Foundations in Drug Treatment Courts

2024 National DTC Conference: Plenary V – Maximizing Therapeutic Benefits of Drug Testing

This session will explore how drug tests can be effectively used as a therapeutic tool in Drug Treatment Courts. Discover how drug testing can support recovery, monitor progress, and enhance treatment outcomes while promoting a more supportive and accountable environment for participants.

The 2024 National DTC Conference Plenary V will delve into the debate over whether urine drug tests (UDTs) should be observed or unobserved (indirectly observed). This session will explore the balance between the need for court monitoring and adhering to clinical best practices in addiction treatment. Observed drug tests can ensure accuracy and accountability but may also impact the therapeutic relationship and trauma-informed care principles. Understanding the implications of each approach will help tailor drug testing protocols that support recovery while maintaining dignity and respect for participants.

Valerie Corcoran, MA, TITC, the Provincial Manager for Drug Treatment Courts in Newfoundland and Labrador, will bring her extensive experience to the discussion. Val is responsible for expanding DTCs to Central and Western Newfoundland and Labrador and oversees the St. John’s DTC. With a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and a certification in Clinical Traumatology, she has dedicated her career to criminal justice and addiction treatment. In her spare time, she enjoys designing and creating rug hooking pieces for family and friends.

Kara Pinksen, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW, serves as the Addictions Specialist for the St. John’s DTC, focusing on intensive treatment, intervention, and drug screening. With a background in addictions and mental health since 2004, Kara brings valuable insights into the practical aspects of drug testing in a treatment setting. She also runs a private practice and enjoys binge-watching "RuPaul’s Drag Race" with her senior dog, Lucy, during her downtime.

2024 National DTC Conference: Plenary IV –Selecting & Integrating High-Risk Participants for Success

This session will focus on effective strategies for selecting and integrating higher-risk individuals into Drug Treatment Courts. Learn about the key criteria for identifying suitable participants, the challenges of managing high-risk cases, and how to optimize integration for improved outcomes. Discover best practices to ensure these individuals receive the necessary support and supervision for successful rehabilitation and long-term recovery.

At the 2024 National DTC Conference, Plenary IV, titled "Selecting & Integrating High-Risk Participants for Success," will address the complexities of screening, assessing, and integrating clients with violent charges into Drug Treatment Courts.

This session will explore how recent changes, such as updates from the Federal Crowns desk and the rise of overdose crises, impact these processes. It will examine the challenges of incorporating newer treatment options—like safe supply, Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment, and medical cannabis—into traditionally abstinence-based program models.

Joan Schmidt from the Public Prosecution Service, Drug Treatment Court of Winnipeg, and Jayce Allen from the Public Prosecution Service, Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver, will share their expertise on adapting program models to better support high-acuity substance users at risk of overdose.

2024 National DTC Conference: Plenary IV(A) – Early Psychosis Intervention: Insights & Legal Views

This session will explore the critical aspects of early psychosis intervention, identifying who is most at risk, understanding diverse viewpoints on intervention strategies, and navigating the complexities of Form 2.

Learn how timely intervention can make a difference in outcomes, reduce the impact of psychosis, and improve long-term recovery for individuals in the justice system.

At the 2024 National DTC Conference, Plenary IV(A) titled "Early Psychosis Intervention: Key Players, Perspectives, and Navigating Form 2" will delve into the complexities of addressing early psychosis within the justice system. This session will cover essential topics, including the challenges of screening for psychosis, particularly in populations where it is often overlooked.



It will explore the impact of cannabis use on psychosis, the role of Form 2s, Community Treatment Orders (CTOs), and Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACTTs), and the associated risks, such as police involvement and potential violence.

Expert speakers from Lakeridge Health’s Early Psychosis Intervention Program—Allison Perrie Radoslovish, Jeff Gauthier, and Theresa Laszkiewicz—will provide valuable insights and discuss effective strategies for managing these challenges and improving outcomes.

