Juvenile Drug Court Reduces Substance Abuse and Crime

Drug Court is Now a Free Alternative for Youth in Seminole County

The mission of the Seminole County Juvenile Drug Court is to reduce substance abuse and juvenile crime, and increase public safety by providing an alternative to the normal judicial process in delinquency cases.

For the first time in nearly a decade, youth in Seminole County Drug Court will have the opportunity to receive a free alternative to sustaining a delinquency record. The focus of Florida policymakers on mental health and substance abuse has recently developed to look at the whole picture. “They’re understanding the impact on the courts…the child welfare system…and the health care system,” Executive Director of Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, Mark Fontaine says.

With the support of Representative Brodeur, Representative Cortes, and Seminole County Commissioner Carey, $260,000 has been dedicated to The Grove Counseling Center.

The program begins with the State Attorney’s Office initiating the process. The Grove then intervenes in cases and offers services to help the youth transition into a healthy lifestyle and greatly reduce the chance of a youth re-entering the system. Through specialized substance abuse support, a family unit is strengthened and opportunities to seek employment result.

“Thanks to this program our home and lives are in a much more harmonious space with love and laughter,” explains a mother of a fourteen year old boy who graduated the program. A youth will not be weighed down with a record, but instead have the chance to focus on school and his or her vision of a better life.

Group therapy, individual counseling, and family sessions are part of each phase at no cost to the family.

The Grove Counseling Center is a Central Florida nonprofit built from the community’s need for services. A focus on those living with a mental and suffering from substance abuse allows The Grove to enhance the ability of many individuals and families to succeed in life. Those served come across many hurdles and the top priority for any human service organization is to make the necessary treatment available for all those who seek it.