The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) published the Enhanced Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practices in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases (Enhanced Resource Guidelines) to provide guidance to judges on all stages of the child abuse and neglect hearing court process. The guidelines focus on nine key principles that serve as the blueprint for the NCJFCJ to provide training and technical assistance to judges presiding over child abuse and neglect cases in courts across the country.
Noticeably absent is a key principle that specifically addresses substance use or how to work with families impacted by substance misuse and addiction. To understand how child and family court judges are currently serving families affected by alcohol and other drugs misuse, the NCJFCJ surveyed the field regarding current practices used to support families where substance use is a major factor in their child welfare cases. The information garnered through the survey will inform a companion guide to the Enhanced Resource Guidelines that will focus on recommended practices that should be implemented to meet the needs of families involved in the child welfare system due to a substance use disorder.
This technical assistance bulletin is a publication of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). The NCJFCJ wishes to acknowledge that this material is made possible by 2018-CT-FX-K001 awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice or the NCJFCJ.