SHEPHERDSVILLE – Recovery does not end with a graduation ceremony.
It is a lifelong journey with obstacles along the way.
Just ask Troy Hilpp.
But the assistant director for the Bullitt County Mental Health Court knows that when you overcome those daily hurdles, recovery is so much more valuable.
For Jordan Bowen, Wednesday was a big day in his recovery.
He would be honored as one of two graduates and he would have his criminal charges dismissed.
But, Mother Nature wanted to throw up a roadblock to his big day. Sleet and snow made his normal route to Shepherdsville – Highway 245 – a bit treacherous.
With determination, Bowen was able to make to the graduation – albeit a couple of minutes late.
Bowen was joined by Angelia Hardesty as the latest graduates of the mental health court program.
Bullitt County District Judge Jennifer Porter praised county attorney Tammy Baker for having the dream of a mental health program.
And, in a world that often seems dismal in the courtroom, Porter said seeing the participants in the program work so hard to find success gives everyone in the system a little hope about the future.
Porter praised the team of individuals and agencies that makes the program successful. And, she told the participants, if the leaders in the program didn’t think they could make it, they wouldn’t be accepted.
Baker said that it truly takes the entire team of individuals who make the program a success.
“This is a very special program,” said Baker, who hired Will Dufton to lead the efforts with Hilpp serving as his assistant.
The prosecutor said that Porter is the lone district judge in a very large county and her schedule is very full. But Baker said that she has always made time for the mental health program and wants only the best for the participants.
On this particular snowy winter day, it was time to honor Hardesty and Bowen.
For Hardesty, she got some assistance from her friends in Hillview, mayor Jim Eadens and city clerk Karen Richard.
Before entering the program, Hardesty said she had trouble keeping a job and later ran into problems in the court system.
Having met with Dunford and being recommended for the program, her life changed.
“I kept falling and didn’t think I would ever get up,” Hardesty said in a video played for those in attendance.
From going to not being able to catch a break or to catch her breath, Hardesty is now on that road to recovery.
Her chaotic world now is one in which she has a job and is no longer in trouble with the vices that were demons in her life.
“Today, my life is great,” said Hardesty. “I have hope now.”
Arriving late due to traffic, Bowen walked into the courtroom and gave his signature “thumbs up” sign to those in attendance.
In the video, Jordan related that there was a time where he lived in a shed in someone’s back yard with a dog. Each night he would drink.
When he eventually found himself in jail, Dufton found him and encouraged him to participate in the mental health program.
After treatment in a facility, Bowen is holding a job and pursuing his passion for music.
“It’s coming back together,” Bowen said of his life.
Instead of being scared every night sleeping in that shed, Bowen said there are no longer fears.
He praised the program and Porter for the support he had received. With that came the ability to have the opportunity for a better life.
One of the partners with the program is the city of Hillview.
Eadens praised the mental court program for being one of the resources that is needed in the county.
In Hillview, the city purchased an old shopping center which is now the Jim Eadens Resource Center, that is full of agencies to help individuals.
Without the resources to help, Eadens said one feels helpless. With the mental health court program, the mayor said there is one more way the community can help those in need.
For anyone who might need assistance or know of someone who has gotten involved with the court sytem, call 502-543-1505 to find out more information about the Bullitt County Mental Health Court program.