Opioid Task Force launches online resource center

Williamsburg, Va.,  January 22, 2019 – The National Judicial Opioid Task Force (NJOTF) has launched an online resource center to provide judges and court staff one place to go for easy access to opioid-related information and materials. The resource center offers the nation’s courts a comprehensive collection of best practices, policy recommendations, research, statistics, podcasts, and other information on opioids and the courts.

Among the array of resources:

• Monographs, ranging from best practices on medically assisted treatments to guardianship laws for people with substance abuse to sample transfer agreements between state and tribal courts
• Webinars on prescription-drug-monitoring programs
• Videos about the science of addiction

The task force—established by the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators and co-chaired by Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush and Tennessee State Court Administrator Deborah Taylor Tate—was formed in August 2017 to examine current efforts and to find solutions to address the opioid epidemic.

The NJOTF will make recommendations to courts at every level to support the judiciary and to help individuals find a successful recovery. The task force is supported by funding from the State Justice Institute and is staffed by the National Center for State Courts.

The resource center also includes information from a variety of experts, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute for Drug Abuse, the American Academy of Pediatrics, USDA rural opioid initiative, and other federal and state agencies. In addition to creating the resource center, the task force has also worked with federal and state law-enforcement partners to create data sharing, partnerships, and policies; improved access to federal funding for state courts; and presented at numerous national conferences and summits to showcase innovative collaborations that are working across the country.

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.