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Parenting In Recovery

Our Program

Participants’ average length of participation in FDTC: PIR is 12-18 months, during which time they engage in programs, services, and activities that challenge, encourage, and help guide them to recovery from substance dependence, maintain or regain custody of their children, and improve quality of life for themselves, their children, and their families.

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FDTC: PIR, in collaboration with its community partners, offers the following supports and services for participants and their families:

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  • Inpatient & outpatient substance abuse treatment

  • Psychiatric & psychological evaluation & care

  • Individual, child & family counselling

  • Collaborative case management with program partners

  • One-on-one parenting skills training

  • One-on-one recovery skills training

  • Supportive transitional & permanent housing

  • Child-care assistance

  • Mental health services

  • Medical, dental, eye care, & pharmacy services

  • Educational & employment support

  • Social, emotional, & developmental assessment of, and treatment for, children of all ages

  • Comprehensive treatment plan to meet all medical, developmental, educational, and psychological needs of the children

  • Specialized services for children Concrete services for children such as limited assistance to purchase furniture, diapers, formula, and other household needs

 

FDTC: PIR participants are held accountable throughout the program through the use of frequent judicial supervision in the form of weekly drug court hearings. Accountability and the ongoing relationship with the Judge is an integral part of the program. The Judicial Leadership for the FDTC: PIR includes the Honorable Aurora Martinez Jones, 126th State District Court Judge and assigned Presiding Judge, Leigh Mathews Rodriguez, Associate Court Judge.

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The FDTC: PIR program consists of Four Phases, designed to last a total of approximately 12-18 months. Parents who agree to participate in the FDTC: PIR program may advance through the phases based on phase advancement criteria and written requests to move to the next phase. A parent must have successfully completed all four phases prior to commencement from the FDTC: PIR program.

Our Participants

FDTC: PIR participants are Travis County residents who have been identified by the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services, Child Protective Services (CPS) as exhibiting symptoms of substance use disorders that impact the care and well-being of their young children.

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Initially, participants enter residential substance abuse treatment—typically with one child under the age of six. Potential participants then observe and ultimately join the FDTC: PIR program after they have consulted with a court appointed attorney.

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Eligibility for FDTC: PIR starts with the nature of the CPS referral, which may occur under any of the following three basic admission criteria:

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  • A mother gives birth to a baby who tests positive for drugs.

  • A mother is pregnant and tests positive for drugs and has at least one child under age five in the home.

  • A parent is using drugs and has at least one child under age five in the home.

 

Eligible participants must also meet the following conditions:

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  • Parent presents with a substance use disorder.

  • Parent is not in acute distress due to a mental health diagnosis such that it would preclude him/her from actively participating in substance abuse treatment. Program does serve participants with mental health diagnosis in addition to substance use disorder.

  • The residence and caretaking plan of the children fit into one or more of the following categories:

  • Children are with mother and will accompany her into treatment.

  • Children are with relatives or fictive kin in Travis or a contiguous county.

  • Parent demonstrates his/her willingness to participate in FDTC: PIR by entering substance abuse treatment and enrolling in FDTC: PIR.

 

Additional Legal Factors:

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In order for a parent to be considered for the Family Drug Treatment Court (FDTC: PIR) program, the parent must be the respondent of a civil suit filed by the District Attorney’s Office representing the Department of Family and Protective Services (Child Protective Services). Parents must also be part of a Court Ordered Services case (where the Department seeks only for the Court to order the parent(s) to comply with requested Court orders). Cases that are filed initially as Temporary Managing Conservatorship cases (where the Department seeks custody of the subject child(ren)) are not eligible for FDTC: PIR participation.

Our Structure

The Family Drug Treatment Court (FDTC: PIR) structure includes professionals and community supports to oversee and collaborate for the benefit of the program. We have a regularly updated Charter and are governed by the following groups:

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Operations Committee: This Committee oversees the operations and procedures of FDTC: PIR through:

  • FDTC: PIR Staff Meeting, held prior to each FDTC: PIR docket to review participant compliance with court orders and make recommendations for the hearing on sanctions, dismissals, phase advancement and graduation.

  • Family Drug Treatment Court: Parenting In Recovery Docket Review, held weekly[1] to assess each participant’s progress in FDTC: PIR.

  • Subcommittee of Operations Committee– Case Management Team Meeting, held bi-monthly to collaborate on FDTC: PIR participant service planning. The Case Management Team (CMT) is comprised of members designated by the Operations Committee.

  • Operations Meeting, held monthly to review, discuss, and adjust the implementation of FDTC:PIR procedures. Additional duties of this meeting are to: 1) Review, amend, and approve documents, suggestions and references from the Management Team; 2) submit policy recommendations to the FDTC: PIR Advisory Committee; 3) refer issues to the Advisory Committee for resolution when there is an absence of consensus on the Operations Committee 4) when deemed necessary by the Operations Committee create and dissolve subcommittees The Presiding Judge and Drug Court Coordinator will facilitate Operations meetings.

 

[1] FDTC: PIR is held weekly except on holidays and settlement week.

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Advisory Committee: This Committee responsible for the oversight and sustainability of the program.  The Committee will:

  • Approve FDTC: PIR policies

  • Oversee sustainability efforts

  • Monitor achievement of long-term goals

  • Ensure an evaluation component

  • Create and dissolve subcommittees

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Administrative Team: This team is responsible for reviewing and vetting issues that impact the functioning of the drug court and providing potential solutions to the Operations Committee and/or Advisory Committee for review and approval.

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FDTC: PIR will take on very specific work to improve the program and Workgroups are created to move this work forward. The current Workgroups include:

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Equity Workgroup

Access to Treatment Workgroup

Infrastructure Planning Workgroup

Have Questions?

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about our program.

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