyzer failed.
If a participant informs the staff that he or she will test positive, no Redi-test will be given and the sample will immediately be sent to the Crime Lab for confirmation.

Admitting to drug use before the Redi-test is given saves the participant the cost of the Redi-test or lab confirmation test. And, possibly stiffer sanctions for being positive in the first place, remember honesty is always the best policy.

NOTE: All UA sanctions must be paid before the next bi-weekly review of drug court or if arrangements have been made, prior to a participant graduating from the program.

Sanctions and Rewards

In order to assist you and encourage a participant to maintain compliance with program rules and expectations, a variety of consequences have been recognized by the Court.

The following is a brief list of both sanctions and rewards more commonly associated with the program. However, often times a unique or customized reward, and consequence will be developed and presented to the participant.

Types of Failure to Comply

Failure to maintain contact with the Court, Probation Officer, Case Manager, and your treatment provider
Failure to appear as requested for drug and/or alcohol screenings, frequently referred to as "drug testing" or "urine screens"
Failure to appear for Drug Court or office visits with the MCSAC Case Manager, Probation Officer or designee
Failure to maintain sobriety, to attend and participate within the treatment process, to follow through with all recommendations of the Drug Court Team
Failure to abide by the terms and conditions of supervision (Probation)
New charges being filed against the participant, or the participant pleading guilty to new charges

Types of Sanctions

Increased drug testing
Increased participation in treatment options
Increased Drug Court appearances
Community Service work
Short term incarceration (routinely referred to as �jail sanctions�)
Residential placement recommendations (�Half way house�, CBCF, NCORC)
Community Control (probation) being revoked
Financial sanctions (see detailed listing, separate informational sheet)
Repayment or reimbursement of services provided
Reinstatement of original criminal charges or proceedings
Termination from the MCSAC Program

Book Report
Warning (verbal, written)
3 hours of Community Service (increases 3 hours for each incident)
Letter of Apology
1-hour Study Hall for each absence (up to 4 absences)
Daily Reporting (either by phone, in person or combination)
School Conference
House Arrest
Increase Curfew Detention/incarceration Financial Fines (see listing)
Customized Sanction

Types of Rewards

Less frequent office visits or Drug Court appearances
Less frequent drug screenings
Less AA/NA meeting attendance
Reduction in the terms and condition of community control (probation)
Restoration of lost privileges i.e. re-instate driver’s license, lift or modify curfew, lift or modify house arrest conditions, etc., sealing of juvenile records
Returned custody of child or children (applies to Family Drug Court)
Successful graduation from MCSAC program
Successful termination of community control (probation) could be recommended reducing original sentencing order

These lists of sanctions and rewards represent the actions the Court may employ to gain compliance to assist you in successfully completing the Substance Abuse Court. The Court will not be limited in any way by these examples.

MCSAC Screening/Orientation

All adult referrals will automatically be scheduled for Adult Drug Court on the next available Thursday opposite date than Juvenile Two Drug Court between the hours of 4:00pm and 5:00pm. If the referring party is screened and accepted into the Family Drug Court, you will be scheduled similar to the Adult Drug Court with the exception that your review time is between 5:00pm and 5:30pm with the presiding judge or magistrate.

You will then follow a preset review schedule every other week in conjunction with your weekly office visit meetings with the MCSAC Case Manager.

Treatment Assessments/Follow Up

Upon completing the assessment process, the treatment and/or AOD education provider will notify the MCSAC Coordinator of any and all recommendations for the Court to take under consideration.

Services Provided or Offered

You may be required to participate in a number of educational or treatment-based programs as part of your participation in MCSAC. The following are examples of those programs:

Residential Placement
Provides twenty-four (24) hour alcohol and/or drug free environment usually in the form of a traditional halfway house or a community based correctional facility. This holistic approach is based on your individual needs centered on sobriety, family reintegration, and employment.

The estimated length of this type of placement is further based on your adjustment skills and focus on treatment as well as recommendations from the Drug Court Team with input solicited from the Probation Officer. The minimum length of stay can be estimated at approximately thirty-days (30 consecutive days).

Intensive Outpatient Programming
Provides for an individualized treatment program designed to address substance abuse issues, psycho/social, medical, employment and family issues. This may require the participant to attend a minimum of 18 sessions over several weeks.

You may be required to attend a specified number of 12-step programs or AA/NA meetings in addition to your individual counseling sessions.

The actual length of time spent in this form of programming is entirely dependent upon the Participant’s involvement as well as continued recommendations from the Drug Court Team.

