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| Boyle substance abuse program |
| By amnews.com |
| Published: 10/01/2010 |
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Being released from jail is typically a solitary experience, with little or no fanfare. However, the 10 men who completed the seven-and-a-half month Substance Abuse Program at the Boyle County Detention Center on Thursday got a full graduation ceremony attended by family members as well as state and local leaders. “You are my first 10,” said an emotional Samantha Pope, the program counselor. “You may fall, but you get back up. You may get knocked down, but now you can get back up.” The SAP program in Boyle County is one of 19 programs in 17 jails across the state in which more than 700 men and women go through a rigorous daily schedule of 12-step meetings and other counseling sessions that begin as early as 5 a.m. and only end when their heads hit the pillow at night. There were several graduates earlier this year who had begun the program at other facilities, but this is the first group to come through the entire thing together. A new realization For many, it is not their first experience with some kind of rehab or attempt at kicking substance abuse. However, graduates say they have never felt as confident about staying sober and out of jail as they do now. “This is the first time I have really seen that the problem is not the drug or the alcohol, it is me,” said Paul Brock, a Leslie County native in jail for drug crimes. “I see it so clearly now that I have to take care of my own addiction.” SAP uses a therapeutic community model, in which the participants are given leadership and mentoring roles based on their dedication to the program. Edward Wurster held the role of community chairman during his time in the program. He said the responsibility was a big part of the life-changing experience. Wurster’s mother and father have seen their son come out of treatment before and never trusted that it has worked. His father, also named Edward, was so skeptical he contemplated not making the trip from their Cincinnati home. However, both parents said this time they see and hear changes they have never noticed in the past. “This has been a phenomenal program for Eddie,” Sylvia Wurster said while wiping away happy tears. “You can tell that he find a confidence in himself that we haven’t seen. It has been so rewarding for him. He has played games before when he was doing a program, but not this time.” Brock, who entertained the audience with a modified version of the intro music to the “Beverly Hillbillies,” has a wife and three boys at home. He said becoming a better family member is an important part of what the program teaches. Nine of the graduates were paroled Thursday following the ceremony but were lingering for a while to be with the others who are still awaiting their graduation day. For those still in the program, it means the will have to assume new responsibilities. “They all had leadership roles, and they give us hope and strength,” said Joshua Shelby, who has been in the program for more than six months. “They have been the ones we have looked to. Now, it is our turn to be leaders.” Promising results Boyle and Mercer County fiscal courts signed on to participate in the state-sanctioned SAP program earlier this year. In August, the program’s original director Terry Stevens, a former chaplain at the jail, terminated his contract when questions were raised by the state about whether he met the requirements for education and experience. The counties moved quickly to ensure that the program would remain certified, hiring the Irvine-based company West Care, which already operates SAP programs in Pike and Floyd counties. Boyle Jailer Barry Harmon said the program will continue to get stronger. “This is just the first of many of these,” said Harmon. “These men are going to show that this is a good program. They have the discipline and accountability in a way that they have never had.” Kevin Pangburn, director of mental health for the state Department of Corrections, spoke at the graduation ceremony. Read More. |
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