Mistakes Specialized Dockets Make in Drug Treatment and How to Fix Them

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 15, 2020
9 - 11 a.m.

Session Description:
Despite advances in research and clinical treatment over the last two decades, the drug and alcohol overdose crisis continues to worsen. Alcohol, marijuana, and opioid abuse continue to rise, resulting in greater addiction, disability, and death. Adoption of advances in treatment can be slow. What can we do? This presentation is geared towards court clinicians, specialized docket administrators, judges, and administrators of alcohol and drug treatment programs. It will address some of the mistakes we make in alcohol and drug treatment and propose some solutions for clinical treatment and system improvement. It will challenge you to think differently about what you are doing. If you are looking for ways to improve clinical treatment provided in specialized dockets, including drug courts, DUI courts, and Veterans Treatment Courts, this presentation is for you.

Learning objectives:

• Participants will be able to choose and implement solutions to a dozen mistakes we make in substance abuse treatment.
• Participants will be able to list three reasons why ignoring trauma can prevent treatment success.
• Participants will be able to identify five questions to ask when deciding between outpatient, intensive outpatient, and residential treatment.

Education Credits:

• Approved for 2.00 hours of CLE credit (general)
• Approved for 2.00 hours of CPEs for Social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 2.00 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.0 hours for C2, 1.0 hours for C4) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board
• Approved for 2.00 hours of COB credit

Speaker Bio(s):
Brian L. Meyer, Ph.D., LCP
PTSD-Substance Abuse Specialist, H.H. McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center

Brian Meyer is the PTSD-Substance Abuse Specialist at the H.H. McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University. He obtained his bachelor of arts from Harvard University and his Doctor of Philosophy in clinical psychology from Duke University. 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, trainer, and researcher. Throughout his career, Dr. Meyer has worked with people who have experienced trauma, and his clinical expertise is in treating trauma and its co-morbid disorders. He currently provides evidence-based treatments for veterans who have problems with PTSD, substance use, depression, traumatic brain injuries, and other co-occurring conditions, conducts research on treatments for veterans with PTSD, and trains and supervises psychologists and psychiatrists at multiple levels. Dr. Meyer is a nationally-known speaker and trainer on a wide range of content areas, including the trauma continuum, the treatment of trauma and co-morbid conditions, the effects of trauma on families, veterans’ mental health, mindfulness meditation, secondary traumatization and self-care, and collaborative courts.

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Stress Management Toolbox: COVID Edition

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 16, 2020
9 - 11 a.m.

Session Description:
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has set off a wave of national and international anxiety that is different than most people have seen in their lifetimes.  Social distancing guidelines isolate us from the connections and support that we depend upon to manage our distress.  This has created something unprecedented that none of us were trained for:  how to help court participants and staff deal with a trauma that is ongoing and that we ourselves are experiencing. This presentation will provide 20 specific ways that you can care for yourself and cope with your anxiety and distress to make it through the pandemic and that you can teach to your court participants.  Each of them is supported by research and by clinical wisdom.  This session reminds us that we who work in treatment courts also need to care for ourselves in order to do the difficult and important work that we do:  saving lives.

Learning objectives:

• Participants will learn why the current pandemic is unprecedented in our lifetimes, while also being reflective of earlier times in history.
• Participants will learn 5 reasons why it is difficult for people who are involved in treatment to care for themselves.
• Participants will be able to implement up to 20 specific ways of coping with anxiety and isolation immediately upon conclusion of the session.

