Ep. 5 Alliance For Drug-Endangered Children

Living in an environment with drugs can have devastating consequences for children. In this episode, we learn about the work of the Tennessee Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children from Tabatha Curtis with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and Amy Coble, State Director of Investigations for the Tennessee Department of Children's Services.
Judge Tim Brock, who presides over the state's only family drug court and one of the state's first safe baby courts, explores how agencies and the courts work together to protect children when a caregiver is struggling with addiction.

Produced by Nick Morgan

Transcript

00;00;01;24 - 00;00;24;05
Host
Welcome to Tennessee Court Talk. I'm your host, Barbara Peck. This episode is intended for all audiences and is a collaboration with the Tennessee Judicial Opioid Initiative. Today, we are discussing the impact of the opioid and drug addiction crisis on children. All three of our guests work tirelessly every day to protect Tennessee children. Our first guest is Tabitha Curtis.

00;00;24;08 - 00;00;46;04
Host
She is with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and is a statewide coordinator for the Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. Our second guest is Amy Campbell. She is the state director of investigations for the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, and is also a partner with the Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. Our third guest is Judge Tim Brock, a general sessions and juvenile judge in Coffey County.

00;00;46;06 - 00;01;06;22
Host
He presides over the state's only family drug court and is one of the state's first safe baby courts. So welcome everybody. Thank you. Good to be here. So let's jump in and talk about the Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. The alliance was originally founded in 2006 with a focus on assisting children who were found living in homes where meth was being made.

00;01;06;25 - 00;01;18;08
Host
As the meth crisis changed, the alliance became less active until recently. So, Tabitha, tell us a little bit about what trends you were seeing that reactivated or inspired the alliance to get going again.

00;01;18;10 - 00;01;31;01
Tabitha Curtis
Well, the alliance was established in 2006 due to the meth crisis, but over the years, because there was no capacity and there was no sustainability through funding, the alliance just kind of faded out.

00;01;31;04 - 00;01;59;07
Tabitha Curtis
But as the opioid epidemic and the federal funding, it all became more available. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and Tennessee Dangerous Drug Task Force reactivated the alliance and applied for a grant. And we received a grant through the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention. And it was $1 million grant for a three year period. This year, in this first year is our planning phase, and probably beginning in October, we will start our implementation phase.

00;01;59;09 - 00;02;19;25
Tabitha Curtis
But because of the funding available to fight the opioid epidemic and to work with children and families, we were able to reactivate the alliance and, and have things going more in a forward position. However, our advisory board was always still meeting and working together. We just didn't have any funding to move us forward.

00;02;19;28 - 00;02;24;27
Host
And Amy, tell us about was DCS excited to hear the alliance was going to get re-energized?

00;02;25;00 - 00;02;42;14
Amy Campbell
Absolutely. I became a part of the Alliance about four years ago. And since that time, it has really impacted a lot of the work that we've been doing across the state. And it's also given us the opportunity to look at different ways and strategies that we could help families with their substance use disorders.

00;02;42;17 - 00;02;47;05
Host
Let's talk a second about what dangers there are for children who are living in an environment with drugs.

00;02;47;08 - 00;03;14;02
Amy Campbell
Sure. So just so you know, we had in 2018, over 56,000 cases that were called into the Department for drug exposure, child allegation, which is a significant number for children that are in the community. So the safety and risk to children who are exposed is really, really high because drugs affect their the parent's ability to parent first of all, and then it affects them in a way that they cannot, can no longer provide a safe and nurturing home.

00;03;14;03 - 00;03;37;07
Amy Campbell
So that's concerning for us in that in that capacity. Also, we also find that drug use in homes contributes to a lot of the mental health, physical disabilities and also there's a lot of domestic violence issues that come along with that particular, those particular allegations. So any of those children who are exposed to drugs are generally at high risk for any type of physical or emotional issues.

00;03;37;09 - 00;03;47;21
Amy Campbell
They're also at greater risk for suffering from addiction issues later. So we wanted to make sure that we address the issue early on so that we can we can have better outcomes for these children.

