Milwaukee County Friends of Treatment Courts
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Our Mission
The mission of Friends of
the Milwaukee County Treatment Courts, Inc. (“Friends of Treatment Courts”) is
to support the life-changing work of the Milwaukee County treatment courts by
increasing awareness and support of them through community partnering and
outreach, maintaining a network of treatment court alumni, serving in an
advisory capacity to the treatment courts, and raising funds to enhance the
treatment court programs.
Adult Drug Treatment Court
Enhancing public safety through the reduction of recidivism by coordinating effective & accountable substance abuse treatment & supportive services for offenders with substance abuse problems.
Adriana Trevino
Adriana.trevino@wicourts.gov
Adult Drug Treatment Court
Coordinator
Successfully habilitating Veterans in recognition of their service to our country and the challenges it may present to them and their families by diverting them from the traditional criminal justice system and using evidence based practices to provide them with the tools and resources they will need to lead a productive and law-abiding life.
Adriana Trevino
Adriana.trevino@wicourts.gov
Veterans Treatment Court Coordinator
Mental Health Treatment Court
The Mental Health Treatment Court program enhances public safety and reduces recidivism of those who suffer from serious or severe and persistent mental illness. MHTC connects participants with evidence-based mental health treatment and supportive services in the community and finds appropriate dispositions to criminal charges with consideration of the participant’s mental illness and the seriousness of the offense. MHTC provides structure and accountability to the delivery of treatment, medication management, social support services and criminal justice services.
Courtney Brooks
Courtney.brooks@wicourts.gov
Mental Health Treatment Court Coordinator
Family Drug Treatment Court
Through collaboration, with accountability and enhanced access to treatment services, the FDTC improves the safety, well-being and permanence for children, supports the recovery of their parents from alcohol and drug dependence, and enhances the functioning of the family.
Rebecca Foley-Cramer
Rebecca.foley@wicourts.gov
Family Drug Treatment Court Coordinator
Healthy Infant Court
The Healthy Infant Court puts infants at the center of the court process, engaging parents and other collaborative partners to focus on early child development and social and emotional health, while ensuring positive relationships and access to quality services.
Christine Mochel
Christine.mochel@wicourts.gov
Healthy Infant Treatment Court Coordinator
Board Members
Shakita LaGrant-McClain, President
Shakita LaGrant-McClain oversees all aspects of Milwaukee County’s largest department with a nearly $400 million budget, approximately 900 employees, serving 80,000 residents annually. She supervises multiple service areas including Aging and Disabilities Services, Behavioral Health Services, Housing Services, Management Services, and Veterans’ Services. She’s a champion of a No Wrong Door model of service delivery, to improve racial and health equity, and serve Milwaukee County residents across their lifespan regardless of race, gender, age, or socio-economic status. LaGrant-McClain is a demonstrated leader who is dedicated to maximizing organizational performance and leveraging DHHS to influence the human services ecosystem and positively impact social determinants of health. Her success as a leader includes investing in staff training and development, delivering high quality customer service, and transforming human service delivery to a person-centered approach.
LaGrant-McClain is a compassionate and committed community leader who leads by example drawing from personal experience. She is a highly effective executive with the ability to bring energy and enthusiasm to monumental tasks, motivating a large team of professionals to reach lofty goals. Her focus is on delivering human services with high quality customer service. She has demonstrated success with organizational performance, fiscal health, training and development, team building, coaching and facilitation, and public speaking. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct instructor at a local university. She is a natural teacher who believes in coaching and investing in human capital.
Bridget Smith, Treasurer
Bridget has zealously advocated for and volunteered with the life-changing treatment courts of Milwaukee County for over a decade. In 2012, she helped found Phase V which is Wisconsin's first Drug Treatment Court alumni group. Bridget's volunteer work supports clients and alumni of Milwaukee County's Treatment Courts in their recovery efforts through community outreach, service, education and coordination of resources. She serves on the Wisconsin Association of Treatment Court Professionals as a board member since 2020.
Bridget's involvement with treatment courts inspired her to become an attorney. Bridget represents the interests of police and fire unions throughout Wisconsin. She is a proud graduate of Marquette University Law School (L '21) and Marquette University ('11 B.S. Finance, Human Resources).
Bridget's involvement with treatment courts inspired her to become an attorney. Bridget represents the interests of police and fire unions throughout Wisconsin. She is a proud graduate of Marquette University Law School (L '21) and Marquette University ('11 B.S. Finance, Human Resources).
