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Recovery in the News
Drug Court grads tell their stories
Mike Conley
The McDowell News
February 22, 2009
McDowell County's Drug Treatment Court (DTC) celebrated the hard work, commitment and success of the first five participants who graduated from the program.
A celebration and reception was held Friday at the McDowell County Senior Center for the five graduates. They completed the program by making significant changes in their lives, complying with all court requirements and putting together more than a year of being clean and sober. The first five graduates, all in their mid-30s, have shown a commitment to their recovery and a willingness to change, said DTC Coordinator Pamela Murray.
"They came into a program and they didn't know what was going to happen," said Murray. "They have exceeded our expectations."
Murray said she's looking forward to honoring more graduates from the program. "We're hoping to do this twice a year," she added.
The following are brief summaries of the five individuals and their success stories:
-- Latricia Stilwell Collver graduated from DTC into after-care on Oct. 17, 2008. She is the first graduate and continues to be actively involved with the court and its participants. During her first year in DTC, Collver shared her life story at Swain, a residential treatment center in Black Mountain, and participated in Recovery Month events in Asheville. She is now celebrating more than 15 months of clean time. She gave birth to the court's first drug-free baby Aug. 7, 2008 and is enjoying being a mother to her toddler son and infant daughter. She is looking forward to a life without probation or court, a hope made possible by her drug-free lifestyle.
-- Belinda Arrowood Bobbitt graduated from DTC into after-care Nov. 7, 2008. She is an active and valued participant in the group and in the court. Bobbitt celebrated her marriage to Thomas Bobbitt with her family on Sept. 13, 2008. She has built solid recovery support that she is confident will help her maintain her sobriety. At her graduation, she spoke from her heart, "Before I knew it, my relationships started to change. I started gaining some respect back. I realized that I was loved very much and then one day before I knew it I started loving myself. I never did that before. Then I started having some dignity and self-respect."
-- Donna Clubb Roland graduated from DTC into after-care Dec. 12, 2008. She set a high standard for following participants by being fully compliant with court requirements and always testing negative for drugs. Roland often exceeded court requirements by attending extra meetings and, at one time, working two jobs to maintain her independence. At the DTC anniversary celebration, she spoke passionately about ways in which her being clean has changed her life, most importantly allowing her to be a responsible, caring mother. In her recovery plan, Roland wrote, "Do tomorrow what I have done today. Stay clean."
-- Cathy Anthony graduated from DTC into after-care Jan. 9. She attended residential treatment at Swain and returned to DTC to be fully compliant with all court requirements. In her exit interview, Anthony wrote, "I am very focused on myself and my family," and that the "greatest benefit was getting the tools to stay clean and now wanting to stay clean for myself and my family."
-- Michael Hackworth graduated from DTC into after-care Jan. 23. Hackworth came into DTC in September 2007 and immediately put together almost 90 days of clean time. He celebrated New Year's Eve 2008 by drinking alcohol. He was honest with the team about his mistake and accepted his consequences with determination to regain his clean time. Hackworth wrote that being clean and sober helped him regain the trust of his family and his self-respect.
At Friday's celebration, the graduates and DTC team members heard remarks from Judge Laura Bridges. She recognized the need for a judicially mandated system of treatment and supervision for addicted offenders in the 29A Judicial District. She got the grant money to start the courts in Rutherford and McDowell counties and the first court sessions were held in September 2007.
District Attorney Brad Greenway also spoke about the success of the program. Although he was skeptical at first, Greenway attended workshops and actual court sessions. He then became a true believer in the program and has spoken to civic clubs to boost support for the court.
Steve Parker was another guest speaker at Friday's celebration. Six years ago, he was homeless, addicted to meth and running from the law. After being arrested in California, he was brought back to North Carolina to face more charges. He spent a year in prison. Now, Parker is the publisher of Blue Ridge Christian News. He talked about his addiction, recovery and the power of Christ in his life.