00;03;47;28 - 00;03;51;06
Host
Judge Brock what kind of impact has the opioid crisis had on courts?

00;03;51;10 - 00;04;18;04
Judge Brock
It has had a tremendous impact in not just the opioid crisis. But since I became, came on the bench in 1990, drug abuse, alcohol abuse has been, probably the most significant factor in in all of the cases that we see, ranging from our civil docket through our criminal docket, particularly with, capacity to work and child welfare dockets and child custody dockets.

00;04;18;07 - 00;04;48;27
Judge Brock
Right. It began with the cocaine crisis in the 90s and changed to the methamphetamine crisis, in the 2000. In that, it evolved into the opioid crisis. For the last, 8 to 10 years. And that's changing again into, a new methamphetamine crisis, kind of like your your newer, better, more intense methamphetamine. That's been laced with fentanyl and other opioids.

00;04;48;29 - 00;05;04;29
Judge Brock
So it's, it's a constantly moving crisis. But the one thing that's consistent is that it has been a crisis for the 29 years that I've been on the bench. And it's it's had devastating effects for families and children who are being parents by parents who are addicted.

00;05;05;02 - 00;05;10;16
Host
What sort of issues do you see with parents who have drug addiction and their relationship with their children?

00;05;10;18 - 00;05;37;05
Judge Brock
We go back to the nature of addiction. You know, addiction is a chronic, brain disease. And what it does to the brain, and, and it affects the ability, of a person, to use sound and good judgment. It literally changes your brain chemistry and prevents you from making those, giving you the ability to make, those, good judgment decisions.

00;05;37;12 - 00;05;59;12
Judge Brock
So, almost by definition, someone who's addicted to this substance or these substances has, does not have the ability to make, make good decisions to parent a child. So, and it's particularly acute with infants when you're, when you're having to constantly care for a child. So it's it's it's it begins with the nature of the disease itself.

00;05;59;14 - 00;06;04;18
Host
And what are some of the biggest misconceptions about identifying drug and danger children,

00;06;04;20 - 00;06;26;25
Tabitha Curtis
Tabitha? in my opinion for that, I would think that they all come from a certain socioeconomic background, that they're growing up in these impoverished homes and, uneducated parents and so forth. And that is not necessarily the case, especially with the opioid crisis. We've seen it through every socioeconomic background, and it can be any kind of parent.

00;06;26;27 - 00;06;37;26
Tabitha Curtis
It could be your, mom grabbing the mom van to soccer practice or the basketball coach or whomever that this, opiate opioid crisis has affected all

00;06;37;26 - 00;06;43;14
Host
backgrounds. And, Amy, what do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions of identifying these children are actually,

00;06;43;14 - 00;06;50;11
Amy Campbell
I have to agree with with Tabatha, it is that stigma that this comes from poverty stricken families, and that's not necessarily the case anymore.

00;06;50;16 - 00;07;05;15
Amy Campbell
Even it's not just the opioid crisis, but, all types of drugs. We've seen a lot of drug use with a lot of different types of families. And so it's not just hitting the poverty stricken families anymore. It is definitely a crisis amongst all socioeconomic status of people.

00;07;05;19 - 00;07;09;05
Host
So why is it so important that there's a coordinated response?

00;07;09;08 - 00;07;28;22
Tabitha Curtis
Well, that would be to have a coordinated response. That's where you have all your multiple disciplines working together. It's not just people working in their silos anymore. It's not just saying it's the responsibility of DCS to take care of these children. Although, you know, they are the experts in the case, I feel like. But it's everyone working together to benefit the children.

00;07;28;24 - 00;07;51;11
Tabitha Curtis
In other words, it's the village. It's your law enforcement, it's DCS, it's your substance abuse prevention coalitions, it's judicial, it's treatment, it's recovery. Having everyone working together to build a safety net for these children and to provide wraparound services for the families, because we know if a parent or guardian has a substance abuse issue, it not only impacts them, but impacts the entire family.

