Conference Agenda - In Person

Archie Griffin Ballroom, Floor 2

Former Judge Linda Davis
Executive Director, Face Addiction Now

Session Description

Drawing from her journey as a prosecutor, judge, parent, and advocate, Linda shares a powerful perspective on addiction, resilience, and purpose. She challenges common misconceptions about substance use disorders, highlights the impact of stigma, and demonstrates how compassion, understanding, and community action can transform lives and create lasting change.

Cartoon Room, Floor 3

Annette Deao, LICDC-S
Grants and Specialized Docket Administrator, Logan County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Session Description

Drawing on 22 years as a drug court administrator in rural Ohio, spanning a Family Dependency docket (2004), Juvenile Drug Court (2008), and Adult Felony Recovery Court (2019), this presentation shares hard-won lessons on serving multiple target populations, building multidisciplinary teams, and promoting dockets in the community.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the target population best suited for participation in a specialized docket and evaluate the use of screening tools to determine eligibility.
2. Analyze the dynamics of an effective multidisciplinary team, including judicial leadership, community partnerships, and strategies for managing personnel transitions.
3. Develop a comprehensive marketing and outreach plan to promote a specialized docket through printed materials, media, jails, treatment agencies, attorneys, and other community stakeholders.

Archie Griffin Ballroom, Floor 2

Judge Alison Hatheway
Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division 

Gary Yuratovac, Esq.
Central Clinic: Southern Ohio Forensic Evaluation Services Division

Howard Hatfield
Probation Officer, Hamilton County Adult Probation Department

Session Description

Serious criminal cases involving defendants with complex mental health conditions require a comprehensive treatment plan that balances the mental health needs of the defendant with public safety and victims’ rights. Participants will explore initial determination of a defendant’s appropriateness for the Mental Health Court Program, steps in transitioning defendants from jail or hospitalization into the community, while protecting public safety and considering victims’ rights. Through case studies and testimonials from the perspectives of the Judge, Probation Officer and Program Director, this session addresses the challenges of balancing treatment needs and alternatives to incarceration with public safety and victims’ rights.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how Mental Health Courts identify appropriate participants who have both complex mental health concerns and serious criminal charges.
2. Learn techniques to help participants who are transitioning out of jail or hospitalization after attaining competency.
3. Recognize how to balance treatment needs and alternative sentencing frameworks, with public safety and victims’ rights.

¹Approved for Attorney Professional Conduct Credits

Ohio Staters Traditions Room, Floor 2

Julie Marie Baldwin, PhD
Research Professor, American University

Jamie Vaske, PhD
Professor, Western Carolina University

Session Description

This session highlights two key advancements related to serving justice-involved veterans in a variety of settings: the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model and the Veteran Risk and Need Assessment Tool. Presenters will provide an overview of RNR principles and explore how they apply to justice-involved veterans, including where adaptations may be needed to better address this population’s unique experiences and needs. The session will also introduce the Veteran Risk and Need Assessment Tool, currently being piloted and validated by American University through the BJA VTC Enhancement Initiative. Attendees will receive updates on validation progress, early findings, and opportunities for new site onboarding. The session will cover the tool’s purpose, core components, and practical applications across settings such as treatment courts, probation, and reentry programs. Participants will gain insight into how these approaches can strengthen assessment, case planning, and outcomes for veterans, with examples drawn from current implementation in treatment courts nationwide.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the core principles of the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model and explain how they apply to justice-involved veterans in diverse justice and treatment settings.
2. Identify at least two ways the RNR model may be adapted to better address the unique needs and experiences of justice-involved veterans.
3. Explain the purpose, structure, and current validation status of the Veteran Risk and Need Assessment Tool being piloted by American University through the BJA VTC Enhancement Initiative.
4. Demonstrate how the Veteran Risk and Need Assessment Tool can be used to inform assessment, case planning, and supervision strategies in veteran treatment courts, probation, reentry, and other programs.

²Approved for COB Credit

Senate Chamber, Floor 2

Rachel Ramirez, LISW-S, RASS
Director of Health and Disability Programs, Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Session Description

This session explores the frequency and significance of violence directed at the head, neck and face and the often-overlooked impacts of strangulation and concussions in domestic violence cases. This session equips judicial professionals to recognize these invisible injuries and better understand their implications for victim safety, court proceedings, and justice system outcomes.

