The Honorable Roger Heideman of Lancaster County, Nebraska, was one of the featured panel presenters at the National Association for Drug Court Professionals' (NADCP)  Annual Training Conference held July 9-12, 2017, in Washington DC. The workshop session was entitled “Judicial Innovations Using a Mandatory Approach to Serve Families In and Outside of Family Drug Court” and included the Honorable William Owens from Wapello County, Iowa, and Phil Breitenbucher, MSW, Director of Family Drug Court Programs at the Center for Children and Family Futures. Judge Heideman highlighted the unique approach of the Lancaster County Family Treatment Court which moved from voluntary to mandatory participation to ensure that more families receive the level of support and intervention provided through the FDC model.  The inherent challenges of engagement and the importance of judicial leadership, and collaborative team approach to ensure procedural justice for participants, were also highlighted. 

This presentation was part of the Children and Families Program at the NADCP Conference, which delivered over a dozen workshop presentations specifically designed to support the National Strategic Plan for Family Drug Courts which was released in March 2017.  The Strategic Plan was developed by the Center for Children and Family Futures (CFF) with the support of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The plan outlines a coordinated national strategy to enhance and expand FDCs to reach more children and families.  To download a copy of the National Strategic Plan for Family Drug Courts, click here: http://www.cffutures.org/files/FDC_StrategicPlan_V1R1.pdf