00;07;51;16 - 00;08;11;08
Amy Campbell
One of the things that we're finding is that with this collaboration that we're establishing, we are finding that we are identifying the concerns faster with these families. And so therefore, we're able to get the services to them faster and have better outcomes. And so I feel like what Tabitha's talking about, the multidisciplinary approach that is very significant in the work that we're doing across the state with all different communities.

00;08;11;10 - 00;08;24;12
Amy Campbell
The reason that that's also impactful is because every community is very unique. So you have to have every partner willing to come to the table and discuss what strategies they need to use in order to better meet the outcomes of the families in that community.

00;08;24;17 - 00;08;31;24
Host
One of the things Alliance is really trying to do is provide education. What kind of partners are you looking for and who are you trying to educate on this issue?

00;08;31;26 - 00;08;58;16
Tabitha Curtis
Everyone, everyone in the entire state, in the communities, in as Amy just said, every community is different. And we have been providing training, since January. And since January, we have trained over 618 people. And that is what our discipline that is from law enforcement to teacher in services to DCS, to, your guidance counselors, everyone, anyone that invites us out.

00;08;58;19 - 00;09;21;00
Tabitha Curtis
We are there to provide that training, and we, we are building on that training by using our substance abuse coalitions across the state because they are the hub, or should be the hub in their community. And they already have those people at the table to build that capacity. Typically they would already have DCS at their table sitting there in law enforcement.

00;09;21;02 - 00;09;28;27
Tabitha Curtis
And by using them, you don't have to go in and recreate the will. You've already got it there, and you don't waste a lot of time trying to build that bridge.

00;09;28;28 - 00;09;35;27
Host
What is the goal? The training you're trying to have partners like help identify these children or what? What are you training them on?

00;09;36;04 - 00;09;57;20
Tabitha Curtis
Well, first of all, you're training them on the awareness. Part of it is the drug trends. That's a big part of it. And I know Amy and I have been working probably for the past two years, and I would go in and work with her and doing some of her trainings across the state. But when she brings me and we go in and do drug, trans drug awareness of this, issues of the environmental chaos of these kids are growing up in the like.

00;09;57;20 - 00;10;24;06
Tabitha Curtis
As Amy said, the domestic violence, the lack of necessities, just letting people know of what what's happening in these homes where these, children are growing up and and then training them on. How can we all work together? What can we share? I'm better because you're better, you know, just sharing our resources and helping each other, whether it be law enforcement and, you know, they're usually the first responders there at the, at the, homes. And then having DCFs come in

00;10;24;10 - 00;10;44;23
Tabitha Curtis
and having that communication again, developing a timeline, talking to teachers and sharing with them, you know, signs to look for and talking about the necessity of mandatory reporting, you know, if and all across, not just teachers, but everyone across the counties and within the cities about the mandatory reporting. You know, don't just turn your head.

00;10;44;25 - 00;10;49;20
Tabitha Curtis
You know, it's important to you can't be, investigated if it's not reported.

00;10;49;22 - 00;10;51;14
Host
And what kind of reports are you seeing?

00;10;51;16 - 00;11;14;17
Amy Campbell
We have seen an abundance of reports, especially in our school systems. And we, of course, see trends when the school begins and when school ends. However, I do want to touch a little bit about the education piece and how we are working, how the Department of Social Services is working with many, many people to establish an educational workshop for all of the community partners.

00;11;14;22 - 00;11;31;25
Amy Campbell
So over the last two years, I, along with a team of people have been going out. Tabitha is one of them. And we've been we've created a workshop where we talk about information about how addiction affects the brain. We talk with someone who gives a personal testimony, as well as how this all ties back into child welfare.

00;11;31;27 - 00;11;51;01
Amy Campbell
This has been significantly important in the rural communities. As we're going out in those rural communities, we have a lot of, those communities who have no sense of of what their addiction issue is in the community, what the drug epidemic is in their community. And we're finding that with this education piece that it's a real it's a real eye opener for them.

00;11;51;01 - 00;11;56;22
Amy Campbell
So that they can understand what this means in their community and how they need to report that to the department,

00;11;56;24 - 00;12;00;21
Host
and what resources are available to the partners that you're training.