Outpatient Counseling/Relapse Prevention
Provides counseling and relapse prevention services. You may also be required to attend a minimum number of 12-step programs or AA/NA meetings on a weekly basis. This may require the participant to attend a minimum of 18 sessions over several weeks. The fee will be paid directly to the treatment or AOD educational providers, if not covered by Medicaid or other forms of insurance. This is not part of your probation fees of $30.00 per month.

Continuing Care
Provides you with a support network in which you will attend a minimum of one support group session each week, a duration of 1 to 1 1/2 hours should be allotted for this group meeting. You will be required to achieve the following if you had not done so already, as your supervision (probation) becomes less strict or intense, ultimately resulting in successful graduation from MCSAC.

Attend 12-step meetings
Obtain a sponsor for your 12-step program
Obtain employment
Maintain positive interaction with your family, the community, the Courts and complete your probation requirements

Additional Program Requirements

If a licensed physician has prescribed medication to you, all documentation must be presented immediately to the MCSAC Case Manager, Probation Officer or the MCSAC Coordinator.

You are expected to attend all individual and group sessions, all educational sessions, and activities as required by the designated provider. You must arrive on time and are not permitted to leave until the scheduled session is concluded. You are expected to maintain appropriate levels of behavior according to those program rules as established by the provider.

You are required to sign all necessary documentations of confidential waivers, this will ensure positive progress reports can be shared with the Courts, probation department, MCSAC Coordinator, and MCSAC Case Manager when appropriate.

Confidentiality

Due to the sensitive nature of Drug Court it is imperative that the confidentiality of the group be maintained at all times. Generally, this means that you are not to discuss any information with anyone outside the Drug Court setting or that of your treatment or AOD education provider.

Although Drug Court is a quasi-style court proceeding, all visitors to the Drug Court sessions must meet with the MCSAC Coordinator and sign a letter of confidentiality to ensure the protection of all MCSAC participants and their families.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are the Bi-weekly Court reviews mandatory or optional?

A: They are MANDATORY unless you have been given a reward of every other session you are expected to be present and on time.

Q: Am I being charged twice for the $30.00 probation fee?

A: No, as explained earlier, the terms "Probation Fees" and "MCSAC Fees" are the same.

Q: Why do other people on probation only report to their probation officers once a month and drug court participants report weekly to the MCSAC Case Manager?

A: Drug Court is the highest form of "Intense Supervision" Morrow County has and the concept for why someone is being referred into MCSAC dedicates that intensive supervision level at least in the beginning.

Q: Why do I have a "Probation Officer" and a "Case Manager" if I participant in MCSAC?

A: The "Probation Officer" is merely the person originally assigned to your case prior to being accepted into MCSAC, they retain accountability but at the same time are taking a step back as the MCSAC Case Manager assumes the primary responsibilities of ensuring that a participant is compliant and graduates the program. The Case Manager and Probation Officer have the same authority to enforce and uphold the requirements of the Court however the MCSAC Case Manager will have a more "hands on" involvement.

Q: Does my employer and/or family have to know what I am doing?

A: This is probably the hardest of all questions to answer. As a juvenile participant the answer is simple, YES. Your parents and possibly your school principal will be notified as to what program you are involved in, the difference is the school will not be privy to any treatment information just that you have certain Court requirements that need to be met. As an adult participant in MCSAC this question is somewhat more difficult to respond to. As responsible adult you should be able to address this issue with your family and seek their support in your recovery process, as a working adult you may find that some employers are more receptive to the MCSAC concept than you give them credit. As an adult or as a juvenile in most cases, honesty really does make a difference, if you explain ahead of time what MCSAC is and how you are benefiting it will save or the aggravation later when the truth is made know.

Q: Why do I have to provide a drug screen every week?

A: SIMPLE, this is Drug Court therefore someone thought you demonstrated a problem with drugs and/or alcohol at one time otherwise you would not be active in MCSAC. Do not think of this is "they're out to get me" think of it more along the lines of a way for you show your willingness to "kick the habit" and prove you are able to regain control over your life.

Q: If I give a drug screen on Monday during office visits, will I be asked to provide another one during my bi-weekly Court review?

A: More than likely, and in fact you could be in a position to provide a drug screen any time you come into contact with the Probation Officer and/or Case Manager.

Q: If my treatment provider is requiring me to attend AA or NA, will MCSAC have me attend even more AA or NA meetings?

A: No, MCSAC will count your treatment providers AA or NA meetings as meeting the program's requirement to attend those types of meetings. However, if AA or NA is not a part of an active treatment plan, you may be required to attend meetings.