Inaugural MH-ADC Graduation
The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court is celebrating the first graduates of its Mental Health Adult Drug Court (MH-ADC) program.
Four participants graduated from the five-phase program under Judge Jennifer O’Donnell on Thursday, June 26. The MH-ADC docket is one of only two dual-diagnosis treatment courts in the State of Ohio that treats clients with severe mental illness and moderate to severe substance use disorder simultaneously using a multidisciplinary team approach.
“Thank you for trusting the process and believing in yourselves,” Judge O’Donnell told the graduates. “It hasn’t been easy, but you persevered and are leaving this program as changed individuals.”
To be admitted to the MH-ADC program, clients must sign a participation agreement and agree to be placed on probation for a term of two years. The program includes mental health and substance use disorder treatment at a partner facility, case management, counseling, peer support, employment assistance, and supervision by the Common Pleas Court probation department.
“If I can do it, anyone can,” one of the graduates told the gathered friends and family. Another said, simply, “God is good.”
The inaugural ceremony was held at EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute in Cleveland Heights, an establishment that gives formerly incarcerated individuals an opportunity to learn and work in the food service industry. Owner Brandon Chrostowski personally congratulated the graduates on their achievement.
Funding for the MH-ADC program comes from a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant which runs through the end of 2027. The docket currently serves approximately 45 active participants with plans for growth in the future.
Funding for the MH-ADC comes from a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant which runs through the end of 2027. Around 40 people are currently being treated on the docket.
