Thursday, December 26, 2024
12/26/2024
The Forest County Community Wellness Court (Wellness Court) was established in 2014 through a partnership between the Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCPC) and the Forest County Circuit Court to address drug-related recidivism. This effort yielded an alternative treatment program to incarceration or other punitive measures. With a solid foundation in place, the Wellness Court now proposes its Forest County Community Wellness Court Enhancement Project. Forest County residents or FCPC Tribal members who are at least 18 years of age, have a diagnosis of substance use disorder, and are eligible to receive services under the jurisdiction of the Wellness Court are the focus population for this project. The enhancement effort will serve at least 15 clients annually and 75 clients over the life of the project with expanded screening, use of evidence-based practices, wrap-around services, and community outreach and collaboration to support client success. A project of this scope has multiple objectives. First, the Wellness Court must address the gap in services between those eligible for Wellness Court programming and those enrolled. The recent pandemic created a delay in court hearings and enrollment proceedings, thus stalling the number of clients able to be served. As court hearings were restored, the Wellness Court has been working diligently to increase its enrollment to eligible participants. As such, the Wellness Court will increase its enrollment to at least 15 unduplicated clients in each year of the five-year project period. Enrolling clients will lead to the second objective: utilizing evidence-based practices (EBPs) for services and treatment for clients. The individualized plans of clients will determine which EBP is best suited for the participant, but the EBPs may include Healing Journey, Seeking Safety, and medication-assisted treatment, along with wrap-around recovery services and the assistance of a Recovery Coach. Finally, the Wellness Court understands that closing the gap in services and increasing enrollment will be supported by increasing a deeper understanding of its program. Therefore, a third objective for the project is to conduct at least one (1) form of outreach, education, or interactive event with an FCPC department, county agency, or the community, to highlight and promote Wellness Court services. Improving its program through increased enrollment, use of EBPs, and expanded community outreach will assist the Wellness Court in realizing its goal of reducing the number of AODA incidents and drug-related recidivism in Forest County and the Forest County Potawatomi Community.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).