Specialized Dockets Fall Education Series

Measuring Your Program's Fidelity to Treatment Court Standards: The BeST

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 27, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Session Description:
The BeST is an automated online self-assessment tool developed by NPC Research. It asks treatment court teams for basic, objective information about procedures and practices in their treatment court program and translates this information into measures of the court’s fidelity to research-based best practices.  This session will introduce you to the BeST, how to use it and what you can do with the results to showcase what you do well, improve your court practices and participant outcomes, and make funding requests.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn about the BeST self-assessment tool.
• Participants will gain knowledge about measuring best practices in your own treatment court program.
• Participants will understand how to use the self-assessment results to improve and support your treatment court.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Shannon Carey, Ph.D.
Co-President and Director of Development, NPC Research

Dr. Shannon Carey is Co-President and Director of Development at NPC Research.  In her management role, she leads strategic planning, grant proposal development and outreach for NPC.  Dr. Carey has worked in the areas of criminal justice and substance use disorder treatment for over 20 years, particularly in the area of treatment courts and cost analyses.  Altogether, she has been involved in performing process, outcome and/or cost evaluations in over 500 adult, juvenile, family, reentry, DWI, veterans and federal treatment courts across the U.S.  Dr. Carey was involved with developing and writing NADCP’s Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards as well as OJJDP’s Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards and has assisted several states in writing their state specific standards for all types of treatment courts.  Dr. Carey is also a NADCP faculty member for the National Drug Court Institute and the National Center for DWI Courts.  Dr. Carey earned her Ph.D. from Portland State University in Systems Science and Applied Psychology.

Materials Recording

Evaluation 101

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 28, 2022
1 - 2:15 p.m.

Session Description:
Is the Drug Court you’re working with an effective program? Is the program reaching its goals? How do you know? In this climate of scarce public resources, monitoring and evaluation can help Drug Court programs demonstrate their program’s worth to internal and external stakeholders. Regular review of program operations and outcomes can also help improve the quality of your program. This session will break down the major components of evaluation, including what information to collect, tips for collecting data, developing good comparison groups, and recidivism and cost analysis methods.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand the standards for drug court evaluation.
• Participants will understand the key data to collect.
• Participants will understand valid recidivism analysis.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
No CLE credits
No COB credits

Speaker Bio(s):

Shannon Carey, Ph.D.
Co-President and Director of Development, NPC Research

Dr. Shannon Carey, co-president and senior research associate at NPC Research, has worked in the areas of criminal justice and substance use treatment for 20 years, particularly in the area of drug courts and cost analyses. Altogether, she has been involved in performing process, outcome, and/or cost evaluations in over 300 adult, juvenile, family, reentry, DWI and veterans drug courts across the U.S., including federal drug and reentry courts in Oregon and Virginia. Dr. Carey also provides consulting and training in treatment courts operating in Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and England. She was involved with developing and writing the NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards and has assisted several states in writing their state-specific standards for all types of treatment courts. She also assisted in developing treatment court certification processes as well as a peer review process that has been launched in several states, in which treatment court teams visit and give feedback and support to each other on implementing research-based best practices.

Materials

Incentives, Sanctions, Monitoring, and Therapeutic Responses: How to Motivate Lasting Change – Part 1

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 1, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Session Description:
The science of behavior change is complex and knowing how and when to use sanctions, incentives, supervision and therapeutic responses effectively can be challenging.  What are effective responses to behavior?  How should responses to behavior, including incentives and sanctions, be delivered for maximum effect?  This series of workshops (part 1 and part 2) will review the scientific principles of behavior change and provide extensive information on the practical application of these principles.  These interactive sessions will: provide examples of meaningful incentives, sanctions and therapeutic responses; discuss how to prepare the judge with the information needed to have an effective conversation with participants; share videos of different judges delivering incentives, sanctions, monitoring and therapeutic responses in the courtroom; and review scenarios of role dilemmas, staffing decisions and typical participant behavior for the audience to decide “What would you do?”

