Small Business Funding

WITH SOME GOOD NEWS. MIKE MARIA OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS ARE DECLINING IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT THE CRISIS IS STILL IMPACTING THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ACROSS THE STATE. RECOVERY COURT, ALSO KNOWN AS DRUG COURT, IS A LIFELINE FOR SOME, AS WE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND AT CHARLESTOWN RECOVERY COURT THIS WEEK. ITS GRADUATION DAY AT CHARLESTOWN RECOVERY COURT. DEREK AGASSI COMPLETED THE 18 MONTH PROGRAM. THATS AN ALTERNATIVE TO JAIL FOR PEOPLE WITH OPIOID USE DISORDERS. NO, IM NOT ARGUING. MY MOTHER. I DIDNT WANT TO DO DRUG COURT. ITS AN EMOTIONAL DAY, ESPECIALLY FOR DEREKS MOM. A FEW YEARS BACK, I ALL OF A SUDDEN SAID TO ME, WE NEED TO START PREPARING TO BURY HIM. AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I CANT DO THAT. WE FIRST MET DEREK LAST YEAR WHEN HE CHECKED IN WITH JUDGE LISA GRANT. YOU ARE AT THE CHELSEA SOBER HOUSE AND THATS GOOD. YEAH, I LIKE IT A LOT. TWICE A MONTH HE SHOWED UP IN COURT FOR THESE CHECK INS AND TO BE DRUG TESTED PARTICIPANTS AGREED TO A SIX MONTH RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM AND A YEAR OF INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT IF THEY RELAPSE, GET ARRESTED OR LEAVE THE PROGRAM. THEIR ORIGINAL SENTENCE IS IMPOSED AND THEY GO TO JAIL. I LOVE YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS HELPED ME A LOT. THANK YOU. AND I CANT FORGET JUDGE GRANT. JUDGE GRANTS THE BEST. THE MORE YOU INCARCERATE SOMEBODY DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR RECOVERY, THE LESS LIKELY THAT RECOVERY IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. JUDGE GRANT HAS BEEN ON THE BENCH AT CHARLESTOWN RECOVERY COURT FOR FOUR YEARS. IM SO PROUD OF EACH OF THEM AND HOW MUCH WORK THEYVE DONE AND HOW FAR THEYVE COME, AND THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEYVE MADE IN THEIR LIVES. THIS IS ONE OF NEARLY 60 SPECIALTY COURTS AROUND THE STATE. OTHERS FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH, VETERANS AND HOMELESSNESS. ONLY ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIALTY COURT PROGRAM ARE ARRESTED AGAIN WITHIN ONE YEAR. COMPARE THAT TO PEOPLE WHO DONT GO THROUGH A PROGRAM WHERE RECIDIVISM RATES CAN BE AS HIGH AS 50% FOR WOMEN AND 69% FOR MEN. SO THINGS GOING THERE? GOOD, GOOD GOOD GOING PRETTY GOOD. THAT WAS JOEL SYLVIA A YEAR AGO. NOW HES ALSO GRADUATING. BASICALLY. YOU THINK OF IM LOOKING AT IT AS A AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRAIGHTEN MY LIFE OUT. BUT THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES WHEN WE VISITED LAST YEAR, THERE WERE EIGHT PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE RECOVERY COURT, THREE ARE STILL IN THE PROGRAM AND THREE HAVE GRADUATED, INCLUDING JOEL AND DEREK. THE OTHER TWO ARE BACK IN JAIL. I GREW FROM A BOY TO A MAN. ITS A COMPLETELY NEW LIFE. I REALLY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE BURYING THEM, BUT I DIDNT WANT TO GIVE UP. I COULD JUST A MOTHER AND NOW IM SO PROUD OF THEM. SO IM GOING TO ASK DEREK. AGASSI TELLS US HE OVERDOSED 15 TIMES. 15 TIMES, HE SAYS HE HAD TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE. HIS MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS YOURE WORTH IT. THERE IS A WAY OUT. REACH OUT AND GET SOME HELP. WE DO HAVE SOME