This session provides a focused overview of drug courts and wellness courts as alternatives to incarceration for individuals with substance use disorders, including program structure and key components of care, aligned with the ACAAM National Addiction Medicine Didactic Curriculum and ABPM content areas.
What This Covers• Structure and goals of drug courts and wellness courts• Core program components, including judicial supervision and multidisciplinary care• Evidence for effectiveness, including impacts on recidivism, health outcomes, and treatment engagement• Best practices in program design, including risk stratification, incentives, and integration of treatment services• Strengths and limitations of drug courts, including disparities, access to treatment, and implementation challenges• Application of key principles to evaluate and engage with justice-based treatment programs
How This Resource Is UsedThis session is designed for on-demand learning and targeted content review. It can be used to reinforce specific knowledge areas or as part of structured board preparation.
Host: Joseph Lurio, MD
Dr. Lurio is a family medicine and addiction medicine physician and serves as Director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at the Institute for Family Health. He is also an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
With decades of experience in primary care, his work focuses on integrating substance use disorder treatment into general medical practice, including medication treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorders, and improving care delivery in underserved communities.
Presenter: Douglas B. Marlowe, JD PhD
Dr. Marlowe is a lawyer and research psychologist who serves as Senior Scientific Consultant for All Rise, the National Association of Treatment Court Professionals. He is a nationally recognized expert in the field of drug courts and justice‑based approaches to substance use disorders.
His work focuses on the science and practice of treatment courts, including program design, implementation, and evaluation, with an emphasis on improving outcomes and reducing recidivism through evidence‑based interventions.
Presenter: Kim McGinnis, PhD JD
Judge McGinnis is a former tribal court judge who served on the bench for the Pueblo of Pojoaque, where she presided over treatment courts and led programs focused on recovery, reentry, and substance use disorder intervention. She also served as project director for multiple justice‑based initiatives supporting individuals with substance use disorders.
Trained as a neuroscientist prior to her legal career, she earned a PhD in neuropharmacology and has extensive experience across public defense, appellate advocacy, and treatment court systems. Her work focuses on integrating science, justice, and trauma‑informed approaches to improve outcomes in court‑involved populations.
To support a meaningful learning experience and recognize your participation:
Access PeriodAccess to this recording is available through June 30, 2027, in alignment with ACAAM’s annual academic cycle.
Recording Release CycleACAAM releases updated recorded sessions each July based on the prior academic year’s didactic series. These recordings are available for a limited time and are retired on June 30 of the following year as new content is released.