[applauding] - [Evan] Judge Jason Drisbrow says drug addiction and mental health go hand in hand.

- It's hard to explain to people the impact that I get to see.

- [Evan] Drisbrow presides over the Brunswick County Mental Health Treatment Court.

The court focuses on the link between substance use disorders and mental health.

The goal of the court is to ensure that participants receive the help and treatment they need to become healthy, law abiding members of the community.

- We're encouraging them, telling them, "Look, we understand you're dealing with a substance use disorder.

We understand that there's going to be some missteps along the way, but you're helping them through the entire process.

- She's making good progress.

- [Evan] The court has held twice a month where Judge Drisbrow and his staff review the cases of every participant on the docket that morning.

Participants are reviewed on the progress made towards things like group session attendance, probation violations, and drug test results.

But not everyone is eligible.

Court staff make an assessment whether an individual meets the criteria to participate.

A participant must be on probation in addition to being diagnosed with both a substance use disorder and mental health disorder.

- They have underlying traumas that they've never dealt with before, so they turn to substance use disorders, and then they steal, and then they have drug possession charges.

[applauding] - [Evan] The participant's progress is monitored by the court, and the goal is to generate positive outcomes in their lives.

Debose Barnes says partnerships with local recovery centers, such as nearby Coastal Horizons, are crucial to making it work.

- Helping them avoid going to prison, getting a sentence by focusing on substance use disorder and mental health.

And mental health is critical, because the mental health drives every aspect of our lives.

- [Evan] Judge Drisbrow says a typical program period is 24 months.

Once a participant completes the program, the order is signed to move them to unsupervised probation.

- When we have them in treatment court, we have a real opportunity to change everything for them, to change the trajectory of the rest of their lives, and the lives of their children, the lives of their spouses, the lives of their family members.

- There's no drugs in my system.

[applauding] - [Evan] For NZ Impact, I'm Evan Howell.