Kane County Plans for New Specialty Court for Families
Kane County is moving forward with plans to establish a Family Treatment Court following the award of a $126,500 Court Improvement Program grant from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.
Kane County has operated specialty courts for approximately 25 years and currently has four programs: Drug Rehabilitation Court, Veterans Court, DUI Treatment Court and Mental Health Court. These courts use treatment, supervision and rehabilitation as alternatives to traditional court processes.
The Family Treatment Court will expand that approach to families facing challenges involving substance use, child abuse or neglect, domestic instability and other circumstances that can place children at risk of removal from their homes. To be eligible for the program, families must have an abuse or neglect case filed in Kane County, with a substance use disorder identified as a primary concern contributing to the family's involvement with the court.
The program will bring together the court, child welfare agencies, treatment providers, attorneys and community organizations to address the needs of parents and children as a family unit. The goal is to address underlying issues contributing to court involvement while supporting parental stability, accountability, treatment and, when appropriate, safe family reunification.
Associate Judge M. Lark Cowart will oversee the new court.
“Treatment courts have been proven effective, and we have an opportunity to bring that model to Kane County families struggling with substance use," said Judge Cowart. “Our goal is to provide an evidence-based program that addresses substance use while supporting parents in safely caring for their children as they engage in treatment."
Grant funds will support personnel, coordination, treatment and supportive services, participant monitoring, program administration and other operational needs.
Lindsey Liddicoatt has been selected to coordinate the new court. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor with 15 years of experience in the criminal justice, mental health and substance use treatment fields.
The Family Treatment Court is intended to build on Kane County's longstanding use of collaborative, treatment-focused approaches while improving outcomes for children and families involved in the court system.
For more information about Kane County's specialty courts, visit http://courtservices.countyofkane.org/Pages/Specialty-Courts.aspx
