BUTTE CARES
it still takes a village
Youth Substance Misuse: Our Community Partners While parents have always been the most important individuals in their children’s lives the old saying that it “takes a village” resonates even more so today. All parents know that a child needs to wear a coat when it is cold and will ensure that that happens. This caring and nurturing keeps our kids safe but also starts the never-ending learning process. Despite our best efforts there are going to be times, for whatever reason, that our children make poor choices. While making the choice to not wear a coat when necessary may result in the child getting cold, sometimes his or her choices are more serious even to the point of breaking the law. Whenever individuals, including our children, engage in activities that are against the law, consequences are in place to hold us accountable for our actions and also act as deterrents. Prevention is a process where everyone in our community works together to make sure that everyone is safe and healthy. Prevention also includes our courts. BUTTE CARES has been in the business of primary prevention for many years but relies on partnerships: everyone in our town and beyond. Key stakeholders besides parents are schools, law enforcement, probation, courts, treatment, and programs (like Mariah’s Challenge, and Big Brothers and Sisters to mention a few), and each one of us in the community. City Court Judge, Jerome McCarthy recently visited with BUTTE CARES staff and board
members and shared with us some of the things the court system is doing to help in prevention and keeping our kids safe. One of the positive developments has been the addition of a misdemeanor probation officer. Of the 13,000 cases handled in city court in 2019, 62 individuals under the age of 21 were cited for Possession of Alcohol and 61 individuals under the age of 18 were cited for Possession of Tobacco or alternative nicotine (vapor products). As one can imagine, because of the sheer volume of cases, both adult and youth, it is sometimes difficult to make sure all the proper follow-through is in place. Working with the other judges in Butte (Judges Jimm Kilmer and Ben Pezdark) as well as youth probation, Community, Counseling and Correctional Services SMART program, Health Department, BUTTE CARES and others; the justice system in Butte has been working to improve, refine and develop services that hold our youth accountable while at the same time provide, education, training, referrals and treatment where and when needed. The ongoing and continual collaboration between and among all individuals in Butte is essential to help make our community safe, healthy and drug free. Thanks to Judge McCarthy and his cohorts in the justice system to making sure that their role in the continuum of care is working effectively and efficiently. Written in partnership with Judge McCarthy and the BUTTE CARES Staff.
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