Every time a participant of Lewis County Drug Court graduates out of the program, Drug Court staff pick a unique word to represent the graduate, which is gifted to the graduate in the form of a hand-carved sign at their graduation.
“It’s more than just a sign, it’s a word that endures,” said Drug Court Foundation member Bob Cosser, who has made more than 130 signs for Drug Court graduates.
On Tuesday, Cosser surprised Drug Court graduate Darby Taylor with her word — “rising” — while her family, friends and fellow Drug Court participants cheered.
“From my vantage point, (the word ‘rising’) seems very, very appropriate,” Cosser told Taylor at her graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
Taylor struggled with substance abuse and addiction to the point of dropping out of high school, destroying relationships with her loved ones and stealing to afford her habits until she was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in January 2021.
She joined Lewis County Drug Court in February of that year.
Lewis County Drug Court is a voluntary program created in 2004 for drug addicted individuals who are charged with a felony crime, according to Drug Court Program Manager Stephanie Miller.
The program targets high risk and high need offenders with a poor prognosis for success on their own and provides structure, stability and avenues for success for its participants via a three-phase program.
Drug Court lasts a minimum of 16 months but can last longer, with most participants graduating between the 19- and 22-month mark, according to Miller.
In order to graduate, a Drug Court participant must be employed full-time, have stable housing, be finished with any recommended treatment, have a minimum of six months verified clean time and 16 months minimum in the program, have a clean and sober mentor or sponsor and pay any court-ordered fines and restitution associated with their cases.
Those who graduate can have their charges dismissed.
On Tuesday, Taylor became the 14th Lewis County Drug Court participant to graduate from the program in 2022 and the 252nd graduate of the program since it began in 2004.
“There was a time where I didn’t think this day would come,” said Lewis County Superior Court Judge J. Andrew Toynbee at Taylor’s graduation, recalling how Taylor pushed back against the requirements of the program for the first few months before she fully committed herself.
“You started taking this really seriously. You started taking your recovery seriously,” Toynbee said.
Taylor had 17 months of court verified sobriety at the time of her graduation.
“I just want to say thank you to the Drug Court staff, you guys have been awesome. Thank you to my family, especially my parents. You guys have been my biggest cheerleaders and I love you. To all my Drug Court friends, you guys are awesome and I appreciate you,” Taylor said.
Taylor and her success were the main focus of Tuesday’s ceremony, but Toynbee and Drug Court staff took a moment to recognize Dr. William Bode and Sonya Fisher of Russell and Bode Family Dentistry in Olympia, whose dental work for Taylor helped give her the confidence to smile again.
Taylor had gone to Bode’s office in September to see about fixing some visible dental problems with her teeth, “and he offered to cover all the expenses for my teeth to get fixed. I am so thankful and blessed, I cried like a baby,” wrote Taylor.
“Drug Court worked with Darby since February of 2021 and she barely smiled or would cover her mouth. Dr. Bode’s dental work gave Darby back confidence to smile again. And she has a lot to smile for,” Miller said.
Toynbee presented Bode and Fisher with a newly-created “Life Changing Award” along with a couple of plants as a symbolic gesture to represent Taylor’s recovery.
“When our participants go from phase one to phase two (of the program), they’re given a plant and the plant represents their recovery, and they’re told they need to nurture and take care of their plant, and if they do, the plant will grow just like their recovery,” Toynbee explained.
In addition to her word, Taylor received several gifts from the program at her graduation, along with an invitation to join Drug Court’s alumni association and mentor future Drug Court participants.
“In Lewis County, we not only have a committed team, we have an alumni association who are excited to mentor new participants along the way,” said Miller. “ Many counties struggle to get an alumni association up and running, (but) Lewis County’s is thriving.”
Taylor was encouraged to take her word home and hang it up in a prominent place as a reminder of her ongoing recovery.
“The word is incredibly meaningful and most graduates hang it up in their house as a reminder of their program,” Miller said. “If you asked a graduate what their word means to them, they would say it is a reflection of who they are now.”
