Initiatives

INITIATIVES

DEPENDENCY ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM (DAP)

The Pima County Juvenile Court created DAP in 2015 out of concerns over the number of dependency cases that were closing not long after the children were removed and the case was being heard by the Court. DAP was designed to be an altrnative legal process to be used before the child is removed from their home. Using Mediators and Attorneys, family members are able to work toward safe outcomes like Guardianship or in Loco Parentis or modifications in legal decision-making agreements. Since its inception, several couties have implemented DAP and the contact information for these counties is in the table on this page.

• Pima County Juvenile Court DAP (NACM)
• National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts' Response to Mental Illness

ARIZONA STATEWIDE DAP COUNTY CONTACTS

TEAM BASED PARENT REPRESENTATION (TBPR)

The Maricopa County Office of the Public Advocate began to pilot TBPR in 2019. TBPR uses an attorney, a social worker, and a peer parent to better engage parents in a dependency matter. TBPR parents are more likely to understand why their child was removed from their home and what they need to do to secure their child's return. TBPR is an effective bridge between the parent and DCS, helping the parent to better navigate a complex system.

• Promising Practices - Team Based Parent Representation

FAMILY PRESERVATION LEGAL CLINIC (FPLC)

The Pima County Public Defender's Office introduced the FPLC in 2021. FPLC is a legal and social work clinic that reduces dependency filings by quickly and safely resolving safety issues without the need for Court oversight. It provides legal and social work assistance like orders of protection, warrant resolution, contested divorce or custody orders, paternity actions, housing resource referrrals, or employment resources.

• Family Preservation Legal Clinic