By Susan Richardson, September 27 2012
In beautiful Hocking County, Ohio, about an hour southeast of Columbus, Juvenile Court intake numbers are high due to drug-related offenses. The court has seen the kinship population grow (grandparents and other relatives taking over care of youth) mainly due to the increase in drug abuse and drug-related offenses.
Like all of the 29 Reclaiming Futures sites, Hocking County is partnering with courts, treatment providers, juvenile justice, communities and families to meet the urgent needs of young people in the juvenile justice system.
Judge Richard Wallar says it best in a Recovery Month letter in the Logan Daily News:
Please do not lose hope because there is good news. Many local people, including neighbors, relatives and friends, are receiving help and are in recovery from mental health or substance abuse disorders. They are contributing to our businesses, connecting with their families, and giving back to the community. But if we want more people to join them on a path of recovery, we need to take action — now. Too many people are still unaware that treatment works, and that these conditions can be alleviated, in the same way that other health disorders, such as diabetes and hypertension, are being treated. We need to work together to make recovery the expectation.
In celebration of Recovery Month, we honor the Reclaiming Futures Hocking County team for:
- Involving the community to create new opportunities for youth
- Creating a comprehensive system of care that coordinates social services
- Improving treatment services for drug and alcohol use
- Helping teens to break the cycle of drugs, alcohol and crime
- Working with the City of Logan mayor and Hocking County commissioners to officially proclaim September Recovery Month
We'd like to hear from you. How is your community celebrating Recovery Month?
Note: The full text of Judge Richard Wallar's September 15th letter can be found for a fee on the Logan Daily News.
Related Recovery Month blog posts:
http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/blog/king-county-washington-celebrates-recovery
http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/blog/celebrate-recovery-month
http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/blog/samhsa-releases-2012-recovery-month-toolkit-1
http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/blog/after-treatment
http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/blog/sneak-peak-road-recovery
http://www.reclaimingfutures.org/blog/families-are-frontline
Susan Richardson is national executive director for Reclaiming Futures. Formerly, she was a senior program officer in the health care division of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in North Carolina, where she led a three-year effort involving the state's juvenile justice and treatment leaders to adopt the Reclaiming Futures model by juvenile courts in six North Carolina counties. She received her B.S. in Public Health, Health Policy and Administration, from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Updated: February 08 2018