00;12;00;23 - 00;12;11;25
Amy Campbell
Absolutely. So anytime that there is a concern for, drug exposed child in a home, then we ask everybody in the community to, as Tabitha were talking about, it's mandatory reporting.

00;12;11;25 - 00;12;32;19
Amy Campbell
And so they would need to notify the Department of Children's Services. And there's 1-800 number for that. It's (877) 237-0004. Also in conjunction with that, we also want them to contact law enforcement. So at the same time that law enforcement response, which we are working on, coordinated efforts with law enforcement as well, so that not only do they respond, but the department responds with them

00;12;32;26 - 00;12;36;23
Amy Campbell
And Judge Brock, When does a court system get involved with drug exposed children?

00;12;36;26 - 00;12;58;04
Judge Brock
The court system officially gets involved once a, a petition has been filed by the Department of Human Services or in some cases by, family member or friend or someone with knowledge of the particular circumstances of a child. So, upon the filing of a petition, the court is, is officially involved at that point.

00;12;58;06 - 00;13;03;05
Host
And what's happening, Amy, before that, petitions filed, what sort of work is DCS doing in advance?

00;13;03;11 - 00;13;22;14
Amy Campbell
So we would open up an investigation and we would start our investigation and collect as much evidence as we possibly can. And once we make that determination that the child needs either legal action or to be brought in the Department of Children's Services custody, we're also providing services at the same time. So there's should not be a lapse in services and or legal involvement at that point.

00;13;22;16 - 00;13;38;20
Tabitha Curtis
Barbara, that's one of the things that we're providing in our training is for law enforcement and others, is to assist DCS. And when they're they are on the scene is how to identify children and signs of children and the collection of evidence that it would be useful to help them to build their case.

00;13;38;23 - 00;13;43;01
Host
How are you using community based partnerships to expand your reach and mission?

00;13;43;03 - 00;14;50;14
Tabitha Curtis
Well, again, that's where we're going, out and using the substance abuse prevention coalitions because they should have the sectors at their table, including your faith based organizations, your health care, your judicial, DCS. And our goal is to establish six. That is what our grant funding is for. Six, response or action teams across the state. And in doing that, that is using those community partners to to collaborate together and to provide wraparound services for these families. Again, it may be that, you know, working with the judges that, okay, this is a family that needs to have this parent into treatment, but we also need to be talking to DCS and talking about, you know, what do these children need? What is the plan for them? You know, where do we need to do whatever it takes to make sure that that child is being rescued from the environment that they're currently in? Looking at the coalitions and having, someone there that can coordinate these services for these families, it may be that the children are needing, you know, to have shoes or clothing or it may, you know, they don't have the school supplies and things, but providing whatever that child needs to make sure that they're going to be successful.

00;14;50;17 - 00;14;54;00
Host
So let's talk a little about wraparound services. What exactly is that?

00;14;54;00 - 00;15;10;09
Tabitha Curtis
Wraparound services would be meeting all needs of the child, whether it be that they may need mental health, assessment or treatment. It may be that they need, you know, like personal hygiene products. It may need that school, you know, just providing a component to what that child needs.

00;15;10;12 - 00;15;26;26
Amy Campbell
Yeah. And I would say looking at each individual child in their need, you know, sometimes people think of cookie cutter things and that's okay. But when you go into each individual family, there are specific things that they need. And those children, they will let you know as soon as you have intervention with them. They're going to let you know what that is.

00;15;26;28 - 00;15;58;05
Amy Campbell
Particularly. Also, we need to think about working with these relatives that are taking the children and, you know, it used to be a scary thing when the department got involved, but no longer, because one of the exciting things is that the department has a lot of opportunity to offer great services to families. If we coordinate this really well, we can actually help that child, that family, even if the child isn't returned to the parent, if that caretaker has enough support systems in place, they can successfully help this child all the way to their adulthood, which is an exciting time for the department to be able to say that.

00;15;58;09 - 00;16;05;00
Host
What should you do if you have an adult child who has their own children, who you suspect are being drug exposed If you're a relative?

