The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court project seeks to enhance services for the Domestic

Specialty Court Programs known as DVSTEP and Early Intervention Program (DVEIP).
DVSTEP and DVEIP are voluntary programs, DVSTEP is a 12-month, post-adjudication, pre-
sentence program with four intensive phases. DVEIP is a pre–prosecution program and
participants are not required to plea to a specific charge. In DVSTEP, the defendant is moved
through the phases based on program compliance and behavioral assessments. This program
requires 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling, random drug, and alcohol screening, and
graduated sanctions for non-compliance, and on-going meetings with the probation officer.
DVEIP targets domestic violence offenders with no prior domestic violence or violent felony
convictions. The goal of EIP is to intervene as early as possible in domestic violence cases to
prevent recurrence of the incident and possible progression to more serious crimes.

The proposed enhancements to the DVSTEP and DVEIP are designed to:

• Implement an evidence-based risk/danger assessments to identify defendants who are

considered to be in relationships with a high risk of lethality and provide swift access
to treatment court programs.
• To support efforts to collect data regarding the nature and incidence of violence
within Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.
• Increase public safety and victim safety by expanding drug and alcohol monitoring
with GPS enables devices
• Providing comprehensive training to court personnel on domestic violence, sexual
violence, stalking, dating violence, DWI, homicide, child abuse and neglect, and
human trafficking to encourage increased reporting, arrest and successful prosecution
of defendants.
• To support training regarding best practices for working with victims of domestic
violence, sexual violence, stalking, dating violence, DWI, homicide, child abuse and
neglect, and human trafficking within the courts.
• To support efforts to increase training for the judiciary, including clerks, regarding
domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.

The overarching goal of the project is to enhance the treatment and recovery services available to
clients enrolled in the Bernalillo County Metropolitan DVSTEP and DVEIP Courts so they are
evidence-based and culturally appropriate. To reach this goal, client-level objectives are to
streamline identification of defendants arrested on Domestic Violence Charges by hiring an
employee who will be responsible for screening, assessments and data management, attain and
implement an evidence-based assessment to provide swift referral to Treatment Courts, enhance
the current drug testing and GPS monitoring system to better serve individuals by placing high
risk offenders on monitoring devices, and provide comprehensive training in regards to best
practices in DV treatment courts.

80 clients will be served each year. The project requests $r

 • 80 clients per year are expected to receive treatment services over the course of their
participation in the program.
• 40 clients per year will be placed on Alcohol Sobriety or GPS Device as a recovery
support.

• All DV cases within the Court will have a screening assessment tool incorporated into the
program and an incorporated drug testing system.

The Court understands funding is limited and respectful request funding for three priority areas if
funding is not available the Court has privatized the request as following:

1. Training
2. Screening and Assessment
3. GPS and Alcohol Monitoring

Lack of training dollars to enhance the skills of existing staff: Due to decreasing state revenue,
funding for the treatment courts has decreased since 2009. As a result, training funds are not
available. According to the drug court standard, VIII Multidisciplinary Team, staff should
receive preparatory and continued education training. With limited budgets, the court does not
have the capability to send staff to training. The DVSTEP program has been taken over by the
Honorable Judge Rosemary Cosgrove-Aguilar within the last year. It ha becomes clear training
and guidance on the best practices and evidence models within DV treatment Courts is an area of
need. In the thirteen years of the program's existence, (DV STEP) numerous advancements in the
treatment of domestic violence offenders have occurred. In addition, best practices have been
established and domestic violence model courts have been established. Training is essential for
all members of the DV STEP team.