Part 1 focuses on staffing including understanding addiction, participant engagement, tools for behavior change, information sharing, and examples of effective incentives, sanctions and therapeutic responses.  A sample Staffing Form and Response Matrix that offer guidelines for selecting appropriate and fair individualized responses to behavior are also provided.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain knowledge of key research-based practices for behavior modification.
• Participants will learn what information is needed to determine what incentives and sanctions are most meaningful for participants and when therapeutic and monitoring responses are appropriate.
• Participants will learn effective delivery of incentives and sanctions in the courtroom.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Shannon Carey, Ph.D.
Co-President and Director of Development, NPC Research

Dr. Shannon Carey is Co-President and Director of Development at NPC Research.  In her management role, she leads strategic planning, grant proposal development and outreach for NPC.  Dr. Carey has worked in the areas of criminal justice and substance use disorder treatment for over 20 years, particularly in the area of treatment courts and cost analyses.  Altogether, she has been involved in performing process, outcome and/or cost evaluations in over 500 adult, juvenile, family, reentry, DWI, veterans and federal treatment courts across the U.S.  Dr. Carey was involved with developing and writing NADCP’s Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards as well as OJJDP’s Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards and has assisted several states in writing their state specific standards for all types of treatment courts.  Dr. Carey is also a NADCP faculty member for the National Drug Court Institute and the National Center for DWI Courts.  Dr. Carey earned her Ph.D. from Portland State University in Systems Science and Applied Psychology.

Helen Harberts, M.A., J.D.
Faculty, National Drug Court Institute (NDCI)

Helen Harberts, M.A., J.D. has been working in criminal justice since 1983.  As a prosecutor, Ms. Harberts began as an entry level DA and rose to become the Chief Deputy District Attorney of the Criminal Division in Butte County, CA.  As a Chief Probation Officer (1995-2002) (sworn peace officer) over 5 years she implemented an adult drug court, juvenile drug court, DUI Court utilizing naltrexone, Domestic Violence Court, and Mentally Ill Offenders Court, all based on the problem solving court model.  After the stint in probation, she returned to her roots as a prosecuting attorney where she practiced law exclusively in problem solving courts for over 5 years.  She retired in 2011, popping out of retirement for 5 months in 2012-13 to serve as the Interim Director of the Harris County (Texas) Community Supervision and Corrections Department in Houston.  Ms. Harberts has lectured and taught extensively throughout the United States on drug testing, community supervision, adolescent brain development, methamphetamine topics, psychopharmacology of drugs, what works in treatment, sanctions and incentives, legal issues and due process, confidentiality and ethics, and various other problem solving court topics.  She serves on the faculty of the National Drug Court Institute, National Center for DWI Courts, National Judicial College and others.

Materials

Incentives, Sanctions, Monitoring, and Therapeutic Responses: How to Motivate Lasting Change - Part 2

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 3, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Session Description:
The science of behavior change is complex and knowing how and when to use sanctions, incentives, supervision and therapeutic responses effectively can be challenging.  What are effective responses to behavior?  How should responses to behavior, including incentives and sanctions, be delivered for maximum effect?  This series of workshops (part 1 and part 2) will review the scientific principles of behavior change and provide extensive information on the practical application of these principles.  These interactive sessions will: provide examples of meaningful incentives, sanctions and therapeutic responses; discuss how to prepare the judge with the information needed to have an effective conversation with participants; share videos of different judges delivering incentives, sanctions, monitoring and therapeutic responses in the courtroom; and review scenarios of role dilemmas, staffing decisions and typical participant behavior for the audience to decide “What would you do?”

Part 2 focuses on the court including the skill steps for effective delivery of incentives, sanctions, and therapeutic responses in the court room, developing rapport, adjusting to co-occurring disorders and trauma, fairness, and capitalizing on hope.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain knowledge of key research-based practices for behavior modification.
• Participants will learn what information is needed to determine what incentives and sanctions are most meaningful for participants and when therapeutic and monitoring responses are appropriate.
• Participants will learn effective delivery of incentives and sanctions in the courtroom.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Shannon Carey, Ph.D.
Co-President and Director of Development, NPC Research

Dr. Shannon Carey is Co-President and Director of Development at NPC Research.  In her management role, she leads strategic planning, grant proposal development and outreach for NPC.  Dr. Carey has worked in the areas of criminal justice and substance use disorder treatment for over 20 years, particularly in the area of treatment courts and cost analyses.  Altogether, she has been involved in performing process, outcome and/or cost evaluations in over 500 adult, juvenile, family, reentry, DWI, veterans and federal treatment courts across the U.S.  Dr. Carey was involved with developing and writing NADCP’s Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards as well as OJJDP’s Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards and has assisted several states in writing their state specific standards for all types of treatment courts.  Dr. Carey is also a NADCP faculty member for the National Drug Court Institute and the National Center for DWI Courts.  Dr. Carey earned her Ph.D. from Portland State University in Systems Science and Applied Psychology.

