The Front Page of The Marietta Daily Journal Recognizes Reconnecting Families, Inc.

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Tosha Phillips gets a dental gift as she turns her life around

 

by Kathryn Malone
kmalone@mdjonline.com The Marietta Daily Journal

 

February 26, 2011 12:00 AM | 1909 views | 1  |  | 7  |  | 

Tosha Phillips of Douglasville shows off her new smile thanks to Dr. Kirk Kimmerling of the Verde Pointe Dental Associates in west Cobb. Kimmerling recently replaced a blackened tooth that Phillips had for free as she works to turn her life around while completing the Family Dependency Treatment Court program.
Staff/Laura Moon

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MARIETTA - For Tosha Phillips, a new tooth is more than just something to smile about.

The 35-year-old mother, who has been in rehabilitation at Mothers Making a Change treatment center for the last 14 months, will be getting a new tooth and a whiter smile in the next few weeks courtesy of Dr. Kirk Kimmerling of Marietta.

Phillips said her right front tooth has been broken and black for almost 15 years. While a pearly white smile excites her, Phillips said the self-confidence that smile will bring her could not have come at a better time.

"I'm in the process of changing my life to get my life back on track," Phillips said. "This is great for my self-esteem to be able to get out into the workforce and feel confident about myself."

Phillips said she was addicted to methamphetamine and marijuana, and finally got the assistance she needed in Judge Juanita Stedman's Family Dependency Treatment Court.

"My son was on probation and his officer noticed that things were going on with me, and she helped me," Phillips said. "She asked if I wanted to do anything. I said I wanted to try to get my son back on track. And she suggested drug court - which was a great thing."

Stedman said, "We got Tosha through her son being in trouble, and she was using. Some time ago, she wanted to leave treatment, but through the hard work of my FDTC team, she was convinced to not do so. She has truly turned it around."

A part of Stedman's program, Phillips, whose son is 17, was put in contact with Kimmerling through Stedman and Jim Reuther, a volunteer through Reconnecting Families, the nonprofit that supports the treatment court.

Kimmerling, who has been providing dental work for children at the Calvary Children's Home for the past 15 years, was eager to volunteer his time and efforts to Phillips and the treatment program. On Wednesday, he filed down Phillips' old front tooth and replaced it with a temporary one. She will get a new permanent tooth in a few weeks.

"It's my great pleasure to make a difference in people's lives and I enjoy helping through dentistry," Kimmerling said.

Stedman said she thought of Phillips for this opportunity because she knew it would give her the confidence needed to rejoin the workforce.

"She has truly turned it around," Stedman said. "Not only is she clean, but she is moving into her own apartment and is looked up to by her peers. She will be looking for a job and I knew having her teeth clean would give her confidence and dignity."

Wednesday also marked Phillips last day in treatment. She is moving into a new apartment in Douglasville and plans to look for a job in the area.

Born and raised in Smyrna, Phillips credits the treatment program for changing her life and vows to continue volunteering addiction and recovery peer specialist.

"I'd like to do public speaking too, but I have to work my way up," she said.

As she chats about her future, Phillips is quick to say how grateful she is for Kimmerling, Reuther, Stedman and all of the opportunities she has been given through the treatment program.

"I just really want to advocate for the program and show I am very grateful for Judge Stedman and Jim Reuther and Dr. Kimmerling - they really came together for me," Phillips said. "In the process of getting my life back this is a huge thing for me. This has just done wonders for my self-esteem."

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - Tosha Phillips gets a dental gift as she turns her life around

Trey Anastasio is a Graduate of Adult Drug Court. Hear what he has to say....

Trey Anastasio Speaks about Drug Courts

It is widely known that Reconnecting Families, Inc provides support to both the Juvenile Drug Court, as well as the Family Dependency Treatment Court in Cobb County.  In addition to these two courts, other programs also support Adult Males and Adult Females.  While the participants might be different, the philosophy of these adult courts is the same...Accountability.

No one is above addiction.  Watch this testimony of Trey Anastasio, the lead guitarist and mastermind behind the band Phish.  Trey is a drug court graduate and advocate, hear what he has to say:

 Trey's story

The ALL RISE Philosophy...

