Judge Kevin P. Braig and the Logan County Court of Common Pleas Adult Recovery Court (ARC) Team recently celebrated the graduation of three inspiring participants.
May 5, Robert Grimes, Tonya McCarty and Ray Walters graduated from ARC during a celebration at Myeerah Nature Preserve just outside of Bellefontaine.
Judge Braig detailed each of the participants’ respective journeys, noting that Grimes has overcome much adversity to get to his graduation day,
“Never forget, the tortoise beat the hare in that race. Robert responded beautifully to his treatment at Community Health & Wellness. I think their counselor, Emily Amidon, inspired Robert to stick with recovery. He never missed his appointments.
“Once he began providing drug-free screens, he did not look back. He is a gentle and polite person who I enjoy seeing in court.”
Judge Braig praised McCarty’s character and noted the uniqueness of her story.
“We have never had a person like Tonya McCarty in ARC,” he said. “She is not a criminal. She suffered from a serious health condition made worse by self-medication.
“Once she began receiving the medical care she needed, she became a delightful person. Now, she has a job as a legal secretary with local lawyer Natalie Bahan and her own apartment. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I am glad that she will still be interacting with us as a professional.”
Walters’ faith was instrumental in his success in the program as well, the judge noted.
“Raymond Walters is a very talented guy can fix just about anything on a car and bang out a beat on the drums. He joined a band at his church, got married, and is now a homeowner. He told me he would like to stay involved in the recovery community as a peer counselor or in some other capacity.”
The ARC treatment team works within the framework of the traditional Logan County Common Pleas Court. The ARC’s mission is to achieve specific, rehabilitative objectives.
The objectives of the ARC are to monitor treatment for substance abuse disorder of ARC participants, encourage and incentivize ARC participants to achieve rehabilitation and personal accountability, and decrease criminal activity and the need for incarceration.
The ARC provides its participants with the support of Judge Braig, Treatment Coordinator and Program Manager Annette Deao, Compliance Officers Jim Pleasant, Mandy Wilber, and Gary Ledford, Logan County Jail liaisons Doug Boggs and Amber Pickford, and treatment providers from TCN Behavioral Health Services, Community Health Wellness, the Justice Reinvestment Grant, Logan County Assistant Prosecutor Erin Rosen, local attorney Natalie Bahan, and others.
The members of the ARC Team share the goals of: empowering ARC participants through treatment, accountability, and responsibility; assisting ARC participants in achieving recovery from substance abuse disorder; and helping ARC participants lead useful and productive lives.