Helen Harberts, M.A., J.D.
Faculty, National Drug Court Institute (NDCI)

Helen Harberts, M.A., J.D. has been working in criminal justice since 1983.  As a prosecutor, Ms. Harberts began as an entry level DA and rose to become the Chief Deputy District Attorney of the Criminal Division in Butte County, CA.  As a Chief Probation Officer (1995-2002) (sworn peace officer) over 5 years she implemented an adult drug court, juvenile drug court, DUI Court utilizing naltrexone, Domestic Violence Court, and Mentally Ill Offenders Court, all based on the problem solving court model.  After the stint in probation, she returned to her roots as a prosecuting attorney where she practiced law exclusively in problem solving courts for over 5 years.  She retired in 2011, popping out of retirement for 5 months in 2012-13 to serve as the Interim Director of the Harris County (Texas) Community Supervision and Corrections Department in Houston.  Ms. Harberts has lectured and taught extensively throughout the United States on drug testing, community supervision, adolescent brain development, methamphetamine topics, psychopharmacology of drugs, what works in treatment, sanctions and incentives, legal issues and due process, confidentiality and ethics, and various other problem solving court topics.  She serves on the faculty of the National Drug Court Institute, National Center for DWI Courts, National Judicial College and others.

Materials

Mitigating Trauma in the Courthouse by Understanding Changes to the Brain

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 4, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Session Description:
Judge Kim McGinnis will use her background as a neuroscientist and treatment court judge to dive into the neuroscience of substance misuse and trauma. She will discuss structural changes commonly found in the brains of people struggling with substance misuse and trauma, which will help us understand some of our participants’ frustrating responses to services and court requirements. Understanding and accepting that trauma and substance misuse change the brain will be explored, not as an excuse for frustrating behavior or dangerous choices, but as an explanation for potential barriers to case plan progress. This information will help treatment court team members understand why many participants repeatedly return to use and respond to treatment and case management with frustrating behaviors, such as not showing up.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to explain trauma competence and how to weave it into court processes.
• Participants will be able to recognize that changes in brain architecture/function due to substance misuse and trauma may cause our participants to act in unexpected or frustrating ways.
• Participants will be able to describe ways to help treatment courts mitigate participant trauma responses and help them succeed.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Kim McGinnis, Ph.D.
Judge, Pojoaque’s Healing to Wellness Court

Pueblo of Pojoaque Chief Judge Kim McGinnis earned a Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from the University of Michigan in 1999 and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Molecular Neurogenetics Unit. She graduated Magna cum Laude from Boston University School of Law in 2004 and clerked at the Michigan Court of Appeals before joining Detroit Legal Aid and Defenders as a felony level public defender. In 2008, she became an assistant appellate defender with the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, where she served as the principal attorney investigating convictions tainted by Detroit Crime Lab malfeasance. In 2011, she moved to Taos, New Mexico and practiced domestic relations law, primarily representing survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in state and tribal courts. The Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Council appointed her associate judge in 2013 and chief judge in 2015. Judge McGinnis has presided over Pojoaque’s Healing to Wellness Court since 2015 and is project director for Pojoaque’s Sober Living/Re-Entry Project.

Materials Recording

Brief Techniques for the Specialized Docket Judge: Strategies for Compressed Timeframes

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 7, 2022
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
This training session will offer 13 therapeutic techniques that Specialized Court Judges can use with program participants who appear before their bench. These techniques have been gathered from the Brief Family Therapy field to offer helpful techniques to the multiple roles across within a treatment team—all to be used in very short time frames of 2-3 minutes. These will include techniques for program participants (A) who are experiencing trouble or regressing, (B) for those who are losing hope or are overwhelmed, and (C) several techniques for participants who have made recent progress.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to restate two techniques that can introduce an alternate perception to a problem situation that allows the treatment court participant more hope and movement.
• Participants will be able to identify a technique that allows autonomy and emphasizes personal choice and control.
• Participants will be able to explain the concept of “pre-session change” and be able to discuss how that could contribute to the goals of treatment court operations.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Michael D. Clark, MSW
Director, Center for Strength-Based Strategies

Michael Clark, MSW is the director for the Center for Strength-Based Strategies, a Michigan-based training and technical assistance group. Michael is a NADCP faculty member and has provided training to over 300 Treatment Courts across the USA. Mr. Clark recently served as a secretariat for the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria. He is co-author to the book, “Motivational Interviewing with Offenders” (2017; NY: Guilford Press).

