Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities . MENU TITLE: Treatment Accountability Fact Sheet Series: BJA Published: November 1995 4 pages 6,602 bytes Bureau of Justice Assistance Fact Sheet Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities Created in 1972 with Federal funding authorized under the Drug Abuse and Treatment Act, Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities (TASC) is a program model designed to break the addiction-crime cycle of nonviolent, drug-involved offenders by linking the legal sanctions of the criminal justice system with the therapeutic interventions of drug treatment programs. TASC manages drug cases by moving the offender through the criminal justice process and into drug treatment, simultaneously providing monitoring services as an adjunct to criminal justice supervision. TASC comprehensive case management services create a unique interface among the criminal justice system, the treatment service system, and the offender, thus allowing for effective and efficient outcomes. From 1986 through 1995, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded grant funding to National TASC, the national membership organization that advocates the improvement and expansion of the TASC model to provide training and technical assistance to jurisdictions implementing TASC programs. The TASC Model The TASC model comprises four discrete activities: o Identification of drug-involved offenders to determine their appropriateness for referral by the criminal justice system into the TASC case management system. o Assessment of the offender's drug and alcohol treatment needs. o Referral of the offender to the appropriate drug treatment placement. o Continuous case management of the offender, through reporting protocols, urine monitoring, and ancillary requirements, to ensure compliance with criminal justice orders and the drug treatment regimen. A unique benefit of the TASC model is its ability to provide case management and treatment linkages at any point in the criminal justice continuum-- from pretrial service agencies, the courts, jail treatment programs, probation agencies, and community corrections agencies involved in intermediate sanctions to reintegration of the offender into the community. TASC programs work to establish treatment accountability by ensuring that offenders receive the appropriate type and level of treatment and that the offender is attending treatment regularly, treatment is progressing, and the agency to which TASC referred the offender is providing effective treatment services. The TASC model can be replicated in urban, suburban, and rural jurisdictions, and it can be applied to unique requirements of special populations, such as female and juvenile offenders. The model is built around 10 critical organizational and operational elements that provide foundation and structure to link TASC to the criminal justice and drug treatment systems. These elements are as follows: TASC Organizational Elements o A broad base of support from the criminal justice system, with a formal system for effective communication. o A broad base of support from the treatment community, with a formal system for effective communication. o An independent TASC unit, with a designated administrator. o Staff training, as outlined in TASC policies and procedures. o A system of data collection for program management and evaluation. TASC Operational Elements o Explicit and agreed upon eligibility criteria. o Screening procedures for the early identification of eligible offenders. o Documented procedures for assessment and referral. o Documented policies, procedures, and technology for drug testing. o Procedures for offender monitoring with established success and failure criteria and procedures for regular reporting to the criminal justice referral source. TASC Funding TASC programs are funded by a number of sources, including State legislative funds and local funds earmarked for TASC, State legislative initiatives to create intermediate programs for drug-involved offenders, State criminal justice agencies, private foundations, client fees, and combinations of these sources. TASC programs also may be funded through BJA's Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program (Byrne Program) formula grants to States, as one of 26 legislatively authorized program purposes. In addition, TASC programs may be eligible for funding under a component of BJA's Discretionary Grant Program, such as the BJA Correctional Options Program. Training and Technical Assistance National TASC staff provide training and technical assistance in support of the TASC model at no cost to BJA Correctional Options Program grantees. Services are provided on a limited basis to other jurisdictions implementing the TASC model. The organization provides standardized training in systems coordination, program development, and TASC critical elements, and also can provide training specific to a recipient's needs. In addition, National TASC conducts the annual National TASC Conference on Drugs and Crime. Many of these services have been funded through a cooperative agreement with BJA and National TASC. To request technical assistance or training, or for application and registration information, contact National TASC as indicated in the "For Further Information" section. Additional TASC Publications A number of TASC publications have been developed as a result of the National TASC technical assistance program. Eight of these documents have been published by BJA and are available from the Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse. Additional materials are available from National TASC. For Further Information For additional information about the TASC Program or TASC technical assistance and training opportunities and publications, contact: National TASC 8630 Fenton Street, Suite 121 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Tel: 1-301-608-0595 Fax: 1-301-608-0599 For more information about the BJA Correctional Options Program, contact: Corrections Branch Bureau of Justice Assistance 633 Indiana Avenue NW. Washington, DC 20531 Tel: 1-202-307-0894 To obtain BJA TASC publications, contact: Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse P.O. Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 Tel: 1-800-688-4252 Fax: 1-301-251-5212 Internet: look@ncjrs.aspensys.com U.S. Department of Justice Response Center Tel: 1-800-421-6770