Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders in Drug Court Programs

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Nov 29, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.57179/drugcourtreview.vi.6
Keywords:
Drug Court Treatment (DCT), mental health, substance use, co-occurring disorders

Main Article Content

Alexis Humenik
Center for Behavioral Medicine
Sara Dolan
Baylor University

Abstract

Drug Court Treatment (DCT) programs are specialty treatment courts that aim to provide effective treatment for substance use in lieu of incarceration. DCT programs have been consistently linked to positive outcomes such as decreased recidivism, substance use, and cost to the community. Due to the growing number of participants presenting with co-occurring psychiatric disorders (CODs), DCT programs have been tasked with integrating effective treatment into traditional DCT models. The present commentary provides a summary of previous research regarding the prevalence of CODs in DCT programs, how DCT programs have addressed treatment of CODs and available outcomes, and recommendations for future research with this population. Overall, evidence exists to suggest DCT programs are especially suited for treating mental health symptoms in addition to substance use.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Humenik, A., & Dolan, S. (2022). Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders in Drug Court Programs. Drug Court Review, 3–11. https://doi.org/10.57179/drugcourtreview.vi.6
Issue
Fall 2022: Equity and Inclusion
Section
Expert Commentary
Author Biographies

Alexis Humenik, Center for Behavioral Medicine

Alexis Humenik, Psy.D., is a Forensic Psychology Postdoctoral Resident at the Center for Behavioral Medicine. She completed her doctorate in clinical psychology from Baylor University, and her clinical internship with an emphasis in forensic assessment and treatment at the Center for Behavioral Medicine. Her research and clinical work have primarily focused on assessment and treatment of justice-involved populations.

Sara Dolan, Baylor University

Sara L. Dolan, Ph.D., is a Professor of psychology and neuroscience and the Associate Dean for Research at Baylor University. She completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Iowa, her clinical internship in the Division of Substance Abuse at Yale University, and her postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. Her research primarily focuses on neurocognitive function in substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). She has been working with the McLennan County DWI/Drug Court since 2009.