November 21, 2025 • 17 mins
Real change shows up where stress goes down and support shows up. We open with a grounded look at Henderson County’s steady real estate market—why a calmer pace gives buyers and sellers breathing room, how pre-inspections and strong pre-approvals prevent last-minute chaos, and what full-service guidance looks like when an agency handles more than forms. Then we pivot to a different kind of structure changing lives: Adult Recovery Court, a therapeutic, voluntary path for people with felony charges tied to addiction. Instead of cycling through jail, participants commit to 18–24 months of treatment, accountability, and regular check-ins with a team that includes the judge, defense, prosecution, probation, health providers, and recovery supports.
We dig into the program’s origin story, funded by North Carolina’s opioid settlement dollars and built by county leaders who did the homework on gaps, barriers, and best practices. The results are compelling: reduced incarceration costs, higher employment, families reunited, child support paid, and far fewer crises landing back on public systems. Along the way, we share how simple incentives—like donated gift cards—fuel momentum, why caseload caps protect quality, and how other counties can replicate the model. The heart of it all is Jennifer, the first graduate: a full-time manager and single mom of three who completed 19 months of rigorous requirements and proved that recovery with accountability works.
If you care about smart justice, community health, and practical steps that make hard things easier—whether that’s buying a home or rebuilding a life—you’ll find data, details, and hope here. Want to help? Donate small incentives, hire graduates, spread the word, and advocate for programs that turn courtrooms into launchpads. For real estate questions or a private showing, call 828 393 0134 or visit realestatebygreg.com. If this conversation moves you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more neighbors can find it.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
The George Real Estate Group Radio broadcast is
celebrating 10 years on WHKP.
The George Real Estate Group iscelebrating 10 years on the
radio live every Thursdaymorning at 10.05 on WHKP 107.7
FM and AM 1450, and streamingonline at WHKP.com.
(00:24):
Each Friday morning at 845, theGeorge Real Estate Group
presents the Hometown Hero Awardto someone in our community who
goes above and beyond to makeour hometown a better place to
live.
Here's this week's Hometown HeroShow.
It's 845, and that is everyFriday morning we gather for the
(00:46):
George Real Estate GroupHometown Hero series.
Every Friday morning, and uhthis morning we're gonna welcome
Daniel Conway with uh the uhHenderson County Adult Recovery
Court to the microphones.
But first, Taylor Harry's here,and we're gonna talk a little
real estate, right, Taylor?
SPEAKER_05 (01:06):
That's right.
We are always talking realestate before we get to the good
stuff, which today happens to beMr.
Daniel over here.
So here in Henderson County, wehave been saying for the past
few weeks that the market issteady and it's stable.
And what that allows for is forsellers and buyers not to be in
as big of a rush.
It allows for an actualrelationship, it allows for time
(01:29):
to make sure that everybody hastheir ducks in a row and the
stress goes away.
And as I spoke about yesterday,we had an amazing speaker come
in and and talk to us about andreally lay out the importance of
pre-inspections and approvals sothat when you get to the end,
everything's not falling apart.
And, you know, that's the mainbenefit of having an agency like
(01:53):
the George Real Estate Group.
And you know, we're not the onlyones, we're not gonna sit here
and it be greedy about it, butwe can absolutely say that we
provide a lot of services beyondjust buying and selling.
It's not just filling outpapers, it's making sure that
you're equipped with financersand and appraisers and
everything that you need to makesure that you're either when
(02:14):
you're buying or selling, youhave all the information you
need and that it's genuine andnobody's taking you for a ride.
And that's that's why I likeworking there.
SPEAKER_02 (02:24):
Well, get us uh Taylor, get us in touch with the
George Real Estate Group.
Where are you guys at?
SPEAKER_05 (02:29):
We are located in Flat Rock.
If you know where Rainbow Row isat, across from Carl Sandberg,
or where the very dangerous flatrock bakery or hubba hub are at,
we are right there.
Our phone number is828-393-0134.
You can call us anytime.
And if there is any property youwant to look at, even if there's
not a listed open house oranything like that, you can call
(02:49):
and request a private showing,and you absolutely should.
And if you have any questionsabout anything at all, we'd love
to help you.
SPEAKER_02 (02:55):
Super.
Thank you, Taylor.
Daniel Conway with uh HendersonCounty Adult Recovery Court.
Good morning.
