HomeMy WebLinkAboutTherapeutic Court Month
PROCLAMATION
“Therapeutic Court Month”
May 2026
WHEREAS: therapeutic courts improve both public health and public safety, using evidence-based practices to support
individuals and families affected by substance use and other behavioral health conditions in making long-term changes that
create safer, healthier communities and benefit us all; and
WHEREAS: the Washington State Department of Health and Health Services found that cost savings due to crime
reductions created a $4 return on every tax dollar invested in a Washington state drug court, and analyses of mental health
courts and family treatment courts in Washington state have shown savings from recidivism, lower rates of hospitalization,
fewer emergency department visits, less involvement in the child welfare system, and fewer children born drug affected; and
WHEREAS: therapeutic court participants and alumni create positive ripple effects in their communities, inspiring hope
and giving back as productive employees, present parents, good neighbors, dedicated mentors, and effective role models for
others in recovery; and
WHEREAS: therapeutic courts provide the treatment, case management, peer support, judicial oversite, comprehensive
resources, structure, expectations, and accountability that address root causes of criminal behavior, child abuse and neglect and
support long-term recovery; and
WHEREAS: therapeutic courts have an upstream impact, interrupting generational cycles of substance use and legal
involvement and helping prevent adverse childhood experiences associated with parental substance use, incarceration and
foster care; and
WHEREAS: Washington State is a national leader in creating meaningful pathways out of the legal system and towards
recovery and family reunification, having supported some of the earliest therapeutic courts in the country, with these
innovative courts now operating in nearly every county and at every court level;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners hereby proclaim May 2026,
as “Therapeutic Court Month” in Kittitas County and urge citizens to join them in this special observance.
ADOPTED this 21st day of April 2026.
THE KITTITAS COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Cory Wright, Chairman
Brett Wachsmith, Vice-Chairman
ATTEST: Laura Osiadacz, Commissioner
Julie Kjorsvik, Clerk of the Board