Education Credits:

Applied for COB education credits

• Approved for 2.00 hours of CLE credit (professional conduct)
• Approved for 2.00 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 2.00 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.0 hrs for C2, 1.0 hrs for C7) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board

Speaker Bio(s):
Brian L. Meyer, Ph.D., LCP
PTSD-Substance Abuse Specialist, H.H. McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center

Brian Meyer is the PTSD-Substance Abuse Specialist at the H.H. McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University. He obtained his bachelor of arts from Harvard University and his Doctor of Philosophy in clinical psychology from Duke University. 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, trainer, and researcher. Throughout his career, Dr. Meyer has worked with people who have experienced trauma, and his clinical expertise is in treating trauma and its co-morbid disorders. He currently provides evidence-based treatments for veterans who have problems with PTSD, substance use, depression, traumatic brain injuries, and other co-occurring conditions, conducts research on treatments for veterans with PTSD, and trains and supervises psychologists and psychiatrists at multiple levels. Dr. Meyer is a nationally-known speaker and trainer on a wide range of content areas, including the trauma continuum, the treatment of trauma and co-morbid conditions, the effects of trauma on families, veterans’ mental health, mindfulness meditation, secondary traumatization and self-care, and collaborative courts.

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Selecting the Right Participants

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 19, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
High risk and high need offenders are the targeted population for Drug Courts because they are the population that is most likely to reoffend. Once identified within the criminal justice system, a case plan is developed to address the individualized needs of the participant. The Drug Court provides or refers participants for treatment and social services to address conditions that are likely to interfere with their response to substance abuse treatment or other Drug Court services (responsivity needs), to increase criminal recidivism (criminogenic needs), or to diminish long-term treatment gains (maintenance needs). Depending on participant needs, complementary services may include housing assistance, mental health treatment, trauma-informed services, criminal-thinking interventions, family or interpersonal counseling, vocational or educational services, and medical or dental treatment. Participants receive only those services for which they have an assessed need.

Learning objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will:

• Learn how to conduct a case analysis to assist justice-involved clients with understanding their risk level and ways to prevent future criminal behavior.
• Identify services based on responsivity, criminogenic, and maintenance needs of participants.
• Explain how to use the risk and clinical assessments to develop a comprehensive case plan.

Continuing Education Credits:

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)
• Approved for 1.50 hours of COB credit

Speaker Bio(s):
Gregory G. Pinski, District Judge
State of Montana Eighth Judicial District Court

Judge Pinski earned his B.A. in political science and journalism from the University of North Dakota and graduated, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota School of Law. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Pinski entered private practice in Minneapolis while teaching at the University of Minnesota Law School. He returned to private practice in Montana before being elected as district judge in 2013. Since joining the bench, Judge Pinski has sat by designation on the Montana Supreme Court, and was appointed to the Montana Uniform District Court Rules Committee, Drug Treatment Court Council, and Access to Justice Commission. The attorney general appointed him to the Montana Crime Lab Advisory Board. The Montana legislature confirmed him as a national commissioner to the Uniform Law Commission. Judge Pinski founded and presides over a veterans treatment court and adult drug treatment court. He serves as a judicial consultant to NACDP, NDCI, Justice for Vets, and American University, providing research, training, and technical assistance to drug treatment courts and veterans treatment courts across the United States.

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Law School 101

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 20, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
The law is a tool for success and should not be viewed as an obstacle. Drug court professionals must develop a comprehensive understanding of what the law will and will not allow. Learn first-hand how to face challenges relating to ethics, HIPAA, confidentiality, due process, 12-Step programs and the law, and other constitutional requirements.

Learning objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will:

• Recognize constitutional and due process issues that affect the drug court program
• Identify how Federal Confidentiality Regulations are applied in the drug court setting.
• Recognize ethic laws that influence drug court team member roles in the drug court progress.

Continuing Education Credits

Applied for COB education credits

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)

Speaker Bio(s):
Gregory G. Pinski, District Judge
State of Montana Eighth Judicial District Court

Judge Pinski earned his B.A. in political science and journalism from the University of North Dakota and graduated, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota School of Law. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Pinski entered private practice in Minneapolis while teaching at the University of Minnesota Law School. He returned to private practice in Montana before being elected as district judge in 2013. Since joining the bench, Judge Pinski has sat by designation on the Montana Supreme Court, and was appointed to the Montana Uniform District Court Rules Committee, Drug Treatment Court Council, and Access to Justice Commission. The attorney general appointed him to the Montana Crime Lab Advisory Board. The Montana legislature confirmed him as a national commissioner to the Uniform Law Commission. Judge Pinski founded and presides over a veterans treatment court and adult drug treatment court. He serves as a judicial consultant to NACDP, NDCI, Justice for Vets, and American University, providing research, training, and technical assistance to drug treatment courts and veterans treatment courts across the United States.

