DRUG COURT HELPS ADDICTION SUFFERERS

Those of us who give our support to the Escambia County Drug Court believe
that it is one of the best in the nation. It is composed of professionals
who are devoted to the task of helping those who suffer from the illness of
addiction.

Drug Court is a substance abuse treatment program, which is closely
monitored by the court. In order to enter the program, each defendant must
agree to plead guilty to current charge(s). The program lasts a minimum of
one year. After the program is completed, the charges may be dismissed and
/or the defendant may avoid a term of incarceration. If the defendant does
not complete the program, they will be sentenced according to current
charges and their past criminal convictions.

There are factors, which will keep a defendant from being eligible for the
program. Those restrictions include:

1.Defendants cannot have a history of violent behavior or sexual offenses.
2. Defendants cannot have been in possession of a weapon at the time of
their offense. 3. Defendants cannot be participating in a Methadone
maintenance program. 4.Defendants must not have transportation problems
that would interfere with them attending treatment or meetings. 5.
Defendents must have a verifiable residence 6. No drug traffickers are
allowed to participate in this program.

One of the devoted, professionals of Drug Court is Sally Kapusciak. Sally
was born in La Junta, Colo., but grew up in Wyoming. Her dad was an
insurance adjustor. Unfortunately, Sally's mom was an alcoholic.

At the age of nine, Sally learned about the heartbreaks and disappointments
associated with alcoholism, when her mom died from complications of
cirrhosis of the liver. The death of her mom from this illness would have a
profound effect on young Sally's life. Later on, it would dramatically
affect her choice of a career.

In 1976, Sally Kapusciak received her Bachelor of Arts degree from
Roosevelt University in Chicago, Ill. In that same year, she married and
worked at various odd jobs. All the while, Sally struggled with drug and
alcohol abuse. It had been a recurring problem in her life for years.

She graduated from the University of West Florida in 1995 with a degree in
social work and was employed as a case manager for the elderly. Later, she
worked for a home health agency as a medical social worker. Sally was also
employed, for a year, in a pediatric AIDS program known as the Escambia
AIDS Services and Education, or EASE.

During the early part of the 1990s, Sally had a series of crises and losses
in her life that caused her to seek treatment. The person who helped Sally
turn her life around was a licensed clinical social worker who had been one
of her university instructors. Sally had always known that she wanted to be
a social worker, but thought that it would be working with children. While
in therapy, Sally Kapusciak realized that she did not have to do this kind
of social work. Getting into treatment with this particular licensed
clinical social worker was, according to Sally, "The dawn of a new day."

With the encouragement of her therapist, Sally went on to obtain her
master's degree in social work with an emphasis in clinical practice. She
became a licensed graduate social worker in 2001.

As an undergraduate intern with Southwest Alabama Mental Health (SWAMHA) in
the year 2000, Sally Kapusciak had made a good impression on her superiors.
In fact, she made such a good impression that she was asked to work for them.

Today, Sally runs the substance abuse program for Southwest Alabama Mental
Health in Atmore. Her clientele are the substance-dependent men and women
who are ordered by the Escambia County Drug Court to attend. It is a vital
part of the Drug Court program. Each man or woman in the program must
successfully complete it, along with the other requirements, to be eligible
for graduation. Sally does an assessment on each of them and they receive
treatment based on her assessment.

Sally Kapusciak is a role model for the substance-dependent men and women
who come before Judge Byrne each week in drug court. She has the confidence
of each of them because of her background and compassion for them. Her
compassion is real. It is not fake. She gives help and hope to those who
feel "helpless and hopeless." Sally knows where each of them is coming from
because in her own life she has truly, "walked the walk and talked the
talk." Now, she is giving back to those less fortunate than her. It is a
way of life for Sally. It is one that she loves.