SPEAKER_03 (03:01):
Hey, good morning, everybody.
Uh, first I want to say thankyou so much for inviting us here
to speak with you guys, andthank you so much to the George
Real Estate Group uh for thehometown Hero Salute.
We appreciate it.
SPEAKER_02 (03:12):
Well, Daniel, thank you for coming in to uh talk
about this uh wonderful program.
And it recently uh caught uhjumped up on my radar uh when
you had a recent graduate fromthe program.
I guess uh we'll talk about thatgraduate in a minute, but first
of all, tell us about theprogram and and what uh the
(03:34):
adult recovery court is.
SPEAKER_03 (03:36):
Uh yes, so the adult recovery court is a drug
diversion program.
Um it's what's called atreatment court or a therapeutic
court.
So what we do is we look toaddress the underlying issues
that an individual might have uhthat is causing them to get
involved with criminal behaviorin the justice system.
SPEAKER_05 (03:53):
Is that a voluntary?
How does that work?
How does someone get involvedwith that?
SPEAKER_03 (03:56):
Yes, ma'am, there's a voluntary program.
Um so they do have to have atleast one felony charge uh up to
class F.
It does not have to be a drugcharge, it can be anything that
is a consequence of theiraddiction.
SPEAKER_05 (04:09):
Um, okay.
So you're you're helping peoplewell beyond just people who've
been charged with felonies fordrug possession or whatever.
That's is anyone that has afelony that's sort of a result
of that lifestyle.
Yes, ma'am.
That's incredible.
SPEAKER_02 (04:22):
Thank you so much.
How long does the program run?
How long does a person getinvolved in this court?
SPEAKER_03 (04:29):
Uh so once they plead in, it's a minimum of 18
months, but it usually takesabout up to about two years for
somebody to complete it.
Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (04:37):
So it's uh quite in-depth, I I I would imagine.
How often during that two inthat two-year period, how often
do you get together with theseuh with these folks?
SPEAKER_03 (04:47):
Um, so we have a pretty big treatment team that
includes the judge, uh, thepublic defender's office, the
district attorney's office,probation parole, and then we
have a lot of community partnersuh such as nonprofits and
treatment providers that we workwith.
So I'd say if you're speaking ofall our treatment team, they see
we see everybody probably atleast three or four times a
(05:07):
week.
SPEAKER_05 (05:08):
That's an inc that's incredible.
I I did not know this existeduntil today, to be honest with
you.
That's amazing.
To have I mean, obviously peoplego through things in life and
sometimes you get hit withsomething with a major charge
because you made a really bigbad decision and it affects the
rest of your life.
I did not know that thisresource existed.
(05:29):
So how like how are peoplefinding you?
If someone is coming to yourprogram, how do people find you?
How do they get this?
SPEAKER_03 (05:39):
A lot of times through their attorney.
The referral process does gothrough their attorney.
Um so a lot of times theirattorney already knows about it.
So when they're uh discussing umoptions with their client, they
might bring it up to them.
Sometimes we'll do some in-reachin the jail or do outreach on
the community, uh, just to makesure everybody's uh educated and
aware of this program.
SPEAKER_02 (05:58):
How many people, Daniel, do you have uh involved
in this court?
I mean how many uh how manypeople are uh are working with
you?
SPEAKER_03 (06:07):
Uh working with us on a treatment team, I think
it's about fifteen, twelve tofifteen.
SPEAKER_02 (06:12):
And and uh and how many people are going through
the program?
SPEAKER_03 (06:16):
Uh currently we have seventeen and we actually just
picked up our eighteenth.
So we're at eighteen now andwe're looking to be about
twenty-twenty-five at the most.
SPEAKER_05 (06:24):
To participate in this program, like as someone
that is a volunteer provider, doyou have to be someone that's
certified?
And do you have to be anattorney?
Do you have to be someone in thelegal field or mental health
field, or can you justvolunteer?
SPEAKER_03 (06:35):
Uh we do have volunteers that help out.
Um, our core treatment team isbasically people from the legal
system, uh, the healthcaresystem, and then also what we
call recovery support services.
SPEAKER_02 (06:48):
Well, uh one of the things that uh I wanted to ask
is uh I wanted to ask of JodyGrabowski, who's here.
Jody, good morning.
SPEAKER_04 (06:55):
Hey Randy.
SPEAKER_02 (06:56):
How are you?
