Deepening Our Understanding of Drug Court Impact: The Importance of Client Perspectives

• In Event: Missing Voices, Missed Opportunities: What Clients Teach Us About Drug Court

Abstract

Drug courts have enjoyed a great deal of empirical support for their effectiveness in reducing relapse and recidivism among people with substance use problems. However, research on drug court client perspectives remains limited, despite the direct impact these programs have on participants' lives. Understanding how clients experience their drug court participation, and the barriers and facilitators to success from the viewpoint of participants, helps to tailor drug court services to client needs and improve outcomes. Informed by the patient preference literature in behavioral health treatment, this paper highlights the importance of assessing client perspectives about their experiences in drug court and using such data to adjust and improve the operations and services of the drug court. The lived experiences of drug court clients can inform policy and practice, and their voices can contribute to more effective interventions and improved health- and justice-related outcomes for drug court clients.

Authors

• Steven Belenko, Temple University

• Jennifer Stanley, Temple University