Subject:
Title
Renewal of the Interlocal Agreement for Administration of the Pinellas County Drug Court Funding with the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court.
label
Recommended Action:Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the Renewal of the Interlocal Agreement with the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court for administration of the Pinellas County Drug Court Funding.
• The interlocal agreement continues the administration of the Board of County Commissioners’ substance abuse treatment funding.
• The Sixth Judicial Circuit oversees the funding amount to provide treatment services for participants in Adult Drug Court, Dependency Court and the Juvenile Diversion program.
• The Pinellas County Adult Drug Court is a critical comprehensive substance abuse treatment program for eligible non-violent defendants. In 2019 1,155 participants were treated with 466 new admissions throughout the year.
• Renewal of this interlocal agreement will begin October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2023 for the Pinellas County Drug Court and replaces the previous Fiscal Year 2017-2020 agreement.
• This interlocal agreement outlines the partnership responsibilities between the County and the Courts in support of Drug Court operations. This agreement has no direct fiscal impact.Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to ensure a safe and secure community.
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener and purchaser of services for those in need.
Summary:
Renewal of the Interlocal agreement with the Sixth Judicial Circuit continues the administration of the Board of County Commissioners’ substance abuse treatment funding. The agreement provides a structural understanding of responsibilities to facilitate substance abuse treatment for defendants in the Sixth Judicial Circuit’s Adult Drug Court, Juvenile and Dependency Court and Juvenile Diversion Programs.
Background/Explanation:
Pinellas County Drug Court operates in accordance with Chapter 65D-30, Florida Administrative Code, known as the Substance Abuse Standards. Adult Drug Court is an eighteen (18) to twenty-four (24) month, court supervised, comprehensive treatment program for non-violent felony offenders. The program is voluntary and requires regular court appearances before a drug court judge. Treatment includes a residential program, outpatient services with group counseling and assessments. Drug Court exists to provide participants the opportunity to avoid a jail sentence and to become productive, drug-free members of the community. For Fiscal Year 2019, Drug Court treated approximately 1,155 participants with 466 new admissions during the year. In 2019 Drug Court graduated 290 (58.59 percent of all exits) and graduates spent an average of 564 days enrolled in Drug Court.
The County maintains additional agreements with service providers for delivery of substance abuse services leveraged by the Courts. Pinellas County supports Drug Court with $715,000 for Division N Adult and Youth Drug Court through service agreements. The County also supports grant administration to aid in expanding substance abuse services available to the Courts.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no direct fiscal impact related to the execution of this interlocal agreement.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this agreement is granted under Code Section 2-62 (a)(1) and 2-62 (a)(4).
Staff Member Responsible:
Daisy Rodriguez, Director, Human Services.
Partners:
Sixth Judicial Circuit Court
State Attorney
Public Defender
Curaparr Corporation d/b/a Center for Rational Living
Wayne A. Grosnick & Associates, PA d/b/a Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Consultants
Westcare Florida-Gulfcoast, Inc.
Attachments:
Interlocal Agreement with the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court.