Outpatient Staff Lauded for Compassionate Accountability
This past June, VOA Oregon’s team shone brightly as the Multnomah County STEP Court celebrated the graduation of 15 participants. Visit the Multnomah County District Attorney's website.
STEP stands for the Strategic Treatment & Engagement Program. It’s 1 of the first-of-its-kind specialty courts in the nation and diverts assault and robbery cases away from the traditional justice system. To learn more about specialty courts Visit Problem-Solving Courts Article. Instead, cases where substance abuse and mental health are the underlying cause move to a recovery program. Here staff provide resources and supervision needed to address the situation.
“We provide compassionate accountability,” VOA Oregon Clinical Supervisor Kelly Hall said. “We get to see individuals heal. [We] even end generational institutionalization of families by providing treatment.”
During graduation, clients heard from former STEP Court graduate Cesar Valle Lopez. He shared his journey from being a client to graduating from STEP to finally becoming a Central City Concern employee. Visit the Central City Concern website. Cesar continues providing mentorship at VOA Oregon’s Latino Home-Based Recovery. Visit our Home Base Recovery page. Kelly Hall highlighted the 23 years of combined sobriety achieved by Outpatient graduates. Court Liaison Amanda Mahony was praised for her pivotal counseling role. And, our mentors — Charles Edwards, Craig Freeman, and Carole Hinojosa — unwavering support and hope received praise from participants.
Thanks to the program and dedicated staff, recidivism dropped 38% to a low of 8 1/2% according to Oregon’s Criminal Justice Commission. Visit the Multnomah County District Attorney's website.
Of the 15 graduates, 14 completed VOA Oregon’s intensive Outpatient step Court Program. Furthermore, 3 of these graduates also completed 1 of our home-based recovery programs.