This blog is a forum for Discussion among faculty and students from Loyola University of Chicago School of Social Work and Vytautas Magnus University, Schools of Social Work and Public Administration.
Today, the Mental health Courts and the Drug Courts have shown positive results in reducing recidivism rates, and operate at the fraction of a cost of incarceration, Illinois has not demonstrated a financial commitment to fund the programs. One of the mental health and drug court programs is Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities(TASC). This program provides a mix of supervision, treatment, and sanctions and rewards, involving close collaboration with community treatment programs.
Treatment for individuals may contribute to a better quality of life for mentally ill non-violent drug offenders. We will focus on types of services they provide, the way their services are evaluated, how they are funded, and their treatment approaches that will be used for individuals with substance abuse and mental illness that are incarcerated. We will also continue to analyze the agency’s mission on the importance of treatment, the different programs that are available to support these individuals, and ways the agency suggests limiting habitual relapse into crime.
TASC offers life-changing opportunities for people whose substance abuse or mental health problems have put them at risk for chronic involvement with the justice system. They place people into rehabilitative programs across Illinois and provide monitoring and recovery support for sustained success. Through direct services and public policy, we advocate for effective and cost-saving solutions that allow individuals, families, and communities to thrive. They envision a healthy and just society where people and communities are empowered to overcome and prevent addiction, mental health problems, and criminal behavior.
TASC provides many different services throughout the state of Illinois. TASCworks with state administrative bodies, community based agencies, and public systems. The services primarily target individuals with a substance abuse or dependence disorder as well as a mental health disorder who become involved with the criminal justice system. Many services include recovery case management services, advocacy, and assessment. Services and programs target both adult men and women in addition to youth. There are 5 different groupings of services including Adult Court & Probation, Juvenile Court & Probation, Corrections & Community Reentry, Health Services and Child Welfare & Family.
TASC provides various services to the Adult Court & Probation programs which include Adult Criminal Justice Services (ACJS), Access to Recovery, Drug Courts, Driving Under the Influence Program, Integrated Multiphase Program of Assessment and Comprehensive Treatment (IMPACT), Cook County Mental Health Court, State’s Attorney’s Drug Abuse Program (SADAP), and Women Returning Home (WRH). The Adult Criminal Justice Services (ACJS) program offers individuals the opportunity to receive substance abuse and mental health treatment as an alternative to incarceration in prison for nonviolent offenders. TASC provides case management services to develop individualized care plans and toxicology screenings for individuals involved in ACJS. TASC also provides clinical case management for individuals diagnosed with a chronic mental illness and a co-occurring substance abuse/dependence disorder who are re-entering the community after navigating the Cook County Mental Health Court system. TASC is also involved with the planning process and expanding the services provided within the Cook County Mental Health Court system. TASC provides case management services for the Women Returning Home program aimed at linking women to substance abuse treatment, healthcare and social services who are at-risk for contracting HIV/AIDS.
TASC provides assessment and referrals for treatment for the following programs: Access to Recovery, a program to help make treatment more available for substance-dependent people on probation; Driving Under the Influence Program, TASC also provides recommendations for treatment in the court settings; IMPACT, a project within the Cook County Department of Corrections that provides educational, vocational, mental health, HIV-related, social and health services to individuals who are being detained in incarcerated at the Cook County Jail; and SADAP, a program for first-time drug offenders.
TASC has a sector of services dedicated to child welfare and family. The Recovery Coach Program provides intensive case management services to parents who have children in the foster care system because of substance use related charges. Services made accessible include substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, parenting classes, stable employment and housing. The System of Care program provides intensive case management services to children in the foster care system with emotional and behavioral disturbances. TASC works with families, schools, community based organizations to assist in creating a stable living situation for the children.
Funding
The TASC program is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Funding comesfrom federal, state, and local entities, along with private donors, including foundations, corporations, and individuals. A lot of these funds come from various grants, whether from the federal, state, or private level. Contributions also come from a variety of places, including private businesses, corporations, and even individual donations. A small portion of their income also comes from various client fees.
Internal, utilization-focused surveys and evaluations are conducted on programs and services provided. These surveys and evaluations are designed to test both efficiency and effectiveness.
In March of 2006 research was published from a 5-year study on the Recovery Coach Program being implemented at TASC. The study was a more traditionally based one, using both a control group and an experimental group in order to evaluate the impact of involvement in this program. The study measured likelihood to access substance abuse treatment, how soon treatment was entered, participation in substance abuse treatment, completion of at least one level of treatment, how soon reunification with children took place, and likelihood of being associated with a subsequent allegation of maltreatment. Results were measured by comparing the percentage differences on these topics between the two groups.