Learning Objectives

1. Evaluate the importance of brain injury screening, documentation, and assessment in domestic violence cases.
2. Apply brain injury-aware and trauma-informed practices to improve interactions with and support for domestic violence survivors.
3. Assess the implications of recent research findings for courts, law enforcement, victim advocacy, healthcare, and other community response systems.

Student-Alumni Council Room, Floor 2

Emily Willard
Probation Officer, Summit County Adult Probation Department

Kiel Freeman
Probation Officer, Summit County Adult Probation Department

Brook Moomaw
Program Coordinator, Oriana House, Inc.

Session Description

A practical, step-by-step guide for developing and strengthening reentry court programs. The session highlights evidence-based practices, effective team collaboration, and strategies for addressing common barriers, including housing, employment, behavioral health, and community stability.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Learn how to structure court processes for effective reentry programming.
2. Engage community partners and use data to guide decision-making.
3. Create supportive accountability that promotes long-term participant success.
4. Apply implementation strategies to build impactful and sustainable reentry courts.

US Bank Theater, Floor 1

Judge Carolyn J. Paschke
Geauga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Maureen Maruna
Drug Court Specialized Docket Coordinator, Geauga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Greg Potts
Drug Court Probation Officer, Geauga County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division

Christian Bondra
Assistant Prosecutor, Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office

Stephen Szendrey
Assistant Public Defender, Geauga County Public Defender’s Office

Session Description

This presentation explores how the New Leaf Program developed and implemented an integrated case plan to enhance collaboration among multidisciplinary team members, clarify stakeholder roles and responsibilities, and improve participant outcomes. Attendees will learn practical strategies for designing, implementing, and utilizing an integrated case plan to strengthen communication, support decision-making, and foster innovation within treatment court teams.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Design an integrated case planning process by identifying key stakeholders and their roles in development and implementation.
2. Explain how integrated case plans can be used to guide discussion, decision-making, and participant progress during treatment team meetings.
3. Describe the roles and contributions of prosecutors and defense attorneys within an integrated case planning framework.
4. Analyze strategies for building a cohesive multidisciplinary team that can effectively implement new practices and innovations.
5. Evaluate the impact of integrated case planning on communication, collaboration, and information sharing among treatment team members.

Great Hall Meeting Room 1&2, Floor 1

Judge Theresa Dellick
Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division

Karen Guerrieri
LPCC/S, LICDC, SWA, Clinical Supervisor, Mahoning County Juvenile Court’s Clinical Services

Session Description

Trauma-informed practices lead the specialized docket team to successful completion while addressing underlying trauma issues and creating new pathways for participants. This session covers the what, why, and how of trauma-informed practice from both the team and participant perspective.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Assess the importance of incorporating trauma-informed practices into team interactions and service delivery.
2. Apply trauma-informed principles to promote staff well-being, team cohesion, and participant engagement.
3. Distinguish between trauma symptoms and mental health conditions to support appropriate responses and interventions.

²Approved for COB Credit

Great Hall Meeting Room 3, Floor 1

Morgan Brow
Deputy Sheriff, Union County Sheriff’s Office

Taylor Tharp
LISW-S, LICDC, Director of Specialized Dockets, Union County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division

Officer Amy Findley
Critical Incident Coordinator, Marysville Police Division

Session Description

This presentation provides an overview of the role law enforcement plays in supporting specialized docket participants in the community, emphasizing effective communication and collaboration with courts and treatment providers, and best practices for engagement, including de-escalation and crisis response.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the role of law enforcement in supporting specialized docket participants in the community.
2. Explain how communication between law enforcement, courts, and treatment providers improves outcomes.
3. Recognize how law enforcement interactions impact participant success and public safety.
4. Apply best practices for interacting with individuals involved in specialized dockets.
5. Demonstrate effective de-escalation and crisis response strategies when encountering participants.

