On Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, the Honorable Kay Kuns will host a commencement ceremony to honor individuals who have successfully completed one of Santa Barbara County’s intensive treatment court programs, which include Substance Abuse Treatment Court (SATC), Re-Entry Drug Court (RDC), Dual Diagnosis Court and Mental Health Treatment Court (MHTC).
The graduation will begin at 2:30 pm at the Santa Maria Veterans Memorial Building located at 313 West Tunnel. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony.
The ceremony will mark the 60th treatment court commencement event held in Santa Maria, and 18 individuals are scheduled to graduate. Guests will include Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian along with a representative from the office of Senator Hannah Beth Jackson.
The guests will address the graduates and present them with certificates of completion.
All graduates will be given an opportunity to speak about their experience in the treatment court.
Each program is 12–18 months in length and includes intensive treatment, probation supervision and court reviews. All promote sobriety, recovery and stability.
Successful completion may result in a reduction or dismissal of charges and early termination of probation.
The treatment court programs are a multi-departmental collaboration of the Superior Court; the Probation Department; the offices of the Public Defender and the District Attorney; the Department of Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services (ADMHS); the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and the Sheriff’s Office.
The graduates have successfully completed their treatment program and have maintained sobriety.
To learn more about treatment courts including resources, legislation, and statistics, visit www.nadcp.org.
— Kristina Brumbaugh is he public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Probation Department.