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Drug Testing Mythbusters

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 26, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
What is fact and what is fiction? Using the popular Discovery Channel's show “MythBusters” as a launching point, this session will investigate and evaluate many of the popular myths associated with drug testing. This presentation aims to "prove" or "bust" the myths your clients use to rationalize unfavorable drug testing results. Learn to be savvier than your clients.

Learning objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will:

• Review the most popular myths used to discredit drug testing results.
• Analyze how these myths are designed to confuse drug test result interpretation.
• Explore the origins of drug testing myths and why they perpetuate.

Continuing Education Credits

Applied for COB education credits

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.5 hrs for C6) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)

Speaker Bio(s):
Paul L. Cary, M.S.
Independent Forensic Toxicology Consultant

He retired as director of the nationally recognized Toxicology Laboratory at the University of Missouri in 2015 after working there for 40 years. The laboratory performed drug testing for drug courts, hospitals, mental health facilities, attorneys, coroners and medical examiners, athletic programs, and public and private employers. Mr. Cary has authored numerous scientific publications and monographs, served on various clinical and technical advisory committees, taught at the university, and was involved in drug testing research. He continues to serve as a consultant in toxicology-related matters. He has also provided judicial education, including lecturing at the National Judicial College on alcohol pharmacology, the use of expert testimony, and drug testing issues. He has been certified as an expert and provided expert testimony in court (local, state, and federal) and in labor arbitration. He is a member of the Society of Forensic Toxicology. Mr. Cary has been a resource to drug court teams throughout the nation and oversees and serves as visiting faculty for NADCP, the Center for Court Innovation, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and NDCI.

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Motivational Interviewing

Launch Session Date/Time:
Oct. 28, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
Motivational Interviewing is designed to help participants see what matters to them and helps them to be engaged, feel valued and develop a vested interest in their long-term recovery planning and case management. Through motivational interviewing the participant has buy in and a voice in identifying goals and a value system that gives them a major role in recovery planning.

Learning objectives:

• Learn the principles and skills needed to deliver court responses effectively
• Gain an in-depth understanding of motivational interviewing as a technique to assist clients in changing their behavior

Continuing Education Credits

Applied for CEUs (SW, Couns, RCH)
Applied for CLEs general hrs

• Approved for 1.50 hours of COB credit

Speaker Bio(s):
Michael D. Clark, MSW, NDCI Consultant

Michael D. Clark is the Director for the Center for Strength-Based Strategies, a Michigan-based (USA) training and technical assistance group. His interests lie in the application of strength-based and motivational practices for hard-to-serve, court-mandated populations. Michael served for 16 years as a probation officer and a court magistrate in Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Clark has presented to over 200 treatment courts, serving as a national faculty member for the Drug Courts Program Office / DOJ (1999 and 2006) and recently for the NADCP. He has served as a secretariat for an international expert group (Building International Standards of Treatment of Drug Use Disorders) for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna, Austria (2014-2015). Mr. Clark is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and has implemented this approach for multiple Departments of Corrections (DOC’s) and court jurisdictions across the USA. He is co-author to the book, “Motivational Interviewing with Offenders: Engagement, rehabilitation and reentry” published (2017) by Guilford Press.

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Revisiting the Phases

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 2, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
There are important reasons for the framework that phases provide for a treatment court program. Perhaps most importantly, it gives the participants visible steps to measure success. Treatment courts tend to be long, rigorous programs, lasting one to two years. Giving the program structure gives the participant bite size pieces to tear off and digest. It also allows the team to measure—somewhat objectively—how well the participant is progressing through the program requirements. This session gives an overview of the necessity of distinct phases for a treatment court participant to progress through on their journey towards commencement from treatment court. This presentation will provide the team with an understanding of how to design phases and court requirements.