Archie Griffin Ballroom, Floor 2

Dominick DePhilippis, PhD
Consultant

Session Description

Contingency Management (CM) is an evidence-based approach that leverages principles of operant conditioning, i.e., the provision and withholding of incentives, to promote positive change and improve outcomes. This session will examine the core principles of contingency management and their potential application within justice settings. Participants will explore practical lessons from CM that can be adapted to specialized dockets to increase participant engagement, reinforce desired behaviors, support recovery, and strengthen accountability. The session will also address common implementation challenges and strategies for integrating CM principles into existing court practices.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the challenges to recovery from stimulant use disorders (StimUD).
2. Distinguish the rationale and methods for Contingency Management (CM).
3. Differentiate CM implementation concerns at the Procedural and Organizational level, including considerations when implementing in justice-settings.
4. Explore common critiques of CM.
5. Describe the evidence supporting the effectiveness of CM in the treatment of StimUD.

¹Approved for Attorney Professional Conduct Credits

²Approved for COB Credit

Cartoon Room, Floor 3

Judge Sheryl Munson
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Shannon Bradshaw, LSW, CDCA
Mental Health Court Coordinator, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Dustin Starkey
Peer Supporter

Session Description

This session explores how trust and community, when intentionally built within the courtroom, can transform outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness while enhancing public safety and system efficiency. Participants will examine how moving beyond compliance-focused approaches toward meaningful engagement, connection, and accountability can promote long-term behavioral change. The session features a Judge-coordinator panel and a Q&A with a R.I.S.E. graduate who now works as a peer supporter.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how trust-based judicial strategies improve engagement, accountability, and lasting behavioral change for individuals with serious mental illness.
2. Identify practical tools to move beyond compliance and foster meaningful engagement across docket types.
3. Explore how connection and shared accountability support recovery and successful reentry.
4. Recognize the value of lived experience and peer support in building trust, enhancing motivation, and improving specialized docket outcomes.

Archie Griffin Ballroom, Floor 2

James Boleyn
Specialized Dockets Director, Marion Municipal Court

Session Description

This session repositions the specialized treatment court as a strategic convening body that aligns partners, coordinates resources, and strengthens the local system of care, with particular attention to rural and resource-limited jurisdictions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how to use the authority, structure, and relationships of the treatment court to build cross-system collaboration.
2. Apply practical frameworks for intentional coalition-building beyond informal coordination.
3. Identify strategies for expanding program capacity and strengthening the community response to behavioral health and justice involvement, particularly in rural settings.

Ohio Staters Traditions Room, Floor 2

Katie Howell
Advocacy Services Manager, Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center

Christina Claar
Program Coordinator, Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Freeland Oliverio, Esq.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Summit County Prosecutor’s Office

Session Description

A two-part training providing a comprehensive overview of intimate partner violence for criminal justice professionals. Part One covers IPV dynamics, coercive control, lethality risk factors, and the neurobiology of trauma.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify core dynamics of IPV including coercive control, cycle of violence, and lethality risk, and the use of validated risk and lethality assessment tools.
2. Apply trauma-informed approaches to victim interactions grounded in understanding of the neurobiology of trauma.

Senate Chamber, Floor 2

Dougie Boggs
Incarceration Outreach Program Director, Recovery Zone of Logan County

Sheila Clarkson
Certified Peer Recovery Supporter and Certified Family Peer Support Specialist, Recovery Zone of Logan County

Session Description

What began as a single peer-led recovery meeting inside a county jail has grown into a multi-dimensional recovery program offering six weekly meetings, recovery groups, and hands-on healing experiences through nature-based activities like gardening and caring for chickens. This session shares how peer-led recovery services interrupt cycles of incarceration. Participants will gain insight into how peer support builds credibility within the justice system, strengthens collaboration with judges and correctional staff, and creates pathways to treatment.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand how peer-led recovery services can interrupt cycles of incarceration by introducing pathways to treatment.
2. Recognize the impact of lived experience in building trust, relatability, and engagement.
3. Identify how experiential and non-traditional approaches support recovery outcomes.
4. Explore effective collaboration between peer supporters, courts, and correctional systems.
5. Understand the role of family dynamics, codependency, and mental health in the recovery process.
6. Learn practical strategies for advocacy, relationship-building, and connecting individuals to treatment and community resources.
7. Examine how stigma can be reduced through visibility, leadership, and community engagement.

