Family Treatment Court
New Hampshire’s Circuit Court is currently piloting a Family Treatment Court (FTC) for abuse and neglect cases from the Family Divisions of Sullivan County (Claremont and Newport Circuit Courts). Family Treatment Court is a program that a parent with an abuse and neglect case can choose to participate in when substance use is part of the case, including when a child is removed from the home. The program uses a supportive, team approach to increase the family’s access to supports and services, accountability and recovery, and likelihood of reunification. It is a partnership of the court, the Division for Children, Youth and Families, Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire, parent attorneys, substance use treatment providers, mental health providers, and other community partners.
This pilot will assist the statewide FTC team in developing best practices for potential FTCs in other counties and for family and criminal cases involving parents with substance use disorders in Circuit Courts statewide. The pilot will lay the groundwork for meaningful systems change that will improve child, parent, family, and institutional outcomes statewide.
Desired Outcomes:
- Decreased time between when a family is identified as needing services and when they receive services.
- Increased family engagement in substance use and mental health treatment, and other community-based services.
- Increase coordination of support services for families.
- Increase parent’s ability to parent and comply with case plan requirements.
- Decrease time to children returning home, if appropriate
- Decrease time to address barriers to appropriate permanency options, especially reunification and adoption
NH Judicial Branch Administrative Offices
1 Granite Place, Suite N400
Concord, NH 03301
Phone Number: 1-855-212-1234