The Chemical Dependency Disposition Alternative (CDDA) codified in RCW 13.40.165, became effective July 1, 1998. This disposition alternative provides local juvenile courts with a sentencing option for chemically dependent youth, allowing judges to order youth into treatment instead of confinement. RCW 70.96A.520 requires that:

"The department shall prioritize expenditures for treatment provided under RCW 13.40.165. The department shall provide funds for inpatient and outpatient treatment providers that are the most successful, using the standards developed by the University of Washington under section 27, chapter 338, Laws of 1997." In addition, "the department shall, not later than January 1 of each year, provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the success rates of programs funded under this section."

To comply with this legislation, process and outcome evaluations have been designed to support the annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. This report describes the implementation of CDDA legislation, status of the outcome evaluation to date, data from the assessments to determine CDDA eligibility, and results from a process evaluation regarding implementation of CDDA.

Currently, 32 of 33 juvenile courts have implemented CDDA programs. A total of 369 youth have been placed in CDDA. Twenty-one have successfully completely 12 months of intensive treatment and supervision, 68 have been discharged, and 280 are still active in the treatment and supervision continuum.

The CDDA outcome evaluation will compare recidivism, substance abuse, family functioning, school performance, and other measures of success between CDDA sanctioned and non-CDDA sanctioned youth. Outcomes will be compared at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months from the date CDDA eligibility is determined.

Recruitment for the CDDA outcome evaluation began in January 1999. As of September 1, 1999, a total of 102 youth from 7 counties have been recruited into the outcome evaluation. The majority of participants recruited thus far fall into the non-CDDA comparison group (N=84); only 18 CDDA youth have been recruited. The small number of CDDA participants (N=18) currently in the study precludes statistically or clinically meaningful comparisons from being made at this time.

The report to the Governor and Legislature in 2000 will provide information on short-term outcomes (3 and 6 months) and initial information on 12-month outcomes. The final report containing all outcome data will be presented in the December 2003 report to the Governor and Legislature.

Recommendations from the process evaluation regarding the implementation of CDDA include:

• Continue standardization of the CDDA screening procedure using the Washington State Risk Assessment Tool.
• Continue standardization of assessment to determine chemical dependency using the CDDA eligibility assessment tool.
• Expand CDDA eligibility to inclue youth with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) substance abuse diagnosis.
• Allow greater discretion in determining CDDA eligibility of B+ offenses under RCW 13.40.165, especially for Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substance Act (VUCSA) sales or delivery charges, or cases where substance use was a contributing factor.
• Provide probation officers and prosecutors information from research studies demonstrating that all chemically dependent juveniles can benefit from treatment, regardless of their motivation and/or past treatment failures.
• Encourage dedicated CDDA probation officers and treatment staff to work together throughout the 12 months of CDDA supervision to promote use of the most effective treatment and sanctions.
• Encourage counties to utilize detention-based and intensive outpatient programs for locally sanctioned youth awaiting inpatient treatment.
• Provide increased incentives for locally sanctioned juveniles' participation in CDDA.
• Work with local juvenile courts, JRA, and the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse to meet the increasing need for inpatient treatment of locally sanctioned CDDA youth.