Materials Recording

Motivational Interviewing for Specialized Dockets

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 8, 2022
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
Compliance is an important first step but our Specialized Dockets focus on behavior change.  Join this workshop to review Motivational Interviewing (MI) which is an Evidence-based Practice (EBP) designed to help program participants build momentum and reach a decision to change. Motivation is a changeable state (not a fixed trait), and a state that can be influenced. Staff can raise (or lower) a participant’s level of motivation.

Join this workshop for a research-based look at the questions, “Why do people change?” and “How do people change?” Increase your understanding about the conditions that drive positive behavior change and consider what can be done to increase the conditions necessary for change to occur. Stop the arguing and challenging; review how to improve defendant engagement and retention in treatment. Examine how to work with program participants who may not want to work with you.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to describe the difference between the Motivational Interviewing (MI) approach vs. coercion or confrontational treatment in Treatment Court services.
• Participants will be able identify “change talk” and it’s importance to positive outcomes.
• Participants will recognize the Motivational Interviewing concepts of ambivalence and discrepancy, and describe how they impact a treatment court participant’s readiness to change.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Michael D. Clark, MSW
Director, Center for Strength-Based Strategies

Michael Clark, MSW is the director for the Center for Strength-Based Strategies, a Michigan-based training and technical assistance group. Michael is a NADCP faculty member and has provided training to over 300 Treatment Courts across the USA. Mr. Clark recently served as a secretariat for the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria. He is co-author to the book, “Motivational Interviewing with Offenders” (2017; NY: Guilford Press).

Materials Recording

Complex Trauma, Brain, Mind, and Addiction

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 16, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will identify difference between PTSD and Complex Trauma.
• Participants will understand the negative effects complex trauma has on important traits and skill development resulting in increased risk of impulsive behaviors, addiction and other compulsive behaviors.
• Participants will learn revised understanding of the etiology and reinforcement of addiction and other self-sabotaging/self-soothing behaviors and treatment indications.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Franklin (Jody) Hurt, Ph.D.
Chief Clinical Officer, CompDrug

A licensed Psychologist in Ohio Since 1989.  CompDrug - Clinical Director 1993-2017, Chief Clinical Officer 2017 - Present.  Directs development and implementation of all clinical treatment programs at CompDrug, including Therapeutic Communities in correctional facilities around Ohio until 2018.  Recognized forensic specialties in areas of psychology, substance abuse psychology, psychological assessment, evaluation and testing.  Shared expertise over the years as a conference presenter focusing on substance use disorder and treatment, personality disorders, dual diagnosis, psychological assessment and testing, dissociative disorders, complex trauma syndrome, and PTSD.

Materials Recording

Gender-Responsive Programming

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 18, 2022
10 - 11:15 a.m.

Session Description:
Different aspects of disparity continue to be a challenge as it relates to access, engagement, retention, service delivery and other areas in treatment courts. Courts struggle to address the issue of disparities, and many don’t recognize they exist. The Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards state that citizens who have “historically experienced sustained discrimination or reduced social opportunities because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, physical or mental disability, religion, or socioeconomic status receive the same opportunities as others.” This session will specifically focus on gender issues and opportunities for Drug Courts to ensure equivalent access, retention, treatment, incentives and sanctions, dispositions, and provide team training on the necessary issues.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn the best practice standard on Historically Disadvantaged Groups.
• Participants will be able to identify strategies to ensure equivalent treatment of all persons in Drug Court.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.25 credit hours approved for COB, CLE

Speaker Bio(s):

Erin Rodriguez, LCPC, LAC, MAC
NDCI Consultant

Erin Rodriguez is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and a licensed addiction counselor (LAC) with certifications from NAADAC (National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Counselors) as a master’s level addiction counselor (MAC) as well as a certified EMDR trauma therapist. Erin obtained her B.S. in Health and Human Services with an emphasis on chemical dependency counseling and her M.S. in Mental Health Counseling and Rehabilitation. She has been active in the criminal justice system and treatment courts since 2007. She has served as a key team member and/or founding member on several treatment court teams, including Misdemeanor DUI Court, Misdemeanor Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Co-occurring Treatment Court, Felony Impaired Driving Court, Family Recovery Court, Felony Drug Court, and Veterans Treatment Court. Ms. Rodriguez served 12 years as Director of Court Services for Montana’s largest co-occurring treatment center, supervising 20 plus counselors and case managers working directly in Treatment Courts. She has written and obtained multiple grants including a 1.3-million-dollar re-entry grant for clients in Yellowstone County. For the past 3 years, Erin has focused more on consult work in treatment courts, creating training modules, and conducting trauma therapy as the owner/president of Selah Clinical Services. She has been faculty staff with NADCP/NDCI since 2015.