Another study was published in 2006, evaluating early outcomes of TASC’s Cook County Mental Health Court program. This study tracked program participants’ number of arrests, days incarcerated, and incarceration costs before and after admission to the program. Results focused on the reduction differences in these three areas, after admission and participation in the Cook County Mental Health Court program.
A final study, conducted in 2009, compared TASC’s clients ability to successfullycomplete treatment with others in treatment in Illinois. This study simply compared the numbers of clients successfully completing treatment programs, showing that two thirds of TASC’s clients completed, as opposed to only one third completing in all other treatments in Illinois.
TASC provides a wide variety of services to men, women and youth throughout the state of Illinois. The programming that TASC offers holistically approaches the recovery process. TASC not only provides substance abuse treatment, but also addresses other aspects that influence a person to become substance users. TASC provides motivation and support for clients in the recovery process in addition to linking them with necessary services including job training, housing, mental health treatment, and education, to name a few.
By providing therapeutic services and drug and medical treatment, drug- offenders will overcome their drug addictions and lower their chances of re-arrest. Non- violent drug offenders display a pattern of entrenched recidivism when their addictions go untreated. TASC program provides screening, assessment, treatment planning, monitoring, urinalysis, and court liaison functions. The program refers a client to a community-based treatment program, monitors the client’s progress and compliance, and reports results back to the referring criminal justice agency. TASC programs can help alleviate prison crowding through diversion to treatment, when it is considered through careful screening and assessment to be the most appropriate course of action for the offender.
TASC offers defendants a way to avoid jail while working to address the underlying problem of substance abuse and mental illness. One of the benefits of TASCfor offenders who successfully complete the program is the felony charges will either be downgraded to a misdemeanor or dismissed altogether. Decisions in the courtroom are communicated to the defendant by the judge but made by the Drug Court Team prior to court starting.
Learning about TASC and it’s many services in a way reminded me the Chicago Public School system. In terms of the size, structure and overflow of needs and services load. It appears that it is very well organized, addresses different groups through domains of services. I believe that working under such organization, with substance- use adult with relation to criminal acts is very difficult and confusing at times. Such role requires much strength as a person and as a professional. I was thinking about the two thirds of the participants that complete the program and surprised that it is only two thirds and not more. I understand that it is a mandatory program and all participants need to stay in the program, and wondered what happens with the third that does not complete the program? With the variety of evaluations and surveys what are the reason for failure to complete the program and if there is a common thread that links the rest of the one-third of participants? Mira Allali
TASC is such an important organization for Chicago, as it encompasses so many services for such a diverse client base. My one criticism is that like most non-profits in the Chicagoland area, they offer a minimal amount of rehabilitative service for adult sex offenders. Their mission statement clearly speaks to helping those with criminal behavior, but there is a huge void in clinical intervention, housing support and employment services for offenders. Publically it’s an unsavory population, but here is no doubt they need support, as they have one of the highest rates of recidivism in our community. It always strikes me that the stigma around sex offenders stops us from offering help.
I wonder what the treatment protocol is for this population in Lithuania? Are sex offenders aided through your non-profit agencies that work with people in conflict with the law?
While Illinois may provide limited financial commitment to mental health and drug courts, the investment in TASC seems like a great place to start! The program's services appear endless and really conscious of the wide range of people that substance abuse affects. In addition to providing resources to all age groups, I was impressed with TASC desire for involvement on a macro-level as well as on a micro-level. However, after learning about TASC’s immense amount of services, I grew very curious about the program’s funding. Since the organization’s work occurs in multiple systems, I was shocked to learn that the non-profit receives public and private funding. With so many services, I assumed that the agency would have either public or private as its primary source of funding, in order to ensure that the agendas of the funding sources are united and not conflictual. Also, I wondered how relapse of the recovered addicts factors into TASC programs.
It's a shame that the prison system has become a revolving door for those who suffer from mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Those who really need treatment seem to only receive it while in prison. It is refreshing to hear that there are programs out there like TASC that are addressing the issue of assisting those with these types of disorders. TASC gives them a chance at a better life with not only receiving treatment but the chance for their sentence to be reduced or dropped. This gives individuals a real second chance at life.
It was refreshing to hear about an organization that works to help rehabilitate substance users on such a large level. Their many different programs are directed at the different clients that walk through their doors. I especially liked reading about how they strive to unite families of substance abusers. I was wondering if you had more information about this part of the program. How do the families come together? Are they part of treatment from the beginning? I also liked reading about the two studies done that showed the success of the agency.Not many agencies have studies done on their programs to show success, and it was exciting to read about outside sources evaluating their success.
I really enjoy that, this program provides a mix of supervision, treatment, and sanctions and rewards, involving close collaboration with community treatment programs. I would like to ask: TASC provides a wide variety of services to men, women and youth throughout just the state of Illinois or in the other state?
Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities
ReplyDeleteMelat Ijigu, Tara Tillman, Bethany Wheeler
Introduction to Agency:
Today, the Mental health Courts and the Drug Courts have shown positive results in reducing recidivism rates, and operate at the fraction of a cost of incarceration, Illinois has not demonstrated a financial commitment to fund the programs. One of the mental health and drug court programs is Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities(TASC). This program provides a mix of supervision, treatment, and sanctions and rewards, involving close collaboration with community treatment programs.
Treatment for individuals may contribute to a better quality of life for mentally ill non-violent drug offenders. We will focus on types of services they provide, the way their services are evaluated, how they are funded, and their treatment approaches that will be used for individuals with substance abuse and mental illness that are incarcerated. We will also continue to analyze the agency’s mission on the importance of treatment, the different programs that are available to support these individuals, and ways the agency suggests limiting habitual relapse into crime.
Agency’s mission and vision:
ReplyDeleteTASC offers life-changing opportunities for people whose substance abuse or mental health problems have put them at risk for chronic involvement with the justice system. They place people into rehabilitative programs across Illinois and provide monitoring and recovery support for sustained success. Through direct services and public policy, we advocate for effective and cost-saving solutions that allow individuals, families, and communities to thrive. They envision a healthy and just society where people and communities are empowered to overcome and prevent addiction, mental health problems, and criminal behavior.
Services Provided:
ReplyDeleteTASC provides many different services throughout the state of Illinois. TASCworks with state administrative bodies, community based agencies, and public systems. The services primarily target individuals with a substance abuse or dependence disorder as well as a mental health disorder who become involved with the criminal justice system. Many services include recovery case management services, advocacy, and assessment. Services and programs target both adult men and women in addition to youth. There are 5 different groupings of services including Adult Court & Probation, Juvenile Court & Probation, Corrections & Community Reentry, Health Services and Child Welfare & Family.
TASC provides various services to the Adult Court & Probation programs which include Adult Criminal Justice Services (ACJS), Access to Recovery, Drug Courts, Driving Under the Influence Program, Integrated Multiphase Program of Assessment and Comprehensive Treatment (IMPACT), Cook County Mental Health Court, State’s Attorney’s Drug Abuse Program (SADAP), and Women Returning Home (WRH). The Adult Criminal Justice Services (ACJS) program offers individuals the opportunity to receive substance abuse and mental health treatment as an alternative to incarceration in prison for nonviolent offenders. TASC provides case management services to develop individualized care plans and toxicology screenings for individuals involved in ACJS. TASC also provides clinical case management for individuals diagnosed with a chronic mental illness and a co-occurring substance abuse/dependence disorder who are re-entering the community after navigating the Cook County Mental Health Court system. TASC is also involved with the planning process and expanding the services provided within the Cook County Mental Health Court system. TASC provides case management services for the Women Returning Home program aimed at linking women to substance abuse treatment, healthcare and social services who are at-risk for contracting HIV/AIDS.
TASC provides assessment and referrals for treatment for the following programs: Access to Recovery, a program to help make treatment more available for substance-dependent people on probation; Driving Under the Influence Program, TASC also provides recommendations for treatment in the court settings; IMPACT, a project within the Cook County Department of Corrections that provides educational, vocational, mental health, HIV-related, social and health services to individuals who are being detained in incarcerated at the Cook County Jail; and SADAP, a program for first-time drug offenders.
TASC has a sector of services dedicated to child welfare and family. The Recovery Coach Program provides intensive case management services to parents who have children in the foster care system because of substance use related charges. Services made accessible include substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, parenting classes, stable employment and housing. The System of Care program provides intensive case management services to children in the foster care system with emotional and behavioral disturbances. TASC works with families, schools, community based organizations to assist in creating a stable living situation for the children.
ReplyDeleteFunding
The TASC program is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Funding comesfrom federal, state, and local entities, along with private donors, including foundations, corporations, and individuals. A lot of these funds come from various grants, whether from the federal, state, or private level. Contributions also come from a variety of places, including private businesses, corporations, and even individual donations. A small portion of their income also comes from various client fees.
Evaluations
ReplyDeleteInternal, utilization-focused surveys and evaluations are conducted on programs and services provided. These surveys and evaluations are designed to test both efficiency and effectiveness.
In March of 2006 research was published from a 5-year study on the Recovery Coach Program being implemented at TASC. The study was a more traditionally based one, using both a control group and an experimental group in order to evaluate the impact of involvement in this program. The study measured likelihood to access substance abuse treatment, how soon treatment was entered, participation in substance abuse treatment, completion of at least one level of treatment, how soon reunification with children took place, and likelihood of being associated with a subsequent allegation of maltreatment. Results were measured by comparing the percentage differences on these topics between the two groups.
