Mothers graduate to lives without drugs and with their children 
 
WHAT: Family Treatment Court Graduation    

WHEN: Friday, May 19 – 11am –1pm 
 
WHERE: Jurors Lounge Moultrie Courthouse – 3rd floor 500 Indiana Ave, NW    

WHO: The Honorable Anita Josey-Herring, Presiding Judge of Family Court The Honorable William Jackson, Deputy Presiding Judge of Family Court The Honorable Pamela Gray, Family Treatment Court Judge  Mr. Robert Johnson, Senior Deputy Director for Substance Abuse Services,  DC Department of Health 
 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:  Ms. Rosetta Kelly, a mother recovering from substance abuse who has been clean for eight years. Ms. Kelly works with the Rebecca Project for Human Rights and speaks often to those in recovery.  In addition, she is on the US Government’s Federal Women’s Programs Advisory Committee in DC, a member of the US Department of Labor’s Blacks in Government Gospel Choir, and has served as a mentor with the Groundhog Job Shadow Day Program for young adults.      

Family Treatment Court Program details:

• Family Treatment Court is a year-long comprehensive substance abuse treatment program for mothers and female guardians of children who are the subject of a child neglect allegations.  Those who participate stipulate to the allegations of neglect.
• The first six months of treatment take place in a treatment facility in which the women reside along with up to four of their children who are under age eleven.
• The treatment facility provides on-site and community-based services, including substance abuse education and treatment, parenting skill workshops, counseling and childcare.
• If the participant successfully completes the residential phase, they participate in a formal graduation ceremony and proceed to the community-based aftercare phase.  It is this formal ceremony – the fifth such ceremony – that will take place Friday, November 4.
• The DC Addiction Recovery and Prevention Administration (APRA) is the program’s continuing care treatment provider.
• Through the collaborative efforts of the Mayor’s Service Liaison Office, which is located within the Family Court, and stakeholder partnerships, the women who participate in the Family Treatment Court are assisted in efforts to obtain housing, jobs, and educational opportunities.    NOTE:  Judges will be available for interviews.  Mothers will also be available for interviews, with their permission.  Call 879-1700 in advance to get clearance for cameras and recorders.