The Amazing Adolescent Brain: Opportunities and Vulnerabilities

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 1, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Session Description:
The adolescent brain is a work-in-progress that is undergoing extensive remodeling.  These changes make the adolescent brain exquisitely sensitive to stress.  Understanding the developing teen brain is crucial to addressing the escalating rates of mental health problems, risk of addiction, suicide and self-harm we are seeing among adolescents.  Focusing on areas of the brain that show the most profound changes during adolescence, this workshop will help you to work more effectively with adolescents and provide insights on how to strengthen communication and interpret what may seem like counter-intuitive behaviors.  Two publications on understanding adolescent brain development, one written for the legal-judiciary community and the other for caregivers will be provided along with a resource list that includes strategies for teens to manage stress.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify two changes occurring in the adolescent brain that influence behavior and communication.
• Participants will be able to describe the unique vulnerability of the developing adolescent to stress and addictive behaviors.
• Participants will be able to demonstrate two stress management skills that are appropriate for youth.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Linda Chamberlain, Ph.D.
Consultant, Keynote Speaker and Trainer

Scientist, author, and founder of the Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project, Dr. Linda Chamberlain has worked in the field of brain development, stress, and trauma for over two decades.  Known for her abilities to translate science into practical strategies with diverse audiences, she is an internationally recognized keynote speaker who conveys a message of hope and empowerment.  Her current focus is on brain-body practices that work top-down and bottom-up to address how stress and trauma are stored in the body.  A trainer with Capacitar, an international network for transforming trauma, she shares a wide range of simple tools that use the breath, mindful movement, meditation, and polyvagal-informed strategies to promote resilience, self-regulation, and healing.  Dr. Chamberlain taught for the University of Alaska and earned public health degrees from Yale School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is the author of the Amazing Brain Series, a nationally acclaimed resource on healthy brain development and several national curricula on trauma.  Recognition for her work includes a Scientist Scholar with the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, a National Kellogg Leadership Fellowship, an Alaska Women of Achievement Award, and the Inaugural Scattergood Foundation Scholar on Child Behavioral Health.

Materials Recording

Coping with the Death of a Participant

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 2, 2022
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
Sadly, deaths of treatment court participants from suicide and overdose are all too common.  Most treatment court staff are unprepared for this, either because they are new or because they have not received training in this area.  How can you cope when a participant dies, both emotionally as an individual and as a group, and what can you do to decrease the likelihood of it happening again?  The answers are many, and this presentation will provide them to you.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify and implement steps they can take to cope with the death of a participant.
• Participants will be able to identify and implement at least three strategies to help court staff to cope together after the death of a court participant.
• Participants will be able to identify and implement at least three strategies to help reduce the likelihood of a court participant dying in the future.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
No COB credit hours

Speaker Bio(s):

Brian Meyer, Ph.D., LCP
PTSD-Substance Abuse Specialist, H.H. McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center

Brian L. Meyer, Ph.D., LCP, is a Clinical Psychologist and the Psychology Program Manager and Supervisory Psychologist for the Community-Based Outpatient Clinics at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System and an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He obtained his A.B. from Harvard University in 1980 and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialization in adolescents and families from Duke University in 1990.  Dr. Meyer has worked in the child welfare and the child and adult mental health fields as a clinician, administrator, teacher, policy maker, program developer, expert witness, researcher, consultant, and trainer.  He has been the Deputy Clinical Director of the New Mexico CYFD Protective Services Division; the Executive Director of the Albuquerque Child and Family Guidance Center; the Executive Director of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children; and the Interim Associate Chief of Mental Health Clinical Services, the Workplace Violence Prevention Coordinator, and the PTSD-SUD Specialist for over 11½ years at the McGuire VA Medical Center.  In his current roles, Dr. Meyer oversees psychologists at five (soon to be six) regional VA community clinics; provides evidence-based treatments for Veterans who have problems with PTSD, substance abuse, depression, TBI, and other co-occurring conditions; trains psychology trainees; and develops and conducts research on treatments for PTSD, substance abuse, and co-morbid conditions.  Dr. Meyer is also a nationally in-demand speaker who has given over 350 presentations and trainings on a wide range of content areas including the treatment of trauma and co-morbid conditions, substance abuse, complex trauma, the effects of trauma and substance abuse on families, Veterans’ mental health, mindfulness meditation, secondary traumatization and self-care, and collaborative courts.  He is also the co-author of Transcending Self Therapy:  Group Integrative Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Book for Facilitators (2019), a treatment manual for people with Substance Use Disorders, along with Dr. Jarrod Reisweber. He has been happily married to his wife Sharla for 35 years and has three adult children and one granddaughter, all of whom he adores.