SPEAKER_04 (06:57):
I'm good, thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (06:58):
Good, good to have you here.
You uh uh you can tell us moreabout uh the the origins of this
program, how it got started.
SPEAKER_04 (07:06):
Yeah, so um back in several years ago, um
Commissioner Lapsley started atask force um looking at the
opioid crisis, how it wasimpacting Henderson County.
And fortunately he did that along time ago because when the
opioid settlement funds camedown from the state um a few
years ago, we were alreadyprimed with um knowing what our
(07:27):
gaps and barriers were, what arewhat we wanted.
So um when we knew we weregetting the money, we started
looking at how the money was,what was allowable with that
money, what we could do with it.
We're getting roughly a milliondollars a year to the county
over about 16 years.
And one of the first things thatwe identified was a recovery
court, also calledproblem-solving courts.
(07:49):
Um we had looked at maybe aveterans court, um, and we
landed on adult recovery courtbecause it's broader, and we can
refer.
Daniel's actually a graduatefrom a veterans recovery court,
and so he's well connected withthe Bunkham County court.
So if we have veterans thatqualify, we can refer to them.
Meanwhile, we decided to goforward with a adult recovery
(08:10):
court, found out what that wouldentail as far as creating the um
disciplinary team.
So the judge, the DA, um, ourlead defense, um, probation, all
these folks gathered togetherand said, okay, let's let's get
this started.
And then we recruited Danielaway from Bunkham.
And I apologize to the case.
I don't blame you.
I don't blame you for that.
(08:31):
We we literally recruited himwhile he was at a conference on
their dime.
But it was a smart move.
It was a smart move.
So our um commissioners, this iswhat they wanted to do first.
So um we um went through what weneed to do to um uh be able to
utilize those funds to fully umwe're we're the first county in
(08:55):
h in North Carolina to fullyfund a recovery court with
opioid settlement funds.
Yes.
It's um it's difficult to getstate money for these courts.
Um I wish that we could do thatmore.
I think they're gettingobviously more and more popular.
Um when you look at um, youknow, you hear about 17, 18, 20
(09:16):
people.
It doesn't sound like a lot, butthe impact is tremendous.
SPEAKER_05 (09:20):
That's hundreds of people in those families.
And yeah, the tree is and thenhis impact.
And that's incredible.
I mean, my dad was a little bitof a wild hair, and he was like,
you know, it's everybody fallsshort and has their moment of
whatever, and unfortunately,some people get caught in the
middle of it.
And there's a lot of people thatdo the same thing, but then
(09:41):
there's people that pay theprice, and it's it's incredible.
People like Daniel in thisprogram are like, guess what?
This blemish or whatever thateverybody sees on your record
actually is, you know, we we allgo through stuff like this, and
now you've turned this thinginto and you have helped turn
this into something in c I mean,this is awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (10:01):
Well, and what's cool is um what we can do with
the OK settlement funds is we'reso if somebody doesn't um
qualify for this program, Danielhas other people on our team and
other community members that hecan refer them to.
But the folks that are in thisprogram would otherwise be
looking at prison time, and someof them have very long time in
prison.
So when you look at um at ourone-year mark, we had 12 people,
(10:22):
and I did the math on that, andjust by not having 12 people in
prison for a year cost more than$660,000.
And our c our program costssignificantly less than$660,000.
And that's just the what thestate would be have paying for
them to be in prison.
So now not only are they not inprison, they're working.
(10:43):
Um all but twelve, I mean, ofthat twelve, all but two were
working.
Uh one was in residentialtreatment and the other one's
expecting a baby any day.
SPEAKER_05 (10:52):
And it's funny because it's easy to say, like,
we save money and that's thequantifiable number on paper,
but that's actually the waylesser impact, right?
Right, right.
Those people actually get tolive a life.
Yeah.
All those family.
Yeah, you get to save money, butthose people get to live a life.
They show that recovery ispossible.
SPEAKER_04 (11:09):
They they model that for their family members.
Um, so their family members getinto treatment.
Um, shoot, they're payingrestitution, they're paying
child support, they're um nolonger DSS involved.
So the like I said, the trickledown of a program like this is
is tremendous.
We could not have done thiswithout the support of our
county commissioners.
Our county manager John Mitchelldrove this.
