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PRESS RELEASESNexus Facility Set to Open - Don Schroeder Hired As Program Administrator, April 6, 2007, Butte Montana Corrections plans meth treatment contracts for Lewistown, Boulder, April 4, 2006, Montana Department of Corrections, Helena, Montana Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Gallatin Re-Entry Facility, January 13, 2006, Bozeman, Montana Corrections opens new revocation-sanction center, December 12, 2005, Montana Department of Corrections, Helena, Montana Felony DUI treatment center open house May 13, May 9, 2005, Helena, Montana Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transitional Center Awarded National Re-Accreditation May 4, 2005, Butte, Montana Bismarck Transition Center passes ACA Standards Compliance Audit; Prepares for August Commission Meeting, May 4, 2005, Bismarck, North Dakota CCCS selects staff; conducts program participant screening; and readies Eastmont Campus for February 1, 2005 opening, January 6, 2005, Butte, Montana Nexus Facility Set To Open - Don Schroeder Hired As Program AdministratorApril 6, 2007 (Butte, Montana) Don Schroeder, MA, LPC was recently hired as the Program Administrator of the Nexus Corrections Program in Lewistown Montana. He will be re-locating to the Lewistown area later this month from Statesboro, Georgia, where he previously worked as the Clinical Director at the Savannah Area Behavioral Health Collaborative. Don received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana, and his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois at Springfield. He is currently pursuing a second Master of Arts in Health Services Administration. He has published several papers and presented at numerous conferences. His new duties will encompass coordination of the local screening committee to ensure that clients are suitable for this type of treatment, managing the staff at the facility, educating the community and the state about the Nexus Corrections Program, and many others all while ensuring that the clients receive the best treatment possible. Don is looking forward to the challenge of opening the new program, training the new staff, and ensuring that quality treatment is delivered to the clients, all while adjusting to life in Montana. The Nexus Corrections Program is an eighty (80) bed residential methamphetamine treatment facility slated to take its first offenders on June 1, 2007. The program will serve adult male offenders and is based on the therapeutic community model of treatment and will include a comprehensive array of correctional programming and services. This type of treatment focuses on multi-dimensional/holistic change in the areas of abstinence, social responsibility, right living, and moral development. Traits that are emphasized in the therapeutic community model are honesty, personal responsibility and accountability, economic self-reliance, community involvement, and good citizenship. “We are looking forward to having Don Schroeder and his new staff join our team. We feel that the Nexus Facility is a very valuable program for the State of Montana and it demonstrates the farsightedness of Governor Brian Schweitzer and the 2005 Montana Legislature. If it wasn’t for the introduction of House Bill 326 by Senator Jim Peterson and the support from both sides of the legislative aisle, we wouldn’t be one step closer to addressing the devastating and costly affects associated with methamphetamine addiction,” said CEO Mike Thatcher. Thatcher stated, “It has been a terrific partnership working with Mike Ferriter and his staff at the Montana Department of Corrections in bringing this valuable project to fruition.” He then went on to emphasize, “It couldn’t have been done without all of the community support that CCCS, Inc. received in Lewistown. The people in Lewistown have been wonderful. It has been a pleasure to work with so many talented people in the siting and development of the Nexus Program. Specifically, the Port Authority, Airport Authority, Snowy Mountain Development, City and County officials and most importantly the people of Lewistown.” CEO Mike Thatcher, CCCS' Board of Directors, and the new staff of Nexus Corrections Programs will host an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday May 30, 2007 at 11:30 a.m. Guests of honor will include Governor Brian Schweitzer, Mike Ferriter, Department of Corrections Staff, Senator Jim Peterson, and other community leaders who were instrumental in this projects success. We would like to welcome the citizens of Montana to the grand opening and ribbon cutting. There will be tours of the new facility as well as refreshments served throughout the day. Corrections plans meth treatment contracts for Lewistown, BoulderApril 4, 2006 (Helena, Montana). Montana Department of Corrections Director Bill Slaughter announced Tuesday that the agency plans to contract with two nonprofit companies to establish