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Research Office
Title: SBC ADP 08-09
Principal Investigator: Merith Cosden
Total Project Amount: $53,491
Agency: County of Santa Barbara
Project Dates: 07/01/2008 – 06/30/2009
Abstract:
This grant involves the evaluation of drug diversion services offered throughout Santa Barbara County. When the traditional adversarial system of justice proved ineffective at addressing alcohol and other drug abuse, treatment providers and criminal justice practitioners collaborated to create the concept of treatment-oriented drug courts. The first Drug Court was implemented in Florida in 1989, and the Santa Barbara Substance Abuse Treatment Court (SATC) followed in 1997 as one of the first 200 Drug Courts in the nation. California voters implemented another option for drug diversion with the Substance Abuse Crime Prevention Act (SACPA) in November 2000. Dr. Cosden and UCSB are part of the interdisciplinary teams of treatment providers, probation officials, and judges who work with both the SATC and SACPA treatment programs. Factors monitored include success and recidivism rates as well as variables associated with each including age, gender, ethnicity, education, employment, drug use history, social support, and psychiatric history. Feedback provided to the treatment team has helped to make the program more successful over time. Dr. Cosden’s research team also conducts exit interviews with clients in order to determine their satisfaction with services, and factors associated with successful program completion.