ETRS History
ETRS began in 1981 as a substance abuse education and drug screening agency. Initially, our focus was to provide a weekend alcohol highway safety education program, economic crime class, substance abuse assessments, and drug screening to local district court clients.
Chris Lole purchased the agency in 1996 and hired a team of professionals committed to expanding our services. During the late 1990’s, we added programs focusing on reducing family violence, addressing morality crimes, and combatting the community epidemic of substance abuse. ETRS now offers three levels of service programs to court-mandated clients: education, intervention, and relapse prevention.
Our programs now address drinking and driving; substance abuse addiction; economic and property crimes; jail-based programming; treatment readiness programs; cognitive behavioral restructuring; relapse prevention; woman-specific services; substance abuse evaluations, family violence lethality assessments, and drug screening.
Program Development
In 1997, ETRS collaborated with the 36th District Court to develop and implement an early intervention program addressing family violence. The DEFUSE Program’s goal was to provide immediate intervention services to those arrested for domestic violence. In 2000, ETRS was chosen by the Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court Bench and Prosecutor’s Office to develop, implement, and facilitate the only intensive jail-based domestic violence program in Michigan, and one of only two such programs in the country.
This collaborative effort was the first coordinated community response to domestic violence in Wayne County and thanks to the commitment of Judge Karen Fort-Hood, Prosecutor Nancy Diehl, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the Domestic Violence Transitions Program was implemented in the Wayne County Dickerson Detention Facility. It has been supported and maintained now for nearly 20 years by the WCSO and Wayne County Community Corrections.
Over the years, ETRS has been sought after to develop, implement, and facilitate many community and jail-based programs. Program development is one of our strongest attributes. We have developed and written programs for jail-based community re-entry; jail and community intervention for drunk drivers; parole violator community re-entry; cognitive behavioral restructuring; relapse prevention support services; programs focusing on emerging substance abuse trends; Friend of the Court Compliance, sex offender recovery; and treatment readiness programs.
ETRS’ jail-based Personal Assessment Growth Experience (PAGE), was developed and implemented in the Dickerson Detention Facility in 2004 and was used as a pilot program to test the Change Companies Starting Point CBT Journaling Program. We have implemented interactive journaling into nearly all our services and find this a highly effective way to assist clients in embracing and accepting change.
ETRS continues to be a leader in the State for developing effective and successful offender programming. District Courts, Circuit Courts, the Michigan Department of Corrections, and jail administration has utilized ETRS as their resource for new programming, for addressing current trends in offender behavior, and for combatting the specific needs of target populations. We will strive to continue to demonstrate our excellence in this area. We welcome the opportunity to assist our referral sources with any new initiatives or offender programming. Please contact Cathy Gitzen, our Executive Director to discuss your target population and program needs.
Our Staff
ETRS is proud that we are able to hire and retain highly qualified staff. Our administrative and support staff have all been with ETRS for over 15 years. Our experienced support staff have demonstrated their ability to provide professional and effective services to our clients and referral sources. Our offices are manned 5 days a week and are accessible to our clients and referral sources.
Our facilitating staff range from recovery coaches to certified and credentialed Masters’ Level substance abuse clinicians. We have found that mixing staff that are college educated, with those who have learned from their own recovery experiences, provides our clients with the most comprehensive foundation for them to embrace their own need for change. Our core facilitating team has been with ETRS for over 10 years, with most having 20+ years’ experience in this field. Many of our staff have come from the courts and law enforcement, being former probation officers, police officers, and corrections officers. Others have “walked the walk” of their own recovery and are able to provide proven recovery support to our clients.
Achievements and Affiliations
In 2004, ETRS was awarded the Wayne County Spirit of Detroit Award for our outstanding commitment to fighting Family Violence
ETRS has maintained a State of Michigan outpatient substance abuse license for over 20 years
ETRS is an approved Batterer Intervention Service provider by the Batterer Intervention Services Coalition of Michigan (BISC-MI)
ETRS is a community partner to Wayne County Health, Veterans, and Community Wellness
ETRS is a community partner to the Detroit-Wayne County Mental Health Authority.
ETRS is a community partner to the Wayne County Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
ETRS supports and is a member of the Michigan Association of District Court Probation Officers
Commitment to Our Communities
ETRS not only shares a passion for helping our clients, but we are also committed to improving the communities in which they live. Over the years we have spearheaded and been a part of many community enrichment initiatives. Such as:
Parent Impact Panel (2003 thru 2006) - Provided a free parent support panel for parents wanting information regarding underage drinking and drug use.
Urban Farming Sponsor (2005 thru 2012) - Financial event sponsor.
School is Cool Backpack Drive (2008 thru 2015) - Provided over 250 filled backpacks yearly to school age children in Pontiac and Detroit.
Marian’s Center for Women (2008 thru 2010) - Operated a 30-bed women’s transitional house for women released from the jail. Provided substance abuse treatment, job skills training, employment, and women’s wellness initiatives.
ETRS Urban Farming Garden (2008 thru 2010) - Provided a large community garden that provided fresh vegetables to Detroit 48213 neighborhood.
Oakland Co. Red Jacket Club (2008 to present) - Financial sponsor to an annual event that raises money for children needing jackets and Christmas presents.
Children’s Village Foundation (2010 to present) - Financial sponsor to an annual event that raises money for initiatives to help youths in crisis.
Wayne County Community Health Fair-Eastern Market (2014 to present) - Event Sponsor, provides a day of free health & wellness classes, products, and information.
Detroit Metro Youth Day (2015 to present) - Event sponsor to the State’s largest youth event - A fun and free day honoring children, providing fun & games, and delivering positive information.