New studies on improving outcomes in Juvenile Treatment Courts will be presented at the 2023 CACC Conference by national experts from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ).
Dr. Martha-Elin Blomquist
Senior Manager for the Juvenile Law Programs at
the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Dr. Martha-Elin Blomquist is a Senior Site Manager for the Juvenile Law Programs at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). She has more than a decade of experience in site management work with the NCJFCJ and over 35 years of experience related to child welfare, juvenile justice, and court systems. Dr. Blomquist provides training and technical assistance to juvenile drug treatment courts to assist them with implementing recommended practice. As the NCJFCJ’s liaison with the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), Dr. Blomquist works with members of the AECF Juvenile Justice Strategy Group to involve judges in collaboration with state juvenile correctional administrators, probation departments, and community-based organizations to promote therapeutic interventions, adolescent-appropriate services, and community connections for youths involved in serious delinquency.
Dr. Blomquist holds a master’s and Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy from the University of California Berkeley School of Law where she specialized in juvenile and criminal justice studies and research.
Good News on the Effectiveness of JDTCs: Findings from the JDTC Guidelines Study
This session provides an overview of the recently completely multi-site study of juvenile drug treatment courts (JDTCs) that implement the recommended practices set forth in the JDTC Guidelines. The speaker will review the study's key findings on the impact of JDTCs, particularly with high-risk high-need youth with substance use disorders (SUD). Compared to traditional juvenile courts (TJCs), JDTCs are more effective in reducing substance use – especially cannabis - reducing recidivism, increasing access to behavioral health services, and reducing self-reported mental health symptoms. The speaker will also address opportunities - that the research findings suggest – for JDTCs to increase youth access to and engagement in behavioral health services.
Aligning the Stars: Using Individualized Case Planning to Promote JDTC Participant Success
This workshop introduces participants to tools - risk need assessments - and processes -case planning and family engagement -for JDTC teams to work with to maximize youth engagement and success. The speaker will review criminogenic risk and need assessments and the risk/needs/responsivity model (RNR) as tools to effectively identify youth who will benefit the most from participation in a JDTC. The tools pinpoint youth mindsets and behaviors that JDTCs are uniquely designed to address and treat. Key to implementing the RNR model is creating individualized case plans that include SMART goals that youth and family members help to set and work toward achieving in the JDTC. The speaker will also identify aspects of a youth’s supervision in the JDTC – probation conditions, JDTC program phases and requirements – that also need to be aligned with and connected to the youth’s case plan and goals in order to maximize youth success.