Learning objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will:

• Learn the two types of phases.
• Learn about the typical phase requirements based on risk and need level.
• Review examples of typical phase requirements as a participant progresses through the program.

Continuing Education Credits

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)
• Approved for 1.50 hours of COB credit

Speaker Bio(s):
Carolyn Hardin, Chief of Training and Research
National Association for Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)

Carolyn oversees the daily operations for NADCP’s three divisions: National Drug Court Institute, National Center for DWI Courts, and Justice for Vets. She also oversees the development and implementation of training for the organization. Ms. Hardin currently travels nationally and internationally, assisting teams with planning and operating successful drug courts. She received her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Akron in Ohio and her B.A. degree in public administration from Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. Her work experience includes resource development and acquisition, program planning and evaluation, and MIS database management. Ms. Hardin has supervised probationers, parolees, and federal inmates and has supervised special caseloads, including sex offenders, dual-diagnosis offenders, and violent offenders.

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When Sanctions and Incentives Don't Work: Responding to Addiction Driven Non-Compliance

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 3, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
Incentives and sanctions, also known as contingency management, are essential to treatment court success. When properly used, they are a powerful tool for improving client behavior and program outcomes. Treatment courts achieve better outcomes when practitioners understand the science behind behavior management and apply the principles. The research is clear--impacting reliably participant behavior requires both consistent reinforcement of positive behaviors and reliable responses to undesirable behaviors. Nonetheless, despite our best intentions (and perhaps the best intentions of the participants,) sometimes it doesn’t work. For some participants, our responses to behavior seem to have no impact. This session will describe the essential elements of effective behavior modification in a drug court and reveal what actions a program should consider when their efforts appear futile.

Learning objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the science underlying incentives, sanctions, and other responses in specialty courts.
• Understand the science underlying incentives, sanctions, and other responses in specialty courts.
• Discover the four reasons contingency management doesn’t work and actions a program can take to address those causes of failure.

Continuing Education Credits

Applied for CEUs (SW, Couns, RCS)
Applied for CLEs general hrs

• Approved for 1.50 hours of COB credit

Speaker Bio(s):
Terrence D. Walton, Chief Operating Officer
National Association for Drug Court Professionals (NADCP)

Terrence D. Walton, chief operating officer (COO) for NADCP, is among the nation’s leading experts in providing training and technical assistance to drug courts and other treatment courts. Prior to being named COO in 2015, he was NADCP’s chief of standards. Before coming to NADCP, Mr. Walton was director of treatment for the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia. He also previously excelled as the director of what was then the District of Columbia’s leading adolescent outpatient substance use treatment center. Mr. Walton is an internationally certified alcohol and other drug abuse counselor with over 25 years of experience helping individuals and organizations champion positive change. He holds a B.A. degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work with specializations in program administration and substance abuse. He is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). A gifted and entertaining speaker, Mr. Walton travels extensively, informing and inspiring audiences across the globe.

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Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts: Eligibility Criteria and Initial Screening

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 9, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
This module introduces practitioners to the importance of identifying the correct target population and how to ensure that courts reach all potential referral sources. Participants will focus on operating a program that ensures equitable access by adhering to eligibility criteria and conducting appropriate screening and assessments for youth and families.

Learning objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the appropriate JDTC target population
• Discuss the research and science behind risk/needs and how to use assessment tools to identify appropriate clients.
• Identify valid, culturally responsive drug/alcohol screening tools.
• Develop standard eligibility criteria that results in an increase of referrals and ensures equity of access for all youth.
• Develop procedures to exit youth that don’t meet criteria.