2024 National DTC Conference: Plenary III – Unlocking Success for High-Risk, High-Needs Individuals



This seminar will analyze and address the unique issues that high-risk, high-needs clients face in Drug Treatment Courts. Learn about ways for identifying and managing this vulnerable population, as well as evidence-based treatments that improve outcomes. Learn how personalized interventions and a focus on individual needs can break the cycle of addiction and criminal behaviour, resulting in long-term rehabilitation and lower recidivism rates.

Guest presenter : Dr. Sheila French- Faculty, Lethbridge College

Dr. Sheila French emphasizes the critical role of using validated risk assessment tools to determine who should be accepted into Drug Treatment Courts (DTCs). DTCs are designed to serve high-risk, high-needs individuals, as their intensive supervision can be excessive for lower-risk participants. In fact, placing lower-risk individuals in the same program as higher-risk individuals can do more harm than good, making alternative routes more suitable for the former group. This session will also highlight the significant cost savings to society when we focus resources on high-risk, high-needs individuals.

Dr. Sheila French hails from Saint John, New Brunswick, where she obtained her graduate degrees and foundations in experimental psychology from the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. She worked in Saskatchewan's Provincial Ministry of Corrections, Public Safety, and Policing before joining the faculty at Lethbridge College in Alberta in 2011.

Dr. French has extensive experience in both Canadian federal and provincial correctional systems. She has worked on the frontline, facilitating treatment programs and developing risk management and reduction plans for justice-involved youth and adults, including those convicted of violent, sexual, and domestic offenses. She has trained corrections professionals in program facilitation, risk assessment, risk reduction, and core correctional practices, and has contributed to developing and evaluating correctional policies and programs in provincial government contexts.

Holding a PhD in Experimental Psychology, Dr. French is certified in several risk assessment tools and instructional techniques. She has co-authored government reports, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented her research at local, national, and international conferences.

2024 National DTC Conference: Plenary II – Building Stronger Courts Through Collaborative Teams

Creating long-term change requires the collective effort of everyone involved. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to transform criminal behaviour. Transparency, respect, and open communication are essential for a multidisciplinary team to work smoothly. When team members understand each other’s roles, expertise, and contributions, they can offer effective, wrap-around support.

 We already know how to make this change, and applying it within Drug Treatment Courts is a natural fit. We increase the likelihood of achieving lasting change by adhering to the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) principles and focusing on the right populations.

— Jessika Falade MSc, Training Academy for Probation, Curriculum Design

2024 National DTC Conference: Plenary I – The Heart of Drug Treatment Courts: What Sets Them Apart.

The 2024 National DTC Conference Plenary I, themed "The Heart of Drug Treatment Courts: What Sets Them Apart?" would examine the distinguishing characteristics of Drug Treatment Courts.

What makes a court a Drug Treatment Court? What are the lessons learned so far? What are some success factors for Drug Treatment Courts?

This workshop will look at what makes these courts unique, the lessons learned from existing programs, and the major success criteria that contribute to their efficacy. You'll understand how Drug Treatment Courts combine justice and rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and improve public safety through a collaborative, treatment-centered approach.

Addressing the Opiate Crisis: Legal System Challenges & Solutions - 2024 DTC Conference Plenary

The 2024 DTC Conference Plenary IA will focus on "The Opiate Crisis and the Legal System: Challenges, Barriers, and Strategies for Optimizing Outcomes."

This session will explore the multifaceted challenges posed by the opiate crisis within the legal system, addressing the barriers faced by courts and communities in managing addiction-related cases.

Experts will discuss innovative strategies to improve outcomes for individuals struggling with addiction, highlighting ways to optimize the effectiveness of drug treatment courts in mitigating the crisis and promoting successful recovery.

2024 DTC Conference. Plenary IA - The Opiate Crisis and the legal system - challenges and strategies to improve outcomes

The Opiate Crisis and the legal system - challenges, barriers and strategies to optimize successful outcomes.

Stacey Leger – Opiate Case Manager, Pinewood Centre of Lakeridge Health

Ashley Spear - Addictions Counsellor, Pinewood Centre of Lakeridge Health. 

