CASSOPOLIS — Chief Judge Susan L. Dobrich recently announced that the Cass County problem-solving/treatment courts received $678,000 in the following grant awards from the State Court Administrative Office for the grant period of Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2019:

• $98,000 for the Family Treatment Court (Michigan Drug Court Grant Program grant) operated by Cass County Probate/Family Court, which includes $8,000 for medication assisted treatment.

• $176,000 for the Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program (SSSPP grant) operated by Cass County Circuit Court, which includes $6,000 for medication assisted treatment.

• $120,000 for the Hybrid DWI/Drug Court (Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant) operated by Cass County District Court.

• $10,000 medication assisted treatment grant award for the Hybrid DWI/Drug Court (Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant) operated by Cass County District Court.

• $274,000 for the Berrien/Cass Regional Mental Health Court (MMHCGP-Regional) operated by Berrien County’s Unified Trial Courts and Cass County’s Circuit Court.

“Problem-solving courts allow addicted offenders the opportunity to address their addictions through a program that involves close judicial supervision, treatment, frequent and random drug and alcohol testing, and other community services tailored to each participant’s unique circumstances.” said Dobrich, who created and oversees Cass County’s Family Treatment Court. Extensive follow-up analysis shows that participants in these courts are far less likely to reoffend. Problem-solving courts have received better outcomes than incarceration alone.”

Michigan has been a pioneer in the drug treatment court movement, Dobrich said. Drug treatment courts evolved to address the revolving-door cycle in which drug and alcohol offenders moved in and out of the justice system. Drug treatment courts treat addiction as a complex disease and provide a comprehensive, sustained continuum of therapeutic interventions, treatment, and other services to increase a participant’s periods of abstinence and reduce the rate of relapse, re-arrest, and incarceration.

The state grant award announcements coincide with the observance of National Recovery Month which is hosted every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.

The observance reinforces the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover, Dobrich said.