Friday, December 30, 2016

Light of Recovery Podcast #2


Light of Recovery Podcast #2 click here
featuring an interview with 
MSRF Board President
Jose Montoya

The Light of Recovery Podcast is brought to you by the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation in El Paso County. The second podcast recorded at the end of 2016 focused on the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation and DWI Drug Court Intervention & Treatment program with Board President and recovery advocate Jose Montoya. Jose Montoya is a local business owner of an eco-friendly (and recovery friendly) carwash detailing service in El Paso County. Along with leading the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation, he also represents its alumni as a former graduate from the program. The podcast discussed the purpose of the foundation, its connection to the drug court, and plans for the new year. In addition listeners will hear clips from this year's Celebrate Recovery Dinner event hosted by the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation at the Musturd Seed Community Cafe. Clips includes recorded audio from the event of Judge Robert Anchondo from the DWI Drug Court and a live recording of music performers Robert Vega, Jr. and pianist Alex Loeza.

The Light of Recovery Podcast features members of our Recovery community in El Paso County. Our goal is to provide a platform for the Recovery community to be heard and for the message and stories of recovery to be documented. El Paso County, in particular, has an extensive history in its connection to the Recovery movement. This podcast is done in effort to bring those recovery stories to light and engage listeners in a conversation about specific topics that we hope provide people with knowledge and inspiration.

The Light of Recovery Podcast also hopes to feature music from the local community and from artist, musicians, poets, and other forms of spoken word from anyone that would be so kind as to submit their music to us with permission to feature audio on the podcast. For contact information please visit our website at recoveryelpaso.org or email recoveryelpaso@gmail.com. The Light of Recovery Podcast broadcasts one episode each month towards the end of the month.

Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation is a non-profit organization 501(c)3 in El Paso County that provides recovery support for participants and families of the DWI Drug Court Intervention and Treatment Program. The mission of MSRF is to help address the recovery needs of participants and their families. Through our efforts with the Light of Recovery Podcast and other multi/social media projects we aspire to reach anyone and everyone engaged in recovery or interested in learning more.

Thank you for listening!

Lecroy 'Lee' Rhyanes
MSRF Board Secretary
Light of Recovery Podcast Host
soundcloud.com/recoveryelpaso

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Drug Court Graduation 2016!


DWI Drug Court Intervention & Treatment Graduation!
December 29, 2016

This month members of the court and Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation will celebrate the graduation of five participants! The DWI Drug Court Intervention and Treatment Program was the first of its kind both in El Paso County and in the state of Texas. Judge Robert Anchondo started the program on November 3, 2004 and has presided over it ever since. It is a specialized problem-solving court designed to treat adults convicted of misdemeanor, felony, or Federal DWI offenses. A problem-solving court is unique in that there is an entire team of people with different areas of expertise working to help participants. In addition to the judge and his staff, there is a prosecutor from the District Attorney’s office, a defense attorney from the public defender’s, a sheriff’s deputy, an El Paso police officer, two probation officers, and various treatment providers on the team. The team works to achieve the program’s mission of enhancing public safety while reducing the recidivism of this population suffering from addiction.

These goals are achieved through a cost-effective and judicially-supervised regime of evidence-based care treatment and innovative case management.  Over 400 participants have graduated from El Paso’s DWI Drug Court program in the last twelve years. Only ten percent of these graduates have committed a new alcohol-related offense. This kind of success is not entirely unique to El Paso’s DWI Drug Court program in that there are now 28 similar courts throughout Texas and more than 600 nationwide. That being said, Judge Anchondo’s DWI Drug Court program was recently selected to be one of only four DWI Academy Courts in the United States. The National Center for DWI Courts in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chooses among the hundreds of courts each year and selects a group of Academy courts. Groups from throughout the nation travel to these Academy Courts to learn how to properly implement a program or, frequently, how to improve their existing program.

El Paso’s DWI Drug Court Program is proud to be recognized and even prouder of the hundreds of participants that have been able to turn in a different direction. The court values this opportunity to help protect society while simultaneously creating more productive, law-abiding, and better El Pasoans. The court looks forward to helping more participants and, in the process, all of El Paso in the future. 

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Robert Vega, Jr. & Alex Loaeza

Robert Vega, Jr. and Alex Loaeza perform at the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation Celebrate Recovery Dinner 2016. See the YouTube description for details. Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation is a non-profit organization 501(c)3 in El Paso County that provides recovery support for participants and families of the DWI Drug Court Intervention and Treatment Program. For more information about Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation please visit recoveryelpaso.org


Robert Vega, Jr. & Alex Loaeza
YouTube click here

Recovery Stories 2016

This year's Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation Celebrate Recovery Dinner's opening speakers were peer recovery coaches and couple Christina Calderon, Ernesto Valdez, and their extended family members.  Their reflection on recovery and how they were able to overcome struggle together as a family speaks to the purpose of the foundation.  Recovery impacts the entire family, especially the future generations. Through the stories the opening speakers shared, it's important to understand the generational impact that recovery support can have when a family sticks together and doesn't give up on each other.  Below are clips from the opening speakers.  The Celebrate Recovery Dinner 2016 would not have been possible without this wonderful family and what they've been able to accomplish in their recovery and the El Paso community.


