By Wayne Gates

Many people think that being put on probation is the end of a legal journey for someone charged with a crime.

But for many people, especially those charged with drug offenses, probation is the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

Jenny Andrews is the Chief Probation Officer for the Brown County Common Pleas Court.

“Most of the felony four and felony five cases we have are drug charges. And if it’s not a drug charge, it’s related to drug addiction in some way,” she said. “When the judge gives them a second chance with probation, it’s our job to get them the help that they need and not set them up for failure.”

To help do that, the probation department now employs Amber Tengowski as a chemical dependency counselor.

“We focus on what barriers to recovery that these people face and trying to help them outside instead of just making sure they are drug-free and on time to probation check-ins,” Tengowski said. “I think a lot of what the probation department does now is case management. Checking into family situations and employment situations. Oftentimes, it’s finding better ways for them to handle life situations.”

Tengowski is in charge of the Transitions program within the probation department.

“Our treatment resources in Brown County are very limited. With us getting the transitions program here, it’s very valuable that we have outside counseling for people that have drug dependency issues,” said Andrews.

Tengowski said the idea is to have someone in the system concentrating on changing the behavior of the person who is addicted.

“Someone who actually listens and focuses on their problems at hand is what they need and we all try to do that,” Tengowski said.

Part of that help is dealing with the challenges of re-entering society after incarceration.

“It is always difficult to reenter society after being in prison. A year doesn’t seem like a long time to us, but that is a long time for someone who has been incarcerated,” Tengowski said.

She said things like a lack of transportation or employment make things even harder for her clients. A negative home environment is also difficult for them.

“Many times they are surrounded by people who don’t understand what they need to be successful. Often they also feel that the community doesn’t support them because they have a felony,” Tengowski said.

“When we get people like that in here, one of our biggest goals is to make sure that they are working through those short term plans so they can achieve their goals.”

Sometimes those goals can be as simple as basic survival needs.

“I have put people on probation who are homeless. Nothing to eat and not a dime to their name. We have had to start at rock bottom to try and find them a sober living environment and some help,” said Andrews.

Tengowski said the first few days of being put on probation are critical.

“Someone who is trying to get clean and do the right thing sometimes beats themselves up more than anyone. So any negativity from family members or other people in the community judging them over things that happened three or four years ago makes things harder. All of this can be an obstacle for people who are trying to get clean,” she said.

“Having compassion and showing that compassion can go a long way. Helping them have goals and be a part of their own treatment is a huge step toward them being successful.”

And small successes that many of us take for granted can make a big difference to someone on the edge.

“I’ve had people come in and tell me that they have paid all their bills this month and they are super proud of themselves. Something like that means a lot to people who have never done it,” Tengowski said.

One way that Tengowski and the probation department are trying to help addicts and family members is establishing the Kindred Kare family support group.

The group meets the first Monday of every month at 5 p.m. at the Georgetown Church of Christ. This month’s meeting will be Monday, February 4.

“The idea is to help them share their experiences and maybe educate each other. There is nothing better than getting together with like minded people working toward a positive goal,” Tengowski said.

Andrews said that being a probation officer is a challenge, but there are moments when a client tells you something that makes all the work worth it.

“You saved my life. I’ve had people tell me that. What keeps us coming back to work are those cases where people want your help, they are being successful and they thank you every time they come in here,” Andrews said.

“We have people that are off probation that will call us and tell us how they are doing because they are so proud of themselves.”

https://browncountypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Probation.jpg