Creating a culture of recovery in rural North Carolina

Background

The Ninth Judicial District's Family Accountability and Recovery Court (FARC) secured federal grants in 2020 to strengthen family‑centered recovery services for participants in its family treatment court. Building on that foundation, district leaders launched the Adult Accountability and Recovery Court (AARC) to provide a complementary, treatment‑focused pathway for adults in the criminal justice system. Both courts operate with shared leadership and partner networks and emphasize coordinated care, incentives‑led programming, and comprehensive supports. 

Key innovations

NCSC assisted with grant applications and provided evaluation and implementation support. Our team's prioritized, actionable recommendations helped the district strengthen program fidelity, clarify performance measures and data‑collection protocols, and expand outreach to enhance long‑term sustainability.

Working with both courts and district leaders, the project: 

• Expanded the treatment continuum — Built a regional network of evidence‑based care across outpatient, intensive outpatient, residential, and medication‑assisted treatment by forging partnerships across eastern North Carolina so rural participants could access the right level and type of care when needed.
• Adopted incentives‑forward programming — Implemented a positive reinforcement-focused model and phased expectations to promote steady progress toward recovery and family reunification.
• Integrated peer and ancillary supports — Embedded certified peer support specialists, individual counseling, recovery housing, community engagement, parenting supports, and case management into court pathways to support whole‑family and individual recovery.
• Adapted and scaled AARC — Launched AARC to extend the courts' treatment‑first alternative to adults, leveraging FARC's networks and evaluation‑informed adjustments to phase structure, assessment tools, and post‑graduation supports. 
• Established cross‑system collaboration — Formalized partnerships with treatment providers, probation, prosecution and defense, and the Day Reporting Center to integrate assessments, individualized treatment plans, MAT coordination, and shared progress tracking in a shared case management system.
• Launched Recovery Together ENC — As an extension of the recovery courts, this coalition and recovery hub creates a durable "recovery infrastructure" that connects courts, treatment providers, employers, colleges, housing peer supports and health services. The Community Recovery Center of the Lenoir County Health Department was also created in partnership with Greene County to provide recovery groups, GED/employment classes, reentry services, housing navigation, naloxone training, and warm referrals. These partners continue to grow services with the goal of becoming the first comprehensive "one‑stop shop" for recovery and reentry in the 9th Judicial District and a model for rural jurisdictions everywhere.

Lessons learned

Building regional partnerships, embedding peer and family supports, and adopting incentives‑led, treatment‑first court pathways can create a durable recovery ecosystem that expands access across levels of care and supports long‑term reentry and family reunification. Pairing those strategies with shared data systems and ongoing evaluation helps sustain and refine services as needs evolve.