California Court Programs ("CCR") was started in 1975 and quickly expanded by adding various services by certified full and part time counselors and therapists, becoming a respected first in class organization for the California courts, administrative agencies, the law enforcement and prosecutors, probation officers and defense attorneys seeking to provide rehabilitation, education and counseling services to individuals arrested for driving while impaired or under the influence of alcohol in California. Since it opened its doors, thousands upon thousands people of graduated successfully from its programs. CCR never judged its success just by how many first time offenders it could push through the programs. It judged its success by how many first time offenders DID NOT EVER drink and drive again thanks to the special safe and supportive environment CCR had to offer, a place uniquely and individually targeted to each person's needs and judicial requirements.
The programs operated by CCR in bi-lingual English and Spanish educational environments for DUI/DWI include:
- AM/PM CONVENIENT WEST LOS ANGELES SCHOOL AND ASSESSMENT in West Los Angeles, California
- AM/PM CULVER CITY BUDGET/ESCUELA/LATINA AND ALCOHOL ASSESSMENT 2 in Culver City, California
- VAN NUYS AM/PM-CONVENIENT DRIVER SAFETY SCHOOL & ESCUELA LATINA EN ESPANOL in Van Nuys, California.
CCR has always been an active and responsive member of its Southern California community. The highly trained counselors and therapists engaged by CCR quickly noted that DUI/DWI violations were only a tip of the iceberg, a symptom and companion offense to many other disruptive behaviors that were perhaps less noted, yet just as symptomatic. In direct cooperation with the California Courts, CCR started expanding its services to Alcohol, Drug and Substance Abuse schools, counseling and programs, Chemical Dependency Evaluations, Addiction Counseling, Alcohol Screening Services, Clinical Assessments, Drug Diversion Programs, as well as rehabilitation services for parolees. CCR also took on some of the most challenging matters for drivers in Out-Of-State License Holds and Out-of-State Assessments. CCR further grew its community outreach by starting Court Approved Programs for such matters as Anger Management, Domestic Violence, Parenting Counseling and Classes, Child Abuse and Neglect, Prevention of Animal Cruelty and Shoplifting, Retail Larceny and Employee Theft. CCRI counselors and therapists are recognized as experts in their fields and maintain their proficiency through extensive continuing education. CCR proudly maintains its place as a leader among its peers.
While the majority of CCR's clients come through the referrals in California criminal justice system (Superior Courts Judges and Magistrates, Law Enforcement, Parole Officers. Prosecutors and Defense Counsel), CCR also continuing its direct involvement in the community and endeavors to provide services, counseling and treatment to the public in general. CCR's philosophy is that prevention is main goal of its work and when it can change its client's life such that he or she never becomes a part of the criminal justice system, the work is well done. As such, CCR has been and remains one of the leading providers of counseling and treatment to clients outside the criminal justice system.
We often summarize our philosophy as H.E.A.T. HEALING. EDUCATION. ASSESSMENT. TREATMENT. We do not see our clients as criminals or outcasts. We see them as people, first and foremost, deserving of immediate, superb, compassionate help responsive to their needs and the needs of the justice system. We never judge anyone's actions. It is not our place. We maintain strict confidentiality. We will make every effort to make our clients enjoy harmony and balance by becoming our partners in wellness.
We do not, for example, see every user of alcohol as a potential alcoholic or troublemaker and we will never push this philosophy on anyone. We also understand the problem with drug and substance abuse, pervasive through peer pressure, especially at the young age, proliferation of addictive prescription drugs and lack of general education and understanding of how various substances even in small quantities may become highly addictive when the person is at his or her most vulnerable, such as sickness or family troubles. We also well understand that hardly all problems relate to abuse of some substance and vice versa, that certain societal behavior is not caused solely by alcohol or drug use or abuse. Daily lives of people are complicated and the pressure many suffer during economic adversities, loss of employment, sickness or death of loved ones, anxiety, depression and fear cause some to lash out with rage that may descend into the depth of domestic violence, child neglect, elderly abuse, animal neglect, deadly road rages and other similar acts. More often than not drugs and alcohol become the coping and escape mechanism to deal with these difficult issues that are often beyond anyone's control whatsoever.
We are not as strong as we want to be. Addiction is also often a genetic disease and so are many other behaviors associated with it. And how can we judge a person who engages in shoplifting to feed his or her family. Best we can do is what we do BEST - educate, counsel, help, advise.
CCR will therefore work on your behalf with you either as an individual client, a member of a support group or as the Court approved directions may mandate to apply H.E.A.T as our consistent approach. We will do our utmost to HEAL and get you on the way to recovery and compliance. We believe that early EDUCATION, especially when combined with the support of your family and friends will undoubtedly help the issues you may have or help to stop it altogether and permanently. We will never leave you alone and during the course of your program, whether as a group member or individual, we will continue to ASSESS your progress. We will help you when you fall and pick you up when you are down. And most importantly, we will bring the power of knowledge and experience to TREATMENT of whatever afflictions you may suffer, because we believe that those conditions are preventable, treatable and recovery can be achieved.
At CCR, we specialize in EFFECTIVE. And part of the effectiveness is our clients' entire commitment to their well-being and recovery, psychological commitment, physical commitment and professional commitment. You may also notice that your counselors and therapists are people just like you. They dedicated their lives to make others' lives better. But they also may have experienced some of the same issues our clients are experiencing. They learned to beat the odds and become best in what they do. That is what makes them so effective.
It may not be always pleasant. You will be asked to make adjustments in your life. You will be required to follow rules. You may have to forego certain things you enjoyed before. You will have to start plan ahead. You will learn to respond. But we will never leave you alone because we believe that support that comes from us and others in your life and even your fellow group members is the foundation on which effective counseling is based. This is what makes this organization what it is and what it strives to be and that is why the California Judicial System, DMV and other agencies see us as one of the best alternatives to punitive action.