00;16;05;03 - 00;16;25;10
Amy Campbell
You should automatically report that to the Department of Children's Services. I do know there are some families that can handle these situations on their own. I understand that they have, you know, good support systems in place. However, if there is any type of drug use that that you feel like is putting a child at risk or a safety, a safety to themselves, then that needs to be reported to the department.

00;16;25;16 - 00;16;50;11
Host
So what kind of legal issues arise when over time this sort of informal arrangement has has come about? So, for example, maybe the grandchildren are spending two days a week and then it's four days a week, and now all of a sudden we're very slowly, pretty much the grandparents have basically taken over guardianship of the kids, but nothing's been formalized. The department hasn't been involved. The court has involved what kind of issues come up then, Judge Brock?

00;16;50;13 - 00;17;44;02
Judge Brock
Well, the obvious issues are whether or not that person has authority to act on behalf of the child. Do you have the authority to consent to medical treatment to enroll the child in school? Those type of issues. So, I would encourage folks to address that early on and take action to get that authority. There are powers of attorney, and there are other there ways to do that that don't involve, court action. Of course, you can always come to court. And if you could show that this child was a neglected or dependent child, and the court would give you and you were the appropriate place to the court, give you authority to actually half of the child. But to do that preemptively, rather than waiting until a crisis occurs with the child. So, I would strongly encourage folks to do the people to do that, preemptively. Do not wait until that crisis occurs.

00;17;44;02 - 00;17;47;29
Host
So what happens when there is a crisis and they show up at your on your courtroom door?

00;17;48;04 - 00;18;37;29
Judge Brock
We have that occur quite frequently and they're not able to get medical treatment. They can't I will go back to when I get back to the office. I'm sure we will have several petitions filed, where people are not have not been able to get their children in the school, you know, school starting and they are raising their grandchildren or, you know, their friends of, raising their French children, and they're not able to enroll them in school, and they'll be at the courthouse or wanting an order. You know, you just can't give those orders out, without some, going through some process. They're not things that we just distribute. So it takes a little time to get those. You can't just have them issued immediately. Usually, unless there's an imminent risk of danger to a child. So, I would encourage people to, to to, act preemptively on that.

00;18;38;01 - 00;19;01;07
Host
Amy what happens when the. So I think people are scared when they feel like the Department of Children's Services is getting involved. So what is your advice? I think if you're a grandparent or an aunt or whoever and you're sort of informally arranged, you know, engage with a child, but you taking Judge Brock's advice need to formalize this relationship. But you're really nervous about making that initial call.

00;19;01;14 - 00;19;19;29
Amy Campbell
Sure. I think the face of the department has changed a lot over the last several years, and we have a better understanding of what substance use disorders are, how they are affecting families, and instead of being punitive or taking punitive action, which I think that's what most people felt back in the day, we are really taking a strengths based treatment approach with our families.

00;19;19;29 - 00;19;36;17
Amy Campbell
So I think that without with that being the case, that they need to understand that we are going to help them, we're going to identify services that we're going to help the family, help the child, and also provide the treatment that their their own child needs in order to be successful.

00;19;36;19 - 00;19;45;25
Host
And let's talk a little bit about safe baby courts and Family Drug Court Judge Brock. So why did you start a family drug court? And what was your goal with being one of the first safe baby court judges.

00;19;45;28 - 00;20;12;08
Judge Brock
At any one time in Tennessee, there between 89,000 children in foster care. Most of those children are foster fear because their parents, one or both of their parents, are addicts. That's the great majority of those cases. In addition to those cases, there are at least that many, probably substantially more children who are in the care of a relative or an acquaintance or friend.

00;20;12;10 - 00;20;48;05
Judge Brock
So the scope of this problem is enormous. And you're looking at cases between 75 and 85% of your child care for cases being addiction related. And you do the math. You can see the scope of the problem. And then I saw that in our courtroom each day. It was overwhelming. And, so safe baby courts and family treatment courts are a way to address, those that that elephant that's in the room, you know, family treatment courts, and safe baby courts, to some degree.

