Ongoing collaboration between the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board, Clermont County Municipal Court, and the Clermont Recovery Center resulted in a partnership to enhance the services provided to participants of the DUI Court and to submit a grant application to The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati for funding. The $341,000 grant was awarded in September 2008 to the Board and the program will be implemented in January 2009, with funding provided until June 2011. This grant is the 12th grant received by the Mental Health and Recovery Board from The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati since 1999.

The DUI Court grant program will expedite the process of referral from the Court to services through additional and timelier assessments, improve the quality of treatment by focusing on cognitive behavioral interventions for offenders in a dedicated treatment group, offer intensive case management services, involve family members in treatment and recovery, and strengthen communication and collaboration between the court and treatment agency. Through the grant, the Clermont Recovery Center will be able to hire an assessment counselor, a family therapist, and a case manager. Assessment services will be provided at Municipal Court, eliminating many barriers such as transportation and missed appointments. An evaluation component required by the grant will be monitoring the outcomes of the new program and its viability for the future.

The DUI Court began in 2005 as a three-year pilot program funded by the Ohio Department of Public Safety in cooperation with the Supreme Court of Ohio, Specialized Docket Section, and the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. DUI Court is a voluntary program that allows offenders to work toward reducing their jail sentence. The opportunity for the offender to change his/her behavior is afforded through regular appearances before the judiciary, close supervision and case management services by probation officers, coordinated treatment, mandatory periodic alcohol and drug testing, and the use of incentives, graduated sanctions, and other rehabilitative services.

Municipal Court Judge James A. Shriver is the presiding judge for the DUI Court. Judge Shriver was honored last year both by the Clermont County Mental Health Board and by MADD for his commitment to the establishment and continued development of the DUI Court. According to Judge Shriver, “DUI Court is changing the lives of individuals. The formation of a family treatment group through the Health Foundation Grant will help to further establish an additional foundation of stability and sobriety for both DUI Court participants and their family members. The emphasis on family involvement in the substance abuse treatment process provides a holistic approach to the disease of addiction.” This sentiment was echoed by Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Karen Scherra, who stated that “the ongoing partnership between the Court and the treatment system provides opportunities for those with alcohol and drug problems to achieve recovery and improve their family, employment and community relationships.”