FAMILY TREATMENT COURTS
What is a Family Treatment Court?
As a direct result of WV’s drug epidemic and the substantial increase in abuse and neglect cases, the state began to explore specialty treatment courts. House Bill 3057 in 2019, codified as § 62-15B-1(d)(4), permitted the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (“the Court”) to create and implement a Family Treatment Court (“FTC”) pilot program in at least four counties. After the regular 2021 legislative session, Governor Justice signed House Bill 2918 into law to make the Family Drug Treatment Court Program permanent and to eliminate the ineligibility barrier for parents with a prior involuntary termination of parental rights of another child.
The West Virginia Family Treatment Courts are a cooperative effort of the Circuit Court, Child Protective Services, substance use treatment providers, and other professionals involved in the welfare of children in the foster care system. These courts are a proven, evidence-based intervention designed to break the cycle of parental substance use disorder and child welfare involvement. FTCs integrate judicial oversight, structured treatment, and family-centered support services to help parents achieve long-term recovery while working toward the safe reunification of their children.
The goals of FTC are to assist parents with accessing substance abuse treatment in a timelier manner, returning children home and reunifying them at a potentially faster rate than traditional abuse and neglect court proceedings, and ensure fewer children experience subsequent maltreatment and re-entry to foster care.