Selecting and implementing an indicated screening and assessment process using validated
instruments which are culturally competent and can individualize case management plans.
DVSTEP and DVEIP do not use a standardized risk assessment tool specifically to Domestic
Violence, whereas the culture and early identification of potential participants have been
identified as one of the program deficiencies. The established protocol of awaiting
communication from a courtroom in regards to program participant referrals after case
adjudication has deeply declined in the past eighteen months. Identifying potential participants as
early as arrest and relating/communicating DV STEP as an option to the defendant and attorneys
has proven to be productive in increasing the probability of the case being referred to the
program. Upon agreements from the defense bar and prosecuting attorneys to refer to DV STEP,
a suitability screening and administration of an evidence-based screening and assessment tool
would be completed. Utilizing a proper screening and assessment tool ensures treatment plans
and goals are accurately introduced prior to full program acceptance. In essence, this position
would begin a tracking process of early eligibility screening that would progress to an advanced
suitability screening. needs have a number of unique characteristics compared to the civilian
population. Research clearly states that community courts that focus their efforts on high-
risk/high-need offenders reduce crime approximately twice as much as those serving less serious
offenders (Lowenkamp et al., 2005; Fielding et al., 2002) and return approximately 50% greater
cost-benefits to their communities (Bhati et al., 2008). Where programs have less input into
eligibility criteria, due to state code or perhaps geographic limitations, the recommended practice
is to develop different tracks for clients in order to more broadly serve the needs of veterans.

The Court will hire an individual to conduct screenings and will work with the program manager
and judge to implement policies and procedures for screening and assessments tools to be done
at the point of first interaction with the local county jail; as well as train intake staff, probation
officers and other staff on the appropriate protocols to achieve fidelity. The screening tool will
also help to recruit clients into the court. In addition, the employee will be responsible for
tracking and reporting of program data. Performance measures and data outcomes provide
analysis for a programs past, present, and future stability. Data tracking may assist in further
specifically identifying areas of need and concern, provide statistical data for funding purposes,
and will provide an overview of the overall productivity of the program.

Expanding the use of alcohol monitoring devices and EtG testing for clients with identified
alcohol abuse issues (Essential Element #9)

The use of Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitors (SCRAM) has been found to be an
effective approach to monitoring clients at high-risk for alcohol abuse and monitoring location to
assure protection orders are not violated. The application of advanced technology such as
SCRAM Monitoring and GPS aids in supporting recovery by confronting the offender's honesty,
including denial and/or rationalization. With grant funds, the treatment courts would monitor 40
clients per year with SCRAM.

EIP is a pre–prosecution program and participants are not required to plea to a specific charge.
The underlying charge(s) will be dismissed for successful participants.

Eligibility for the program requires voluntary participation by the defendant and a
recommendation by the Court. Additional requirements in regard to suitability and eligibility are
reviewed by a program probation officer. The factors include but are not limited to a thorough
criminal history check, attempted contact with the victim; defendant's willingness to recognize
and be accountable for his/her actions during the present violation, to engage and complete
domestic violence counseling, to comply with the conditions of supervision, and to
undergo random drug and alcohol screening.  The program judge then decides upon acceptance
to the program. Upon successful completion of the DVEIP program, the defendant's case is
dismissed by the program judge as agreed upon.

The DVSTEP is a voluntary program in the respect that the defendant must want to participate
before being referred for acceptance. The program is a 12-month, post-adjudication, pre-sentence
program with four intensive phases. The defendant is moved through the phases based on
program compliance and behavioral assessments. This program requires 52 weeks of domestic
violence counseling, random drug, and alcohol screening, and graduated sanctions for non-
compliance, and on-going meetings with the probation officer. Additionally, this program may
offer defendants an opportunity to earn a deferred sentence on a case-by-case basis as authorized
by the program judge.

The DVSTEP team meets two times monthly for case reviews. These case reviews are designed
to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach is being achieved for the defendant. The case reviews
involve the program judge, contracted counselors, the court's court clinician, the probation
officer, and the program supervisor. The program judge meets with each defendant monthly or
more often if the phase requires.

The DVSTEP incorporates a unique aspect into the program by allocating funding for treatment
for the victims and children of the domestic violence offenders entering the program.

The Honorable Rosemary Cosgrove-Aguilar presides over the DVSTEP program and has
a regular docket as well.  Her team includes a bilingual probation officer, a court clinician, a
specialty court clerk, a program supervisor, and therapists from two contracted community
agencies. Judge Cosgrove-Aguilar interacts with each defendant, per phase requirement in regard
to their progress or non-compliance. Graduates of this program have a very low recidivism (re-
offense) rate. 

All DVSTEP participants are required to participate in random drug and alcohol screenings, must
be proactively participating and cooperative in Family Court proceedings if necessary, maintain
thirty–two hours per week of employment, and participate in full-time education, a combination
of both, or complete thirty–two hours of community service per week. Individual sessions
with assigned counselors are also available to the participant.