Student-Alumni Council Room, Floor 2

Judge Helen Wallace
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Court

Chief Magistrate Gina Feller
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Court

Lindsay M. Birnbaum
Specialized Treatment Manager, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile

Session Description

This session explores the science and psychology of authentic support in Family Treatment Courts, focusing on how each treatment team member contributes to a wrap-around support network that builds participant agency and promotes lasting family reunification.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explore the science and psychology of authentic support and how each team member adds to the wrap-around network.
2. Identify concrete methods for weaving hope-inducing language and practices into FTC judicial reviews and team meetings.
3. Develop strategies for leveraging intrinsic motivation and participant strengths to enhance long-term recovery capital, and examine the impact of a trauma-informed lens on family engagement and reunification.

US Bank Theater, Floor 1

Judge Albert S. Camplese
Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas, Probate and Juvenile Division

Lora Faenza, LCDCIII
Director of Support Services, Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas, Probate and Juvenile Division

Session Description

This session explores practical strategies for maintaining compliance while recognizing the impact of substance use, mental health, and trauma across all specialized docket types. Attendees will gain real-world tools and courtroom techniques to promote engagement, honesty, and long-term success while preserving the integrity of the court.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify practical strategies to balance accountability and compassion across various specialized docket settings.
2. Explain how judicial demeanor and language impact participant engagement and outcomes.
3. Differentiate between punitive and therapeutic responses while addressing noncompliance, relapse, or setbacks.
4. Recognize the role of trauma, mental health, and substance use disorders in behavior and compliance.
5. Adapt courtroom practices to support behavior change while maintaining judicial authority and program expectations.

¹Approved for Attorney Professional Conduct Credits

Great Hall Meeting Room 1&2, Floor 1

Zachary Vicha
Project Director, All Rise: Justice for Vets Division

Session Description

This session examines how the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model applies specifically to veterans treatment court dockets, helping teams align supervision intensity, treatment targets, and program design with each participant's assessed risk and needs.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the core principles of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model and their evidence base.
2. Assess how to match supervision and treatment intensity to a veteran participant's risk level.
3. Recognize criminogenic needs common among justice-involved veterans and how to target them in programming.
4. Apply responsivity considerations, including military culture and trauma history, to individual case planning.

²Approved for COB Credit

Great Hall Meeting Room, Floor 1

Judge Giovanna Bremke
Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Justine Dumont, CDCA
Specialty Docket Coordinator and Probation Officer, Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Judge Megan L. Bickerton
Columbiana County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division

Sara Norris
Director of Specialized Dockets and the Assistant Chief Probation Officer, Columbiana County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division

Session Description

Women in specialized dockets often have similar experiences that lead them to substance use, trauma histories that impact their behavior, and complex relational and family dynamics that treatment teams must address to ensure positive outcomes. This session explores why being gender-responsive improves participant outcomes and what factors teams should consider throughout the specialized docket process. Participants will examine strategies for better serving female participants across program design, supervision, and team decision-making.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key ways the female pathway to substance use and justice involvement differs from the male pathway, and describe how those differences are relevant to program design and team decision-making.
2. Describe the role of trauma, relational dynamics, and shame in shaping female participant behavior in the courtroom and in treatment.
3. Identify strategies for coordinating with child welfare systems, approaching housing and financial independence as treatment goals, and incorporating physical health into case planning for female participants.

Cartoon Room, Floor 3

Krystel Tossone, PhD
Research Analytics Consultant, Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC)

Session Description

This session summarizes an evaluation study conducted with two certified mental health courts, one juvenile and one adult, as well as a larger data analysis of all certified mental health court data in Ohio, covering implementation, processes, outcomes, and lessons learned from the certification process.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand court staff's perspectives on successes and challenges in two mental health courts.
2. Describe mental health court-specific suggestions for improving the certification process and standards.
3. Examine data trends and how these help to understand mental health court processes.
4. Discuss an innovative technique of extracting recidivism data.

Archie Griffin Ballroom, Floor 2

Dominick DePhilippis, PhD
Consultant

Session Description

Many new specialized dockets participants lack motivation to start recovery. The treatment team can help change that! Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based communication approach designed to enhance an individual's motivation and commitment to change. This session will explore how MI can improve participant engagement, strengthen therapeutic alliances, and support long-term behavior change. Participants will examine practical techniques and lessons from MI that can be adapted to specialized dockets to foster participant accountability, reduce resistance, and promote recovery and program success.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define the elements of self-efficacy.
2. Differentiate the four components of Motivational Interviewing Spirit.
3. Identify and explain the four in-session therapist behaviors (aka microskills) in Motivational Interviewing (MI).
4. Distinguish between MI and Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET).
5. Describe the evidence supporting use of MI with justice-involved people