Sara Scullen
Sara Scullen is an experienced litigator who represents a wide range of product manufacturers in product liability, premise liability, and personal injury matters. She provides straightforward and cost-effective counsel and defense strategies for clients facing product defect and negligence claims, in addition to matters involving product recalls, lemon laws, and toxic exposure claims.
Prior to joining Quarles & Brady, Sara spent over 20 years in the public sector where she served as Assistant District Attorney in the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, Counsel for the Milwaukee County Judiciary, as well as Court Commissioner in Waukesha Country Circuit Court. While serving in Milwaukee County, Sara was integral in starting and growing the Family Drug Treatment Court and the Healthy Infant Court. In these roles she also gained invaluable experience both trying and presiding over cases, as well advising and training members of the judiciary.
Cameron Overton
Dr. Cameron Malakai Overton currently serves as the Director of Operations at UBUNTU Research and Evaluation and the Executive Pastor at Zao MKE Church, where he embodies and organizes toward a world beyond carceral logic—one that centers Black joy, healing, and freedom.
At UBUNTU, Cameron ensures the systemic flow of operations to support Black Futuristic evaluation, research, and education in a dignified, sustainable way.
Cameron is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) whose professional background includes extensive experience in both micro and macro practice—from child protective services and recovery support to program evaluation and justice system reform. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of Social work and the Milwaukee County Adult Drug Treatment Court Coordinator who contributed to statewide efforts for equity and inclusion through his work with the Wisconsin Association of Treatment Court Professionals (WATCP).
He earned his Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a certificate in criminal justice and his Master of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with a certificate in trauma-informed care. He earned his Doctorate in Social Work from the University of St. Thomas-St. Paul with a dissertation focused on a call to the profession of social work to go beyond the current ways of thinking by imagining a world beyond the carceral logic; a world that is so healed, that restorative practices is a way of being.
Barbara Due
She is a criminal defense attorney. She began working in the Office of the State Public Defender in 1986 in Janesville. Her practice involved the defense of indigent clients charged with felonies and misdemeanors, as well as individuals who were facing commitment for mental health issues. She represented both juveniles and adults. In 1990 she transferred to the Milwaukee Criminal Trial Division- State Public Defender, where she represented adults facing criminal charges. In 2010 she joined the Early Intervention Unit in the Milwaukee Trial Division. She found her greatest job satisfaction and inspiration in the Early Intervention Unit, where individuals in the criminal justice system were provided treatment for addiction and offered opportunities to address their criminogenic needs, including education, employment, cognitive therapy and positive influences. In 2012, she began working with the team of professionals in Milwaukee Veterans Treatment Court. She retired in 2018 after 32 years with the Public Defender, but then returned to work part-time in the Milwaukee Trial Division during the pandemic, where again she currently works in the Early Intervention Unit. She is a graduate of Marquette University (1986, JD) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1983, BA - Political Science) and a resident of the City of Milwaukee.
Robyn Ellis
Robyn is first and foremost a person in recovery, graduating from Milwaukee’s Family Drug Treatment Court June 20, 2014. She is also an alumni of Meta House, AODA treatment facility in Milwaukee that serves women. Robyn has served the community in different capacities starting in 2015 where she was a case manager for people facing homelessness. Then moving into the role as a certified Peer Support Specialist in 2017 at Meta House, she was able to use her own experience to professionally assist women who were beginning their recovery journey. She has continued her career path at Meta House and now holds the position of Recovery Community Coordinator, overseeing all transitions in and out of the housing program. Robyn also facilitated a support group for participants of Family Drug Treatment court from 2018-2020. Since graduating from Family Drug Treatment Court in 2014, Robyn has had the opportunity to travel and share her personal experience with many professionals around the state alongside Judge Mary Triggiano and Rebecca Foley.
Robyn graduated from UW-Milwaukee December 2022 with her bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is currently working on her master’s degree in Social Work, with a focus on Substance Use Disorder and Trauma Informed Care.
Rick Flowers
Rick joined Milwaukee County in January 2019 as an Administrator and County Veteran Service Officer for Milwaukee County. Rick spent seven years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, with tours of duty in Parris Island, SC, Casablanca, Morocco, the Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and Camp Lejeune, NC. A Milwaukee native, Rick returned after completing his active duty service. Rick has held positions with, UW-Milwaukee, the American Society for Quality, Department for Children and Families and Milwaukee County Youth and Families. Additionally, Rick spent eleven years as a Batterer's Treatment/Anger Management Consultant. Rick worked in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice for over 18 years. Rick provided training for Foster Parents, Treatment Foster Parents, Group Home Workers, Residential Treatment Workers and Initial Assessment workers in Child Protective Services. Rick served as the Director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee which provided alternative programs for youth and adults involved in criminal justice system. Rick also worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer at the Milwaukee County Juvenile Justice Center. Most recently Rick served as the Director of Veteran's Upward Bound at UW-Milwaukee, providing veterans and families with assistance in obtaining educational benefits, job preparation, entrepreneurial training and other resources.
