Understanding TASC

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Understanding TASC

• Marc Harrington, LPC, LCASI
• Case Developer
• Region 4 TASC
• mharrington_at_nctasc.org
• 828 779-1621
• Robin Cuellar, CCJP, CSAC
• Buncombe County Director
• rcuellar_at_nctasc.org
• 828-210-0540

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Understanding TASC

• What is TASC
• TASC in North Carolina
• 13 Critical Elements

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What is TASC?

• The purpose of TASC is to engage persons referred
  by the justice system in Substance abuse
  treatment and other services, and to collaborate
  with both justice and treatment to ensure that
  appropriate and adequate services are available
  for the justice clients.

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TASC benefits both Justice and Treatment systems
by

• Treatment System
• Assessing clients for level of treatment needed
• Retaining clients in treatment by using leverage
  of the justice system
• Supporting treatment compliance through drug and
  alcohol testing
• Providing a structure to coordinate treatment
  with Justice

• Justice System
• Increasing supervision through alcohol and drug
  testing and ongoing client contact.
• Offering interventions strategies to augment
  court-imposed sanctions
• Reporting to the Justice system
• Supporting communication between treatment and
  Justice

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TASC in North Carolina

• The mission of the North Carolina TASC Network is
  to provide care management services to
  drug-involved and mentally ill offenders as early
  in the criminal justice continuum as possible.

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Care Management

• When implemented to its fullest, case management
  will enhance the scope of addictions treatment
  and the recovery continuum. A treatment
  professional utilizing case management will
  provide the client a single point of contact for
  multiple health and social services systems,
  advocate for the client, be flexible,
  community-based, client-oriented, and assist the
  client with needs generally thought to be outside
  the realm of substance abuse treatment.

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What We Know About Treatment Offenders

• Treatment works
• Incentives sanctions yield higher retention
  lower relapse rates - compared to voluntary
  participation in treatment
• Offenders leaving a structured institutional
  setting endure increased stress while possessing
  limited coping skills. They need relapse
  prevention
• Offenders need a continuum of care available, as
  they move through systems.

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System Coordination Elements

• Insure that activities are undertaken by TASC to
  generate ongoing support and resources for
  managing substance involved clients form the
  justice system. A supportive framework in the
  larger community is needed for client activities
  to be meaningful and successful.
• Element 1 Coordination
• Element 2 Information

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Element 1 coordination

• A Process to Coordinate Justice, Treatment
  other Systems
• Develop collaborative approaches to integrate
  treatment justice to provide a seamless
  continuum of treatment and accountability
• Develop expand treatment networks
• Influence the policies, procedures priorities
  of the justice treatment systems
• Insure adequate appropriate services for
  justice clients

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Element 2 Information

• Procedures for Providing Information
  Cross-Training to justice, treatment other
  systems
• Continuously develop skills relationships
• Keep policymakers practitioners current about
  status of effective strategies for managing
  substance involved justice populations

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Organizational Elements

• Describe the basic structures that need to be in
  place to establish and maintain TASC as an
  organization, and to enable case managers to
  conduct client activities effectively
• Element 3 Justice Support
• Element 4 Treatment Support
• Element 5 Organizational Integrity
• Element 6 Staff Training
• Element 7 Management Information Systems

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Element 3 Justice Support

• A Broad Base of Support from the Justice System
  with a Formal System for Effective Communication
• Establish maintain a coordinated effort
  understanding for referrals between TASC
  justice system components

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Element 4 Treatment Support

• A Broad Base of Support by the Treatment Other
  Social Services Community
• Establish and maintain the linkages
  understanding to
• Ensure availability quality of treatment for
  justice clients
• Make client referrals
• Conduct tracking, monitoring case management
  activities

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Element 5 Organizational Integrity

• Insure TASC program integrity and organizational
  capability to carry out the program mission
• Insure objectivity and autonomy
• Over-identification with either system can
  limit TASCs credibility and functioning

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Element 6 Staff Training

• Policies and procedures for regular staff
  training
• Insure that all staff understand the TASC
  mission, philosophies procedures to ensure
  competency
• TASC staff must be experts in all participating
  systems
• TASC staff must have skills to connect with
  manage clients
• Clinical non-clinical staff can be effective

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Element 7 Management Information system

• A management information system with a program
  evaluation design
• Provide timely and accurate information
• for developing managing program services
• for determining improving operational
  effectiveness
• for policymakers funding sources
• to meet public information needs

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Operational Elements

• Define the basic activities that make up direct
  client management services that TASC programs
  provide.
• Element 8 Eligibility Criteria
• Element 9 Person-Centered Case Management
• Element 10 Screening
• Element 11 Assessment
• Element 12 Monitoring
• Element 13 Competency with Diverse Populations

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Element 8 Eligibility Criteria

• Clearly Defined Client Eligibility
• Criteria
• Set clear standards for inclusion exclusion of
  individuals from TASC
• Justice system involvement
• Current /or previous AOD involvement
• Informed voluntary consent

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Element 9 Person-Centered Case Management

• Performing Client CenteredCase Management
• Maintain ongoing connection with each client as
  he/she moves through various justice processes
  multiple programs
• Communicate progress changes regularly to both
  justice treatment
• Provide the leverage, support advocacy to
  encourage treatment engagement retention
• Intervene before behavior results in treatment
  termination

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Element 10 Screening

• Screening Procedures for Identification of TASC
  Clients within the Justice System
• Determine appropriateness suitability for
  treatment
• Determine TASC eligibility
• Begin building a plan for treatment supervision

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Element 11 Assessment

• Documented Procedures for Assessment Referral
• Provide a standardized assessment that includes
  clinical, justice other information
• Referral to an appropriate level of care that is
  coordinated with justice requirements
• Development of a comprehensive case management
  plan

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Element 12 Monitoring

• Policies, Procedures Protocols for Monitoring
  Drug Alcohol Use through Chemical Testing
• Reliably monitor report clients use of or
  abstinence from alcohol other drugs to
  encourage compliance to facilitate the
  therapeutic process

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Element 13 Competency with diverse Populations

• Insure that TASC treatment delivery systems are
  sensitive to provide relevant services
  regardless of client race, culture, religion,
  gender, age, ethnicity or sexual orientation
• Treatment engagement success is dependent on
  the ability programs counselors have to connect
  with the client

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Questions?