(11:30):
Um we literally drove around thestate to look at other programs,
and um it, you know, our our DAand probation, it's a big lift
for them.
So we really appreciate thatthey start to do that.
SPEAKER_05 (11:42):
How do we make it bigger?
How do we make it better?
SPEAKER_04 (11:45):
Well, the it's it'll it'll continue to grow and we
can influence other counties.
Other counties are looking atthe great work that Daniel's
doing.
And um hopefully the you know,more and more systems will see
the benefit of this and and fundthem because this money's not
gonna last forever.
And I want to put this in theback of the phone.
SPEAKER_05 (12:02):
That's not true.
I I've I have to say, sittinghere today, there is no way that
if enough people hear this andget involved that that that
money is gonna go away.
There are gonna be people thatwill advocate for you because
I've known Daniel for all offive minutes, and I will
volunteer just to get you moremoney.
You know, it's I there I cannotbelieve that this program will
(12:23):
not sustain itself.
SPEAKER_04 (12:25):
I I think it will.
And I think also when you'reasking about volunteers, I think
one of the way community memberscan help us is the funny thing
about the money coming to acounty is there's things that
are allowable with the money,but not really doable as a
county.
And one of the hardest thingsfor us is getting incentive
prizes because we want toincentivize good behavior.
(12:45):
So every time they come tocourt, the participants, if
they've done well, can drop thema bucket and get like a prize.
And that's just part of likewhat's best practice.
But I literally can't buy giftcards as a county employee.
Okay.
So it's hard to get county.
So anybody wants to donate giftcards to us, that's the one the
coolest thing.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (13:03):
Well, we've got a yeah, we've got a couple of
certificates that uh for freemeals around town that can go in
there.
Uh we've only got a couple ofminutes left, but in that couple
of minutes, Jody, please tell usuh about the recent graduate,
the first graduate of theprogram.
SPEAKER_04 (13:18):
Okay.
I'm gonna turn it back over toDaniel to talk about her because
um he knows her better than anyof us.
SPEAKER_02 (13:23):
All right, Daniel, tell us about that graduate.
SPEAKER_03 (13:26):
Uh yes, sir.
So our graduate name's Jennifer.
Um she did outstanding and veryhard work um to be the very
first person in our recoverycourt.
So just the courage to be thefirst one to take those those
steps and um really be thetrailblazer for our court.
Um she spent 19 months with usand she worked very hard as a
(13:46):
full-time employee, uh manager,a single mother of three, um,
taking care of her family andworking full-time, all while
also adhering and you know,going with all the requirements
for our recovery court.
SPEAKER_02 (13:57):
So you recently celebrated her at a luncheon at
the historic courthouse.
Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_03 (14:03):
We had a graduation ceremony for you.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:05):
Well, I can't say thank you enough to Jody and and
uh Daniel and all the crew andeveryone involved.
It's a lot of people.
And it's a great program, and wejust wanted to uh shine a light
on some of the good things goingon in our community with the
George Real Estate GroupHometown Hero Series.
Uh Taylor, we got about uh 30seconds for you to give uh
(14:27):
Daniel the certificate and uh toto remind us about George Real
Estate Group.
SPEAKER_05 (14:32):
So we always give this certificate, and Randy and
WHKP generously donate, youknow, some free items around
town that they can go and cashin, which is incredible.
And the George Real Estate Groupsupports this program because of
what it means to the communityand because of how it is just it
is the lifeblood of my favoriteday is Friday morning when I get
(14:56):
to come and meet the hometownheroes.
And normally it's Noah here whois way more articulate than I
am, but I always am happy to behere.
So we really appreciate you guysand Randy, you too.
SPEAKER_02 (15:06):
You bet.
Join us next Friday, next Fridaymorning for another George Real
Estate Group, Hometown Hero.
The George Real Estate Group islocated in Flat Rock, North
Carolina, near Hendersonville inHenderson County.
You can find them online atrealestatebygreg.com.
The George Real Estate Group canbe reached at 828-3930134 or
(15:29):
stop by their office at 2720Greenville Highway, Flat Rock,
North Carolina.
Tune in live each week onThursdays at 1005 AM on WHKP
107.7 FM and 1450 AM, or streamonline at WHKP.com, or download
these podcasts wherever you getyour podcasts.
(15:52):
The George Real Estate Groupbrings you the WHKP Hometown
Hero Series every Friday morningat 845.
