My name is Stephanie Miller. I manage the Lewis County Drug Court Program. I also proudly serve as a non-voting member on the Foundation for Therapeutic Courts of Lewis County — FTCLC.
FTCLC is a local nonprofit that provides support to therapeutic courts in Lewis County. That includes Drug Court, Family Recovery Court, Mental Health Court and the Chehalis Treatment Court.
Therapeutic courts are specialized court dockets that are structured to address the underlying causes of criminal behavior. Participants are held accountable while having the wrap-around services of a team, including treatment professionals, supporting them on their journey through the programs and into recovery.
Participants in our programs oftentimes have needs that our regular budgets cannot meet. In the last few months, I have accessed funds through FTCLC to help participants pay for GED testing, testing to obtain driver’s licenses, calendars to increase organization, food handler cards, steel toe work boots, general hygiene items, a Fitbit (due to health struggles — we try to think outside the box), and a gift card for a mom to purchase back to school clothing.
Needs are usually immediate and basic. Being able to fulfill shortfalls that participants are experiencing lifts burdens and can be life changing. During our last Drug Court session, Judge Toynbee presented two participants with “Breaking the Chains” keychains for becoming licensed drivers!
That’s a win for Lewis County.
The primary fundraiser for FTCLC is our annual 5K fun run in May. It is always a well-supported event that the community shows up for. In September (National Recovery Month), FTCLC will have our first ever benefit dinner, Roots to Rise, an evening of hope. Like our 5K, community support will go directly to participants of the above-mentioned programs — all local.
However, the Roots to Rise dinner is an opportunity for the community to go beyond showing up. You will have an opportunity to listen to real testimonies of chains being broken. Graduates of these programs are going to be there in a lived experience panel setting. They plan to share their unique journeys through our programs with you, the community. There will also be time for questions and answers. This is a real look into where and how a participant starts in the criminal justice system, enters a therapeutic court, participates in that program and then what support looks like after they graduate.
Lewis County shows up for our local Drug Court. If there is one thing we feel, it’s 100 percent supported by our community. If you are interested in what we are doing, on a deeper level, I would like to invite you to share an evening of hope at the Roots to Rise event. Dinner will be catered by The Crowded Kitchen.
In addition to the lived experience panel, there will be a silent auction and dessert dash. Please find the link to purchase tickets below. If you have questions, I can be reached at 360-880-1060. Visit https://tinyurl.com/3bnzcy24 to sign up.
Your local therapeutic courts are working!
Stephanie Miller
Lewis County Drug Court administrator
