Turning it Around Project

This project is designed to address the unique substance abuse treatment needs of African-American and other non-involved fathers who have been referred by the court for improved compliance with child support payment and who have no access to substance abuse treatment resources. The enhanced substance abuse services provided by this project expand the services currently offered by the Turning It Around program in Louisville. This project creates a partnership between the Jefferson County Drug Court, the University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, and the program to expand and enhance substance abuse assessment and treatment and to evaluate factors associated with positive treatment outcomes. The project addresses outstanding barriers to substance abuse services by adding focused substance abuse assessment, outpatient treatment and referrals for specialty care, aftercare, and case management to link clients with specialized substance abuse treatment and other services in the urban community such as self-help groups and employment related programs. The service area includes agencies that provide social services to non-involved fathers who have low income, court ordered child support payments, and have transportation difficulties. Consequently these fathers may encounter stigma as "deadbeat dads" even from well-intentioned social . . service agencIes.