La Porte County drug-court graduation honors four graduates; organizers announce plan for mental-health court

La Porte County recognized four participants who completed its Problem Solving Court program at a Feb. 3 commencement that combined testimony from graduates, remarks from program staff and a keynote from an author-advocate.

The ceremony host, who led the event, described the local program as in operation since 2012 with "over 100 graduates," and said the county team would be planning a mental health court "at some point later this year." The evening included personal accounts from graduates about recovery and a retirement recognition for a longtime team member.

Why it matters: Problem solving (drug) courts pair judicial supervision with treatment and community supports, an approach the ceremony framed as reducing recidivism and improving health outcomes. La Porte County’s program administrators said the local court has enrolled multiple cohorts since 2012 and marked four new graduates at the ceremony.

At the ceremony the team and partners were named and thanked. The host asked core members to stand and identified roles on the team, including Barbara Stukesbury, prosecutor; Bill Nelson and David Payne, defense counsel; therapists from Swanson Center and Choices; and health partners from Health Link. The host also announced the retirement of therapist Paula Dranger and thanked her for more than a decade of service to the program.

Graduates and guest speakers described recovery as a day-by-day process. Denise, who the host identified as a 2023 graduate, said she had rebuilt housing and employment after completing the program: "I am 61 years old, but didn't start living until after graduating from drug court." Another guest, Joe Barsana, identified himself as a King County Drug Court graduate and said, "If it wasn't for the treatment court team that didn't give up on me, I'm pretty certain I would either be in prison or be dead by overdose or gun violence."

Keynote speaker Lisa Scheller, who identified herself as the author of From Fear to Faith and cofounder of the nonprofit Healing With Human Connections, spoke about addiction as a family disease and urged supports such as clear boundaries and shame-resilience practices. "This can happen to anyone," she said, describing how families and community supports can help people in recovery.

The host also noted, and a speaker later reiterated, national impact estimates for treatment courts (speakers gave differing figures while speaking from the podium; those numbers were presented as audience-facing context rather than formally cited research in the program materials shown at the event). The program recognized the role of local law-enforcement officers and invited arresting officers present to greet graduates in a symbolic gesture of reconciliation.

The ceremony closed with a musical selection by local performer Lena Hannon and a brief reception. Organizers said they will share additional details about the planned mental health court as they finalize the timeline and program structure.

What’s next: Program staff and the ceremony host said planning for a La Porte County mental health court is underway and expect it to begin later this year; officials did not provide a start date or funding details at the event.