~ PVN staff report
LURAY — The Page County Public Forum will focus on the county’s newly established “drug court” during its next informational session and discussion with five expert panelists at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28.
The online forum titled “An Introduction to the Adult Drug Treatment Court Program” will dive into the details of the two-month-old program funded by a $500,000 grant through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Page has seen five participants meet the strict guidelines and enter the new program that provides a sentencing alternative through treatment and supervision for first-time and non-violent offenders not charged with distribution or any parole violations.
The panel of experts who are scheduled to participate in the online forum are:
• Holly Williams, Coordinator for the Page County Adult Drug Court, will give an introduction to Drug Court and explain the Coordinator’s duties. Williams is the program manager and liaison between community partners, treatment providers and government agencies. She has an established career in community corrections and was one of the final ingredients in putting this program into effect.
• Dr. Amanda Teye, Professor of Political Science at James Madison University, will share an overview of the effect of Drug Courts. Dr. Teye’s research centers on community-based outcomes and impact evaluation. She has extensive experience as a consultant and principal investigator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Dr. Teye’s work has been supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, among others. She wrote and applied for the Bureau of Justice Assistance grant that will fund the court for its first three years.
• Kenneth Alger, Page County Commonwealth’s Attorney, will discuss requirements and exclusions of Adult Drug Court, what it is and what it’s not. Alger has been a prosecutor for 20 years, as an assistant, deputy (Shenandoah County) and the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney of Page County since 2012. In this role, he has tried thousands of cases ranging from DUIs to complex multi-week homicides. Alger was a member of the Page County Drug Court advisory board that helped coordinate collaboration between probation authorities, law enforcement, and with the office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
• Da Rong Hultman, Public Defender, will discuss the defense attorney’s role in Adult Drug Court and advocacy for the participants. Hultman has served as an assistant Public Defender with the Office of the Public Defender since 2009. In this role, she is dedicated to protecting and defending the rights and dignity of her clients as their zealous and compassionate legal advocate. As an alternative program to incarceration, Drug Treatment Court is of special interest to Hultman, who works to seek treatment and counseling options for her clients.
• Deveney Quinney, MA, SUD Therapist, Northwestern Community Services Board, will discuss services offered to assist each participant as they reenter their communities. Quinney has worked in the mental health/substance abuse field for more than 20 years. Throughout her career she’s worked in the public and private non-profit sectors and has offered services in the City of Winchester and local communities of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties. Quinney specializes in a Humanistic and Cognitive Behavioral approach to treatment.
The Zoom meeting will be recorded by the Page County Public Forum and will be available for later viewing as well. The live session begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening, Oct. 28. There will be an opportunity for questions from viewers to the panelists at the end of the presentations and opening discussion.
To participate in the Drug Court forum, use the link and information below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82000864690?pwd=U0lIRmJZUVlBSEdPOTd0ZmRMdTU1QT09
• Meeting ID: 820 0086 490
• Passcode: 789201
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