MOU makes health services accessible

The CNMI Superior Court and the Department of Public Health yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that individuals referred by the court will get the necessary medical treatment and be able to go back as productive members of the community.

Officials from Public Health, Community Guidance Center, Office of Adult Probation, Family Court Division were present to sign the MOU which was designed to address the procedures and guidelines to be followed for court-referred individuals to the Community Guidance Center.

The Superior Court and DPH agreed to coordinate efforts to efficiently carry out services to those individuals ordered to obtain professional help such as counseling, therapy, evaluations, anger management and treatment for substance and/or drug addiction.

” This will serve as a catalyst to increase social services provided by the court. We are not just here to put people in prison but to provide the community avenues on how to solve other problems,” said Presiding Judge Edward Manibusan.

He said changes will be implemented in the procedure as the need arise to make it more responsive to the situation. Judge Manibusan said the court wants to make sure that those who were ordered to undergo counseling will definitely go through the required medical assistance.

“We want the person become productive citizens, working with his family,” he added.

Josephine Sablan, Director of the Community Guidance Center said monitoring will be done as her office will eventually provide monthly reports on the people who went to seek assistance. She said the office has managed to implement various programs and soon to open the Transitional Living Center by April.

Based on the MOU, the monthly progress report will include treatment status, treatment time frame, status of compliance with the program, recommendation to extend probationary period to accommodate services of the probationer’s needs.

The Probation Alternative Sentence/Probation Unit within the Office of the Adult Probation headed by Ursula L. Aldan will act as the liaison office for the Superior Court criminal cases in relation to all referrals to the Community Guidance Center. It will monitor all court referral and track down all probationers referred to the Center.

Any acts or threats of violence by the probationer to the staff of the Center and the Office of Adult Probation shall result in the removal of the probationer from the program as well as revocation of the court’s recommendation.

The Family Court Division, on the other hand, shall refer all civil cases to the Community Guidance Center and will be responsible in the enforcement and tracking of civil judicial orders.

Present during the signing were Judge Manibusan, Acting Health Secretary Ned Arriola, Ms. Aldan, Ms. Sablan, Patrick Diaz, Family Court Coordinator, Maria Gutierrez, Family Court Manager, Vanessa Ince, CGC Pyschologist.