We are proud to announce that The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) selected a team from Codington County as participants in the Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions program. The department chose only 10 teams and 13 individuals across the country for this highly selective group.
The Watertown team members are: Judge Carmen Means, Circuit Court Judge, 3rd Judicial Court; Kari Johnston, Executive Director, Human Service Agency; Monica Everson, Director of Emergency Services, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System; Alexis Buysse, Mental Health Officer, Watertown Police Department; Sara Foust, Director, Codington County Community Services; Stacy Hendricks, Executive Director, Brothers & Sisters Behind Bars
The team will be able to develop innovative solutions to substance use and misuse issues for individuals and the community. During this year-long collaborative project, they will work closely with sought-after rural justice experts and national organizations, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and some of the best and brightest rural justice leaders to bring solutions back home.
The Reaching Rural Initiative brings together rural practitioners from different professional backgrounds and communities throughout the country to support them as they grow as leaders and advance solutions to address the persistent challenges of substance use in their communities.
Learn more about the initiative: https://reachingrural.cossup.org/