Materials Recording

Identifying and Education of Common Mental Health Disorders in Treatment Court

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 5, 2022
10 - 11:15 a.m.

Session Description:
This presentation will educate the common layperson of the dynamics of many common co-occurring disorders that are often related to a substance use disorder. Furthermore, this presentation shows common behaviors that occur with mental health disorders and the different therapies that are used to treat those behaviors.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn patterns of behavior common with certain mental health disorders.
• Participants will learn different types of therapies that are commonly used for mental health disorders.
• Participants will learn the dynamics of co-occurring mental health disorders.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.25 credit hours approved COB, CLE

Speaker Bio(s):

Kevin Baldwin, Ph.D.
NDCI Consultant

Dr. Kevin Baldwin is a clinical psychologist with a dual emphasis on research and forensics. He serves as a senior researcher for Applied Research Services in Atlanta, Georgia, providing criminal justice research and policy analysis nationally. He has directed federally funded research projects, authored over a dozen articles in peer-reviewed journals, and designed and evaluated substance use treatment programs. Dr. Baldwin authored a publication entitled “Sex Offender Risk Assessment” for the U.S. DOJ’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. He is director of forensic services at the Highland Institute, an Atlanta outpatient clinic specializing in the assessment and treatment of persons with sexual behavior problems. He performs forensic examinations, serves as an expert witness in state and federal courts, and has worked in both inpatient and community-based mental health settings. Dr. Baldwin is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences and has provided training to treatment court staff. He also serves as faculty at the National Judicial College and NDCI. Dr. Baldwin earned his Ph.D. at Georgia State University after completing an adult forensic internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Color in the Court: Assessing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Treatment Courts

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 6, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Session Description:
In recent years, studies have documented racial and ethnic disparities (RED) in treatment courts, with much research highlighting that Caucasians successfully complete programs at a higher rate than minorities.  It is important for courts to understand where racial and ethnic disparities exist in their programs to ensure that all participants have an equal experience regardless of race/ethnicity.  American University created the RED Program Assessment Tool to raise awareness about RED in treatment courts, assist team members identify areas in their system and processes where RED may exist, and to offer recommendations on alleviating racial and ethnic inequities in their programs.  This session will provide an overview of the research literature on RED in treatment courts, a discussion on how to use the RED Program Assessment Tool and an overview of RED in treatment courts in Ohio based on aggregated results from the RED tool.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be introduced to the research literature on RED in treatment courts.
• Participants will be able to describe the components of the RED Program Assessment Tool.
• Participants will be able to discuss how treatment courts in Ohio have implemented the RED Program Assessment Tool and its impact on their programs.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB, CLE

Speaker Bio(s):

Zephi Francis
Research Associate and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Sociology, American University’s School of Public Affairs

Zephi is a research associate at American University’s School of Public Affairs and an adjunct professor in the Department of Sociology. His research interests include racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal legal system, drug and alcohol use, and implementing evidence-based practices.  He was the lead in the development of Racial and Ethnic Disparities Program Assessment Tool for treatment courts. Zephi’s research can be found in outlets such as the Journal of Social Work Practice in Addictions and the Drug Court Review. Zephi has presented at several local and national conferences, including Ohio’s Specialized Dockets Annual Conference, Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Enhancement Training, and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ Annual Conference.

Dr. John R. Gallagher, Ph.D., LCSW, LCAC
Associate Professor, School of Social Work at Morgan State University

Dr. Gallagher is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Morgan State University and teaches in the Master of Social Work (MSW) Department.  His expertise is in clinical social work, substance use disorder and mental health treatment, and criminal justice reform.  Dr. Gallagher's research agenda is focused on the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in treating opioid use disorders; exploring drug court participants' lived experiences in programming; identifying the factors that may contribute to racial disparities in drug court outcomes; program evaluation for drug courts and other treatment courts; and implementing evidence-based interventions to promote substance use disorder and mental health recovery.  He serves as Associate Editor for Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly and is on the editorial boards for the Journal for Advancing Justice and the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions. Additionally, he has served as a peer-reviewer for over 30 academic journals.  Dr. Gallagher has developed a national reputation for excellence in drug court research, and he helped develop the Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) Program Assessment Tool, presents the equity and inclusion curriculum for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), and advocates for best-practice standards in serving African Americans in drug court.  Dr. Gallagher is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC) who has practiced substance use disorder and mental health counseling since 2002.