Drug Treatment Courts, the why, the how and the impacts

Drug Treatment Courts are justice treatment partnerships which aim to address the revolving door pattern of criminal behavior due to drug addiction. Experienced practitioners explain the rationale, optimal operational practices and outcomes of Drug Treatment Courts. 

Judie Birns

Executive Director

Regina Drug Treatment Court

Grace Froese

Provincial Drug Court Development and Training Liaison

Director, Edmonton Drug Treatment Court Service

Edmonton John Howard Society

Arla Liska

Executive Director

Calgary Drug Treatment Court 

Drug Treatment Court Program: Evolution and Evaluation

Laura Day and Sarah Pichut

Experts from the Toronto Drug Treatment Court (TDTC) program explain how the TDTC has been working through an evolutionary process to redefine success.  With the clear understanding that Substance Use is a symptom which is highly influenced by factors such as social determinants of health, the TDTC has sought to “re-define success”, recognizing the role that factors such as poverty, stigma/discrimination, trauma, brain injuries and homelessness pay as contributing factors. The TDTC program has sought to respond to the evidence regarding substance use, treatment and trauma, the increasing complexities that our client population bring to the program, the increasingly dangerous drug supply, and emerging harm reduction strategies while continuing to serve clients who are deemed to be high risk and high needs.  This process has produced both minor and significant changes in what experts consider to be a malleable, client-centered environment and culture.

The main learning objectives of this presentation are:                                                                                                

Learn about the changes made, reasons for the changes and changes yet to come

Learn about the new evaluation framework and early results

Speaker Bios

Laura Day

Laura Day has been a social worker at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health for 13 years. She has spent most of her career advocating for alternatives to incarceration for people with mental health and addictions in the Toronto Drug Treatment Court. She runs a specialized stream for women in the Toronto Drug Treatment Court. She is a passionate believer in the principles of harm reduction. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. 

Sarah Pichut

Sarah Pichut has worked as a Counselor/Therapist at CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) for nearly 2 decades in a variety of programs. For the past 4 years she has been with Toronto’s DTC (Drug Treatment Court), which feels like home. As a Registered Social Worker and Registered Psychotherapist, Sarah is passionate about supporting people through their struggles with addiction, mental health, and the justice system, with the understanding that a trauma-informed, client-centered, holistic approach is necessary to help this population meet their goals and define success.

Paul Bentley Memorial Series:

Moderator: Justice Kofi Barnes, Ontario Superior Court, Chair, AJTP and IATCP.

Pioneers who dared to create a Justice and Treatment Partnership

26 years ago, a group of professionals gathered to plan a justice treatment partnership called a Drug Treatment Court. 26 years ago, this was revolutionary. These accomplished men and women take a retrospective look at all aspects of the process involved in planning and implementing this problem-solving court. In so doing, they share their memories of the judge who had called them to come together, the late Paul Bentley.

Justice Paul Burstein

Judge

Ontario Court of Justice

Gloria Chaim

Retired Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Professional

Wade Hillier

Deputy Registrar at Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority

Antonio Lomba

Chief

Institutional Strengthening Unit of the Executive Secretariat of CICAD/OAS

Organization of American States

Brian Parris

Retired Public Health Professional

Chair 

Community Advisory Committee

Toronto Drug Treatment Court

Croft Michaelson

Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Head of Global Investigations

Legal & Regulatory Compliance |BMO Financial Group

Long May You Run: Drug Courts in the Twenty First Century

Drug Treatment Courts offer a revolutionary approach to solving the endemic social and public health issue of drug addiction. Justice of the Peace Mangesh Duggal discusses the outcomes of his careful analysis of the efficacy of Drug Treatment Courts.

His Worship Mangesh Duggal

Justice of the Peace

Ontario Court of Justice

Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) are a type of Justice and Treatment Partnership which integrates legal processing with addiction and other holistic treatment processes. The objective of the DTC method is to break or reduce the link between criminal behavior, drug addiction and other determinants of crime for program participants.

