For Will Rachal of Slidell,  the importance of the Juvenile Drug Court program of Slidell City Court has been drummed home to him on a constant basis ever since he became the program’s Case Manager about a year ago.

“It’s a significant program in our community. And there’s good news here: it’s that these kids are going back to their families as better kids, and they’re going back to families with improved quality of life. But it’s also important to the community as a whole because this program drastically reduces recidivism, and it saves taxpayers money,” Rachal said.

Based on his exemplary performance as the Case Manager, Rachal was the natural choice to be promoted recently to Director of Slidell City Court’s Juvenile Drug Court program, said Slidell City Court Judge James “Jim” Lamz.

Will Rachal is sworn in as the new Slidell City Court Juvenile Drug Court Director recently by Slidell City Court Judge James “Jim” Lamz. �

“This is a very critical job for this Court. Will is essentially ‘where the rubber meets the road’ for the program,” Lamz said. “It’s important that he be a positive role model, which I’ve known him to be for the over 15 years I’ve known him through his involvement in this community. But it’s also essential that he relate well to the juveniles in our program and that they relate well to him.”

As Juvenile Drug Court director, Rachal will be responsible for the operational and fiscal aspects of the program. The Juvenile Drug Court program of Slidell City Court answers directly to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Funding for administration of Juvenile Drug Court comes from federal and state grants. The grants, however, do not cover several components of the program, including the incentives given each week to participants who comply with all requirements. In addition, Judge Lamz voluntarily donates his time to preside and manage the program.

Because the program relies on community groups and businesses to fund the incentives that reward weekly successful compliance with Court-ordered rules, Rachal said he wants to help raise community awareness about the program and its benefits. But he also wants the community to be aware that every graduate of the program deserves their help in gaining employment once they leave high school.

“As Judge Lamz always says, these are good kids who made bad choices. The community can be our partner in re-integrating them back to the community so they can have the best chance at successful, contributing lives,” Rachal said.

The program’s rates of graduation have also picked up. In 2008, there was a total of nine juveniles who graduated from Juvenile Drug Court. Rachal said that this year alone there have already been eight graduations.

A native of Alexandria, Rachal has lived in Slidell since 1994 when he retired from the U.S. Navy, where he was a military instructor. His family includes his wife Charese and children Marseille and Taryn.

He is a graduate of Leadership Northshore and currently serves as an officer of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5735. Among his other community involvement efforts are Tammany Together (board member), Ad Hoc Home Rule Charter Review Committee (vice chairman), East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce, and Living The Word International Ministry (Discipleship Development Class Facilitator).