OTTER TAIL COUNTY, Minn. — Marissa Navarro calls the past two years the hardest chapter of her life. On Nov. 5, she closed that chapter with a plaque, a coin and 612 days of sobriety.
Judge Kevin Miller, who leads the treatment court teams, gave Navarro her Otter Tail County DWI Court graduation plaque. He also gave her a coin that reads, “Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
DWI court is a treatment court for people with repeat impaired driving offenses. Participants work closely with a judge, probation agents and treatment providers. They check in often, get tested for alcohol and drugs, and get support to stay sober.
Now Navarro, 34, has a new full-time job and her driver’s license back.
“A life I never knew”
Navarro said the program asked a lot of her. It also gave her a lot back.
“The consistency of abiding by the rules. The consistency of being accountable,” she said. “There is no gray area. You either do it or don’t do it.”
Along the way, she quit smoking and drinking. She learned healthy ways to cope with stress, and she uses them in her daily life.
“The famous words of ‘trust the process’ cannot be more true,” Navarro said. “I was able to start living a life worth living, a life I never knew.”
Her mental health became her top priority.
“The positive reinforcements that are the building blocks of this program truly saved my life,” she said. “This program helped give me reasons to save myself.”
A team built for recovery
Navarro’s team brought many kinds of help to her recovery. Tria Mann, the treatment court coordinator for the Seventh Judicial District, supports the team members and keeps the program organized and funded.
Shannon Highland, a social worker at the Otter Tail County Corrections Facility, starts early. She meets people while they are still in custody and connects them to services before release.
Care coordinator Dana McClaflin guides participants through their treatment options. She helps them build skills to stay sober.
Jenna Kavanagh is a DWI court graduate. Today, she is a treatment provider at Sagent Behavioral Health. Participants can talk with someone who has been where they are and made it through.
Probation agent Hallie Metcalf checks in often. She holds participants accountable and cheers them on.
In a rural county, these partners know each other well. They talk often and act fast when someone needs help. That close teamwork is a big reason the program works.
Learning new tools
As part of the program, Navarro took dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) classes. DBT is a type of counseling. It teaches skills to manage strong feelings, handle stress and build better relationships.
Metcalf said she saw real change.
“You took direction and were willing to try, and you have seen growth through the DBT classes,” Metcalf told Navarro. “You have actively practiced using the tools that you have learned. I am proud of you.”
Proud of herself and appreciative of support
When asked what she is most proud of, Navarro said there were many answers.
“Simply put, if I had to pick, I am most proud of myself,” she said.
She said the program helped her find a stronger version of herself she didn’t know existed. She called the past two years “by far the hardest chapter of my 34 years on this planet.”
“However, I chose not to quit; I chose to refuse defeat; I chose to keep going and to take it a day at a time,” she said.
Navarro said she did not do it alone. Her mother, brother and her team were her main sources of support.
“My future will be all the things I thought I couldn’t do or was not good for,” she said. “My future will be doing the best I can each day.”
About Otter Tail County DWI Court
Otter Tail County DWI Court is a treatment court for people with repeated impaired driving offenses. It combines close supervision, regular testing, treatment and support. The goal is to keep roads safe and help people build lasting recovery. To learn more, visit ottertailcounty.gov/treatment-court or call 218-998-8500.