What's Happening in CHS News

Cheboygan County Drug Court

The Cheboygan Daily Tribune has written up a nice article on the new Drug Court coming to the Cheboygan County area.  Our very own Diane Lissfelt, Cheboygan Office, will be the area Treatment Representative.  Congratulations Diane!

County officials giving drug courts a look
 By MIKE FORNES mike@cheboygantribune.com
  CHEBOYGAN — The amount of criminal activity occurring in Cheboygan County involving the illegal use of controlled substances has grown to the point that they encompass 31 percent of the cases appearing on the docket in 53rd Circuit Court .
  “Another 20 percent are felonies involving operating under the influence of liquor, so more than 50 percent of our cases involve substance abuse,” explained Judge Scott Pavlich. “Everything we’ve tried hasn’t worked. The prescription drug problem has really come on in the last 15 years. The addiction is very powerful.”
  For that reason, a special drug court is being assembled to more effectively deal with the problem.
  Eight court employees who see the effects of the local problem on a daily basis were in Nashville, Tenn., this week for training in how to implement a drug court . Pavlich, Cheboygan County Prosecutor Daryl Vizina, Planning/Court Co-ordinator Karen Osier, Public Defense Counsel Michael Ekdahl, Probation Officer James Feagan, Community Corrections Researcher/Evaluator Dar McKinley, Catholic Human Services, Inc., Treatment Provider Diane Lissfelt and Detective Todd Ross from the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department arrived Sunday for the weeklong training program.
  The 53rd Circuit Court applied for and received a federal grant to pay for lodging and tuition for the team members.
  A second supplemental grant was awarded to cover the cost of the airfare for the trip and Cheboygan County picked up the incidental tab of transporting the group to and from the airport in Flint and a meal allowance.
  County officials were to explore the possibility of yet another grant for reimbursement of those costs.
  According to Pavlich, drug courts differ from traditional courts in that the defendants receive an extended period of much more intensive probation than in other cases.
  “A drug court would, in some cases, require weekly visits by those involved in substance abuse cases,” Pavlich continued. “It is anticipated that the program would start on a limited trial basis and hopefully grow to include a larger participant population. We would take it slow at first.”
  Pavlich said that many of the property crimes involving thefts are being committed by drug users in order to generate income to support their drug addictions.
  “The costs that have been incurred by our community as a result of the illegal use and abuse of controlled substances have been extremely high,” Pavlich said. “If this works and cuts down of recidivism, that’s wonderful.”
 “Everything we’ve tried hasn’t worked. The prescription drug problem has really come on in the last 15 years. The addiction is very powerful.”
 Judge Scott Pavlich 

 
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In Alpena Office- Exemplary Treatment Services Award

Joe Garant, Regional Adminstrator and Clinical Supervisor at Catholic Human Services in Alpena recently received the Exemplary Treatment Services award at the regional conference of Northern Michigan Substance Abuse Services (NMSAS) held at Garland Resort in Gaylord.  Garant was selected as the first recipient of the award in the NMSAS region which includes the 30 northern counties of lower Michigan.  Pictured is  Joe Garant (left) receiving his award from Donald Allen (right), State Director of Substance Abuse Policy. Congratulations Joe!