From the helped to the helper: Kaitlyn Smith — a recent Drug Court graduate — now helps assists those who struggle with substance abuse

Kaitlyn Smith and nine others have successfully completed Flagler County’s Drug Court program

By Jeff Dawsey
| 9:03 a.m. January 17, 2017

Kaitlyn Smith says that taking three years to complete Drug Court, as opposed to 11 months, was more beneficial to her. Courtesy photos

Kaitlyn Smith with D.J., Elaina, Kaeden and Daquan Mickens

Kaeden Kaitlyn Smith were thrilled that Kaeden survived his third open-heart surgery three years ago.

Detective Liz Williams and Kaitlyn Smith

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The arresting officer didn’t recognize the woman he chauffeured to the police station three years ago. Kaitlyn Smith — now an employee at Family Life Center — recently reintroduced to herself to that officer, and she thanked him for arresting her.

“He told me he had never once been thanked from someone he’s arrested,” Smith laughed. “And I never once in a million years thought I would tell a police offer, ‘Thank you for putting me in handcuffs and arresting me.’ But three years later, looking back on everything, he saved my life.”

Smith’s life took a turn for the worse, when she got into a car accident during the same time her then two-year-old son, Kaeden, was going through open-heart surgery. She was prescribed pain killers that quickly became an addition.

“I started taking them to suppress my anguish from all that was happening in my life as a single

Say what? “I never once in a million years thought I would tell a police offer, ‘Thank you for putting me in handcuffs and arresting me.’’”

KAITLYN SMITH

mom,” Smith said. “I needed some deep intervention at that time.”

Smith’s intervention came but not how her family and friends planned it. She was arrested on possession charges and was sent to jail. While incarcerated, Smith was offered Drug Court, which she accepted, persuaded the program would be better than life behind bars.

Smith was first administered to Project WARM in Bunnell, where she gave birth to her daughter, Elaine. While there, she also put a stop to her drug habit on Jan. 13, 2014, two years from the exact date of her recent Drug Court graduation.

When Smith began Drug Court, she had lost her home, car and nearly her child to Department of Children and Families. Now, she has a job that she loves, a fully-furnished home, a car (which just caught on fire), three healthy kids (her youngest, D.J., is 14 months old.) and a fiancé, Daquan Mickens.

“I personally believe if I had not gotten arrested and gone to Drug Court, I would dead right now,” Smith said. “Now, I mentor and sponsor other women. I help other people. I give back what was so freely given to me, and that’s how I stay clean.”