Preeti P. Menon
Practitioner-in-Residence, American University's School of Public Affairs

Preeti is a Practitioner-in-Residence at American University’s School of Public Affairs.  She oversees training and technical assistance initiatives and has extensive experience in justice system policy development and criminal justice program operations as well as project management.  With over twenty years of experience in working with treatment courts, she has worked closely on several treatment court initiatives, including the development of the first Racial and Ethnic Disparities Program Assessment Tool for treatment courts.  She is currently working with local treatment courts across the country interested in administering the tool.  She has co-authored and provided writing and editing support for research and analytical papers on treatment courts, criminal justice case management and integration.  Ms. Menon has presented at several national and local conferences, including the National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ Annual Conferences, Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Enhancement Training, and the National Association of Counties.

Materials Podcast Series Recording

LBGTQ+

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 8, 2022
1 - 2:15 p.m.

Session Description:
This workshop will address key component 4’s directive to create treatment court systems that are sensitive and relevant to issues of gender identity and sexual orientation in addition to age, race, ethnicity and religion. We will address LGBTQ special population needs about drug treatment through a cultural competency lens including definitions of terminology, helpful and harmful participant interactions, self- assessment and implicit bias, and addressing stigma with affirmation. The goal of the workshop is to help treatment court team members understand the treatment needs of LGBTQ participants.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to define gender identity and sexual orientation.
• Participants will be able to identify barriers to effective treatment for LGBTQ participants.
• Participants will learn to state that it’s important to ask about gender identity and sexual orientation during assessment.
• Participants will be able to recognize techniques to use in addressing implicit bias when working with LGBTQ participants.
• Participants will be able to identify an example of heterosexual and cisgender privilege.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.25 credit hours approved for COB, CLE

Speaker Bio(s):

Kim-Monique Johnson
NDCI Consultant

Kim-Monique Johnson has more than 25 years of public speaking experience and uses meeting facilitation, coaching, and human resources expertise to help organizations manage change and implement diversity, racial equity, and inclusion strategies. She began public speaking as an HIV educator working with people directly affected by the criminal justice system and drug addiction. She learned how to engage audiences when speaking and how to look for and include feedback from audiences to maintain that engagement. On a national level, she has served as a facilitator, helping organizations manage change through a strategic planning process, team effectiveness coaching, and courageous conversations related to cultural competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Johnson has experience as a trainer with NDCI and the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, for which she designed and delivered the flagship three-day cultural competence training for an interdisciplinary team of drug court professionals. Her global facilitation experience includes a year as a volunteer sexuality education teacher in Gabon in central Africa and co-leading the first LGTBQ multiyear training for healthcare providers in Lima, Perú.

Registration

Co-occurring Disorders in Treatment Courts

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 12, 2022
1 - 2:15 p.m.

Session Description:
Co-occurring disorders refers to the condition in which an individual has a co-existing mental illness and substance use disorder. This session will focus on developing an understanding of mental health and substance use disorder’s comorbidity while placing an emphasis on developing effective treatment plans that include evidence base practices and support services. The overall goal of the session is to introduce treatment court professionals to co-occurring disorders and their impact on the work of the treatment court.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to define co-occurring disorders.
• Participants will be able to describe the clinical and behavioral features of co-occurring disorders.
• Participants will learn the impact of substance use disorder on other disorders and the interrelated nature of co-occurring disorders.
• Participants will be able to identify limitations of existing services and eligibility requirements to address co-occurring disorders and the consequence of those limitations.
• Participants will be able to access relevant resources related to co-occurring disorders.
• Participants will be able to summarize evidence based best practices for assessing and addressing co-occurring disorders.
• Participants will be able to differentiate ways to modify and enhance treatment courts to address co-occurring disorders.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.25 credit hours approved for COB, CLE

Speaker Bio(s):

Eric Olson
NDCI Consultant

Dr. Shannon Carey, co-president and senior research associate at NPC Research, has worked in the areas of criminal justice and substance use treatment for 20 years, particularly in the area of drug courts and cost analyses. Altogether, she has been involved in performing process, outcome, and/or cost evaluations in over 300 adult, juvenile, family, reentry, DWI and veterans drug courts across the U.S., including federal drug and reentry courts in Oregon and Virginia. Dr. Carey also provides consulting and training in treatment courts operating in Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and England. She was involved with developing and writing the NADCP Adult Drug Court Best Practice Standards and has assisted several states in writing their state-specific standards for all types of treatment courts. She also assisted in developing treatment court certification processes as well as a peer review process that has been launched in several states, in which treatment court teams visit and give feedback and support to each other on implementing research-based best practices.

