Graduate now interning in Hill County treatment courts

A local man said a program started in Hill County in 2012 has changed his life.

"I've always wanted to do something for the community. I've always wanted to do something not just for myself ... and all that was blocked by something, and that was my addiction," Darcy Azure said.

He said that, in December of 2013, he was enrolled into the Hill County DUI Treatment Court after he was charged with his third count of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Azure said that he has been an alcoholic for most of his life and his addiction was a destructive force in his and his family's life. He added that his third DUI was also an aggravated DUI due to his high blood alcohol concentration and after he was arrested he had to be taken to the hospital.

Sobriety was now important because of the legal issues but also because of his health, with several health issues stemming from his heavy use of alcohol, Azure said.

He said that he was in treatment when he was 18, and was in that program for 30 days. He went right back into his addiction after he left the program, unlike years later when he graduated from the DUI Court.

After he was arrested he was put into the 24/7 Sobriety Program, he said, and he had to report to the police station at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. He added that he was in the program for about a month before he asked former City Judge Virginia Seigel if there was another option for him. She said there was, and eventually referred Azure to the DUI Court. He added that they interviewed him to assure he fit the criteria and was later accepted into the program.

"(DUI) court was intimidating, like anything new," he said.

Azure said that although the programs are typically called the Hill County DUI/Drug Court, the DUI Court does not overlap with the Drug Court and they operate as two separate entities.

From a recovery aspect, it was difficult to change his mindset from his addiction ruling over his life to him learning to live a sober lifestyle, Azure said. For a long time, the cravings were still very strong, but after time they and lessened.

"It was hard," he said.

What was very helpful about the program, he said, was the structure it brought. The program included counseling groups, therapy sessions, recovery activities, self-help groups and peer support groups.

"I got to know my triggers," he said. "I got to adapt."

Once he met requirements in the the time specified in the program, he moved to the next tier. Each time he would move up in the program his caseworker would ask him how he was doing, he said.

The program was helping him; he was staying sober and the cravings were diminishing, he said, and after about 460 days, he graduated from the program in 2015.

"The hardest things were adapting to a new lifestyle, really," he said.

He added that before entering the program, he used to drink every other day or take a weekend off to feed his addiction. But during and after the program, he found sober activities to occupy his time, such as going to the movies, playing basketball, going for walks or spending time with his children. He said that when he was drinking he could do those activities, as well, but after cutting alcohol from them he was enjoying the activities in a new and better way.

He added that the program was good for him. It promoted a lot of stability and groundwork and structure to help him keep sober. It was really challenging because it was all new to him, he said, but believes now he is stronger because of it.

"I view myself as a better person," he said.

His family was always important to him, but now it is a little clearer for him and is his main focus, he said, adding that now they also go on yearly vacations. It takes time to build up the funds to go, but it's something they look forward to all year and is good for his entire family.

"It's a family activity that we do that we never did before," he said.

A week after he was enrolled in the DUI Court Program he also quit smoking, he said, adding that that was a little harder for him because it is something that he was around every day.

"If I'm going to quit drinking, I'm going to quit smoking," he said.

After he graduated from DUI Court his wife suggested to him that he go back to college to get his degree.

"So I did," he said.

Azure is set to graduate from Montana State University-Northern next May with a double major in criminal justice and community leadership.

Criminal justice is a wide field, and even though he cannot become a police officer, there are a number of other careers he can pursue with his degree, he said. In his introduction to criminal justice class his instructor told him that his degree was only the groundwork for many career opportunities.

He added that he wants to help people who are in a similar situation as he was and eventually become a Title IX investigator, who investigates civil rights and human rights cases at colleges - such as racial or sexual discrimination.

This job is needed everywhere, Azure said. It was also something obtainable that he could work toward.

He added that he also has become involved in DUI court again, but this time from an administrative side.  

Azure is the community compliance intern for the program through a co-op for his degree, he said. He said that the first year after he started college he was asked by his professors to think about a co-op that the students wanted to participate in, he immediately thought of the DUI Court.

"I don't think I would be where I am today without that program," he said.

He then spoke to Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger and DUI Court Coordinator Paul Nugent, but at the time it was a firm no, due to liability and funding issues. But four months passed and Azure saw a job posting for the position he wanted to co-op for. So he asked them again, speaking with Nugent.

Later, Barger called him for an interview and that same afternoon he was hired as an intern for the program. He added that after he was hired they sat and discussed what they needed and how they can work together.

Azure was hired in April and started his position as compliance officer intern May 1, he said. The biggest thing for him, he said, was that they got him an education plan of what he has to learn in the program over the summer. He added that the whole experience from the administrative side of the DUI Court program has been eye-opening for him.

"I don't think the participants realized the work that is put into making this available to them," he said.

Azure said that he is excited to be working for the program because he can meet program participants at an equal level. They don't see him as a judge or an attorney, but as more of a peer. They are more open to talking with him.

He said he tries not to talk down to people about sobriety or living a clean lifestyle - he doesn't want to force it - but approach it from a peer counseling side and provide education, resources and assistance for people.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help," he said.

There are many options for help in Hill County, he said, such as the Salvation Army or the Community Food Bank.

"I'm not afraid to try to help these people in any way I can," he said.

He said that he has been where many people are and understands the situations they are in. He wants to help now because it gives him peace of mind knowing that he can make a difference in somebody's life.

Before the program, he was always focused on his own family or himself but he said he now looks at the bigger picture and asks himself how he can help others.

DUI Court may have a negative reputation due to the nature of the program, he said, but it is a positive force for the people of Hill County.

"This option is out there, and they don't have to be afraid of what we are trying to do," he said.

Azure added that he also will be taking a grant writing class this fall at Northern with Nugent agreeing to help him. He said that having the ability to write grants can be an asset to the community. He said that north-central Montana has many needs, such as for a homeless shelter, a detoxification facility, treatment facility and a juvenile detention center.

He said that grant writing is a key component to getting these facilities.

He added that a juvenile detention center in Hill County would mean a lot for many families who have to drive hours to pick up their children from the facility in Great Falls.

Azure said his goal is to eventually get these facilities in the area, but understands that it will take a long time and that he is not ready yet.

It is also important that everybody understands that law enforcement, police officers, attorneys, counselors and outpatient programs are all shifting their scope to try to help more people, he said. He added that it costs less to put someone in the DUI or drug court than it is to incarcerate them, and that these programs are more helpful, as is true with many treatment programs.

"There's so much in there that I want to do, and it's hard for me to just pick one thing and do it," he said.