Bob King, a licensed clinical social worker, joins Michael Devine, the previous director of Treatment Services for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit to present “Understanding and Implementing 12-Step programs for Drug Courts” to educate attendees on the benefits of blending court accountability, clinical treatment by certified professionals...
Bob King, Coordinator for the Dawson County Treatment Court, will speak at the 15th annual National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) conference June 10-13, 2009 in Anaheim, California.
Mr. King, a licensed clinical social worker, joins Michael Devine, the previous director of Treatment Services for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit to present “Understanding and Implementing 12-Step programs for Drug Courts” to educate attendees on the benefits of blending court accountability, clinical treatment by certified professionals, and 12-Step program support for long-term recovery for those who struggle with substance abuse.
The men first presented the topic at the Judicial Council of Georgia Standing Committee on Drug Courts’ 2008 Drug, DUI, and Mental Health Court Conference in Peachtree City, Georgia. The presentation received such a favorable response by conference attendees that organizers urged the men to submit their presentation for consideration at the national conference. NADCP recently announced their selections and Mr. King and Mr. Devine will join the roster of nationally-acclaimed speakers and surprise celebrity guests who will speak to thousands of drug court professionals through 125 sessions.
Their presentation will highlight the development, growth, and progress of the Dawson County Treatment Court which began in May 2006 and is presided over by Superior Court Judge Jason Deal. The three-track court program provides judicial oversight and substance abuse treatment for those charged with felony drug crimes, Driving Under the Influence (DUI), and first-time marijuana offenses.
The drug track is for first-time felony drug offenders, and participants voluntarily agree to the two-year treatment program. With successful completion of the rigorous program, the participants receive a nolle prosequi (no further prosecution) of their charges.
The DUI track is a 12-month minimum mandatory program where repeat DUI offenders are sentenced as a condition of their probation. Like Drug Court, the participants are expected to attend court reviews, engage in group and individual counseling, attend 12-Step meetings, submit to observed drug screens, maintain employment, and comply with all other program requirements; however, unlike the voluntary program, DUI Court participants do not receive a dismissal of their charges upon successful completion of the program.
Finally, the newest track is an early intervention program designed for those arrested on a first-time marijuana offense. This minimum six-month program provides education to those offenders and has at times identified those with larger substance abuse problems who require additional treatment and support.
Currently, there are 83 participants in the Dawson County Treatment Court, and to date five individuals graduated from the drug track, 19 from the DUI track, and nine from the early intervention track. The program celebrated six babies born drug-free and boasts an employment rate of over 90%.
NADCP is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 to reduce the negative social impact of substance abuse, crime, and recidivism by promoting and advocating for the establishment, growth and funding of drug courts, providing for the collection and dissemination of information, and providing sophisticated training, technical assistance and mutual support to association members. According to Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director C. West Huddleston, III, “Within its short 14-year history, NADCP has become the premier national membership and advocacy program for over 2,100 drug courts.” NADCP has gained this ranking by serving as the only national organization representing over 19,000 multi-disciplinary drug court professionals before federal and state lawmakers; annually hosting approximately 130 drug court training and technical assistance events that have benefited thousands of drug court practitioners; writing, publishing, and disseminating scholastic and practical publications that are critical to the ongoing growth and fidelity of the drug court model; and creating a vision of a reformed justice system by impacting policy and legislation, Huddleston said in an online letter.
“Since 1994 NADCP has hosted an annual Drug Court Training Conference that brings together judges, treatment providers, probation officers, and other drug court professionals from throughout the United States,” said Huddleston. “During the conference attendees receive training from peers and experts alike on current practices and trends in the treatment of addiction, connect with policy makers on the direction of funding and relevant legislation, network with fellow practitioners, and interface with providers of products and services developed to meet the needs of the field. With over 3,000 attendees, the conference represents a great opportunity to network, learn, and get involved,” he said. The conference will take place at the Marriott Anaheim and will celebrate 20 years of drug courts.
Bob King interned for the Broward County Drug Court in 1999 and earned his License Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) status as well as a Licensed Certified Addiction Professional (LCAP). He has worked in outpatient private pay agencies for substance abuse, locked down psychiatric units, and therapist on premise for the 90 bed homeless shelter in W. Palm Beach Florida.
Moving to Georgia with his family, King worked at the Community Service Board (now Avita) and acquired his LCSW for Georgia practice. He then accepted the position of Coordinator for the Dawson County Treatment Court. King serves on the board for the Dawson County Meth Task Force, is on the committee for long term housing issues in Dawson County, and participates in the Community Network meetings. King also sits on the Advisory Council for Dahlonega United Methodist Church.
Michael Devine has been working in the addiction field since 1991, engaged in in-patient, dual-diagnosis, out-patient and therapeutic community populations. He started working in the Hall County Drug Court as a counselor/clinical supervisor in 2001 and was hired as the DUI Court Coordinator in 2003. Devine was the Agency Director for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit’s Treatment Services and provided oversight for Dawson County Treatment Court, Hall County Substance Abuse Services, Hall County DUI Court, Hall County Drug Court, and Hall County Family Treatment Court. He has been a National Drug Court Institute faculty member since 2005 and is a faculty member for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, involved in training new teams around the country.
Mr. Devine is a member of the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, the Georgia Addiction Counselors Association, and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. He also served on the Board of Directors for Court Appointed Special Advocates and was an Executive Board Member for the Georgia Council of Court Administrators. Devine holds a Masters Degree in Human Services Counseling and is a Certified Addictions Counselor II in the state of Georgia as well as a Multiple Offender Certified Clinical Evaluator. Devine left Treatment Services in August 2007 to pursue of Master of Divinity degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and continues to work as a consultant for start-up drug courts throughout the state.