SPEAKER_00 (16:00):
You've built a lifetime of strength, wisdom,
and independence.
And here's the best part.
You still have it.
Every decision, every step,every next chapter is yours to
choose.
Selling your home isn't aboutletting go, it's about opening
the door to more freedom, moretime for what you love, more
(16:22):
energy for the people andpassions that matter most.
At the George Real Estate Group,we believe independence isn't
behind you.
It's right here, right now.
Our team goes beyond buying andselling.
We're here to help you protectyour wealth, preserve your
legacy, and make sure Uncle Samdoesn't become your biggest
(16:44):
benefactor.
We'll guide you every step ofthe way towards your next
chapter, your next opportunity,and your freedom on your terms.
Call us at 828 393 0134.
Find us online atrealestatebygreg.com.
The George Real Estate Group Radio broadcast is
celebrating 10 years on WHKP.
The George Real Estate Group iscelebrating 10 years on the
radio live every Thursdaymorning at 10.05 on WHKP 107.7
FM and AM 1450, and streamingonline at WHKP.com.
(00:24):
Each Friday morning at 845, theGeorge Real Estate Group
presents the Hometown Hero Awardto someone in our community who
goes above and beyond to makeour hometown a better place to
live.
Here's this week's Hometown HeroShow.
It's 845, and that is everyFriday morning we gather for the
(00:46):
George Real Estate GroupHometown Hero series.
Every Friday morning, and uhthis morning we're gonna welcome
Daniel Conway with uh the uhHenderson County Adult Recovery
Court to the microphones.
But first, Taylor Harry's here,and we're gonna talk a little
real estate, right, Taylor?
SPEAKER_05 (01:06):
That's right.
We are always talking realestate before we get to the good
stuff, which today happens to beMr.
Daniel over here.
So here in Henderson County, wehave been saying for the past
few weeks that the market issteady and it's stable.
And what that allows for is forsellers and buyers not to be in
as big of a rush.
It allows for an actualrelationship, it allows for time
(01:29):
to make sure that everybody hastheir ducks in a row and the
stress goes away.
And as I spoke about yesterday,we had an amazing speaker come
in and and talk to us about andreally lay out the importance of
pre-inspections and approvals sothat when you get to the end,
everything's not falling apart.
And, you know, that's the mainbenefit of having an agency like
(01:53):
the George Real Estate Group.
And you know, we're not the onlyones, we're not gonna sit here
and it be greedy about it, butwe can absolutely say that we
provide a lot of services beyondjust buying and selling.
It's not just filling outpapers, it's making sure that
you're equipped with financersand and appraisers and
everything that you need to makesure that you're either when
(02:14):
you're buying or selling, youhave all the information you
need and that it's genuine andnobody's taking you for a ride.
And that's that's why I likeworking there.
SPEAKER_02 (02:24):
Well, get us uh Taylor, get us in touch with the
George Real Estate Group.
Where are you guys at?
SPEAKER_05 (02:29):
We are located in Flat Rock.
If you know where Rainbow Row isat, across from Carl Sandberg,
or where the very dangerous flatrock bakery or hubba hub are at,
we are right there.
Our phone number is828-393-0134.
You can call us anytime.
And if there is any property youwant to look at, even if there's
not a listed open house oranything like that, you can call
(02:49):
and request a private showing,and you absolutely should.
And if you have any questionsabout anything at all, we'd love
to help you.
SPEAKER_02 (02:55):
Super.
Thank you, Taylor.
Daniel Conway with uh HendersonCounty Adult Recovery Court.
Good morning.
SPEAKER_03 (03:01):
Hey, good morning, everybody.
Uh, first I want to say thankyou so much for inviting us here
to speak with you guys, andthank you so much to the George
Real Estate Group uh for thehometown Hero Salute.
We appreciate it.
SPEAKER_02 (03:12):
Well, Daniel, thank you for coming in to uh talk
about this uh wonderful program.
And it recently uh caught uhjumped up on my radar uh when
you had a recent graduate fromthe program.
I guess uh we'll talk about thatgraduate in a minute, but first
of all, tell us about theprogram and and what uh the
(03:34):
adult recovery court is.
SPEAKER_03 (03:36):
Uh yes, so the adult recovery court is a drug
diversion program.
Um it's what's called atreatment court or a therapeutic
court.