methamphetamine treatment programs in Lewistown and Boulder. The formal announcement of intent to contract with Community, Counseling and Correctional Services Inc. and Boyd Andrew Community Services reflects the results of a lengthy process in which proposals from those two businesses received the highest scores from a committee created to review and evaluate proposed projects. CCCS, a Butte-based company, proposed an 80-bed men’s treatment center at Lewistown and Boyd Andrew of Helena offered a 40-bed women’s facility at Boulder. The decision to approve the Boulder project is contingent upon state Land Board approval of the transfer of land for the facility from the Corrections Department to Jefferson County. The board is scheduled to meet April 17. “This marks a new era for corrections in Montana, one in which individualized programs to meet the unique and varying needs of offenders is the driving force,” Slaughter said. “The days of cookie-cutter corrections, where one size is supposed to fit all, are over.” The treatment centers are for those offenders convicted a second time or more of methamphetamine possession. An offender will spend nine months in intense treatment at the facility, followed by six months of aftercare at a prerelease center. Offenders can be sent to the centers by the department, either directly from court or after violating conditions of parole or conditional release. In addition, the state Board of Pardons and Parole could make a stay at one of the centers a condition of an inmate’s parole. While this program is less expensive than placing someone in prison for two years for possession, the goal was to save lives not money, Slaughter said. “It’s our belief that a program emphasizing treatment rather than punishment will be a more effective tool in helping offenders turn their lives around and break the powerful grip of meth addiction,” he said. Slaughter noted the meth treatment program, ordered by the 2005 Legislature, reflects Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s commitment to increase the emphasis on community corrections programs that keep offenders out of prison. “We’re heading down a road that will be beneficial to offenders, Montana taxpayers and the corrections system as a whole,” he said. “Everyone wins when we look for new, innovative ways of dealing with persistent problems such as meth.” CCCS expects to open its center around Feb. 1, and Boyd Andrew a month later. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Gallatin Re-Entry Program, January 13January 9, 2006 (Bozeman, Montana). Please join Governor Brian Schweitzer and Judge Mike Salvagni for the Ribbon Cutting of the Gallatin Re-Energy Facility, to be held at the Gallatin Re-Entry Facility Southeast of the Law and Justice Center on Friday 13, 1:30 p.m. Those in attendance will include: the Honorable Judge Mike Salvagni as Master of Ceremonies; Director of the Montana Department of Corrections, Bill Slaughter; Governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer; Gallatin County Commission Chair, John Vincent; Chief Executive Officer of CCCS, Mike Thatcher; and Board of Directors President, Joe Murphy. Felony DUI treatment center open house May 13May 9, 2005 (Helena, Montana). An open house and public tours of new Department of Corrections WATCh East felony DUI treatment facility in Glendive are scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. May 13. Governor Brian Schweitzer will conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. WATCh East opened February 1 at its capacity of 40 offenders on the campus of the former Eastmont Human Services Center. The six-month program for those convicted of fourth and subsequent DUIs is an extension of the WATCh Program in Warm Springs. WATCh East is the only facility for female felony DUI offenders in Montana, and it also accepts males from eastern Montana. The original WATCh Program has been open for more than three years and has an excellent record for the treatment of DUI offenders. More than 93 percent of WATCh graduates have not been arrested for new DUIs. “These numbers reflect significant progress in increasing public safety and reducing recidivism among this population,” said WATCh East Program Coordinator Deb Dion. “We anticipate demonstrating similar outcomes, as we have implemented the same therapeutic interventions within this program.” Dion will welcome visitors to the May 13 open house. Other speakers are Connie Kenney, vice chair of Community, Counseling and Correctional Services (CCCS), the Butte contractor that operates the facility; Bill Slaughter, Department of Corrections director; and Genny Bravo, a WATCh East participant who will graduate May 17. Gerald Redwolf, a WATCh East participant who will graduate May 25, will sing an American Indian blessing. The WATCh East address is 700 East Little Street. From I-90, take the Glendive Exit 215 and head toward the City Center. Go about 0.4 miles and turn right onto N. Merrill Avenue. Drive about 0.1 miles and turn left onto Hillcrest Entrance Road, then left onto N. Anderson Avenue and then right onto E. Little Street, which ends at WATCh East. Visitors will be asked to sign a confidentiality statement and agree not to enter the facility with tobacco products, alcohol, drugs or firearms. For more information, call Deb Dion at (406) 377-6001. Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transitional Center Awarded National Re-AccreditationMay 4, 2005 (Butte, Montana). Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services, Inc. (CCCS) Chief Executive Officer Mike Thatcher announced today that the Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transitional Center operated by CCCS has been awarded re-accreditation by the American Correctional Association (ACA) as an Adult Residential Service. The award was made in January at the ACA Winter Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transitional Center was first awarded this prestigious accreditation in January 1999. The Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transitional Center is one of over 1,500 correctional organizations currently involved in accreditation across the nation. However, the CCCS program is the only ACA accredited adult community correctional facility in Montana. Additionally, there are only a handful of ACA accredited correctional facilities/programs in Montana. Upon receiving the award, CEO Thatcher and his staff were complimented on their professional level of operation and their success in completing the accreditation process. The accreditation award was made by Robert Garvey, Chairperson of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (CAC) and Gwendolyn C. Chunn, President of the ACA. CEO Thatcher praised CCCS staff for achieving this national distinction: “All of the staff at the Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transition Center must be commended for their hard work and dedication to providing only the most effective community-based correctional services. Indeed, without the commitment and perseverance of our staff, this award would not have been achieved.” He added: “The entire Butte community and state of Montana for that matter should be proud of the fine work performed by our staff. In fact, the CCCS board and staff family is unparalleled in their commitment to public safety and the finest of correctional service delivery systems. The work of the corrections professional often goes unnoticed and, frankly, unappreciated. The men and women who work in the Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transition Center deserve kudos, praise, and a special thanks.” The ACA accreditation program is a professional peer review process based on national standards that have evolved since the founding of the ACA in 1870. The standards were developed by national leaders from the fields of corrections, law, architecture, health care, and other groups who are interested in sound correctional management. ACA standards address services, programs, and operations essential to effective correctional management. Through accreditation, an agency is able to maintain a balance between protecting the public and providing an environment that safeguards the life, health, and safety of staff and offenders. Standards set by ACA reflect practical up-to-date policies and procedures and function as a management tool for agencies and facilities throughout the world. The three-year accreditation award to the Butte Pre-Release/Women’s Transitional Center does not signal the end of their involvement in the accreditation process. During the award period, staff will work to improve any deficiencies identified during the audit and maintain continuous compliance with the standards. For More Information: Bismarck Transition Center passes ACA Standards Compliance Audit; Prepares for August Commission MeetingMay 4, 2005 (Bismarck, North Dakota). Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services, Inc. (CCCS) Chief Executive Officer Mike Thatcher and Bismarck Transition Center Administrator Marcie Conmy-Fisher announced today that the facility recently passed a standards compliance audit conducted by auditors from the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (CAC) on April 18-19, 2005. The Bismarck Transition is a 63-bed community-based transition center for offenders who are preparing to re-enter their communities following incarceration. The facility has been open since 2002; is operated by Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services, Inc.