September is National Recovery Month, how does Barry County treat addiction?
September 25, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
September is National Recovery Month, a time for the nation to reflect on the effects and redouble efforts to prevent the effects of drug abuse. Barry County, like many other rural counties in the midwest, has been hit heavily by several addiction waves.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19.7 million adults over 12 reported suffering from a substance abuse disorder in 2017. While no addiction statistics specific to Barry County are currently available, Barry County’s Adult Drug Court Program currently has 20 participants and its sister program, the DWI Court, has 11 participants.
According to Barry County associate judge and treatment court judge Johnnie Cox, one commonality rings true for participants in both programs.
“All of them have substance abuse issues. Some of them are more ready than others to admit that they even have an addiction,” said Cox.
The judge went on to explain that he often notices that participants in the DWI court are less willing to admit that they have a substance issue.
Cox also explained that many property crimes in Barry County are either tied into substance abuse issues or a direct result of them.
“There hasn’t been a whole lot of cat-burglars in Barry County,” explained Cox. “Some professional thieves come through, but a lot of it is driven by substance abuse.”
Ashton Scott, a probation and parole officer with the Missouri Department of Corrections serving in Barry County, says that the problem reaches far beyond demographics and touches nearly every life in the county in some form or another.
“Addiction doesn’t look like what people typically think,” said Scott. “It’s not just a poverty problem. Drugs are not a respecter of persons. You can walk out on the street and any person, any family you meet has the potential to have been touched by addiction.”
For citizens struggling with substance abuse issues, a variety of treatment options are available in or near Barry County.
The most prominent of these options in Barry County, Celebrate Recovery, a faith-based recovery group, meets in Cassville at the Family Life Center every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Celebrate Recovery of Cassville is headed by Sharon Sater and sponsored by First Baptist Church.
To get involved, contact First Baptist Church at (417) 846-0003.
For those suffering from substance abuse issues who feel their needs would be better served through professional counseling, both Alliance Counseling Associates and the Clark Center offer treatment to those affected by substance issues.
Alliance Counseling Associates has a Cassville facility, located at 308 E. 8th Street. For more information, call (270) 678-4801.
The Clark Center also has a Cassville facility, located at 104 W. Main Street. For more information or to set up an appointment, call (417) 476-1000.
Scott stated that she works closely with both organizations in order to ensure that her treatment court cases get the care they need.
“I am fortunate enough to work with Alliance Counseling and the Clark Center and the people I work with there are phenomenal,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team. When it comes to helping people, though, we can always do more.”
According to Scott, many can seek recovery through the simple act of reaching out for help before their issues become criminal or dangerous.
“Reach out to your family. Reach out to your community resources,” said Scott. “Go to those self-help meetings. There’s tons of things online available to people; it doesn’t even have to be in person.”
For many in Barry County, however, substance abuse goes untreated until it becomes a legal matter.
When a crime in Barry County involves drugs or is directly motivated by them, defendants can be recommended for the Adult Drug Court or DWI Court programs.
In order to do this, the case must be a felony charge that is non-violent and not sexual in nature. The defendant must first agree to plead guilty for their crimes. From there, the defendant can either apply or be recommended by the prosecuting attorney, who acts as a gatekeeper for the programs. All defendants in these programs must be approved by the prosecuting attorney.
Additionally, these programs are only offered to participants that the court assess to be high-risk and high-need, meaning that they are either likely to offend again without treatment or their need for treatment is so severe that the absence of it could be dangerous to the participant and others.
The program is designed to give those that are suffering from the repercussions of their substance abuse a chance to start over in a new life no longer under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is also designed to improve the lives of participants, so as to keep them from the same situations that caused them to use in the first place.
“We’re trying more than just putting people in a program and getting them to stop using,” explained Scott. “There’s more to it than that. We’re taking these people and trying to help them build new lives.”
In the 14-month program defendants are expected to: report to probation and parole officers; attend group meetings and one-on-one counseling with a treatment counselor; attend self-help meetings of their choice; maintain employment; complete community service hours; participate in random drug and alcohol screenings; and achieve a high school degree equivalent if they haven’t already.
Statistically, the treatment court program has been a big success for the county. Last year, the graduation rate for the DWI program was 80 percent, just two points shorter than the statewide average. The Adult Drug Court program boasted a 62 percent graduation rate, five points higher than the statewide average of 57 percent.
According to both Cox and Scott, the best way to achieve success, not only in these programs but also in beating addiction, comes from the participant’s willingness to change their situation.
“There’s plenty of people that come out of it having full-time jobs, families and are not putting themselves back into those situations,” stated Scott.
“We have a lot of success stories, but we also have a lot of folks that fall back into use and get arrested for new crimes,” said judge Cox. “When they start to fall back into their old lives, they end up right back into the same situations that caused them to start using.
“I see people that went through the program when I’m out. It’s nice to see them working, raising their children, and living a sober, stable life. They made a decision that they didn’t want to live that life, they wanted to be good parents or take care of themselves or their family.”
Scott explained that another vital component to the success of people in the programs comes from a willingness to stay committed.
“Stay plugged in,” Scott said. “We say that so much and so many people laugh it off, but it’s important. Stay in contact with the people that helped you through addiction. The struggles of life don’t end just because you’re not in the program. If you need help, reach out.”
The DWI and Drug Court programs also have a group known as the Alumni, made up of previous program graduates who speak with participants, as well as organize events to celebrate their milestones.
Addiction doesn’t have to be the end of the line. Though the options in Barry County may not be as plentiful as they are in other parts of the country, they still exist and their importance cannot be understated.
If you or anyone you know is dealing with a substance abuse issue, urge them to get in touch with a recovery group or qualified mental health professional before it’s too late.
