Hawkins County Sessions Judge Todd Ross was recently awarded the Judge Seth Norman “Judges Making a Difference Award” by the Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals.
Judge Seth Norman founded the Recovery Court program in Tennessee, and this year’s award was presented by his grandson, also named Seth Norman, during the recent Tennessee Association of Recovery Professionals (TARCP) annual conference in Murfreesboro.
Norman noted during his presentation that Ross, who launched the Hawkins County Recovery Court program shortly after taking office in 2011, sent more than 200 individuals to long term treatment in the past year.
“With the help of our (his) court liaison and peer navigator, he has a very high success rate,” Norman said. “He has a background in mental health and counseling, and sees each person as an individual who can get their lives back. He understands addiction, and gives individuals the opportunity to learn from their mistakes when others, including their family members, have given up.”