1st Community roundtable on mental health and addiction recovery convenes in Hiram

Paulding County community leaders, representing the courts, corrections, law enforcement, treatment providers, and the faith community last week participated in a community roundtable discussion on mental health and addiction recovery at Hiram’s Community Center. Initiated by Highland Rivers Health as part of National Recovery Month, discussion focused on how community partners and others can collaborate to better serve individuals with mental illness and addiction, foster recovery, and enhance community outcomes.
Said Michael Mullet, community relations director, Highland Rivers Health, “The goal is to help people live in the community to be functioning, [and] to make a contribution. When we can address people’s needs like that it really improves their chances that they can recover fully and that’s what this is about today -- really focusing on how can these systems work together even more to help people recover from mental illness and addiction.” Wrayanne Parker, woman’s program coordinator, for Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, led off and provided her personal recovery story. Ms. Parker stressed the importance of being able to make meaningful connections on the road to recovery and that [stake holders] in that process should strive to focus on helping to make that possible and urged the group last week to continue to “...keep having this conversation.” Paulding Superior Court Judge Dean Bucci, who received special recognition at the event for his work heading-up Paulding County’s felony drug court program, spoke on Georgia’s criminal justice profile and the impact of the program. This was the first program of its type to be launched in the county involving more intensive sentencing alternatives for offenders that allows for intensive treatment and responsibility for the offenders to take on.
“Drug addiction is not a law enforcement problem and our jails are not detox facilities, our prisons are not and should not be warehouses for addicted people, that’s not how it’s supposed to work,” Bucci said.
“Between 1990 and 2011, we more than doubled the number of prison inmates we have in our state system and doubled the cost of our criminal justice system. I find that shocking.... When Governor Deal came into office in 2011 he was told that ‘we’ve got to build more prisons,’ and the prison capacity was at 107 percent...and so we needed to add 264 million to the already 1 billion being spent, which amount to another 8 percent to the already 60,000 inmates in our prisons.” Bucci said last week.
Bucci said that that sobering reality led lawmakers to take note and respond with legislation that allowed for a network of alternate programs like the one now in Paulding.
According to Judge Bucci, Paulding’s newly-established felony drug court program is up to 13 participants and growing. Bucci said the program seeks long-term addicts with lengthy criminal histories who are facing prison and are given an alternative. But, he added, the program is very demanding on participants. Paulding’s Board of Commissioners green-lighted an opportunity to establish a felony drug court program in June of last year. A state grant provided for the start-up of the program in January of this year, adding Paulding to the growing list of court systems throughout the state now pursuing similar programs as an alternative to incarceration for some offenders who successfully meet the requirements of the program.
Among recommendations made during last week’s meeting in Hiram is that future sessions for stake-holders ongoing dialogue be held possibly on a quarterly basis.
Highland Rivers Health was created in February 2002 by the consolidation of Georgia Highlands Center and Three Rivers Behavioral Health Services and has become the second largest public safety net provider in the state of Georgia. Serving 12 counties covering a 4,400 square mile geographic area since 1973, Highland Rivers Health provides services to 14,431 children, adolescents, and adults who have mental illness, addiction, or developmental and intellectual disabilities, and their families.

1. Paulding Superior Court Judge Dean Bucci, was presented the plaque by Ansley Silvers, director of addictive diseases at Highland Rivers Health.
2. Among recommendations made during last week’s meeting in Hiram is that future sessions for stake-holders ongoing dialogue be held possibly on a quarterly basis.