Education Credits:

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.50 hrs for C4) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)

Speaker Bio(s):
Bridgett Ortega, J.C., Ph.D.
Senior Organizational Consultant and Trainer, National Drug Court Institute (NDCI)

Dr. Bridgett Ortega is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, an associate dean of career services and professional development at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, and a senior organizational consultant and trainer for the NDCI, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, American University’s Justice Program Office, and the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence. She is also a lawyer and researcher and is currently the equity and inclusion officer for the Georgia affiliate of the ACLU. At the law school she oversees a homeless veterans’ legal clinic, where she works closely with the justice program officers of the VA to help veterans with legal barriers that impede their ability to obtain housing. Her training and technical assistance repertoire includes best practices for juvenile and adult drug courts, compassionate practice in problem-solving courts, compassionate communication, compassionate family engagement, domestic violence, equity and inclusion, and cultural competency. Ms. Ortega is the former deputy director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Reclaiming Futures Initiative, a reform initiative aimed at creating strategies for intervening in the lives of young people with substance use disorders and other issues that bring them into juvenile court. She cofounded the Santa Clara County Juvenile Drug Treatment Court, receiving a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for that work. She holds M.A., J.D, and Ph.D. degrees in organizational management and leadership. Her published research dissertation is entitled “Compassionate Jurisprudence: A Praxis for Justice.”

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Embracing a Family-Centered Approach in FTCs

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 10, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
When Family Treatment Courts (FTCs) first emerged in the mid-1990s, they focused primarily on a parent’s recovery. In the last decade, many FTCs have evolved to meet the individual needs of parents and children. Simultaneously, recent national legislation has highlighted the importance of a family centered approach, preventing removals whenever possible and supporting enhanced collaboration between the courts, child welfare and family serving agencies. Despite this, services tend to be disconnected from one another and not sufficiently integrated and coordinated. Leaders across the country are striving to advance the capacity of FTCs and their partner agencies to provide a comprehensive family-centered approach for children, parents, and families affected by parental substance use disorders in the child welfare system. Established FTCs have utilized cross-systems collaboration and evidence-based practices to strengthen the parent-child relationship and improve parent, child, and family well-being. By treating the family unit, FTCs can help families break the cycle of substance use, abuse, and neglect, and pave the way to healthy, stable home environments where children can thrive. This presentation will review the importance of focusing on family recovery, quality family centered treatment, and practical strategies to move to a family-centered approach.

Learning objectives:

• Learn about how a family centered approach dramatically improves outcomes for children and families
• Explore strategies to align your FTC with recent legislation focused on implementing a family centered approach
• Hear practical strategies that can move any FTC further along on the family centered spectrum

Education Credits:

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.50 hrs for C5) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)

Speaker Bio(s):
Alexis Balkey, MPA, RAS
Program Manager, Children and Family Futures (CFF)

Alexis Balkey is a Supervising Manager and the Program Manager for the National Family Drug Court (FDC) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program at Children and Family Futures, Inc. Additionally, she provides TTA to FDCs across the nation, responding to over 1,100 requests in less than eight years. Ms. Balkey is a Change Leader for the Statewide System Improvement Program initiative, enhancing state system collaboration to improve outcomes for families within the child welfare system affected by substance use disorders.  Additionally, Ms. Balkey is a Change Leader for the Prevention and Family Recovery initiative funded by the Duke Foundation Charitable Trust.  Ms. Balkey is a Certified Addictive Disorder Counselor by the Breining Institute, College for the Advanced Study of Addictive Disorders. Ms. Balkey received a B.A. in psychology and a B.A.  in criminal justice from Temple University and a Master of Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

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Constitutional and Legal Issues

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 19, 2020
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
This presentation will go over the common constitutional challenges to adult drug treatment court and how courts can avoid these by adhering to best practices. Issues addressed will include drug testing, search waivers, treatment referrals, court sanctions, and emerging issues such as marijuana and MAT. Due process concerns within the drug court context will be covered at length. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the common constitutional pitfalls that occur in the problem-solving court context and how to avoid these.

Education Credits:

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)

Speaker Bio(s):
Monica Christofferson, J.D., Senior Program Manager
Center for Court Innovation (CCI)

Monica Christofferson, J.D., is a Senior Program Manager for the Technical Assistance Department at the Center for Court Innovation. In this role, she provides expert assistance to states around the country on implementation and enhancement of treatment courts. Prior to her work at the Center, Ms. Christofferson developed, implemented, and directed the specialized domestic violence docket in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court. Ms. Christofferson has also worked as a crisis intervention specialist and independent living program manager. Ms. Christofferson received her B.A. in Political Science from John Carroll University and J.D. from the Catholic University of American, Columbus School of Law. Ms. Christofferson has presented on her expertise at local, state and national conferences.