²Approved for COB Credit

Ohio Staters Traditions Room, Floor 2

Katie Howell
Advocacy Services Manager, Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center

Christina Claar
Program Coordinator, Summit County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Freeland Oliverio
Esq., Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Summit County Prosecutor’s Office

Session Description

Part Two examines the criminal justice process in IPV cases, identifying gaps in evidence-based prosecution and how supplemental data can strengthen judicial decision-making.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Explain key stages of the criminal justice process in IPV cases and evaluate how each system actor influences victim participation, offender accountability, and case outcomes.
2. Recognize gaps in evidence-based prosecution and assess how supplemental data can inform judicial decision-making regarding protection orders and bond considerations.

Student-Alumni Council Room, Floor 2

Magistrate Dianne Curtis
Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division

Angela Hart, LSW
Strategic and Collaborative Systems Leader, Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division

Jeff M. Kretschmar, PhD
Research Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University

Description

This multi-disciplinary team presents from Ohio's first certified juvenile human trafficking docket, sharing the framework they developed for trauma responsive justice, including who needs to be at the table, critical partnerships, support structures, and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify critical partnerships necessary for a trauma-responsive docket.
2. Establish support structures with trauma responsiveness at the center.
3. Apply trauma-responsive language and skills including empowerment, trusting relationships, voice and choice, and safety.
4. Understand harm reduction approaches to address at-risk youth

US Bank Theater, Floor 1

Darryl Graves, CPM
Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and Reentry Administrator, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

Kim Kehl
Retired

Kelly Paull
Early Care and Education Licensing Supervisor, Ohio Dept of Children and Youth

Melissa Shaw
Home-based Manager,Leads Community Action Agency

Presenters
Darryl Graves, CPM, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, Reentry Administrator, Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction; Kim Kehl; Kelly Paull, Early Care and Education Licensing Supervisor, Ohio Dept of Children and Youth; Melissa Shaw, Home-based Manager, Leads Community Action Agency

Session Description

This session focuses on the intersection of parental justice involvement, trauma, and family stability, equipping judicial and court professionals with practical, trauma-informed tools to better support families affected by incarceration.

Learning Objectives

 By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the connection between ACEs and parental incarceration.
2. Recognize trauma's effects on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning.
3. Identify trauma-informed strategies for supporting families navigating incarceration-related challenges.
4. Explore the Strengthening Bonds and Creating Connections resource guide and its practical applications.

²Approved for COB Credit

Great Hall Meeting Room 1&2, Floor 1

Zachary Vicha
Project Director, All Rise: Justice for Vets Division

Session Description

This session explores strategies VTC teams can use to help veteran participants rebuild a sense of identity, mission, and belonging after military service and justice involvement.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the connection between loss of purpose and risk of relapse or recidivism among veteran participants
2. Identify practical program elements (mentorship, peer support, service opportunities) that help restore a sense of mission
3. Recognize signs of hopelessness or disconnection in veteran participants
4. Apply team-based strategies to help participants build a post-service identity and support network

Great Hall Meeting Room , Floor 1

Judge E. Gerald Parker, Jr.
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Session Description

Kushinda Court is a substance abuse docket with a focus on under resourced communities often affected by gun violence.  This Court is designed to address issues related to gun violence risk factors using a public health approach to intervene with young men, between the ages of 18-29, whom are at risk of committing serious violent crime.  This specialized docket provides accountability, a range of treatment, and ancillary services to address the social determinants afflicting these communities.  To provide appropriate support, Kushinda Court uses the Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (H.E.A.T.) curriculum - a culturally proficient program designed to address trauma by incorporating community support and focusing on healthy empowerment.  H.E.A.T. has been shown to be an effective program for reducing mental health and substance use burdens, reducing criminal attitudes and behaviors, and has a high level of acceptability amongst its participants.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss ways to intervene with young men who are at risk of engaging in gun violence with a combination of therapeutic jurisprudence, risk management, and accountability.
2. Explore how the docket uses the evidence-based H.E.A.T curriculum to help reroute these men into healthy pathways and relationships that focus on higher self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-monitoring.
3. Learn how to create other sentencing alternatives for courts to use that are cost-effective.