00;20;48;05 - 00;21;16;21
Judge Brock
So maybe courts are a little bit different. They deal with children 0 to 3. It's, not technically a recovery court, and it's a family court case, but because the population that you're addressing or or people who are addicted, you necessarily use those same principles. Recovery courts using the criminal justice setting are the best. We have the best program that's ever been created in the history of criminal justice programs.

00;21;16;23 - 00;21;41;24
Judge Brock
There's nothing that's ever worked, even close to the success rate of recovery courts. Family treatment courts use those same principles. And so it just made sense to me that if we're doing something and I've been involved in criminal court, drug recovery courts for quite some time, if we're doing something that's working well with folks who are addicted and I've seen it work, I've seen families put back together, I've seen people reclaim their lives.

00;21;41;24 - 00;22;01;05
Judge Brock
I've seen people become parents and brothers and sisters and and know I've seen it work time after time after time. So what? It's working there. I mean, let's take those same principles and let's use them in this child welfare setting. We still have the labors of the court, although we don't have jail as a, as a sanction that we would in criminal recovery court.

00;22;01;05 - 00;22;22;01
Judge Brock
But we do the motivation to, to to not lose your child, not, not have your parental rights terminated. That's a powerful motivation. So let's use that and let's use the family treatment court model and hopefully have some of the same success we've had in the criminal justice setting. And there are a lot of studies across the country that are showing you're having the same success.

00;22;22;02 - 00;23;08;22
Judge Brock
It's it's become one of the most effective, civil justice programs in the history of civil justice programs. And so we take some of those same principles, and we and we kind of overlay that on the safe baby court, which is a collaborative effort between the the Department of Children Services, Department of Mental Health, the substance be services, administrative office of the courts in juvenile courts, to address those issues, to reunify children with their parents where possible. But the overall goal being, placing a child in a permanent safe home, hopefully with their natural biological parents. But if not, with another, with someone else. 
 and almost all of the children or literally all of the children in,

00;23;08;22 - 00;23;11;27
Host
Safe Baby Court are drug exposed children.

00;23;12;00 - 00;23;23;23
Judge Brock
All of them in our site. Baby court is enough for my anecdotal conversations with other judges. And and you probably have some situations, but I would say 95 to 99% of them are in fall into that category.

00;23;23;26 - 00;23;27;18
Host
So Safe Baby courts are fairly new to Tennessee. Amy, how is the department using them?

00;23;27;18 - 00;23;44;19
Amy Campbell
We are implemented in five counties, and we have another six counties that we're going to have up and going. The department is using them for early intervention with families so that we can help them identify early on the services if they need to keep them in a healthy environment.

00;23;44;26 - 00;24;08;09
Amy Campbell
And sometimes that place in the child with other relatives, as the judge was talking about, sometimes it's keeping the child in the family home and providing services and all the wraparound services that we can to keep that child in that home environment. So I also think that it was a baby, of course, our great way, because, a great way for families to identify exactly what they need, but they're also being held accountable.

00;24;08;09 - 00;24;25;04
Amy Campbell
So the more that they go in front of a judge and they see the judge praises them for their accomplishments, that praise sends a significant message to those particular family members, and they are very proud of themselves. And you can see it in their face and you can see the outcomes.

00;24;25;06 - 00;24;32;22
Host
One of the things that we teach in our education and awareness is it's never too early to intervene, but it's never too late as well.

00;24;32;25 - 00;24;47;20
Tabitha Curtis
And, you know, I think we see that with the safe baby cohort, you know, that early intervention and the impact that it can have, of course, as these children grow in these environments, if there's not been any intervention, we know the emotional, and complex, issues that they have.

00;24;47;24 - 00;24;56;03
Host
Let's talk a little bit more about the alliance. So what if a school district or, you know, coaches want to learn more? What do they do? Tabitha.

00;24;56;05 - 00;25;15;21
Tabitha Curtis
They can contact us, at the Tennessee Dangerous Drug Task Force. And, we will try to fit them in our schedule. We've never had to turn anyone down as of yet. But as we continue to create our awareness and, sustainability of the alliance across the state, I'm sure we will continue to have, additional request.

