A housewarming party today will celebrate the fruits of labor for the Paulding County Family Treatment Court and two of its clients.

The clients, Director of Treatment Services Larri Bass said, have reached a point in their sobriety and recovery that they are able to lease their own residences.

“The house warming is to assist these families with basic household goods, such as towels, kitchen appliances, cooking tools and specifically two twin beds and a bistro table and chairs,” she said. “This is a huge step in their journey to reunification with their children.”

The treatment court is funded through grants and thanks to funds from a Georgia Bar Foundation Grant, Ms. Bass said the center was able to match funds saved by the families for security deposits, the first month’s rent and utility deposits.

Unfortunately, she said, the grant cycle has ended and no more funds are available.

The organization, which is 16 months old, works with parents of children who have been removed from their custody by the Department of Children and Family Services due to substance abuse. Ms. Bass said. Currently, she said there are seven participants and another in the screening stages.

The organization is a voluntary program that the parent chooses to become a part of Ms. Bass added, and is a commitment to sobriety and life long recovery.

The program is divided into four phases which focus on a specific part of treatment and recovery geared toward reunification with the children.

“Participants appear before the court every other week and are drug screened at least twice a week” she said. “They are also still required to meet the goals of their DFCS case plan.”

The program, Ms. Bass said, is a not-for-profit program and will accept donations made payable to the Meth Alliance of Paulding.

Donations can be dropped off at the Juvenile Court and donations can be mailed to Meth Alliance of Paulding, P.O. Box 1088, Hiram.