Testimonials
“Drug court provided me the resources, support and connection I needed to become the person I never thought I could become. I went from being a heroin addict, one step away from dying or being incarcerated long-term, to now 8 years later, leading and managing a peer-run respite contracted by the state where I help individuals in crisis and empower them to lead self-directed lives. I can't imagine where I would be today without my drug court team seeing in me what I couldn't see in myself.” -- Jennifer Z., Adult Drug Treatment Court Graduate, August 2016
“Participating in the program has really helped me get my life back together. They’ve given me all the resources I need to turn my life around. I feel like I’m part of a team now and everyone is rooting for me. They treat me like a regular person and want me to succeed.”
Carl C., Adult Drug Treatment Court Graduate, October 2020
“The whole team, they give you the support you need…there’s resources, pretty much anything you ask for. If they’re able to do it, they’re going to try to do it to the best of their ability.”
Anonymous, Adult Drug Treatment Court Graduate
“Being selected to be a candidate in the DTC program was absolutely instrumental in giving me the skills and resources in a structured setting that helped me greatly in the rebuilding of my life. My team was there when I needed the guidance and compassion in getting through the day to day struggles that come with early sobriety. The team was also there for those ‘atta boy’ moments too, those times when I needed the positive reinforcement. With that said, thanks for showing me I have what it takes!!! Oh and yes they do have a fish bowl…LOL.”
Steve M., Adult Drug Treatment Court Graduate, October 2020
“I think it was helpful in giving us a second chance at life, because we could have ended up in a whole lot of different situations, we were given a second opportunity to stay clean and be a productive member of society.” Tommie G., Army Veteran, Veterans Treatment Court Graduate, June 2013
“I’ve had help from a lot of community resources, which include the Dry Hootch, and they really helped me out when I was flat on my back.” Nathan H., National Guard, Veterans Treatment Court Graduate, June 2013
“I thought I was being, like, punished. But since I've been in this program, I've been so inspired to change for the better and to strive to be a better person and do something with my life instead of just doing it on pass. It has taught me to move forward, and it has also taught me that if you seek help, people will help you.”
Karen G., Navy Veteran, Veterans Treatment Court Graduate, December 2013
“Healthy infant court helped me and my children a lot. Helped me prove I was a great mother and never doubted me. Worked with me and the kids every step of the way, at any time we needed.”
Nikki P., Healthy Infant Court Parent Graduate, March 2021
"Working with the HIC team was honestly the first sign of light at the end of the tunnel. My family went through a lot in 2020. Losing partial custody of a child is not something I would wish on any parent. The COVID pandemic made the process of regaining custody of our child even longer. As soon as we were paired with the HIC team things started to progress much faster. All of the efforts my partner and I were making were finally noticed and rewarded with things like no supervision visits and overnight visits with our child. We learned so much and felt like we were just being coached through early parenting rather than limited. Thank you HIC!"
Cesar R., Healthy Infant Court Parent Graduate, October 2021
“I think I would not have made it as far as I have if I didn't have the help to understand my son, and I wouldn't be able to understand how to be a better mother in ways that the people in this program have shown me to be. I think it's a good program for people like me to have the help from the people as well as the program.”
Shamrica K., Healthy Infant Court Parent Participant
"Mental Health Treatment Court gave me a second chance at a time when I thought all was lost. I discovered excellent new opportunities I did not know existed through the process.”
Warren S., Mental Health Treatment Court Graduate, March 2021
Contributions & Donations:
Please send all checks or monetary donations to:
Friends of Milwaukee County Treatment Court
Attn: Bridget Smith – Treasurer
c/o Stacey Anick
205 W. Highland Ave Ste 509
Milwaukee, WI. 53203
Contributions & Donations:
Please send all checks or monetary donations to:
Friends of Milwaukee County Treatment Court
Attn: Bridget Smith – Treasurer
c/o Stacey Anick
205 W. Highland Ave Ste 509
Milwaukee, WI. 53203
Contact
205 W Highland Avenue Ste 509 Milwaukee, WI 53203
Email: friendsoftreatmentcourtmke@gmail.com
Friends of the Milwaukee County Treatment Court is a 501c3 Nonprofit Organization
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