Juvenile Treatment Court

Treatment Court is similar to the Drug Court program, except that it serves juveniles with both drug/alcohol and mental health issues. The process involves comprehensive screening and assessment of the young person's substance abuse and mental health issues, a supportive "therapeutic court" process for addressing the unique needs of youth in the juvenile justice system, and dedicated treatment services.

Teams Deliver Help

In King County, the Treatment Court Team consists of a judge, prosecuting attorney, public defender, Juvenile Probation Counselor, mental health/chemical dependency clinician (Multi-Systemic Therapy counselor), law enforcement officer and an Advocacy Team liaison. These team members are collectively responsible for determining an effective treatment plan for each youth and for ensuring continued support throughout the Treatment Court process and even after the youth leaves the judicial system.

Treatment services available include:

  • Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST), a family-oriented treatment program aimed at reducing high-risk acting out behaviors in youth;
  • Advocacy Team Coordination;
  • A mentor trained to work with juvenile offenders;
  • Individualized treatment;
  • Residential care recommended and closely-monitored by the Treatment Court Team, including adolescent detoxification and in-patient treatment when needed.

If an interpreter is needed for your appointment with the Court, one can be provided by calling the Office of Interpreter Services at (206) 296-9358.

Strengthening Families

Advocacy Team Coordination is a model of care that works with multi-system involved youth and their families. It has shown promising effectiveness in reducing legal involvement, improving school and family functioning, and reducing the number of housing transitions.

Advocacy Teams look at the family holistically and use a team approach to develop strategies that build upon the strengths of the youth's family and community. The goal is to increase the youth and family resources to help themselves and rely less on treatment and court professionals.

In Advocacy Team Coordination, the family takes the lead in defining what is important to them and prioritizing their needs and services.