Why Supporting Families Is Crucial to Strong Communities
For many families, contact with the legal system comes after years of struggling to meet basic needs. When we invest in solutions that respond to those needs both inside and outside of the courts, we pave the way for safer, stronger communities.
Over the past decade, the Strong Starts Court Initiative has worked to transform the family court process to focus on strengthening parents’ relationships with their babies.
Whether in a court-based setting, after release from incarceration, or before people ever come into contact with the justice system, our approach to mental wellness focuses on identifying the individual needs of every person.
Manuel Lariño has been with the Center for Court Innovation for over 18 years. Now in his role as associate director of Placemaking and Workforce Development, Manuel supports the teams that operate Brownsville Community Justice Center’s placemaking and mobility-from-poverty initiatives, which focus on public safety, community organizing, and neighborhood revitalization.
“I’m sort of like a drug court mechanic trying to upgrade the field’s standard practices to help reduce potential harms.” Before joining the Center for Court Innovation three years ago, Dave Lucas was an addiction therapist in Toronto, Canada for nearly a decade. Dave has brought his experience working with drug court clients to the Center’s Technical Assistance team where he serves as a clinical advisor for treatment courts, working with judges, attorneys, law enforcement, and clinicians across the country to share substance use treatment best practices and foster health equity.