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SMART Recovery

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 20, 2020
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
Peer support groups have a unique role in successful drug courts. Evidence supports better outcomes for participants with peer support. It solidifies behavior change and provides an ongoing support system. The Power of Choice helps improve engagement with treatment, leading to better, more sustainable outcomes. But there are constitutional obligations for drug courts in referral to mutual-aid groups. Embracing multiple pathways to recovery is easier in theory than in practice. We will work through the benefits and pitfalls of mutual support group relationships and how they intersect religiosity, MAT, and constitutional rights.

SMART Recovery offers free daily in person and online meetings, 24/7 access to chat and message boards, specialized meetings for Family & Friends, military veterans, young adults, inmates and corrections, and others.

We will go over some of the SMART Recovery science based tools, logistics of meeting validation, and how to offer multiple pathways to recovery without over-burdening your treatment team.

Learning objectives:

• Be aware of the importance of engagement with treatment program in enhancing recovery potential and factors affecting engagement
• Be aware of constitutional obligations in Drug Court referrals to mutual-aid groups
• Be aware of the importance of mutual aid group’s attitude towards Medication Assisted Treatment in referring clients utilizing such treatment

Education Credits:

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.50 hrs for R1) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)

Speaker Bio(s):
Mark Ruth, Executive Director (ED)
SMART Recovery USA

Mark Ruth leads the National Office in its mission to empower people to achieve independence from addiction and problematic behaviors with our science-based 4-Point Program®.

Mark oversees operations, fundraising, finances, technology, works with the Board of Directors to implement the Strategic Plan, manages the National Office staff in support of USA operations, and supports the many volunteers that are critical to SMART’s service delivery.

Mr. Ruth has served in volunteer, staff, and board leadership roles with non-profits. Prior to SMART, he served as Executive Director of Western Reserve Counseling Service, which provided general counseling and addiction treatment services for drugs, alcohol, sex and other addictive behaviors, family counseling for parents and children for relationship improvement, healing from divorce, domestic violence and sexual abuse trauma-informed care, and other mental and behavioral health issues. Ruth served as Director of Development for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Ohio, expanding their donor base, increasing their corporate sponsorships, and building the volunteer base of adult mentors.

Ruth also has extensive entrepreneurial experience in IT and management consulting, helping businesses and organizations to improve profitability, streamline operational inefficiencies, leverage technology, and build an effective team.

Mark has over 30 years of corporate experience (working closely with business owners and senior executives) helping clients define their business objectives, develop a strategy, and achieve their business goals with a focus on driving efficiencies using technology such as websites, networks and custom projects. Specializing in the alignment of technology tools to help achieve key corporate goals & objectives such as effective deployment of IT-based technology supporting improvements in workflow, customer service, and profitability.

Mark is a graduate of John Carroll University where he studied mathematics.

Christi Alicea, Assistant Executive Director
SMART Recovery USA

Christi Alicea supports the work of the Executive Director and oversees the National Office staff and all office operations, including HR and staff training and development. She also facilitates internal and external communications and offers on-going support to SMART Recovery volunteers using her facilitation skills. She selects and edits content for SMART’s online quarterly and weekly publications, oversees the Training Coordinator and related activities, and supervises SMART’s Onsite Training Team and Program. Treatment center sponsorship equally falls into Ms. Alicea’s purview.

Prior to joining SMART Recovery, Ms. Alicea served as the Mental Health Ombudsman for NAMI Lake County (OH) and participated in several community coalitions, including the Lake County Family and Children First Council for 12 years. Ms. Alicea has completed an unusually high number of professional training courses—17 in all—including Family-to-Family Facilitation, NAMI Basics, Medical Complications of Addictive Diseases, Mental Health First Aid, Trauma Response Team Training, and many more.

Christi has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Cleveland State University.

