Oklahoma Multi-Site Family Drug Court Model Standards Study, 2013-2025

The Oklahoma Multi-Site Family Drug Court Model Standards Study utilized mixed-methods research in an attempt to advance implementation research on family treatment courts (FTCs), which serve families involved in the child welfare system due to caregiver substance use. The researchers developed the Model Standards Implementation Scale (MSIS), a tool used to assess FTC alignment with national best practices through interviews, courtroom observation, and document review. Administrative data from child welfare, substance use treatment, and court systems were linked to examine treatment completion, child welfare outcomes, and cost-effectiveness. These administrative data were also linked with court-level implementation data to assess the impact of FTC best practice implementation on the likelihood of reunification. Survey data were collected from two groups: 1) caregivers involved in maltreatment cases, to capture baseline demographic and clinical characteristics and clarify the FTC target population, and 2) child welfare professionals, to assess the presence and quality of cross-system collaboration. When merged with court implementation data, the professional survey data were used in an attempt to identify factors that support or hinder implementation of best practices.
Variables include drug use, addiction severity measures, abuse indicators, family dynamics, physical and mental health, along with FTC dynamic and structural traits.