The eastern band of cherokee indians' program will create and implement a juvenile healing to wellness court

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will use a $400,000 Formula Grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance to create and implement a Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court program. Funded under the Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program (CFDA #16.585), the program will address gaps in the juvenile justice system by increasing behavioral health involvement, developing an early screening tool to determine needs for intervention, and implementing data sharing across systems to allow for e-filing of court documents. The goal of the Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program is to provide treatment courts and criminal justice professionals with resources to plan, implement, enhance, and sustain evidence-based treatment court programs for individuals with substance use disorders.

The program will specifically address three current gaps in the juvenile system: increase juvenile behavioral health involvement in the court system; develop a screening tool at early stages of the process to better determine needs of juveniles for healing to wellness court intervention; and, implement data sharing across systems to allow for the E-filing of court related documents.