In response to the need for effective drug court interventions, this article reports on the effectiveness of the Engaging Moms Program (EMP) versus Intensive Case Management Services (ICMS) on multiple outcomes for mothers enrolled in family drug court.
In this intent-to-treat study, mothers ( N - 62) were randomly assigned to either usual drug court care or the Engaging Moms (EMP) drug court program. Mothers were assessed at intake and 3, 6, 12, and 18 months following intake. Results indicated that at 18 months post drug court enrollment, 77 percent of mothers assigned to EMP compared to 55 percent of mothers assigned to ICMS had positive child welfare dispositions. There were statistically significant time effects for both intervention groups on multiple outcomes, including substance use, mental health, parenting practices, and family functioning. EMP showed equal or better improvement than ICMS on all outcomes. The results suggest that EMP in family drug court is a viable and promising intervention approach to reduce maternal addiction and child maltreatment. 63 references (publisher abstract modified)