So what we do is we look toaddress the underlying issues
that an individual might have uhthat is causing them to get
involved with criminal behaviorin the justice system.
SPEAKER_05 (03:53):
Is that a voluntary?
How does that work?
How does someone get involvedwith that?
SPEAKER_03 (03:56):
Yes, ma'am, there's a voluntary program.
Um so they do have to have atleast one felony charge uh up to
class F.
It does not have to be a drugcharge, it can be anything that
is a consequence of theiraddiction.
SPEAKER_05 (04:09):
Um, okay.
So you're you're helping peoplewell beyond just people who've
been charged with felonies fordrug possession or whatever.
That's is anyone that has afelony that's sort of a result
of that lifestyle.
Yes, ma'am.
That's incredible.
SPEAKER_02 (04:22):
Thank you so much.
How long does the program run?
How long does a person getinvolved in this court?
SPEAKER_03 (04:29):
Uh so once they plead in, it's a minimum of 18
months, but it usually takesabout up to about two years for
somebody to complete it.
Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (04:37):
So it's uh quite in-depth, I I I would imagine.
How often during that two inthat two-year period, how often
do you get together with theseuh with these folks?
SPEAKER_03 (04:47):
Um, so we have a pretty big treatment team that
includes the judge, uh, thepublic defender's office, the
district attorney's office,probation parole, and then we
have a lot of community partnersuh such as nonprofits and
treatment providers that we workwith.
So I'd say if you're speaking ofall our treatment team, they see
we see everybody probably atleast three or four times a
(05:07):
week.
SPEAKER_05 (05:08):
That's an inc that's incredible.
I I did not know this existeduntil today, to be honest with
you.
That's amazing.
To have I mean, obviously peoplego through things in life and
sometimes you get hit withsomething with a major charge
because you made a really bigbad decision and it affects the
rest of your life.
I did not know that thisresource existed.
(05:29):
So how like how are peoplefinding you?
If someone is coming to yourprogram, how do people find you?
How do they get this?
SPEAKER_03 (05:39):
A lot of times through their attorney.
The referral process does gothrough their attorney.
Um so a lot of times theirattorney already knows about it.
So when they're uh discussing umoptions with their client, they
might bring it up to them.
Sometimes we'll do some in-reachin the jail or do outreach on
the community, uh, just to makesure everybody's uh educated and
aware of this program.
SPEAKER_02 (05:58):
How many people, Daniel, do you have uh involved
in this court?
I mean how many uh how manypeople are uh are working with
you?
SPEAKER_03 (06:07):
Uh working with us on a treatment team, I think
it's about fifteen, twelve tofifteen.
SPEAKER_02 (06:12):
And and uh and how many people are going through
the program?
SPEAKER_03 (06:16):
Uh currently we have seventeen and we actually just
picked up our eighteenth.
So we're at eighteen now andwe're looking to be about
twenty-twenty-five at the most.
SPEAKER_05 (06:24):
To participate in this program, like as someone
that is a volunteer provider, doyou have to be someone that's
certified?
And do you have to be anattorney?
Do you have to be someone in thelegal field or mental health
field, or can you justvolunteer?
SPEAKER_03 (06:35):
Uh we do have volunteers that help out.
Um, our core treatment team isbasically people from the legal
system, uh, the healthcaresystem, and then also what we
call recovery support services.
SPEAKER_02 (06:48):
Well, uh one of the things that uh I wanted to ask
is uh I wanted to ask of JodyGrabowski, who's here.
Jody, good morning.
SPEAKER_04 (06:55):
Hey Randy.
SPEAKER_02 (06:56):
How are you?
SPEAKER_04 (06:57):
I'm good, thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (06:58):
Good, good to have you here.
You uh uh you can tell us moreabout uh the the origins of this
program, how it got started.
SPEAKER_04 (07:06):
Yeah, so um back in several years ago, um
Commissioner Lapsley started atask force um looking at the
opioid crisis, how it wasimpacting Henderson County.
And fortunately he did that along time ago because when the
opioid settlement funds camedown from the state um a few
years ago, we were alreadyprimed with um knowing what our
(07:27):
gaps and barriers were, what arewhat we wanted.
So um when we knew we weregetting the money, we started
looking at how the money was,what was allowable with that
money, what we could do with it.
We're getting roughly a milliondollars a year to the county
over about 16 years.