One of the most effective aspects of DVSTEP is the staffing completed twice monthly. The
entire DVSTEP team meets and reviews each participant’s case and discusses the on–going and
evolving treatment plan. Following these staffings, Judge Cosgrove-Aguilar meets with each
participant to discuss treatment goals and how best to achieve these goals. Upon completion of
DVSTEP, the participant is sentenced. As sentencing is completed the participant is
released from supervision and the case is closed.
The Assistance is requested to provide expedited evidence-based risk/danger assessments of
defendants, judicial monitoring of defendants and educational training for the Domestic Violence
Programs with the Metropolitan Court. The priorities will address the goals and objectives
addressed by the Courts by addressing areas one through three of the Implementation Plan on
page 20.

•Provide comprehensive training to victim services, law enforcement, prosecution, and court
personnel on domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, dating violence, DWI, homicide, child
abuse and neglect, and human trafficking to encourage increased reporting, arrest and successful
prosecution of perpetrators.

•Implement evidence-based risk/danger assessments to identify and prioritize victims who are
considered to be in relationships with a high risk of lethality.

To increase education and support to improve meaningful access to services for victims with
limited English proficiency within state and tribal courts.

Cross Cutting

•To support efforts to collect data regarding the nature and incidence of violence within the state
across all systems, victim services, law enforcement, prosecution, and courts.

•To support efforts that improve access to resources and sharing of information to improve
services to victims of crime.

• To support community coordinated response and multidisciplinary teams to improve services to

victims of crime.

•To support training cultural competency across all systems; victim services, law enforcement,
prosecution, and courts.

• T o support training regarding ethics across all systems victim services, law enforcement,
prosecution, and courts.

•To support training regarding best practices for working with victims of domestic violence,
sexual violence, stalking, dating violence, DWI, homicide, child abuse and neglect, and human
trafficking across all systems; victim services, law enforcement, prosecution, and courts.

•To support a Violence Against Women Point of Contact within the Administrative Office of the
Courts to improve coordination and communication among key stakeholders in specific regions
of the state; to identify best practices and develop standard protocols, policies and procedures
with the assistance of an advisory committee; to serve as statewide point of contract for issues
regarding the courts’ standards and practices for handling domestic violence, sexual assault and
stalking cases; to coordinate training and provide technical assistance; to address concerns
regarding interpretation and translation access within the courts; to attend Tribal/State Judicial
Consortium meetings; to visit tribal courts; and to coordinate efforts with the Coalition to Stop
Violence Against Native Women.

•To support efforts to increase training for the judiciary, including clerks, regarding domestic
violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence.

Assistance is requested in the following areas of the Domestic Violence – Solutions, Treatment,
and Education Program (DVSTEP). Early identification of potential participants has been
identified as one of the program deficiencies. The established protocol of awaiting
communication from a courtroom in regards to program participant referrals after case
adjudication has deeply declined in the past eighteen months. Identifying potential participants as
early as arrest and relating/communicating DV STEP as an option to the defendant and attorneys
has proven to be productive in increasing the probability of the case being referred to the
program. Upon agreements from the defense bar and prosecuting attorneys to refer to DV STEP,
a suitability screening and administration of an evidence-based screening and assessment tool
would be completed. Utilizing a proper screening and assessment tool ensures treatment plans
and goals are accurately introduced prior to full program acceptance. In essence, this position
would begin a tracking process of early eligibility screening that would progress to an advanced
suitability screening.

A secondary area of need is the tracking and reporting of program data. Performance measures
and data outcomes provide analysis for a programs past, present, and future stability. Data
tracking may assist in further specifically identifying areas of need and concern, provide
statistical data for funding purposes, and will provide an overview of the overall productivity of
the program.

Not sure if this is what you were looking for, let me know if you want something more specific.
You can change DV STEP to DV Programs or just add in EIP, not sure if this position will cover
both programs.

Training and guidance. In the thirteen years of the program's existence, (DV STEP) numerous
advancements in the treatment of domestic violence offenders have occurred. In addition, best
practices have been established and domestic violence model courts have been established.
Training is essential for all members of the DV STEP team.
Started to write in on the training, but I think you have that area covered.