— a Montana-based not for profit corporation; and is located at 2001 Lee Avenue in Bismarck. If successful in the accreditation process, the Bismarck Transition Center will be the third facility operated by CCCS accredited through the ACA and one of three other programs/facilities in North Dakota to achieve this distinction. During the two-day visit to the Bismarck Transition Center, the two-person audit team reviewed standard files; toured the facility; interviewed staff and offenders; and observed daily operations. Compliance auditors are correctional practitioners with a minimum of five years’ of managerial experience. Auditors from Indiana and Ohio conducted the audit at the Bismarck Transition Center. The Bismarck Transition Center achieved compliance with 100% of the 33 applicable mandatory standards and 99.5% of the 201 applicable non-mandatory standards. In fact, the facility only missed one (1) standard. Standards cover the following areas: general administration, fiscal management, personnel, training and staff development, offender records, information systems and research, citizen involvement and volunteers, physical plant, security and control, safety and emergency procedures, rules and discipline, offender rights, special management housing, food service, sanitation and hygiene, health care, reception and orientation, classification, social services, academic, vocational, and work programs, library services, recreation, religious programs, mail, telephone, and visiting, and release preparation. The compliance audit was the culmination of twelve months of work that began in spring 2004 by corporate and facility administration and a cross-functional staff team. In preparation for the compliance audit, staff reviewed and updated internal policies and procedures and created files to document compliance with the rigorous and often-times technical standards. The next step in the accreditation process for the Bismarck Transition Center will occur in August when corporate and facility officials appear at a formal hearing before a panel of the CAC at the Summer Conference of the ACA in Baltimore, Maryland. This panel will review the findings of the standards compliance audit and will make the decision to award accreditation. CCCS officials are optimistic that accreditation will be awarded. According to Mike Thatcher, Chief Executive Officer of CCCS. “We are very excited about the results of the audit and remain guardedly optimistic that the Commission will award accreditation. The quality of our services and the superior level of staff professionalism truly qualify our facility for the distinction of ACA accreditation.” North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR)—who contracts with CCCS for the operation of the Bismarck Transition Center—officials also lauded the CCCS Bismarck Transition Center accomplishment. According to Elaine Little, ND DOCR Director: “The diligence of the Bismarck Transition Center staff to work toward national accreditation as well as the commitment of the entire CCCS organization to deliver only the highest quality services and programs fits well with the high standards set by the ND DOCR and the Governor. Indeed, it is this dedication to the finest and most effective correctional services that distinguishes North Dakota from other state correctional systems. The Bismarck Transition Center joins the ranks of the North Dakota State Penitentiary and North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services/Community Services that have already achieved the distinction of accreditation.” Warren Emmer, Field Services Director for the ND DOCR added: “By achieving accreditation for the Bismarck Transition Center, CCCS will set the bar for other potential service providers in North Dakota and else where. Compliance with national standards ensures us [the Department] that taxpayer dollars are wisely spent on those programs and services that have the greatest potential to impact change for the offender and thusly improve the safety of our communities for current and future generations.” Accreditation is granted for a three-year period. During this time, the facility must maintain its standard compliance levels and implement plans of action for those standards for which the facility did not comply at the time of the audit. CAC monitors accredited facilities through periodic visits and the submission of annual reports detailing the progress toward full compliance. If compliance levels are not maintained, a facility’s accreditation may be revoked. The ACA and CAC are private, not-for-profit organizations that administer the ONLY national accreditation program for all components of the adult and juvenile correctional system. The purpose of these organizations is to promote improvement in the management of a voluntary accreditation program and the ongoing development and revision of relevant, useful standards. More than 1,500 correctional facilities are involved in accreditation, a process that began in 1978. Approximately 80 percent of all state departments of corrections and youth are active participants. Also included are programs and facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the District of Columbia, and the private sector. For More Information: Marcie Conmy-Fisher,
