VTC Grad Featured By Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities featured a Mother's Day weekend video with Katherine Nacarato, a graduate of our Veterans Treatment Court.
Katherine enjoyed serving in the United States Army Reserves. However, her six years of service were bittersweet. After experiencing trauma and injuries, Katherine was prescribed pain medications.
Following her service in the Army, Katherine attended college and began working. She also started to self-medicate with street drugs.
Eventually, Katherine became involved with the courts. It wasn’t until she got help through the Cuyahoga County Veterans Treatment Court that Katherine began to see how the past trauma impacted her life and her relationships with others, including her relationship with her 12-year-old daughter.
Since then, Katherine’s life has taken a turn for the best. She is in recovery, employed, attending college, and working on being her best for her daughter. “She is my main focus, and I am glad that I got sober and am doing this for her,” Katherine explained.
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) serves Ohioans with a variety of disabilities, including mental health and substance use disorders. Supported by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s budget, OOD Jobs for Recovery is a partnership that assists Ohioans linked to court treatment teams and who have disabilities to find and keep a job. Consistent employment helps Ohioans in recovery stay on a positive path, increase their independence and income, and engage meaningfully in the community.
Watch the OOD's video about Katherine to learn more about her experience in Veterans Treatment Court, presided over by Judge Andrew Santoli.