News  Court employees and members of the legal and recovery communities celebrate September National Recovery Month

Trial Court employees and members of the legal and recovery communities filled every seat in Lowell District Courtroom 15 on the 7th Floor on Friday, September 12th, as attendees of the Lowell Justice Center Recovery Month Celebration.

The Recovery event — hosted by the Massachusetts Trial Court, Mass Bar Lawyer Well-Being Committee, and the Massachusetts Probation Service — featured testimonials by individuals in recovery, a panel discussion, recovery trivia, and a fellowship/networking luncheon. The courtroom was decorated with purple and gold balloons as well as purple ribbons attached to the courtroom benches and National Recovery Month signs posted throughout the courtroom.

Event co-chairs Valerie Taylor, Middlesex Probate & Family Court First Assistant Chief Probation Officer, and Amanda Rowan, Middlesex Superior Court Assistant Clerk Magistrate and a leading advocate of recovery, kicked off the celebration.

Ms. Taylor shared her lived experience as a person who has struggled with addiction in the past and the transformative steps she has taken to change her life around, including her work in the courts and the community where she volunteers in a ministry at Framingham Prison during her free time.

This was the second time Ms. Taylor shared her story in a public forum. She first spoke about her journey at the Women’s Recovery Session— a celebration held in May and hosted by the Malden District Court Probation Department.

During Friday’s event, “Shari V.,” who spent years involved with the courts, discussed how she worked to reclaim her life and custody of her children who were removed from her home by DCF when her addiction spiraled. She viewed the court system as ”punishing courts” until she went before a judge who sentenced her to treatment and “who saw something in me that I didn't” and a supportive Probation Department.

Shari’s testimony was followed by a panel discussion featuring individuals in the legal community — three lawyers, a retired Judge, and a trial court employee — who all shared their recovery stories.

Also on the panel was a representative from Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL) — who explained the services the group provides to the legal community.

Local organizations such as Learn to Cope, Riverbend and the Community Resource Center were represented at the event where information on their resources were shared.

This event was co-chaired by Ms. Taylor and Ms. Rowan.

Committee members included:

• Elizabeth Sheehy, Clerk Magistrate, Lowell Juvenile
• Mitch Russell, Probation Officer (PO), Middlesex Superior Court
• Kerriann Butler, PO, Middlesex Probate Court
• Karen Tejada, PO, Middlesex Probate Court
• Danielle Evans, PO, Middlesex Probate Court
• Avi Vasquez, Project North, Riverbend