Another study was published in 2006, evaluating early outcomes of TASC’s Cook County Mental Health Court program. This study tracked program participants’ number of arrests, days incarcerated, and incarceration costs before and after admission to the program. Results focused on the reduction differences in these three areas, after admission and participation in the Cook County Mental Health Court program.
A final study, conducted in 2009, compared TASC’s clients ability to successfullycomplete treatment with others in treatment in Illinois. This study simply compared the numbers of clients successfully completing treatment programs, showing that two thirds of TASC’s clients completed, as opposed to only one third completing in all other treatments in Illinois.
Conclusion
ReplyDeleteTASC provides a wide variety of services to men, women and youth throughout the state of Illinois. The programming that TASC offers holistically approaches the recovery process. TASC not only provides substance abuse treatment, but also addresses other aspects that influence a person to become substance users. TASC provides motivation and support for clients in the recovery process in addition to linking them with necessary services including job training, housing, mental health treatment, and education, to name a few.
By providing therapeutic services and drug and medical treatment, drug- offenders will overcome their drug addictions and lower their chances of re-arrest. Non- violent drug offenders display a pattern of entrenched recidivism when their addictions go untreated. TASC program provides screening, assessment, treatment planning, monitoring, urinalysis, and court liaison functions. The program refers a client to a community-based treatment program, monitors the client’s progress and compliance, and reports results back to the referring criminal justice agency. TASC programs can help alleviate prison crowding through diversion to treatment, when it is considered through careful screening and assessment to be the most appropriate course of action for the offender.
TASC offers defendants a way to avoid jail while working to address the underlying problem of substance abuse and mental illness. One of the benefits of TASCfor offenders who successfully complete the program is the felony charges will either be downgraded to a misdemeanor or dismissed altogether. Decisions in the courtroom are communicated to the defendant by the judge but made by the Drug Court Team prior to court starting.
Learning about TASC and it’s many services in a way reminded me the Chicago Public School system. In terms of the size, structure and overflow of needs and services load. It appears that it is very well organized, addresses different groups through domains of services. I believe that working under such organization, with substance- use adult with relation to criminal acts is very difficult and confusing at times. Such role requires much strength as a person and as a professional. I was thinking about the two thirds of the participants that complete the program and surprised that it is only two thirds and not more. I understand that it is a mandatory program and all participants need to stay in the program, and wondered what happens with the third that does not complete the program? With the variety of evaluations and surveys what are the reason for failure to complete the program and if there is a common thread that links the rest of the one-third of participants?
ReplyDeleteMira Allali
TASC is such an important organization for Chicago, as it encompasses so many services for such a diverse client base. My one criticism is that like most non-profits in the Chicagoland area, they offer a minimal amount of rehabilitative service for adult sex offenders. Their mission statement clearly speaks to helping those with criminal behavior, but there is a huge void in clinical intervention, housing support and employment services for offenders. Publically it’s an unsavory population, but here is no doubt they need support, as they have one of the highest rates of recidivism in our community. It always strikes me that the stigma around sex offenders stops us from offering help.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the treatment protocol is for this population in Lithuania? Are sex offenders aided through your non-profit agencies that work with people in conflict with the law?
While Illinois may provide limited financial commitment to mental health and drug courts, the investment in TASC seems like a great place to start! The program's services appear endless and really conscious of the wide range of people that substance abuse affects. In addition to providing resources to all age groups, I was impressed with TASC desire for involvement on a macro-level as well as on a micro-level. However, after learning about TASC’s immense amount of services, I grew very curious about the program’s funding. Since the organization’s work occurs in multiple systems, I was shocked to learn that the non-profit receives public and private funding. With so many services, I assumed that the agency would have either public or private as its primary source of funding, in order to ensure that the agendas of the funding sources are united and not conflictual. Also, I wondered how relapse of the recovered addicts factors into TASC programs.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that the prison system has become a revolving door for those who suffer from mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Those who really need treatment seem to only receive it while in prison. It is refreshing to hear that there are programs out there like TASC that are addressing the issue of assisting those with these types of disorders. TASC gives them a chance at a better life with not only receiving treatment but the chance for their sentence to be reduced or dropped. This gives individuals a real second chance at life.
ReplyDeleteIt was refreshing to hear about an organization that works to help rehabilitate substance users on such a large level. Their many different programs are directed at the different clients that walk through their doors. I especially liked reading about how they strive to unite families of substance abusers. I was wondering if you had more information about this part of the program. How do the families come together? Are they part of treatment from the beginning? I also liked reading about the two studies done that showed the success of the agency.Not many agencies have studies done on their programs to show success, and it was exciting to read about outside sources evaluating their success.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy that, this program provides a mix of supervision, treatment, and sanctions and rewards, involving close collaboration with community treatment programs.
ReplyDeleteI would like to ask: TASC provides a wide variety of services to men, women and youth throughout just the state of Illinois or in the other state?