During this crisis, NADCP will, to every extent possible, continue providing treatment court practitioners with the best in training, technical assistance, and advocacy. Over the last several days, we have received inquiries from the field for more information in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage all practitioners to consult with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, relevant local, state, and federal authorities, and all professional organizations with which you are affiliated.
To assist, we offer the links below and will regularly update this page with new resources as they become available.
Register Now for Webinar 2: Treatment Courts and COVID-19 Follow-up
On Monday, April 6, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, NADCP and the National Center for State Courts will host the second webinar in this series. We received more than 200 questions during the first webinar; in the second, we will begin to respond to many of these questions to help provide practical insight and guidance.
Watch Webinar 1: Treatment Courts and COVID-19, hosted by NADCP and NCSC
On March 26, NADCP and NCSC hosted a webinar on treatment courts and COVID-19.
This webinar provided guidance on:
- Federal, state, and local mandates and guidelines impacting treatment courts;
- The NCSC Preparing for a Pandemic: An Emergency Response Benchbook and Operational Guidebook for State Court Judges and Administrators; and
- Adapting treatment court operations during the COVID-19 crisis.
Click here to access the NCSC Pandemic Benchbook, produced with funding from the State Justice Institute.
Federal Resources for Treatment Courts
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has a COVID-19 webpage.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has alerted the research community that populations with substance use disorders (SUDs) may be impacted particularly hard.
The Office of Justice Programs (Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) released guidance to grant recipients on March 21, 2020. Please refer to the OJP guidance and the March 19th memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Direct any questions to your OJP grant manager, or to OJP’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer by calling the Customer Service Center at 1-800-458-0786 (TTY: 202-616-3867), or via email at ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the following COVID-19 resources:
*NEW*
- Guidance for Grant Recipients
- Considerations for the Care and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders in the COVID-19 Epidemic
- Considerations for Outpatient Mental and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Settings
- Virtual Recovery Services
Additional SAMHSA resources:
- Opioid Treatment Program Guidance
- Opioid Treatment Program Sample Set of Frequently Asked Questions and Further Guidance
- Use of Telemedicine While Providing Medication-Assisted Treatment
- Medication-Assisted Treatment
- COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Response and 42 CFR Part 2 Guidance
- Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19
- Disaster planning handbook for behavioral health treatment programs. See chapter five for information about methadone dosing and chapter six for planning in the event of a pandemic.
- Parent and caregiver guide to helping families cope with COVID-19 provided by SAMHSA’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: tips for social distancing, quarantine, and isolation during an infectious disease outbreak
US Department of Veterans Affairs status update and guidance for veterans.
National Resources for Treatment Courts
The American Jail Association has developed resources including strategies for sheriffs and jails to respond to the crisis.
The American Probation and Parole Association has released a statement and resources with guidance for probation and parole agencies.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police has developed a webpage specifically for law enforcement.
NAADAC has resources specifically for addiction counselors.
The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers has provided a statement and resource links.
The National Association of Counties county response efforts and priorities.
The National Association of Social Workers has provided resources for social workers, clinical case managers, and other helpers as it relates to the pandemic.
The National Center for State Courts has developed an interactive map of court closures and other changes to standard court practice. Also, there is an emergency response bench book for judges and court administrators available for download.
The National District Attorney's Association statement that includes and links to a comprehensive readout of court system and office responses across the country.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine has updated its National Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder for 2020.
Recovery Support
WEconnect and Unity Recovery are partnering to offer four daily all-recovery meetings worldwide. Meetings will follow an open format and are available to anyone in or seeking recovery. Join the calls at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m. EST daily at zoom.us/my/allrecovery.
Additional online/phone recovery meetings are available at:
The information provided herein is informational only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional legal or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by NADCP of the linked websites, or the information, products, or services contained therein. NADCP does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations, nor does NADCP make any representation of their accuracy or completeness. Please contact those websites with any questions.