The First Circuit’s James Valley Drug & DUI Court will hold a graduation ceremony to honor participants’ achievements on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. CDT. The event will take place at the Davison County Public Safety Center, 1015 S. Miller Ave., Mitchell.
The graduation ceremony shows the commitment the James Valley Drug & DUI Court team has in the fight to overcome addiction. The ceremony is open to the public, friends and family of the graduating participants, as well as local media. A reception will follow at the Davison County Public Safety Center Courtroom.
The commencement speaker will be Jason Ellwein, a licensed professional counselor – mental health and qualified mental health professional with Dakota Counseling Institute in Mitchell. Ellwein has provided individual psychotherapy for clients of the James Valley Drug & DUI Court since 2015.
The First Circuit James Valley Drug Court began operation in 2013, adding a DUI Court track in 2014. Participants must complete extensive treatment, maintain employment, be actively engaged within the community, are subject to frequent drug and alcohol testing, and must comply with weekly court review hearings.
Treatment courts are the most successful intervention for leading people living with substance use and mental health disorders out of the criminal justice system and into lives of recovery and stability. In South Dakota, treatment courts are referred to as Problem-Solving Courts.