News  Commissioner Pamerson Ifill Visits the Central Massachusetts Veterans Treatment Court to Celebrate Strides Made by Participants

“I am very impressed by the work the treatment court is doing and by the strides the clients have made,” said Commissioner Pamerson Ifill.

Judge Mark Goldstein presides over the treatment court which is based at the Gardner District Court. The sessions are held every Thursday. Clients are required to meet with their probation officer, a mentor, and representatives from the Veterans Administration and the Executive Office of Veteran Services.

One treatment court participant celebrated eight months of sobriety and received supervised visitation with their children. “I will continue to embrace this positive and clear path I am on no matter what life throws at me, not because the path is the easiest; but, because it is the path with the most resistance, and warriors always take the path with the most resistance.”

A second participant, the court’s very first client, has maintained her sobriety for more than 18 months, endured childbirth without pain medication and welcomed a healthy newborn into the world.

“My biggest accomplishment in this phase was declining narcotic pain medication after my C-section, especially because the recovery was so painful. A year ago, I would have laughed at the idea of going without Percocet,” she said.

Gardner District Court Chief Probation Officer Diane Massouh, who helps oversee the court, said she and other treatment court members are happy to see the comradery that has developed among the participants. “It is a bond from the moment they meet,” said Chief Massouh.

“We as a court, are very proud of the work we are doing and the positive impact we have created. All of this has resonated with our entire treatment team as we continue to support each participant regardless of where they are in their stage of readiness and recovery.”

Chief Massouh is continuing to build the mentor portion of the program as well as expanding the Central Massachusetts Veterans Coalition with assistance from the local veterans community.