HCJC Family Dependency Docket Receives Ohio Supreme Court Certification
Hamilton County Juvenile Court (HCJC) has received final certification of its Family Dependency Treatment Docket from the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Specialized Dockets. HCJC is committed to providing high-quality, supportive services through our specialized dockets.
The Family Dependency Treatment Docket is designed to help keep families together. Children whose parents cannot care for them because of substance abuse issues often end up with a dependency case in Juvenile Court. This docket directly assists parents and guardians to obtain and maintain sobriety, giving them support they need to adequately care for their children. It avoids ineffective treatment, ill-informed court decision-making, and repetitive litigation that impede reunification of the family.
There are currently four active participants and two pending admissions on the HCJC Family Dependency Treatment Docket.
To receive Ohio Supreme Court certification, a local court submits a detailed application, undergoes a visit and report on its practices, and provides specific program materials in response to certification standards that went into effect in January 2014.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy congratulated Administrative Judge Kari Bloom and HCJC for meeting the standards required for final certification.
“Specialized dockets offer an alternative to incarceration, and reflect a community’s belief in second chances,” said Chief Justice Kennedy. “They focus on people who are willing to work to overcome the personal challenges that led to their involvement in the justice system. The court and community partners work together to supervise treatment, training, and support, providing local solutions to local problems under leadership of the local court.”
Courts with specialized dockets address specific treatment needs of people who are charged with a variety of offenses using recommended best-practices that focus on offender accountability, behavior change and recovery. There are 258 certified dockets in Ohio courts with expertise in areas including Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Veterans Issues.
The certification standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio and allow local courts to innovate and tailor programs to meet their community’s needs and resources.
In addition to the Family Dependency Treatment docket, HCJC has several other special dockets: Behavioral Health, Truancy, Traffic, Safe Harbor, and Youth Court.
“We are thrilled and grateful for this certification for our Family Dependency docket,” said Judge Bloom. “It will allow us to address issues and get kids and families on the right track, before small issues turn into bigger issues that could have been prevented. We’re excited to offer this opportunity to more Hamilton County families.”
The certification requirements include establishing eligibility requirements, evaluating effectiveness of the specialized docket, and assembling a treatment team to implement daily operations of the specialized docket. The team is headed by the specialized docket magistrate and includes assigned child welfare workers, a Guardian ad Litem, client attorneys, and court personnel.
The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members to advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the 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.