Vinnie Roberts
September is National Recovery Month, a time for the nation to reflect on the effects and redouble efforts to prevent the effects of drug abuse. Barry County, like many other rural counties in the midwest, has been hit heavily by several addiction waves.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19.7 million adults over 12 reported suffering from a substance abuse disorder in 2017. While no addiction statistics specific to Barry County are currently available, Barry County’s Adult Drug Court Program currently has 20 participants and its sister program, the DWI Court, has 11 participants.
According to Barry County associate judge and treatment court judge Johnnie Cox, one commonality rings true for participants in both programs.
“All of them have substance abuse issues. Some of them are more ready than others to admit that they even have an addiction,” said Cox.
The judge went on to explain that he often notices that participants in the DWI court are less willing to admit that they have a substance issue.
Cox also explained that many property crimes in Barry County are either tied into substance abuse issues or a direct result of them.
“There hasn’t been a whole lot of cat-burglars in Barry County,” explained Cox. “Some professional thieves come through, but a lot of it is driven by substance abuse.”
Ashton Scott, a probation and parole officer with the Missouri Department of Corrections serving in Barry County, says that the problem reaches far beyond demographics and touches nearly every life in the county in some form or another.
“Addiction doesn’t look like what people typically think,” said Scott. “It’s not just a poverty problem. Drugs are not a respecter of persons. You can walk out on the street and any person, any family you meet has the potential to have been touched by addiction.”
For citizens struggling with substance abuse issues, a variety of treatment options are available in or near Barry County.
The most prominent of these options in Barry County, Celebrate Recovery, a faith-based recovery group, meets in Cassville at the Family Life Center every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Celebrate Recovery of Cassville is headed by Sharon Sater and sponsored by First Baptist Church.
To get involved, contact First Baptist Church at (417) 846-0003.
For those suffering from substance abuse issues who feel their needs would be better served through professional counseling, both Alliance Counseling Associates and the Clark Center offer treatment to those affected by substance issues.
Alliance Counseling Associates has a Cassville facility, located at 308 E. 8th Street. For more information, call (270) 678-4801.
The Clark Center also has a Cassville facility, located at 104 W. Main Street. For more information or to set up an appointment, call (417) 476-1000.
Scott stated that she works closely with both organizations in order to ensure that her treatment court cases get the care they need.
“I am fortunate enough to work with Alliance Counseling and the Clark Center and the people I work with there are phenomenal,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team. When it comes to helping people, though, we can always do more.”
According to Scott, many can seek recovery through the simple act of reaching out for help before their issues become criminal or dangerous.
“Reach out to your family. Reach out to your community resources,” said Scott. “Go to those self-help meetings. There’s tons of things online available to people; it doesn’t even have to be in person.”
For many in Barry County, however, substance abuse goes untreated until it becomes a legal matter.
When a crime in Barry County involves drugs or is directly motivated by them, defendants can be recommended for the Adult Drug Court or DWI Court programs.
In order to do this, the case must be a felony charge that is non-violent and not sexual in nature. The defendant must first agree to plead guilty for their crimes. From there, the defendant can either apply or be recommended by the prosecuting attorney, who acts as a gatekeeper for the programs. All defendants in these programs must be approved by the prosecuting attorney.
Additionally, these programs are only offered to participants that the court assess to be high-risk and high-need, meaning that they are either likely to offend again without treatment or their need for treatment is so severe that the absence of it could be dangerous to the participant and others.
The program is designed to give those that are suffering from the repercussions of their substance abuse a chance to start over in a new life no longer under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is also designed to improve the lives of participants, so as to keep them from the same situations that caused them to use in the first place.
“We’re trying more than just putting people in a program and getting them to stop using,” explained Scott. “There’s more to it than that. We’re taking these people and trying to help them build new lives.”
In the 14-month program defendants are expected to: report to probation and parole officers; attend group meetings and one-on-one counseling with a treatment counselor; attend self-help meetings of their choice; maintain employment; complete community service hours; participate in random drug and alcohol screenings; and achieve a high school degree equivalent if they haven’t already.
Statistically, the treatment court program has been a big success for the county. Last year, the graduation rate for the DWI program was 80 percent, just two points shorter than the statewide average. The Adult Drug Court program boasted a 62 percent graduation rate, five points higher than the statewide average of 57 percent.
According to both Cox and Scott, the best way to achieve success, not only in these programs but also in beating addiction, comes from the participant’s willingness to change their situation.
“There’s plenty of people that come out of it having full-time jobs, families and are not putting themselves back into those situations,” stated Scott.
“We have a lot of success stories, but we also have a lot of folks that fall back into use and get arrested for new crimes,” said judge Cox. “When they start to fall back into their old lives, they end up right back into the same situations that caused them to start using.
“I see people that went through the program when I’m out. It’s nice to see them working, raising their children, and living a sober, stable life. They made a decision that they didn’t want to live that life, they wanted to be good parents or take care of themselves or their family.”
Scott explained that another vital component to the success of people in the programs comes from a willingness to stay committed.
“Stay plugged in,” Scott said. “We say that so much and so many people laugh it off, but it’s important. Stay in contact with the people that helped you through addiction. The struggles of life don’t end just because you’re not in the program. If you need help, reach out.”
The DWI and Drug Court programs also have a group known as the Alumni, made up of previous program graduates who speak with participants, as well as organize events to celebrate their milestones.
Addiction doesn’t have to be the end of the line. Though the options in Barry County may not be as plentiful as they are in other parts of the country, they still exist and their importance cannot be understated.
If you or anyone you know is dealing with a substance abuse issue, urge them to get in touch with a recovery group or qualified mental health professional before it’s too late.
