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VTACLake County Specialty Courts

Honorable John T. PhillipsChief Judge

VTACThree Specialized Problem 

Solving Courts

DrugCourt– 2005

MentalHealthCourt– 2007

VeteransTreatmentandAssistanceCourt‐ 2011

VTACDrugCourt

Mission:Breakthecycleofaddiction,breakthecycleofcrime.

TargetPopulation:HighRisk/HighNeed,substanceuse(orco‐occurring)disordered

felonyoffenders.Weareaprisondiversionprogram.

Team: Judge,Probation,State’sAttorney,PublicDefender,Bridgehouse,

Haymarket,JailOfficials,Nicasa andLCHD. Meetsweeklytodiscussclientsappearingincourt. Staffincomingcases.

Court: EvidenceshowsinteractionwithJudgehaspositiveimpacton

reducingrecidivism. Frequencyofappearancesaredeterminedbyphase.

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VTACDrugCourt

Treatment:Systemofstep‐downs:

• Residential• HalfwayHouse• SoberLivingEnvironments(Oxfordhouse)• IndependentLiving

AncillaryTreatmentServices Recoverycoachesthroughout Supportgroupsthroughout Mentalhealthcasemanagement(ifneeded) Cog IOP DBT SeekingSafety Individual/Familytherapy Andmore……

VTACDrugCourt

Supervision: Levelofsupervisionisdeterminedbyphaseorasneededandis

tapereddownwithprogress. Phaseoneistreatmentphase. Phasetwo:report3x/weekandatleastonerandomhomevisit

perweeklysurveillanceunit. Phasethree:report2x/weekandweeklyrandomhomevisit. Phasefour:report1x/weekandweeklyrandomhomevisit.

Drug/AlcoholTesting: Doneateverycontactwithprobationpersonnel. Phase2 =4x/week, Phase3=3x/week, Phase4=2x/week.

VTACMentalHealthCourt

Mission:Stabilizementalillnessthatiscontributingtocriminaljusticesysteminvolvement

TargetPopulation:MentallyilldefendantswhoseAxis1mentalillnesshasanexustothelawviolatingbehavior.Canbelow,moderateorhighriskdefendants.

Team:Judge,Probation,State’sAttorney,PublicDefender,LCHD,JailOfficials

Court:HeldweeklyMondaymorningsc‐221at9:00AM

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VTACMentalHealthCourt

TwoTypesofDispositions:

Post‐pleaconviction Highrisk(criminogenic need)offendersusuallywithpriors. Serioustypeoffense.

Pre‐pleabondconditions Lowrisk(criminogenic need)offenders. Iftermofsupervisionissuccessfulthencaseisnolle‐prossed.

VTACMentalHealthCourt

Treatment: Casemanagementasneeded.SometimesACT. Residentialco‐occurringdisorderedintegratedtreatment(if

needed). Substanceusedisordertreatmentasneeded. PsychiatricservicesthroughLCHDorprivate. Individual/familytherapy. DBT Cog Recoverycoaches Andmore…..

VTACMentalHealthCourt

Supervision Casebycaseandaccordingtorisklevel.

Reportingcanbeashighas3x/weekoraslowasoncepermonth.Highriskclientsareautomaticallyreferredtosurveillanceunitforrandomhomevisits.

Drug/alcoholtestingisdoneoftenonco‐occurringclients,atleastonceperweekinthefieldorintheoffice.

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VTACLake County Veteran Treatment and Assistance Court (VTAC)

Mission:Toenhancepublicsafetybyprovidingcommunitysupervision,assistanceandtreatmentservicestojusticeinvolvedveterans.

TargetPopulation: AnyJusticeInvolvedVeteranwithanHonorableDischargeor… GeneralDischargeaftercompletionofbootcampor.. ServiceRelatedDisabilityor… ActiveDuty Anyriskleveliseligible.

VTACLake County Veteran Treatment and Assistance Court (VTAC)

Team:Judge,Probation,VJO,State’sAttorney,PublicDefender,LakeCountyVeteranAssistanceCommission(VAC),NICASA,GreatLakesFleetandFamilyServices,JailOfficials,WaukeganPolice,LakeandMcHenryVeteranandFamilyServices

Court: HeldweeklyonFridaymorningsat9:00AM Courtroomc‐220

VTACLake County Veteran Treatment and Assistance Court (VTAC)

TwoTypesofDispositions:

Post‐pleaconviction Highrisk(criminogenic need)offendersusuallywithpriors. Serioustypeoffense.

Pre‐pleabondconditions Lowrisk(criminogenic need)offenders. Iftermofsupervisionissuccessfulthencaseisnolle‐prossed.

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VTACLake County Veteran Treatment and Assistance Court (VTAC)

Treatment: VA(CaptainJamesA.LovellFederalHealthCareCenter)

providesmanytypesoftreatmentandprogramming: Inpatient/outpatientpsychiatric Medical/dental Detoxandinpatient/outpatientsubstanceusetreatment Casemanagement Housingassistance DBT Vocationaltraining Jobplacement Andmore…..

VTACLake County Veteran Treatment and Assistance Court (VTAC)

SupervisionCase by case and according to risk level.

Reporting can be as high as 3x/week or as low as once per month. High risk clients are automatically referred to surveillance unit for random home visits.

Drug/alcohol testing is done often on co-occurring clients, at least once per week in the field or in the office.