Drug Courts Transform Lives Every Day

We believe that we are capable of far more together than we are alone. That’s the driving force behind the NADCP. It’s the motivation we use to change our justice system.

We can start by acknowledging that to advance society we must preserve the individual parts, our people. We can agree that when drug use affects one of us, it is shared by all of us. That drug use and the crime it leads to are formidable adversaries, and overcoming them will be our greatest social victory.

We can start by telling our neighbors and friends what we know for a fact. That compelling people to overcome their drug use rather than locking them up returns far more to society. That treatment and accountability combine to produce long-term recovery. And that long-term recovery from drug use reduces crime; unburdens our prison system; strengthens our society; eases our healthcare load; and creates educated workers, whole families, healthy children and vibrant communities.

We can start by fully funding Drug Courts that already exist throughout our country. We can expand their reach to everyone in need.

Drug Courts are the solution in thousands of communities in all 50 states and continue to expand to other countries. A movement with over one million success stories. A movement that is fueled by the passion and work of over 38,000 justice and treatment professionals.
Working together we will put a Drug Court within reach of every American in need. We will transform the justice system and lift up our society one neighbor at a time.

That's what we mean when we say, "All Rise".



Cobb Youth Leadership

Cobb Youth Leadership Helps Reconnecting Families, Inc.

The students of Cobb Youth Leadership have been an instrumental part of the success of RF over the past year.  The students of CYL volunteer at almost every event and help make our programs and events run smoothly.  Team Orange is the name of the group assigned to RF.  Judge Juanita Stedman and Brin Black were proud to attend the Cobb Youth Leadership Community Night on February 7th, where Team Orange presented and reflected on their year with Reconnecting Families, Inc.  The presentation was extremely professional and well done, and the students of Team Orange should be very proud of themselves and the service they provided.  I know the folks at Reconnecting Families, Inc are proud of them!

Our Friends at MUST Ministries were also at the Community Night Event

Judge Stedman speaks and details the participation of Team Orange

Team Orange completed a great night by asking one of the success stories of Juvenile Drug Court, (a young artist named Kyle) to speak and tell his story.

Well Done Team Orange!

Learn more about Cobb Youth Leadership and what they offer this community HERE!

Celebrating Families

On February 3rd, 2011 Reconnecting Families launched a new session of the program Celebrating Families.  The Celebrating Families!™ curriculum is an evidence based cognitive behavioral, support group model written for families in which one or both parents have a serious problem with alcohol or other drugs and in which there is a high risk for domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect. Celebrating Families!™ works with every member of the family, from ages 3 through adult, to strengthen recovery from alcohol and/or other drugs, break the cycle of addiction and increase successful family reunification. Celebrating Families!™ fosters the development of safe, healthy, fulfilled, and addiction-free individuals and families by increasing resiliency factors and decreasing risk factors while incorporating addiction recovery concepts with healthy family living skills.
Celebrating Families!™ was created at the request of Judge P. Leonard Edwards II, Supervising Judge of the Santa Clara County, California, juvenile dependency court; Past President of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and recipient of the 2004 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence by the National Center for State Courts. The model was piloted in Santa Clara County as part of a series of services funded by a SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) grant.
In 2007, Celebrating Families!™ was acquired by the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) to promote and disseminate this evidence-based program across the country. As of Fall 2008, Celebrating Families!™ has been successfully replicated in six California counties, 16 states and two sites in Canada.
In August 2008, Celebrating Families!™ was listed on the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices (NREPP). For the complete write up, see NREPP website.

See pictures from this amazing program:

Members of our community help prepare and serve the delicious meal

Alisha and Mike are 2 of the mental health professionals

Our participants enjoy a meal with their family

Volunteers from Cobb Youth Leadership help watch the young children while their mothers grow in the program.

Mea Fagiola (Judicial Administrator and RF Board Member)

Dianne Stanley (Family Dependancy Treatment Court Director)

Celebrating Families is a program that promotes positive growth for families with addiction. The goal of Celebrating Families is to provide knowledge to all family memebers about addiction and how to reconnect the family structure with healthy behaviors. The focus is not only rebuilding the family as a whole but each individual family member, as they have been affected with addiction.

To learn more click here