Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Young Adult Court Recognition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board proclaims September 2025 National Recovery Month; young adult court participants share recovery stories and program capacity concerns
Summary
Bernalillo County proclaimed September 2025 National Recovery Month and recognized the Second Judicial District Young Adult Court; program staff and three program participants described the court’s outcomes, citing 96 graduates, high success rates, and a waitlist the presenters said exceeds 100 people.
The Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 23 read and adopted a proclamation declaring September 2025 as National Recovery Month and recognized the Second Judicial District Young Adult Court for its work supporting young people in recovery.
Program remarks and outcomes: Tanya Tijerina, clinical operations manager for the Second Judicial District, introduced Judge Leos and program manager Coral Mendez Flores and three current or former participants who described their recovery experience. Tijerina said the young adult court team has had 96 graduates to date and that the program’s success rate exceeds national averages for treatment courts.
Participants’ accounts: A 23-year-old participant, Catherine Chopito, said young adult court helped her with counseling and resources and that she had been sober since Aug. 2024. Another participant, Bodie La Mariano, said he had been sober since Feb. 17, 2024, and described the program as key to his sobriety; a third participant, Silas, said he had maintained about 11 months of sobriety while in the program and that seeing his daughter grow motivated him.
Capacity and waitlist: Tijerina and the program manager said the young adult court typically runs a wait list and that the program’s current caseload exceeds the national average for treatment courts; the presentation said the program often serves more than 100 young people on its wait list and that program length is typically 24 months but can run longer—up to four years in some cases—depending on individual needs.
Why it matters: Commissioners and public speakers framed the program as an effective pathway to recovery for young adults involved in the justice system, noting graduation outcomes and the program’s role in family reunification and community reintegration.
Ending: Commissioners thanked presenters and participants, and the board took a photo with the program staff and graduates; the proclamation encourages residents to recognize recovery supports such as the 988 lifeline and local outreach efforts.