00;25;15;23 - 00;25;39;01
Tabitha Curtis
But so far, we have not had any reason to turn anyone down and would love to train as many people and share the collaboration and the possibility of collaborating resources within your own community. Again, with all eyes in a community, in every community looking a little bit different, you know, and we encourage everyone when they do have like trainings that they bring a multi-discipline, you know, bring someone to the table.

00;25;39;01 - 00;25;58;19
Tabitha Curtis
So everyone's hearing the same thing and it can have a domino effect that you can go out and share what you've just learned with the others and say, we can do this. We can be there for our kids. Whether it's, establishing a handle with care program between your law enforcement and your schools, you know, letting them to know to handle that child with care today because of a situation that might have happened in the home last night.

00;25;58;22 - 00;26;07;08
Tabitha Curtis
It's not as much about sharing the information again, but it's just letting, the educators, law enforcement, everyone be aware of the situations

00;26;07;10 - 00;26;13;17
Host
and what can they expect when they sign up for a training or they contact you? How long is the training and what do they what should they expect?

00;26;13;21 - 00;26;36;17
Tabitha Curtis
We can do a training anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes to an all day training. It depends on exactly what your community is wanting, and it depends on if our partners are available to join with us that day. But typically they're going to get drug, drug training, training and drug and danger children awareness. And they're also going to get department Children services coming along. Walk with us to share their information and what they can provide.

00;26;36;17 - 00;27;17;00
Tabitha Curtis
Again, as Amy said, the face of DCS is is changing over the the few years in the time that Amy and I've worked together, you know, we're going in as a team, we're going in to say we're here to help. We're, you know, we're here to, you know, give you a hand, to help you get into treatment, to help you to maintain recovery, sharing information, like with the Tennessee Lost miners, who were funded through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, assisting them into treatment, being there to share their resources for recovery meetings after they come out of treatment, being there to work with, you know, the family resource centers or the child advocacy centers working together for those children.

00;27;17;03 - 00;27;26;23
Host
And so Judge Brock, what can judges do to help drug exposed children? Should they be asking if there's children in the home every time a case is suspected of drugs?

00;27;26;26 - 00;27;51;25
Judge Brock
Well, I think one thing judges can do is to become educated about the nature of addiction. And and because if you don't understand that process, it's difficult to, it's difficult to move the case around in a way that, that, that, that fosters, rehabilitation. And, and the parents efforts, to, to come to, to get their chronic disease under control.

00;27;51;25 - 00;28;17;11
Judge Brock
So education is important. And I think we're doing a good job of that. We need to continue to do that, as well. Judges need to ask questions. You need to, you know, just need to understand that, you know, when, when you have custody cases, when you have, even some children services, petitions that may not have, alleged drug abuse.

00;28;17;11 - 00;28;37;15
Judge Brock
Sometimes you may want to ask some questions. There are red flags, with, you know, mental health issues and drug abuse issues go hand in hand. Domestic violence issues, drug abuse, alcoholism, it goes hand in hand. So sometimes you need to ask some more questions. You may need to say, well, maybe we need to have an assessment done for this.

00;28;37;18 - 00;28;47;12
Judge Brock
So I think to ask questions, be aware of the circumstances in which these issues come up and educate yourself on on how to properly respond to them.

00;28;47;14 - 00;28;49;24
Host
Can judges make a referral? DCS

00;28;49;24 - 00;28;56;23
Judge Brock
Yes we do it all the time. We have standard form orders. And I make multiple referrals each week.

00;28;56;25 - 00;29;04;24
Host
Amy, let's say it again, because I don't feel like we can say enough times, what should someone do if they suspect a child has been exposed to drugs or is living in a home with drugs?

00;29;04;26 - 00;29;13;05
Amy Campbell
You need to go ahead and call that into the child abuse hotline. And as soon as they have this information in 1-877-237-0004. Thank you.

00;29;13;05 - 00;29;17;07
Host
And thank you all for being a guest on Tennessee Court Talk today. Thank you, thank you. You.