In this educational video DTC practitioners from the Drug Treatment Court in Regina, Saskatchewan illustrate how the key components and best

practice standards of Drug Treatment Courts are applied in the Drug Treatment Court in Regina, Saskatchewan

Therapeutic Courts in Canada – A jurisdictional scan of mental health courts and drug treatment courts.

The province of Ontario conducted a jurisdictional scan to identify the common barriers, and challenges of Therapeutic Courts from across Canada. This report also identified some recommendations to optimize successful outcomes. A principal author of the report will discuss some important lessons learned.

Speakers: 
Susan Reid
Counsel Ontario Crown Law Office - Criminal

Ottawa Drug Treatment Court



The “why, the how and impacts” of the Ottawa Drug Treatment Court. Barriers, Challenges, Successes and best practice recommendations.

Marie L. Dufort

Assistant Crown Attorney

Ottawa Crown Attorney's Office

St John's Drug Treatment Court

The “why, the how and impacts” of the St John's Drug Treatment Court. Barriers, Challenges, Successes and best practice recommendations.

Judge D. Orr

Provincial Court of Newfoundland

Vancouver Drug Treatment Court

The “why, the how and impacts” of the Vancouver Drug Treatment Court. Barriers, Challenges, Successes and best practice recommendations.

Jayce Allen

Crown Counsel

Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver

Impacts of Cannabis on Drug Treatment Court Programs in Ontario

Possession of cannabis for personal use is decriminalized in Canada. Findings from a study on cannabis use by Drug Treatment Court program participants will be discussed by experienced drug policy practitioners and a research team member with lived experience of DTC program participation.

Candace Vena, M.A. (moderator)

Director of Justice Policy

Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario

Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario

Sudha Sabanadesan

Policy Analyst (Substance Use Lead)

Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario

Nikoleta Curcin

Research Consultant

Winnipeg Drug Treatment Court

The “why, the how and impacts” of the Winnipeg Drug Treatment Court. Barriers, Challenges, Successes and best practice recommendations.

Judge Tracey M. Lord

Associate Chief Judge

Provincial Court of Manitoba

Success Factors for Drug Treatment Courts - a DTC Judge and DTC Alum's Perspective

A drug treatment court graduate and the judge who presided in the Toronto Drug Treatment Court during her tenure share insights on some success factors.

Justice Steven Clark

Ontario Court of Justice

Nikoleta Curcin

Research Consultant

Toronto Drug Treatment Court Graduate

Persons with Lived Experiences Roundtable

Persons with lived experience and drug treatment court alumni identify the barriers, challenges, successes and best practice recommendations on how Drug Treatment Courts can improve. In this panel, participants have their say on how to optimize program results.

Judie Birns

Manager

Drug Treatment Court of Regina

Meagan Jasper

Drug Treatment Court Alum

Kerry Gladue

Drug Treatment Court Alum

Nikoleta Curcin

Drug Treatment Court Alum

Melissa Duck

Drug Treatment Court Alum

Trauma-Informed Processes

This presentation focuses on what trauma is, how it affects us, why we should consider it in the courtroom, and what courtroom practices we can implement to help alleviate the ongoing effects of trauma. The prevalence of serious traumatic experiences among our neighbours and fellow community members is alarming, and its consequences can be severe, manifesting in stressful environments like courtrooms. Presenters in this section will walk through direct clinical experiences, personal experiences, and a case study to help illustrate the many sides of trauma. This presentation will conclude with suggestions on how court practitioners can better help case participants cope with trauma and on how to incorporate trauma-informed practices into the courtroom.

Lindsey Price Jackson, Senior Program Manager of Community Justice Initiatives, Centre for Justice Innovation, New York

Kathryn Ford

Director of Clinical Supervision and Child Witness Initiatives

Centre for Justice Innovation, New York

Toronto Drug Treatment Court

The “why, the how and impacts” of the Toronto Drug Treatment Court shall be discussed including barriers, challenges, successes and best practice recommendations

Robin Cuff, RP

Manager, Acute Care

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Jennifer Lofft

Assistant Crown Attorney

Toronto Drug Treatment Court and Mental Health Court

Old City Hall