Bristlecone celebrated Drug Court awareness month by honoring Judge Peter I. Breen and Bristlecone Adult Drug Court counselors and staff.

Few countries offer programs similar to the Drug Court programs offered in the United States. In November 2008, the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) visited the western region of the country to research the effectiveness of Drug Court programs and how those programs help control the methamphetamine epidemic. Bristlecone was one of the agencies visited by the BBC.

The programs in this region are among the best in the nation. Drug Court officials and personnel are consistently approached to speak on panels, facilitate seminars, and teach courses related to substance abuse and the Drug Court system. Recently, Nadine Goodwin, Bristlecone Adult Drug Court Coordinator, sat on the General Jurisdiction Sentencing Panel at the National Judicial College and will facilitate a class on Drug Court administration policies at UNR this fall.

Bristlecone Family Resources is contracted with Adult and Family Drug Court as their main substance abuse counseling program. Drug court offers individuals an alternative to jail time by allowing them to enter a treatment program. The individual or their attorney may request Drug Court as a condition of their sentence. 

Clients in the Drug Court program are required to maintain a clean and sober lifestyle for a minimum18 months and are regularly drug tested. Recently, the Drug Court program adopted a 3 Day Required Jail Time rule for clients who miss drug tests. Since this rule was adopted, the number of individuals coming in for their regular drug test screening has increased by over 50%. 

Clients receive one-on-one counseling services, gambling addiction treatment, vocational rehabilitation, life skills training, parenting classes, marriage and family counseling, and more.

“This is an incredibly effective program. Children are doing better in school because their parents are making better choices. Sometimes I go into the community and have people running up to hug me to thank me for their progress and for helping them to get back on their feet.”

-Nadine Goodwin, Bristlecone Family Resources Drug Court Coordinator.