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Washington County proclaims May 2025 Drug Treatment Court Month; program reports strong graduate outcomes
Summary
County commissioners presented a proclamation for Drug Treatment Court Month and heard a progress report showing a 71% post-graduation success rate among participants tracked in-house, with ongoing evaluation of recidivism and program alignment to best practices.
Washington County commissioners proclaimed May 2025 as Drug Treatment Court Month and received an update on the county's treatment court program, which staff said has produced multiple successful graduates since the program began.
Jennifer Ricker, treatment court coordinator, said Washington County's treatment court opened in June 2019 and is preparing for its seventh graduation. Ricker reported the program has an in-house measured "71 percent success rate after graduation" among participants tracked by the court. She also said 37 percent of graduates reported a relapse (not all resulted in new charges) and that the program's recent graduating classes include participants now five years sober; Ricker cited research indicating that reaching sobriety between four and seven years substantially raises the likelihood of long-term recovery.
Kristen Gorsenickel, court administrator, said she participated in a National Center for State Courts fellowship and helped analyze the program's adherence to best-practice standards, including case selection and early entry. Gorsenickel said staff are collecting additional data and preparing recommendations to tighten alignment with evidence-based practice.
The commissioners presented a proclamation that cites national research about treatment courts' effectiveness and urged public recognition. Several graduates attended the meeting; one spoke briefly about the program's impact on his life and thanked staff and the court.
Program staff invited commissioners and the public to the next graduation, scheduled for Friday, May 16 at 1 p.m. County leaders praised staff and the judge who support the treatment court, and commissioners thanked participants for their recovery progress.
