The funds will be used to support the start of the Williamson County Family Recovery Court, a program created as an alternative to the traditional processing of Child Protective Services cases involving abuse or neglect caused by parents suffering from substance abuse disorders and any other co-occurring disorders, the release said.
The initiative came together following a statistic that found from 2014-18, there were 882 Williamson County CPS cases that resulted in the removal of a child from their home.
“Williamson County is a community committed to strong families. The Family Recovery Court is a coalition designed to support our families when they find themselves in crisis. We are proud to add the Texas Bar Foundation—with its rich legacy—to our efforts,” 395th District Court Judge Ryan Larson said in the release.
Once launched, the Family Recovery Court will utilize a multidisciplinary team, which will include the presiding judge, Texas Department of Family Protective Services, prosecutors, attorneys, the guardian, case managers, treatment providers and existing community resources, all working together for the livelihood of the child or children involved and for the success of the family as a whole, the release said.
The parent or parents will be enrolled into the program with the goal of completing specific tasks, such as showing the ability to demonstrate continuous level of abstinence from drugs and alcohol for a sustainable long-term recovery, satisfaction of treatment and safety concerns and proof of establishment of a healthy household for their children, it said.
Incentives and graduated sanctions will be used to reinforce positive behavior and hold parents and primary caregivers accountable during their participation in the program; the idea is to mend and create healthy home environments and bring families together where a removal of the child has already occurred, the release said.
Through this model, the Family Recovery Court aims to increase the rate of return of children to the family and to help reduce the possibility of parents reentering the CPS system due to failure of compliance, the release said.
During the May 5 Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting, the county commissioners unanimously approved accepting the grant to support the Williamson County Family Recovery Court, which will be launched by Judge Larson on June 1, the release said.