Administrator CCCS selects staff; conducts program participant screening; and readies Eastmont Campus for February 1, 2005 openingJanuary 6, 2005 (Butte, Montana). Community, Counseling, and Correctional Services, Inc. (CCCS) Chief Executive Officer Mike Thatcher announced today the results of the recent staff recruitment process for the WATCh East Program to be located on the Eastmont Campus. According to Thatcher and CCCS human resource staff, CCCS received 127 applications for the 23 positions at the facility. During the week of December 27-31, 2004 CCCS corporate and program officials conducted 74 separate interviews for the positions. Qualified former Eastmont employees who applied for positions were given full consideration. Nineteen of the 23 staff were chosen from the local community. Thatcher commented on the quality of the applicant pool as well as the difficult nature of the selection process: “The employee selection process for the available positions was very difficult given the quality and quantity of the applicants. The Glendive community certainly has a wealth of well-trained, educated, and committed individuals. Many members of the selection committees indicated that this was one of the most difficult staff selection processes that they had participated in.” Dawson county native Deborah Dion was selected as the program coordinator. Ms. Dion is a graduate of Dawson County High School, Dickinson State University, and Dawson Community College. She holds Bachelor of University Studies and an Associate of Applied Science in Chemical Dependency Counseling. At the time of hire Ms. Dion was a Program Manager for AWARE, Inc. Prior to her employment with AWARE, Inc., from 1995-2003, she served as a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP) at the Eastmont Human Service Center. Deborah’s proven management, direct care, and community relations experience distinguish her for the position. Complimenting Ms. Dion will be following staff: Deb Kunnari, Clinical Treatment Supervisor; Tami Conrad, Addictions Counselor; LaVerne Trangmoe, Addictions Counselor; Allen Enrich, Case Manager; Paula Crumb, Case Manager; Gina Neva, Counselor Technician; Janice Kruger, Administrative Support Technician; Heather Campbell, Registered Nurse; Heath Grimes, Maintenance Technician; Trish Olson, Food Service Coordinator; John Beeler, Food Service Worker; Patty Smith, Security Coordinator; Bert Wiseman, Security Supervisor; Ray Semingson, Security Supervisor; Jim Deckert, Security Supervisor; John Holland, Security Supervisor; Kathy Stoner, Security Technician; Lois Buschette, Security Technician; Larry Stoner, Security Technician; Belinda Begger, Security Technician; Dan Schmidt, Security Technician; and Helen Wilburn, Security Technician. Staff begin two-weeks of intense training on January 17, 2005 at the facility. The first week of training will be conducted by nationally recognized experts on the therapeutic community treatment model. Staff will then travel to Butte and Warm Springs on Monday, January 24, 2005, to tour existing CCCS operations and receive additional training at the WATCh Program. CCCS also recently announced the composition of the program screening committee. Members include: Deb Dion, Program Administrator; Loreen Barnaby, Regional Administrator, Probation and Parole; Mike Benson, Assistant Chief of Police, City of Glendive; Wally Broeder, Hillcrest/Georgetown area representative; and Gary Gaub, community member at large. Committee alternate members are Lori Muller and Kimberly Jacobson. All potential program participants at the WATCh East facility must be approved by a majority vote of the screening committee. At the committee’s first meeting on Wednesday, January 5, 2004, members considered 26 applicants for the program. Many of these initial applicants are currently in the WATCh Program at Warm Springs, Montana. The committee closely scrutinized all cases and only approved twenty-four for the program. CCCS corporate and program staff are also busy completing other tasks and attending to a variety of details necessary to activate operations including equipment ordering, vendor identification, and other purchases. CCCS is excited to begin operations at the Eastmont Facility. According to Chief Executive Mike Thatcher: “The WATCh East program represents hard work and a tremendous amount of effort on the part of the Montana Department of Corrections, Dawson County, the City of Glendive, and CCCS. We are excited to begin operations. Additionally, we are fortunate to be providing these critically needed services in such an excellent community as Glendive, Montana.” Thatcher also remarked: “CCCS looks forward to a mutually beneficial, long-term working relationship with the local community.” Screened and approved program participants will begin entering the WATCh East facility on February 1, 2005. |
This page was last updated on 05/15/08.
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