Training conference sheds light on drug and family court proceedings

Anyone entering the Malden Community Center late Wednesday afternoon may have been taken aback at the overpowering sweet smell of "weed" -- marijuana. However, there was no evidence of a drug bust in progress. The odor was the result of a controlled marijuana burn, part of the training 150 juvenile officers, Children's Division staff, foster parents, attorneys, DAEOC staff, school counselors, social workers, visiting nurses and judges underwent during the day-long Child Abuse and Neglect Conference, sponsored by the 35th Judicial Circuit, which covers Stoddard and Dunklin Counties.

Mike Davis, chief juvenile officer for both counties, coordinated the event and proposed Kathy Sweeney as the keynote speaker because of her previous reporting on juvenile court issues.

"We wanted to do something different -- Show there's something good to report on the evening news. Kathy (Sweeney) reported a story awhile back in which the juvenile office took some hits," recalled Davis. "I thought this (conference) would be an opportunity to bring something positive to those who work with kids."

In responding to Davis's invitation, Sweeney said the conference "had the opportunity to show something well worth reporting."

Sweeney told a little about herself, how she got into television news reporting but, more importantly in relation to the conference, how it took 19 years in the business before she reported on the juvenile court system. She reported on a Stoddard County assault case.

"The biggest complaint we get," noted Sweeney, "is why we report only bad news. People say, 'It must be a slow news day if we come to Malden, Bloomfield or wherever we might be.' It boils down to the need for information for an accurate story."

Sweeney said the station gets more and more press releases involving children. "We don't hear about the successful conclusion to those cases," she said. "When I got involved with the drug court I wished everyone knew more about the successes in the drug court system."

Sweeney reported on a story in July of this year and it was the first time the (32nd Circuit) Drug Court allowed her to interview some of the clients. Sweeney showed portions of that interview with "Lydia" and the positive impact the Family Drug Court had on her life and that of her 2-year-old son.

"Children are impacted by the change they see in their parents," Sweeney noted.

She admitted that up to that point she'd not had much experience with positive stories relating to the subject. Through her personal experiences, along with discussions with Davis, Sweeney recently prepared a two-part series about the Family Court system. Part I, airing at 5 p.m. Thursday night, has Davis, Andrea Cleeton, court improvement coordinator, and Tommy Campbell, Dunklin County juvenile officer, sharing statistics, the kinds of problems they encountered in the past and why. Part II on Friday night explains the court's team approach and how it has increased the number of children reunited with parents, and with fewer children remaining in foster care. The report shows how "everyone shares information now and keeps parents in the loop" which resolves the two biggest problems encountered in the past -- lack of communication and duplication of services. The program also helps ease the frustration of many brought into the system through their own activities or those of family members.

"We still have the statistics, but the mother we interviewed (Trina McDaniel) makes the story," Sweeney noted.

She said it's "tough" to interview children in these situations but invited those present to contact her if they had suggestions for similar stories.

Davis said ealier that those attending were a diverse group with a diverse agenda. The focus of the conference was to show how the collaboration between the juvenile office, children's division and the drug court has improved outcomes for children thrown into the court system through drug abuse (theirs or their parents') or neglect.

Andrea Cleeton, Fostering Court Improvement coordinator, explained that there are 10 circuits in the program.

"We're fostering court improvement in child welfare. By keeping each other abreast of proceedings, we've found childen move through the system more quickly and efficiently," said Cleeton. The "each other" she refers to is the juvenile office, children's division and Family Drug (Treatment) Court, all collaborators in the Fostering Court Improvement program.

Paula Hendrix, drug court specialist for circuit courts on the eastern side of the state, commented that the 35th Judicial Circuit has one of the better Family Treatment Courts. The Honorable Phillip Britt is the drug court commssioner, or judge.

"He (Britt) has one of the more successful programs," said Hendrix. Speaking of her own role at the conference, she said, "We're here to instruct them about the Fostering Court Improvement (FCI) program and Family Treatment Court -- what's available and what can be done."

Davis emphasized that FCI began as a simple collaboration between agencies. "We began without any extra staff or equipment," he said. "This program will work even if personalities and politics don't agree. We've even had to do better with less."

Commissioner Britt offered a brief history of Family Drug Court, saying that his court started in 2004. While it serves the 35th Circuit, it only operates in Dunklin County.

"Unlike sending people to jail, we get very involved in each individual case. We have to get more involved to get them (the addicts) to buy into the program," said Britt. "Collaborating with foster care, FCI, children's division and juvenile office, we pull services together."

Notice, Britt's role is not as a drug court, or criminal, judge, but as one who oversees treatment. Family Treatment Court emphasizes treatment, not punishment, for those adults affected by drugs (and their children, who usually spend time in foster care). The FTC provides a comprehensive and judicially monitored program of treatment counseling, drug testing and anciliary services, which holds the participant accountable for his or her actions, while encouraging positive, life-changing behaviors.

The primary gal of the FTC is to enable participants to become responsible parents and productive members of the community. While the main treatment focus is on substance abuse, the program also addresses education, employment, anger, and family and parenting issues.

When individual goals are achieved, the FTC is successful in meeting the community's goals such as safe and healthy children, enhanced community safety, a more productive work force, and a reduced impact on social service and court resources.

"Most parents in the program want to be able to take care of their children, but first they must learn to take care of themselves," reads a pamphlet distributed at the conference. "This is their chance to change their direction and make a better life for themselves and their children."

That controlled marijuana burn? Davis said its purpose and that of a "shake and bake" meth lab set up for the conference was to educate everyone there on what to expect where drug activity is occurring so they can qualify as witnesses in court.