Registration

Telling Your Family Treatment Court’s “Story:” Tips for Team Members

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 14, 2022
1 - 2:30 p.m.

Session Description:
Family Treatment Court (FTC) team members understand the importance of telling the story of the FTC to ensure its success and sustainability. Team members may ask: how do I find the information I need? How do I let our community and stakeholders know what we are accomplishing and where we need their help/support? This education session will assist FTC team members with understanding what data elements they need to collect, the importance of accurate information, and how to effectively use the data they collect. Specifically, it will focus on how to implement data-driven decision making, continuous quality improvement (CQI), performance measurement, and evaluation to help tell their FTC’s story.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to explore what essential data elements are needed to tell their FTC’s story and some tips for how to collect it.
• Participants will be able to explore how continuous quality improvement (CQI), performance measurement, and evaluation can help tell their FTC’s story.
• Participants will be able to explore how their FTC can use data to examine disproportionality and disparity.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
No COB credit hours

Speaker Bio(s):

Colleen M. Killian, Ph.D.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate, Children and Family Futures (CFF)

Dr. Killian has over 27 years of experience in applied social science research and has evaluated Family, Adult, and Veterans Treatment Court Programs for over 15 years.  Dr. Killian conducted a multisite evaluation of 12 FTCs and currently provides ongoing technical assistance and data analytic support to the Sacramento County Family Drug Courts evaluation and Veterans Treatment Court projects related to evaluation activities.

Materials Registration Recording

Beyond Trauma-Informed:  Becoming a Trauma-Competent Court

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 15, 2022
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
There has been discussion about what construes a trauma-informed court, but being trauma-informed is not enough.  We need to go beyond that to become trauma-competent courts.  Trauma competent courts change everything from their policies, procedures, and practices to their environments.  They understand the types and variability of trauma and communicate in ways that empower and enlighten all of the participants in the courtroom.  They also ensure that courtroom participants are protected from secondary traumatization and have access to ways to manage it. This presentation will discuss the essential features of trauma competent courts, from court structures and functions to evidence-based practices that trauma-competent courts recommend and verify.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to recognize, design, and implement policies and practices of trauma-competent courts.
• Participants will be able to redesign their courtrooms to make them trauma-competent.
• Participants will be able to identify evidence-based trauma treatments and learn how to verify their usage.

Education Credits:

1.50 credits approved for CEU – (SW, Couns, RCH)
1.5 credits approved for CLE (general credit hours)
1.50 credit hours approved for COB

Speaker Bio(s):

Brian Meyer, Ph.D., LCP
PTSD-Substance Abuse Specialist, H.H. McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center

Brian L. Meyer, Ph.D., LCP, is a Clinical Psychologist and the Psychology Program Manager and Supervisory Psychologist for the Community-Based Outpatient Clinics at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System and an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He obtained his A.B. from Harvard University in 1980 and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialization in adolescents and families from Duke University in 1990.  Dr. Meyer has worked in the child welfare and the child and adult mental health fields as a clinician, administrator, teacher, policy maker, program developer, expert witness, researcher, consultant, and trainer.  He has been the Deputy Clinical Director of the New Mexico CYFD Protective Services Division; the Executive Director of the Albuquerque Child and Family Guidance Center; the Executive Director of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children; and the Interim Associate Chief of Mental Health Clinical Services, the Workplace Violence Prevention Coordinator, and the PTSD-SUD Specialist for over 11½ years at the McGuire VA Medical Center.  In his current roles, Dr. Meyer oversees psychologists at five (soon to be six) regional VA community clinics; provides evidence-based treatments for Veterans who have problems with PTSD, substance abuse, depression, TBI, and other co-occurring conditions; trains psychology trainees; and develops and conducts research on treatments for PTSD, substance abuse, and co-morbid conditions.  Dr. Meyer is also a nationally in-demand speaker who has given over 350 presentations and trainings on a wide range of content areas including the treatment of trauma and co-morbid conditions, substance abuse, complex trauma, the effects of trauma and substance abuse on families, Veterans’ mental health, mindfulness meditation, secondary traumatization and self-care, and collaborative courts.  He is also the co-author of Transcending Self Therapy:  Group Integrative Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Book for Facilitators (2019), a treatment manual for people with Substance Use Disorders, along with Dr. Jarrod Reisweber. He has been happily married to his wife Sharla for 35 years and has three adult children and one granddaughter, all of whom he adores.

Materials Registration Recording