Achieving timely reunification of children with their families in a safe and healthy environment will be prioritized through a recent grant awarded to the Lancaster County Family Treatment Court. The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded funding to the Court for a dedicated coordinator and services through a three-year grant of just over $860,000.

Directed by Separate Juvenile Court Judge Roger Heideman, the Family Drug Treatment Court handles selected abuse, neglect, and dependency cases where parental substance abuse is a primary factor.

In addition to a coordinator, the grant funds will be used to provide culturally specific peer-support specialists through a partnership with Lincoln’s Malone Community Center. Participants will also be eligible for targeted treatment and supportive housing.

“The receipt of this grant funding comes at a crucial time for our treatment court,” noted Heideman. “We want to ensure our program has the ability to engage parents early with culturally competent peer supports, housing, and supportive services to reunify the family in a safe and timely fashion.  The grant will additionally provide funding for a dedicated coordinator position which is a crucial part that has been missing from the multidisciplinary team.”

The development of the program has three main goals: (1) Provide substance-abusing parents with support, treatment, and access to services to protect children; (2) Increase the rate of re-unification for children, where appropriate; and (3) expedite permanency for children in the program.

Through Family Treatment Courts, judges, attorneys, child protection services, and treatment personnel unite with the goal of providing safe, nurturing, and permanent homes for children while simultaneously providing parents the necessary assistance to become drug and alcohol-abstinent. Family Drug Treatment Courts aid parents in regaining control of their lives and promote long-term stabilized recovery.