And one of the first things thatwe identified was a recovery
court, also calledproblem-solving courts.
(07:49):
Um we had looked at maybe aveterans court, um, and we
landed on adult recovery courtbecause it's broader, and we can
refer.
Daniel's actually a graduatefrom a veterans recovery court,
and so he's well connected withthe Bunkham County court.
So if we have veterans thatqualify, we can refer to them.
Meanwhile, we decided to goforward with a adult recovery
(08:10):
court, found out what that wouldentail as far as creating the um
disciplinary team.
So the judge, the DA, um, ourlead defense, um, probation, all
these folks gathered togetherand said, okay, let's let's get
this started.
And then we recruited Danielaway from Bunkham.
And I apologize to the case.
I don't blame you.
I don't blame you for that.
(08:31):
We we literally recruited himwhile he was at a conference on
their dime.
But it was a smart move.
It was a smart move.
So our um commissioners, this iswhat they wanted to do first.
So um we um went through what weneed to do to um uh be able to
utilize those funds to fully umwe're we're the first county in
(08:55):
h in North Carolina to fullyfund a recovery court with
opioid settlement funds.
Yes.
It's um it's difficult to getstate money for these courts.
Um I wish that we could do thatmore.
I think they're gettingobviously more and more popular.
Um when you look at um, youknow, you hear about 17, 18, 20
(09:16):
people.
It doesn't sound like a lot, butthe impact is tremendous.
SPEAKER_05 (09:20):
That's hundreds of people in those families.
And yeah, the tree is and thenhis impact.
And that's incredible.
I mean, my dad was a little bitof a wild hair, and he was like,
you know, it's everybody fallsshort and has their moment of
whatever, and unfortunately,some people get caught in the
middle of it.
And there's a lot of people thatdo the same thing, but then
(09:41):
there's people that pay theprice, and it's it's incredible.
People like Daniel in thisprogram are like, guess what?
This blemish or whatever thateverybody sees on your record
actually is, you know, we we allgo through stuff like this, and
now you've turned this thinginto and you have helped turn
this into something in c I mean,this is awesome.
SPEAKER_04 (10:01):
Well, and what's cool is um what we can do with
the OK settlement funds is we'reso if somebody doesn't um
qualify for this program, Danielhas other people on our team and
other community members that hecan refer them to.
But the folks that are in thisprogram would otherwise be
looking at prison time, and someof them have very long time in
prison.
So when you look at um at ourone-year mark, we had 12 people,
(10:22):
and I did the math on that, andjust by not having 12 people in
prison for a year cost more than$660,000.
And our c our program costssignificantly less than$660,000.
And that's just the what thestate would be have paying for
them to be in prison.
So now not only are they not inprison, they're working.
(10:43):
Um all but twelve, I mean, ofthat twelve, all but two were
working.
Uh one was in residentialtreatment and the other one's
expecting a baby any day.
SPEAKER_05 (10:52):
And it's funny because it's easy to say, like,
we save money and that's thequantifiable number on paper,
but that's actually the waylesser impact, right?
Right, right.
Those people actually get tolive a life.
Yeah.
All those family.
Yeah, you get to save money, butthose people get to live a life.
They show that recovery ispossible.
SPEAKER_04 (11:09):
They they model that for their family members.
Um, so their family members getinto treatment.
Um, shoot, they're payingrestitution, they're paying
child support, they're um nolonger DSS involved.
So the like I said, the trickledown of a program like this is
is tremendous.
We could not have done thiswithout the support of our
county commissioners.
Our county manager John Mitchelldrove this.
(11:30):
Um we literally drove around thestate to look at other programs,
and um it, you know, our our DAand probation, it's a big lift
for them.
So we really appreciate thatthey start to do that.
SPEAKER_05 (11:42):
How do we make it bigger?
How do we make it better?
SPEAKER_04 (11:45):
Well, the it's it'll it'll continue to grow and we
can influence other counties.
Other counties are looking atthe great work that Daniel's
doing.
And um hopefully the you know,more and more systems will see
the benefit of this and and fundthem because this money's not
gonna last forever.
And I want to put this in theback of the phone.
SPEAKER_05 (12:02):
That's not true.
I I've I have to say, sittinghere today, there is no way that
if enough people hear this andget involved that that that
money is gonna go away.
There are gonna be people thatwill advocate for you because
I've known Daniel for all offive minutes, and I will
volunteer just to get you moremoney.
