Our Goals
What We Do
The forms of support we provide to therapeutic court participants and graduates include — but are not limited to — weekly peer support groups, monthly social activities, mentorship, graduation ceremonies, advocacy directed at political leaders in Juneau, and community outreach events.
Peer Support Groups
AKTCA Peer Support Groups are weekly opportunities for therapeutic court participants to process their experience among one another and with graduates who share in the background. These confidential groups encourage bonds between graduates and participants in their journey towards long-term sobriety. Graduates who facilitate the groups choose topics that spark meaningful, honest conversation among participants. These alumni facilitators provide healthy role modeling by offering their direct experience of the therapeutic court process and their on-going recovery. Graduates are always welcomed back to the Peer Support Groups as a source of support and accountability.
Sober Social Activities
AKTCA activities vary from location to location. For example, in Anchorage, a family game night is held on the last Friday of every month. Additionally, AKTCA’s annual holiday party and summer picnic are both held in Anchorage. In Fairbanks, participants and graduates have organized bowling and paint nights. Please check the upcoming events page to see what COVID safe AKTCA activities are coming up!
Mentorship
An invaluable aspect of AKTCA is the relationships formed between and among graduates and participants. Because participants are able to get to know graduates while they are in the program, they are able to build networks of support and mentorship prior to graduation. Therefore, their support continues after leaving the courts. These mentor relationships offer participants the opportunity to learn from graduates who are successfully pursuing long-term sobriety and healthy lifestyles.
Political Advocacy
Since 2010, representatives from AKTCA have been travelling annually to Juneau to meet with legislators to advocate on behalf of therapeutic court programs. By sharing their powerful testimonies, graduates of the court embody the value of therapeutic courts. Because of these efforts, more and more leaders have recognized the importance of improving and expanding the court. In June 2020, an AKTCA member — Ron Wilson — was appointed to Alaska Legislature’s Therapeutic Courts Task Force led by Senator Bill Wielechowski to offer his valuable insights and suggestions from the alumnus perspective. Stay up to date with the most recent updates here.
Graduation Ceremonies
AKTCA is not concerned only with alumni of the court. Rather, AKTCA members form relationships with current participants to make the transition out of the court’s structured program as smooth as possible. Because alumni mentor and encourage participants throughout their entire 18 months, it is important that the alumni be present at the participants’ graduation. Whenever possible, AKTCA members make it a priority to be present on this day.
Community Outreach
AKTCA aims to be an active member in promoting sobriety and healthy living in our larger communities. Through speaking engagements, participation in community events, and partnerships with other sober groups, AKTCA’s presence is growing in the community. In Anchorage, we participate in Recover Alaska’s September Recovery Month activities, including a sober rally and a 5k. In Juneau, we partner with Great Bear Recovery and SMART Recovery. We are always looking for -and finding- new ways to strengthen our community, so stay tuned for updates as they are posted to our website!