"Every day he keeps me going just by his willingness to keep moving forward... and that's what is helping me, especially my children...I hope that by my story and by everything I'm trying to do for people it will at least help one person..." Christina Calderon speaks on her and her husband's recovery and goals for the future

Christina Calderon
YouTube click here




"I can do this...I can change my life... this is good to give things back...and that's how I started you know, liking these programs...I start to look for help, asking for help...and one of the most beautiful things that happen to me, is my kids...they were born in my recovery..." Ernesto Valdez speaks on his the impact of his family and programs on his recovery

Ernesto Valdez
YouTube click here




"I'm always gonna be there for them, for him, for her, for my brothers, for everybody, as long as I'm here, I'm always going to be there for them...and I've always been telling him, you know I'm so proud of you, and I'm always going to believe in you...always, no matter what..." Ernesto's sister shares her role in her brother's recovery and support of his family. Afterwards Board President, Jose Montoya shares his thoughts on the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation and begins the evenings recognition of members of the DWI Drug Court Intervention & Treatment team

Family reflects on recovery 
YouTube click here


Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation is a non-profit organization 501(c)3 in El Paso County that provides recovery support for participants and families of the DWI Drug Court Intervention and Treatment Program. For more information about Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation please visit recoveryelpaso.org

Monday, November 28, 2016

Honorable Judge Robert Anchondo

Honorable Judge Robert Anchondo speaks on the success of El Paso County's DWI Drug Court Intervention & Treatment program and shares a powerful message for the recovery community and the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation Celebrate Recovery Dinner 2016.  The event took place on November 18th, 2016 at the Musturd Seed Community Cafe in El Paso, Texas. The DWI Drug Court Intervention & Treatment program has been going strong for over a decade and is a first of its kind in the state of Texas and one of only four in the nation. Below is more specific information about the drug court.  The audio recording from the MSRF event tell a part of much the story which has directly impacted 400 graduates and their families in our community.

Judge Robert Anchondo Pt. 1
YouTube click here

Judge Robert Anchondo Pt. 2
YouTube click here


Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation serves participants, graduates and their families of El Paso County’s DWI Drug Court Intervention and Treatment Program. The  program was created in 2004 by Judge Robert Anchondo of the Criminal Court at Law 2  and is the first of its kind in the state of Texas. It is a specialized problem-solving court designed to treat adults convicted of misdemeanor, felony, or Federal DWI offenses. The court team works closely with justice entities and treatment programs to  achieve the program’s mission of enhancing public safety while reducing recidivism of its participants. This is done through cost effective and judicially supervised evidence-based care treatment and innovative case management services. In 2014 the court was recognized by the National Center for DWI Courts and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a model for other DWI courts. 

MSRF Photo Gallery


Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation
Photo Gallery

We encourage visitors to visit our Facebook page and 'Like' to follow our updates and to view the Light of Recovery photo gallery which includes new photos from this year's Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation Celebrate Recovery Dinner 2016.  You can also view our gallery at the online webpage recoveryelpaso.org.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Light of Recovery Podcast #1 "Family & Recovery"

Light of Recovery Podcast

The Light of Recovery Podcast is brought to you by the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation in El Paso County. Our first podcast focused on "Family & Recovery" featuring Recovery Coaches & couple Ernesto Valdez and Christina Calderon (also their children in the background!!). Ernesto and Christina discussed their thoughts on family & recovery, their history together and their message to families that are either beginning or working to maintain a life of sobriety.


The Light of Recovery Podcast will feature members of our Recovery community in El Paso County. Our goal is to provide a platform for the Recovery community to be heard and for the message and stories of recovery to be documented. El Paso County, in particular, has an extensive history in its connection to the Recovery movement. This podcast is done in effort to bring those recovery stories to light and engage listeners in a conversation about specific topics that we hope provide people with knowledge and inspiration.

Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation is a non-profit organization 501(c)3 in El Paso County that provides recovery support for participants and families of the DWI Drug Court Intervention and Treatment Program. The mission of MSRF is to help address the recovery needs of participants and their families. Through our efforts with the Light of Recovery Podcast and other multi/social media projects we aspire to reach anyone and everyone engaged in recovery or interested in learning more.

Thank you for listening!

Light of Recovery Photography


Light of Recovery Photography
Facebook Album: click here

The Light of Recovery Photography album at the Mountain Star Rehabilitation Foundation Facebook celebrates recovery through photography and stories. Special thanks to Recovery Coaches Ernesto and Christina for being the first family to participate with us!