NEWS ADVISORY

Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court

To be recognized nationally as an exemplary
Adult Tribal Healing to Wellness Court

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2017

CONTACT: Ana-Lisa Montoya Torres (505) 938-4274

The Center for Court Innovation (CCI) in partnership with the Tribal Law Policy Institute has
selected the Bernalillo County Urban Healing to Wellness Specialty Court to showcase the
development of their Healing to Wellness Court online curriculum. The curriculum will feature a
series of video lessons on topics relevant to treatment courts for adults and juvenile drug courts,
veterans' treatment courts, and mental health courts.

Filming of the Bernalillo County Urban Healing to Wellness Court will begin next week (March
15-17). It will cover court sessions, graduate, participant, and court staff interviews.  CCI wants
to gather professional footage of the Court in action and allow other courts nationwide to learn
from one of the best in the business.

The Honorable Maria Dominguez is the presiding Judge for The Bernalillo County Urban
Healing to Wellness Specialty Court. The Urban Healing to Wellness Specialty Court is a part of
the Recovery Court, which follows a Drug Court Model. The Urban Healing to Wellness Court
targets self-identified justice-involved Native American adult residents. The Court recognizes the
historical trauma experienced by Native Americans and the importance of including culturally
specific Native practices. The program requires a minimum of nine months of satisfactory
participation to complete. All clients are required to make regular appearances before the
presiding Judge to discuss progress and must participate in intensive culturally competent
substance abuse treatment and ancillary services. Progressive rewards (or incentives) and
consequences (or sanctions) are used to encourage participant compliance with the Healing to
Wellness Court requirements. The frequency of court hearings is contingent on the participant's
risks and needs, treatment progress and program phase.

For more information on Specialty Courts visit the Courts’ website at

www.metrocourt.state.nm.us. Media wishing to cover the event should contact Administration at
(505) 841-8106 to obtain camera clearance.

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