Lise Day, Grants Administrator
SMART Recovery USA

Ms. Day works with staff, board, and volunteers to identify opportunities, write, manage, report, and continuously improve projects that expand SMART Recovery’s science-based program to help more people overcome addictions and problem behaviors.

Lise has spent her career in social services management. She founded and led the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Lorain County, Ohio, administered the grants for the Lorain County Recovery Court that tripled its capacity, and directed the Retired and Senior Volunteer program through rapid expansion. She served as an officer in the United States Air Force. She is an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant. Lise is certified in NIATx Model of Process Improvement and has a Six Sigma Black Belt.

Ms. Day graduated cum laude from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management with dual majors in Marketing and Human Resources and minor coursework in Accounting.

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Show Me the Data: A Profile of Ohio’s Specialized Dockets

Launch Session Date/Time:
Nov. 30, 2020
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
How many people are we serving? Are we doing things the way we planned? Is what we’re doing working? What is the big picture? These questions are finally becoming answerable. In 2019, the Supreme Court began collecting referral and participant data from Ohio’s specialized dockets, providing the local courts and their state-level partners with a foundation for measuring caseloads, referral practices, and performance outcomes, among other things. This presentation will not only focus on the data collected so far but also plot a course for the future to ensure the collection and dissemination of actionable high quality information.

Learning objectives:

• Learn about the current trends in the data collection

Education Credits:

• No CPEs or CEUs
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)

Speaker Bio(s):
Brian Farrington, Statistics Analyst
Office of Court Services, Supreme Court of Ohio

Brian Farrington joined the staff of the Supreme Court of Ohio in August 2002, as its Judicial Assignment Officer, where he was responsible for administering Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer’s visiting judge program. Brian was promoted to Statistics Analyst in 2007 while working in the Supreme Court’s Office of Court Services. He served as the state court data specialist representative on the Conference of State Court Administrator’s Court Statistics Committee between 2011 to 2017, and provided guidance and leadership to the Court Statistics Project staff at the National Center for State Courts. Mr. Farrington serves as faculty for the Certified Court Manager program through the National Center for State Court’s Institute for Court Management. He regularly instructs Ohio judges and court administrators on court performance measurement, statistical reporting, caseflow management, and data-driven decision making. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Brian was a litigation paralegal at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Columbus. He graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

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Building Positive Connections: The Purpose and The Process

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 1, 2020
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH) Court works with survivors of Human Trafficking whose circumstances have led them to criminal justice involvement. The CATCH Court staff provide wrap around services to the women in the program as they exit the life. One of the main focal points for the staff during the two years of participation, outside of addiction and trauma therapy, is to help the women learn how to engage in healthy relationships and connection. The staff have witnessed a significant deficit in the participant’s ability to set appropriate boundaries, have effective communication, or display fundamental relational skills. This is largely due to their experiences and perceptions that have framed what a relationship looks like. Given the specialized docket populations have many parallels in history and many have never functioned within a structure of wellness and autonomy, we believe our experiences and knowledge in creating platforms and avenues to foster relationship building are invaluable across dockets. In addition, experiences within the dockets have also provided staff with anecdotal evidence as to how unhealthy relationships can lead to the re-entrance of the life, relapse, or recidivism.  CATCH Court has developed guidelines to assist in the process of safety and learning while navigating foreign territory regarding relationship building and appropriate connection. Connection is one of the most vital elements, to addicts, and to trauma survivors. It has to be a focus for those working in the specialized field with these populations.

Objectives:

• Understand the importance of cultivating connections in the lives of survivors.
• Learn a framework on how CATCH Court facilitates the process of healthy connections.
• Explain the high influence of relationships to an increase or decrease in risk for the women who are trying to exit the life.

Education Credits:

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.50 hrs for C5) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)
• Approved for 1.50 hours of COB credit

Speaker Bio(s):
Gwen England, CATCH Court Probation Officer
Franklin County Municipal Court

Gwen England has served in the field of criminal justice for over a decade.  In the past eight years she has worked with women suffering from a history of abuse and addiction. She has worked exclusively with trafficking survivors for the past five years as the probation officer for CATCH Court.

