Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Therapeutic Courts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Thurston County marks Therapeutic Court Month, highlights treatment-court outcomes and anniversaries
Summary
At a May 6 meeting commissioners proclaimed May 2025 as Therapeutic Court Month, speakers noted anniversaries for the county’s mental health and veterans courts, discussed treatment-court outcomes and invited officials to graduation and anniversary events.
Thurston County commissioners proclaimed May 2025 as Therapeutic Court Month on May 6, recognizing the county’s drug court, mental health court, veterans court, family treatment court and other therapeutic initiatives.
John Tunheim, Thurston County prosecutor, provided historical context for drug courts and said Thurston County was an early adopter of treatment courts. “Thurston County was an early adopter in our drug court,” Tunheim said, and he noted county staff would attend All Rise 25, the national drug court conference in Florida.
Rosemary Fitzgerald, a treatment-court prosecutor, asked commissioners and the public to visit the court to see day-to-day operations and courtroom work with people engaged in treatment and supervision. “Every day, our team — our judge, our myself, along with our defense attorney on our treatment folks — really engage with community members who we know have a substance use disorder,” Fitzgerald said, and she invited the Board to attend graduations and observe outcomes.
Alex Ross, program manager for mental health and veterans court, told the Board District Court is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its mental health court and the 16th anniversary of its veterans court and said a community celebration will be held May 22. Sabrina Craig, therapeutic courts program manager, described long-term program impacts and gave an example of a drug-court graduate who later graduated from law school and passed the bar.
Speakers emphasized collaborative partnerships across the justice system, behavioral health, and social services as central to the courts’ operation. Staff and presenters said treatment courts reduce recidivism and increase treatment engagement, and they asked the Board to continue support for court staffing and program resources.
The proclamation aligns with a governor’s proclamation and national recognition of therapeutic court month, both referenced by speakers during the meeting.
