This week we are working with the City of Reno to bring you Homeless Nevada - stories with a look at city programs and the people they are helping.
This time we look at Community Court.
The City of Reno's Community Court program helps participants overcome problems like substance abuse, mental health illnesses, chronic homelessness, and challenges keeping a job.
In the city's annual report on homelessness, they show that last year the Community Court system helped over 300 un-housed people.
Aside from the larger issues like mental illness and drug use, the team helps people find stability by helping them get a drivers license and Social Security card - items they need to be able to get and keep housing and get a job.
In this story, produced by the City of Reno, meet Maria Hernandez Ponce:
---
Maria (M):Â "My name is Maria Hernandez Ponce. I am a graduate from the Community Court and I'm here to share my success story."
Joshua (J):Â "About five months ago, you and I sat down for the first time and had a discussion. 'What do you need? What do you want?' And now look at you. Tell me - I got bits and pieces along the way, but share what that was like. What was it like right before I met you? And what is it like now?"
M: "Well, before you met me, I was going through a very hard time. I ended up, you know, having to give guardianship of my son to my brother. I was trying to recover from drugs. And here you came. You know, the Community Court, and yourself. And I mentioned that to you, and you told me about all these nice programs and resources that are available to me.
And I'm thinking five months back, like, I would have never thought that I'd be here right now. That's for sure."
J: "What connection did you make in Community Court that helped you achieve that?"
M:Â "Well, taking accountability for my actions. You know, realizing, that I had a problem. Step one, you know, admitting that you're powerless and your life has become unmanageable. And it's definitely very important. And then reaching out for help would be the second most important, I would say."
J: "Nice. That's so cool. You are the the image of what I want everybody that I meet at Community Court to, to accomplish. It's you. Every box I intend to check and rarely do - you do. And you check all of them."
Rebecca: "I originally met Maria on our first day of work. We both had the first same start date. So we got to meet each other there, and we immediately bonded. I immediately saw huge potential in Maria. She is really great. She's a people person, and she just strives for the stars."
M:Â "If it wasn't for Community Court, I wouldn't be where I am today. They pushed me to get the help that I needed with my recovery. You know, they helped me get my job. They've helped me through every step of the way."
J: "Community Court is an alternative to traditional court. And in essence, that's what is different about it - it's the alternative approach. I think in traditional court it's more cut and dry. Black and white. 'You've committed this crime. This is the standard sentencing. Therefore, here you go.' At Community Court, Judge Hazlett-Stevens who—I couldn't say enough good things about him and the way that he is driving this court. It started with Nevada Urban Indians - her [Maria's] counselor Troy knocked it out of the park with the substance use counseling.
Job Connect - Tim is our contact there, and he did a great job of working with her. They did the, the application process right away. They met later that week. They completed all of the online applications, sent out all the information they needed to. Who then linked her to the placement agency that got her in here. She also worked with Downtown Reno Partnership, who helped her get her IDs - she wouldn't have been able to get this job without those IDs. And so it was several people working together as one to achieve what, we consider the perfect success with Maria."
---
On our Thursday night broadcast at 7pm - we look at the Reno Works Program.
It's a program you might recognize from prior 2 News Nevada reports on participants who go through 12 weeks of classes and training.  Â
Tomorrow, we meet one man who says it changed his life - and he encourages others to try it.
