October is National Substance Use Prevention Month.
It's a time to recognize the importance of preventing substance abuse for the health of individuals and communities and to honor those who have died from substance abuse. This month is also a time to acknowledge those in recovery, as well as children, parents, family, and friends supporting them and a time for communities to come together as partners in prevention.
In Chippewa County, the court system is doing its part in helping those who have struggled with addiction and have been part of the legal system.
In 2017, the Chippewa County 50th Circuit Court officially started an adult drug court for those who are charged with non-violent drug or alcohol-related crimes in the county.
The program is difficult to graduate from but only if the participants are not completely dedicated to improving themselves.
Three phases must be completed before a participant is eligible to graduate. Each phase has specific requirements such as attending Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, attending court sessions, getting a full-time job, and finding a stable place to live.
Mick Leppien, Drug Court Coordinator since 2018, says, as of Oct. 15, 40 participants have graduated from the program.
"The drug court (was) started by two of the ladies over at the Corrections Department, Stephanie Gordon and Artisha Volz. They came up with the idea that our county needed a program like this. They wrote the grant. They got the initial funding for the planning grant which went from 2015-2016. We've been fully operational since 2017," Leppien said.
It's not just Leppien who is there for support and guidance. He has help from nearly a dozen in the drug court.
"We try to focus on positive reinforcement. A lot of them have never had positive reinforcement in their life. And this is one of the times in their life where they're going to get a whole team rooting you on, and they want good things for them," Leppien said.
41-year-old Nicole Fountain heard a lot about the drug court program before becoming a participant herself.
"I had a woman tell me she was seven years sober and she wouldn't be able to complete the program, so it was a little scary but once I started getting involved in the program and meeting with Mr. Leppien and coming into the courts on our scheduled drug court days, little by little everybody became family. We tell them that it's not as hard as you think. You know, it is structure and you need structure, but you need support, too. And it's nice to have those other ones that have been in the program longer as guidance to help you. Once you get a little bit of sobriety under your belt, it's amazing how many windows and doors open up, and how you see so much clearer," Fountain explained.
31-year-old Kiley Grondin started using drugs when she was just eight years old.
"I started using after seeing my older brother use my mom's prescriptions. She had multiple neck and back surgeries when I was a kid. The first time I went to rehab, I was 12. I went to a program called Hope House in Alpena. I had spurts of sobriety, but my life was always unmanageable. It was definitely not something I could admit out loud, but it was definitely something that I felt every day that I was stuck with and this was what life was and there was really no hope," Grondin said.
As Grondin got older, she dug deep. She realized people in her life needed her. And she needed them.
"It was my kids and it was people who were looking up to me and people who were counting on me to get better. When I couldn't care about myself, and do it for myself, I was doing it for them," Grondon said.
Trevor Mounts is also 31-years-old. He has lived in Sault Ste. Marie his whole life.
His mother was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease when he was just 14. That is when he started hanging out with the wrong crowd and his young life took a turn for the worse.
"I started using pills at first, and at first I was just using them and it gave me, like, a good feeling, you know. And then after a while, I started just needing it to go to work or to get out of bed in the morning. That's how bad it got for a while. Then throughout my 20s, I started getting in trouble. I started getting arrested for drug-related crimes and I'd go to jail and I'd get out and I'd use again," Mounts explained.
After all the hard work is done and the participants pass, they can attend a special event held in the same courtroom where they once had to face the Judge under much different circumstances.
"If you have a chance to see a graduation, you are going to see someone at the podium give a speech that is healthy and happy. They have a great family life and they are moving forward. Their lives have benefited from the program."
Out of the 40 graduates that they have so far, only two have been rearrested for drug or alcohol-related crimes. A sign, Leppien said, that the participants are willing to work hard and succeed.
"They do the legwork. We just try to point them in the right direction. We try to work on positive reinforcement. If you watch the Judge when we go to court, it is all very positive," Leppien added.
Each participant is required to pay a $600 fee. A small price to pay to get back on the right track.
"It's a good bargain. The state is saving money. The county is saving money. And the participants are building a much better life," Leppien concluded.
Two yearly grants help fund the program. One grant, $66,000, comes from the State's Drug Court program and another $30,000 from NorthCare.
Click here for more information on the Chippewa County Drug Court.
