By Patrick Baron

PONTIAC – The Institute for Human Resources is offering crucial services for the Livingston County State’s Attorney’s drug court program.

The program works with people struggling with drug addiction to form better habits and beat their addiction. Executive Director of IHR Joe Vaughan said even if a patient’s addiction is strong, IHR will work with them to provide treatment until they are ready to join the drug court program. He said even if the patient has a difficult time breaking the addiction, IHR will continue to work with them regardless if they are in the program or in jail.

“Sometimes we talk about treatment readiness and that may be a situation where [the patient] isn’t treatment ready,” said Vaughan.”We don’t give up on them. The team on the drug court may decide they’ll going to remove them from that program and they’ll continue on with treatment from IHR. It may entail some in-patient treatment, it just depends until we can get them treatment-ready in order for them to follow through with the program.”

Program Director of the Substance Abuse Department at IHR Teresa Diemer noted the first stages of the program can be the most difficult for some patients, especially if their addiction has a strong hold on them.

“That’s what we’re striving to do, is to resolve the issues around the addiction,” said Diemer. “The first few weeks, for some of the participants, is probably the hardest work they’re going to do. Addiction is a very strong, powerful brain disease and it’s very hard to change those patterns.”

Diemer said ideally the program won’t put any of its patients in jail. She also said IHR provides rewards to patients if they have a good week during the program.

Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].