Improving lives and outcomes through innovation, evidence, and equity

The Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, an initiative of the Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court, aims to bring innovative, evidence-based, and equitable interventions to Specialty Courts and related settings.

Community Members

Learn More About MA Specialty Courts

Practitioners

Resources for Your Work

In the Spotlight

Dara Drawbridge, PhD, Elena Munzell, MS, Amy Thornton, BS & Brian Daly, MD

Online Training Series, Incentives, Sanctions & Service Adjustments: Part 1 & Part 2

This two-part series provides an overview of Standard 4. Incentives, Sanctions, and Service Adjustments released by All Rise in 2024. At the end of this series, you will achieve an increased awareness of the standard’s scope and enhanced knowledge of its application to Massachusetts Treatment Courts. This training is brought to you by the Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts and the Training for Recovery & Engagement in Addiction Treatment (TREAT) Training Initiative.

To access the course, please register for the practitioner portal, visit our registration page here.

Dara Drawbridge, PhD

Dara Drawbridge, PhD

Alexis Balkey, MA

Elena Munzell, MS

Alexis Balkey, MA

Amy Thornton, BS

Arielle Andrews, BA

Brian Daly, MD

Dara Drawbridge & Jinnia Baiye

2024 Shannon Community Safety Initiative’s Local Action Research Partnership

Dr. Dara Drawbridge and Jinnia Baiye are funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s FY24 Shannon Community Safety Initiative to continue their work with Fitchburg, Gardner, and Leominster’s Tri-City Partnership as the Local Action Research Partner. The award provides funding to support the partnership in prevention and intervention efforts that address gangs and youth violence. In FY24, Dara and Jinnia will be joined by Alix Barry. The team will lead the initial piloting of the first-ever Tri-City Partnership’s Young Adult Advisory Board. The Young Adult Advisory Board (YAAB) will be comprised of a diverse group of young people between the ages of 18- 24 years who currently or previously lived in Fitchburg, Gardner, and Leominster areas and may have participated in the Tri-City Partnership’s Shannon-funded programming. The YAAB’s mission is to build an inclusive space where young people have an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and provide input on the programmatic activities, policies, and strategies of the Tri-City Partnership and the wider communities in which they live.

Read more about the Shannon Community Safety Initiative here.

Abigail M. Judge, Ph.D.

Dara Drawbridge

Katie Bryce

Jinnia Baiye

Amy Farrell, Ph.D.

Alix Barry

Training for Recovery & Engagement in
Addiction Treatment (T.R.E.A.T) Initiative

DPH and Trial Court Seals

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS), in collaboration with its partners, the Massachusetts Executive Office of the Trial Court, the New England Association of Recovery Court Professionals, AdCare Educational Institute, and the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Commonwealth Medicine received funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance under its Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant program, to fund a three-year training and technical assistance (TTA) initiative, the Recovery and Veterans Court TREAT Initiative – “Training for Recovery & Engagement in Addiction Treatment.”

The goal of this initiative is to strengthen the capacity of court clinicians and treatment providers working with specialty courts, with a focus on Massachusetts Adult Drug Courts and Veterans Treatment Courts.

Interested in learning more?