Shauna Harrison, LISW, CATCH Court Coordinator
Franklin County Municipal Court

Shauna Harrison is a licensed independent social worker and has worked as a trauma therapist since 2009. She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and specializes in trauma and addiction. She has been working with survivors of sex trafficking since 2017 and is consistently amazed by her clients’ strength and resilience.

Caroline Moore, LISW, CATCH Court Coordinator
Franklin County Municipal Court

Caroline Moore is a former member of the Salvation Army's Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Taskforce and a current Coordinator at CATCH Court.  She haves recently completed her Master's in Social Work from The Ohio State University, where she studied mental health and substance abuse.

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Teleservices

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 9, 2020
12 - 1:30 p.m.

Session Description:
This presentation focuses on the telemedicine to support problem solving courts.  The presentation includes details on how to setup telemedicine, benefits to the courts, challenges courts may face, how COVID is impacting telemedicine utilization, and outcomes from this modality.  The presentation will include information gathered on Ohio courts, with lessons from the longest standing partnerships, as well as emerging utilization due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the presentation will also emphasize the benefits and ways telemedicine can be used to provide services to various underserved populations even once face to face interactions are feasible.

Learning Objectives:

• Identifying court participants who may benefit from telemedicine, and how to deliver services to both the participant and the court in an effective manner;
• Identifying challenges to courts and participants in utilization of telemedicine, and strategizing on how to overcome the barriers.
• Exploring outcomes for individuals with substance use disorder who receive treatment via telemedicine and comparison to in person treatment.

Education Credits:

• Approved for 1.50 hours of CPEs for social workers and counselors by the Ohio Counselor, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapist Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CEUs for the content area(s) (1.50 hrs for C2) by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (general)
• Approved for 1.50 hours COB credit

Speaker Bio(s):
Jonathan Ciampi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Bright Heart Health

Jonathan Ciampi is the founder and CEO of Bright Heart Health, a telemedicine health care company focused on chronic disease management.  Bright Heart Health is Joint Commission accredited and is currently engaged in two separate research studies with UCLA and NIDA.  In addition, Bright Heart Health was the recipient of grants from SAMHSA, California Dept. of Health Care Services, and the Ohio Department of Health.

Prior to Bright Heart Health, Mr. Ciampi was Chief Marketing Officer of CRC Health, overseeing 160 facilities across the country.  Mr. Ciampi was responsible for Marketing, Business Development, Corporate Development, Strategic Accounts, and other functions.

Before joining CRC Health, Mr. Ciampi spent 12 years in the enterprise software space where he served in several leadership roles for both publicly traded and private organizations.

Mr. Ciampi is passionate about the convergence of technology and healthcare delivery.  Through this convergence, he believes more efficient and effective delivery of care is possible.

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Ethics in Specialized Dockets

Launch Session Date/Time:
Dec. 18, 2020
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Session Description:
Participants will learn how to conform their judicial conduct to the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct and Ohio Ethics Law when presiding over a specialized docket court. The workshop will also focus on the ethical framework for contracting and working with treatment providers and non-profits based on advisory opinions issued to date by the Board of Professional Conduct. A segment of the workshop will also explore the use of prayer in the courtroom, relationships with participants, ordering medication, and fundraising and solicitation.

Education Credits:

• No CPEs of CEUs
• Approved for 1.50 hours of CLE credit (professional conduct)

Speaker Bio(s):
D. Allan Asbury, Senior Counsel
Board of Professional Conduct

D. Allan Asbury is Senior Counsel to the Board of Professional Conduct.  Before joining the Board, Allan served as administrative counsel for the Supreme Court Office of the Administrative Director and secretary to the Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law. His primary duties included researching and drafting advisory opinions, providing ethics advice to Ohio lawyers, judges, and judicial candidates, and assisting in the Board’s ethics education efforts.  Allan received his undergraduate and law degrees from Capital University.  He is authorized to practice in Ohio, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and before the United States Supreme Court. He is a faculty member of the Ohio Judicial College and a member of the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility.

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