The Coshocton County Juvenile Court has operated two specialized dockets, the Family Dependency Treatment Court from 2014-present and the Juvenile Drug Court, 2002-2021 – both formed with technical assistance from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Specialized Dockets, The National Drug Court Training Initiatives and a team of state and local officials. Both programs met state certification standards and received recognition as model programs of this nature for this region of the state.
In order to receive the certification, the local court was required to submit an application, undergo a site visit, and provide specific program materials in response to certification standards that went in to effect in January 2014.
Specialized dockets are courts dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders and use a combination of different techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. There are more than 150 specialized dockets in Ohio.
By earning this certification the Juvenile Court is following evidence-based practices to ensure the citizens of Coshocton County are provided with nationally recognized practices in the treatment of addiction. The Drug Court Programs work in partnership with the Coshocton County Department of Job & Family Services, Coshocton Behavioral Health Choices, Allwell Behavioral Health Services and various other community organizations and agencies to effectively provide treatment and rehabilitation to participants.
The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members who advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the promotion of statewide rules and uniform standards concerning specialized dockets in Ohio courts; the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts; and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel. The commission makes all decisions regarding final certification.
The Family Dependency Court was chosen as one of 6 Courts in Ohio as a Phase I Pilot Site in the Statewide System Improvement Program (formerly Statewide System Reform Program), which focuses on implementation and testing of best practices in collaboration with child welfare. This project is funded in part by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in partnership with the Supreme Court of Ohio.