S.J. County Superior Court tests mental health screening for repeat DUI offenders

July 15--People charged with driving under the influence who are repeat offenders may be facing another battle with mental health and substance abuse rather than solely breaking the law.

It is with this consideration that a pilot program will begin with the San Joaquin Superior Court to do mental health screening with repeat DUI offenders.

The San Joaquin Superior Court's Collaborative Courts Department has been selected by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (responsibility.org) and the Division on Addiction, Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, as one of six pilot sites in the nation to use a mental health screening tool with repeat DUI offenders. The tool, called the "Computerized Assessment and Referral System (CARS)," was developed by the Division on Addiction at the Cambridge Health Alliance with funding from Responsibility.org.

"When choosing pilot sites for the CARS program, San Joaquin was an obvious choice," said Ralph Blackman, president and CEO of Responsibility.org. "The Superior Court's DUI Court Program is committed to stopping repeat offenders, identifying individuals' different needs and risks and customizing supervision, sanctions and treatment to effectively influence behavior change. We are grateful San Joaquin agreed to participate in the CARS pilot program, and I know we can make great progress together."

Collaborative Courts case manager and substance abuse counselors will perform the screenings on repeat offenders sentenced to DUI to figure out if those offenders show signs of mental health disorders, according to the San Joaquin County Superior Court. The court will use this information to make informed decisions and referrals to mental health services.

Research shows that mental health disorders are common among people with addiction issues and can affect the success of substance abuse treatment, the court said.

"Substance abuse disorder is a difficult disease to overcome in itself, and when you add mental health disorders, the fight for sobriety is infinitely more challenging," said Helen Ellis, Collaborative Courts Manager. "We are pleased to have been selected to pilot a tool we believe will be instrumental in addressing core issues that will lead to more effective results."

The reasons why a person drives drunk can be complex so the CARS tool helps the courts take more targeted approaches to the issue, Blackman said. The six pilots sites including the San Joaquin Superior Court will be the first in the country to integrate the tool with existing programs, he said. The hope is to expand the screening nationwide.

"Every step we take in learning more about repeat drunk driving offenders is a step closer to saving more lives on our nation's highways, and we look forward to the insight we'll gain from San Joaquin's participation," Blackman said.

As the county moves to introduce this new program, it has also been ranked one of the best ranked counties by Office of Traffic Safety with fewer number of victims of fatal and injury collisions as well as alcohol-related collisions. The city of Stockton, which had been ranked one of the worst for these collisions is now one of the best ranked in the state.

Collaborative courts use many different tools and assessments to identify risk factors, needs and treatment options for participants who are referred to services in the community with the intention of reducing the number of repeat DUI offenses.

Contact reporter Christina Cornejo at christinac@lodi news.com.

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