$26 Million for Expanding Treatment in Juvenile Drug Courts

Up to 27 grants will be awarded this year to expand treatment capacity in juvenile treatment drug courts, according to a new announcement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

A total of $26 million in grants of up to $325,000 per year (for a maximum of three years) will be awarded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

“The purpose of this program is to expand and enhance substance abuse treatment services in “problem solving” courts which use the juvenile drug court model in order to provide alcohol and drug treatment, recovery support services and program coordination to juvenile defendants/defenders,” according to SAMHSA. “Problem-solving courts are used as an alternative to incarceration; they quickly identify substance-abusing offenders and place them under strict court monitoring and community supervision as well as provide the participant with effective treatment services.”

Existing juvenile drug courts with proven relationships with local treatment providers may apply. Deadline is Feb. 23, 2010.

For more details, see the full grant announcement online.