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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- It’s been six years since Family Treatment Court in Wapello County started, something the county desperately needed.

Its goal is to address people’s substance abuse issues in a holistic way by also looking at other issues the family may have.

The court started with virtually no funding but with the help of grants, the court has been able to utilize local resources and receive funding.

And just recently, Family Treatment Court has received a new grant called the ‘FACT’ grant, or family and communities together. Part of the grant will provide two additional programs for families.

“One is called ‘Strengthening Families.’ The other is called ‘Celebrating Families’ and we're really excited about that because those are two evidence-based programs that have been used in other parts of the country in conjunction with family treatment court services that assist parents in maintaining custody of their children while they’re going through the process or have them proven to work toward fast reunification,” said Judge Bill Owens, Family Treatment Court.