Broward courts debut Family Court Services Program to aid families in crisis
The 17th Judicial Circuit Court launch its Family Court Services Pilot Program, a county-funded initiative designed to connect individuals involved in family litigation with appropriate therapeutic resources while also ensuring compliance with court orders.
The program was created to improve conflict resolution and provide support services to families, with particular sensitivity to the needs of children. Court Administration personnel assigned to the unit will assist litigants by providing referrals to community agencies or private providers for services such as counseling, parenting classes, substance abuse evaluation and treatment, and social investigations, among others, according to the circuit.
“It’s a great way to start the New Year,” said Judge Lauren M. Alperstein, who was instrumental in development of the program. “It’s amazing. It fills a huge void in the sense that we never had resources available in the courthouse. We will actually have people in the courthouse who will be finding the support these families need and reporting back to the court. This is what the Florida Supreme Court envisions to help promote therapeutic justice.”
The services will be available to eight family court judges and five magistrates.
“The program’s employees are going to be filling gaps,” said Family Court Services Manager Diane St. Amand-Scott. “For example, we will be connecting a parent with a therapist if that is what the judge wants. Our employees will be the eyes and ears of the court.”
Chief Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips said the program has been a long time in the making.
“It’s a big positive,” Phillips said.
The Family Court Services Pilot Program staff currently includes:
• Family Court Services Manager – Identifies and vets community programs that provide critical family services.
• Judicial Navigator – Manages complex casework, with a focus on referring families to appropriate service providers based on court orders.
• Judicial Support Investigator – Provides the court with evaluative information in proceedings involving custody and visitation disputes.
• Administrative Assistant – Handles administrative and clerical support for the Family Court Services unit.
“We were like a MASH unit putting band aids on these families without any way to really follow through and see if they were actually getting the services they needed,” Judge Alperstein said. “Now we have a unit to direct these people to the services they need.”
Trial Court Administrator Joe D’Amico says he’s excited about the new Family Court Services unit and the benefits it will provide to the judiciary and families.
“This initiative is the result of months-long collective efforts amongst Court Administration staff and judges, and certainly would not be possible without the funding support from Broward County,” D’Amico said. “We are thankful for and continually appreciative of the support we receive from the county.”