You know, it's I there I cannotbelieve that this program will
(12:23):
not sustain itself.
SPEAKER_04 (12:25):
I I think it will.
And I think also when you'reasking about volunteers, I think
one of the way community memberscan help us is the funny thing
about the money coming to acounty is there's things that
are allowable with the money,but not really doable as a
county.
And one of the hardest thingsfor us is getting incentive
prizes because we want toincentivize good behavior.
(12:45):
So every time they come tocourt, the participants, if
they've done well, can drop thema bucket and get like a prize.
And that's just part of likewhat's best practice.
But I literally can't buy giftcards as a county employee.
Okay.
So it's hard to get county.
So anybody wants to donate giftcards to us, that's the one the
coolest thing.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (13:03):
Well, we've got a yeah, we've got a couple of
certificates that uh for freemeals around town that can go in
there.
Uh we've only got a couple ofminutes left, but in that couple
of minutes, Jody, please tell usuh about the recent graduate,
the first graduate of theprogram.
SPEAKER_04 (13:18):
Okay.
I'm gonna turn it back over toDaniel to talk about her because
um he knows her better than anyof us.
SPEAKER_02 (13:23):
All right, Daniel, tell us about that graduate.
SPEAKER_03 (13:26):
Uh yes, sir.
So our graduate name's Jennifer.
Um she did outstanding and veryhard work um to be the very
first person in our recoverycourt.
So just the courage to be thefirst one to take those those
steps and um really be thetrailblazer for our court.
Um she spent 19 months with usand she worked very hard as a
(13:46):
full-time employee, uh manager,a single mother of three, um,
taking care of her family andworking full-time, all while
also adhering and you know,going with all the requirements
for our recovery court.
SPEAKER_02 (13:57):
So you recently celebrated her at a luncheon at
the historic courthouse.
Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_03 (14:03):
We had a graduation ceremony for you.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:05):
Well, I can't say thank you enough to Jody and and
uh Daniel and all the crew andeveryone involved.
It's a lot of people.
And it's a great program, and wejust wanted to uh shine a light
on some of the good things goingon in our community with the
George Real Estate GroupHometown Hero Series.
Uh Taylor, we got about uh 30seconds for you to give uh
(14:27):
Daniel the certificate and uh toto remind us about George Real
Estate Group.
SPEAKER_05 (14:32):
So we always give this certificate, and Randy and
WHKP generously donate, youknow, some free items around
town that they can go and cashin, which is incredible.
And the George Real Estate Groupsupports this program because of
what it means to the communityand because of how it is just it
is the lifeblood of my favoriteday is Friday morning when I get
(14:56):
to come and meet the hometownheroes.
And normally it's Noah here whois way more articulate than I
am, but I always am happy to behere.
So we really appreciate you guysand Randy, you too.
SPEAKER_02 (15:06):
You bet.
Join us next Friday, next Fridaymorning for another George Real
Estate Group, Hometown Hero.
The George Real Estate Group islocated in Flat Rock, North
Carolina, near Hendersonville inHenderson County.
You can find them online atrealestatebygreg.com.
The George Real Estate Group canbe reached at 828-3930134 or
(15:29):
stop by their office at 2720Greenville Highway, Flat Rock,
North Carolina.
Tune in live each week onThursdays at 1005 AM on WHKP
107.7 FM and 1450 AM, or streamonline at WHKP.com, or download
these podcasts wherever you getyour podcasts.
(15:52):
The George Real Estate Groupbrings you the WHKP Hometown
Hero Series every Friday morningat 845.
SPEAKER_00 (16:00):
You've built a lifetime of strength, wisdom,
and independence.
And here's the best part.
You still have it.
Every decision, every step,every next chapter is yours to
choose.
Selling your home isn't aboutletting go, it's about opening
the door to more freedom, moretime for what you love, more
(16:22):
energy for the people andpassions that matter most.
At the George Real Estate Group,we believe independence isn't
behind you.
It's right here, right now.
Our team goes beyond buying andselling.
We're here to help you protectyour wealth, preserve your
legacy, and make sure Uncle Samdoesn't become your biggest
(16:44):
benefactor.
We'll guide you every step ofthe way towards your next
chapter, your next opportunity,and your freedom on your terms.
Call us at 828 393 0134.
Find us online atrealestatebygreg.com.
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