Challenges and Lessons Learned in the Regional Implementation of MISSION-CJ in Drug Treatment Courts

This column discusses lessons learned during a regional implementation of the evidence-based MISSION-CJ (Maintaining Independence and Sobriety through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking–Criminal Justice) case management program across multiple drug treatment courts, including discussion of key components, implementation challenges encountered, and strategies that helped address these challenges. The authors’ experiences may assist other programs in planning for similar implementations and suggest that programs can enhance success among drug court participants with the MISSION-CJ model but that the programs may need to be flexible with regard to implementation fidelity and to establishing and communicating their specific role within the court.