Family Preservation Court seeks renewal plus $165,000 pilot housing from opioid settlement funds
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Summary
Family Preservation Court asked the council to renew prior opioid-abatement funding ($330,000) and add $165,000 to pilot transitional supportive housing tied to its Embrace perinatal program, citing reunification successes and gaps caused by housing instability.
Family Preservation Court administrators asked the Terrebonne Parish Council to renew prior opioid-settlement funding and approve an additional allocation to pilot short-term supportive housing for pregnant and parenting people participating in the court’s program.
Ellen Doske, Family Preservation Court administrator, said the program used $330,000 awarded last year and is requesting renewal plus an additional $165,000 to launch a supportive housing pilot. “We are trying to do another 330,000 plus another $165,000 for our new housing initiative,” Doske said. She described the Embrace perinatal program and integration with court oversight, saying the program reaches clients earlier to prevent newborn removal and supports reunification.
Program staff and partners reported measurable results: Valerie Cooper summarized that since 2021 Family Preservation Court has reunited 96 parents with 126 children and documented high-frequency case contacts and supports. Dr. Kaylee Taylor and other clinical partners described rapid referral and treatment linkages; Taylor noted a case in which a client received medication-assisted treatment within 72 hours because of program coordination.
Presenters and council members agreed that housing instability is the main remaining barrier. Judges and staff said many participants cannot access existing shelter or housing because of criminal records or custody status. Judge Arseneau said the court currently has about 26 active participants receiving intensive services and emphasized that frequent contact, drug testing and judicial oversight are central to outcomes.
Council members asked detailed procedural questions: how opioid-settlement money is distributed (staff confirmed the parish received $927,000 in 2025 with $231,916 automatically directed to the sheriff), timing and predictability of future deposits, how the parish will set allocation priorities, and whether housing would be supervised transitional housing rather than resident-run sober living. Candice (parish staff) described steps to develop an allocation plan and recommended a task force to set distribution criteria and timing.
No final appropriation vote for the additional $165,000 was recorded during this meeting; council members expressed support in principle and asked staff and the presenters to provide detailed cost breakdowns and program metrics for follow-up action.
