Click on a session below to view more information, including presenters and a description.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Discipline Specific Breakout: Judges – Juvenile, Family, and Mental Health Courts
Discipline Specific Breakout: Family Treatment Court Practitioners
Leading Change – Transforming, Expanding, and Advancing the Family Treatment Court Movement to Better Serve Children and Families
Moving Beyond Guidance: A Sneak Preview of the Upcoming National Family Drug Court Standards
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Checklist to Change – Readiness to Reality
What Does Quality Treatment Look Like? Identifying Effective Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Families
Connecting Veteran Treatment Courts and Veteran Justice Outreach Services Through Collaborative Court Staffing
Improving Service Delivery to Veterans, Their Children, and Families Through Family-Centered Approaches
11:00am – 12:15pm
Room 340 A/B
Track: VCC-B-3
Strengthening Families and Supporting Success
Ready-Set-Go! 5 Key Planning Decisions to Help You Successfully Launch Your Family Treatment Court
Healing the Family: Tribes and Counties Working Together Within the Family Treatment Court and Family Tribal Healing to Wellness Court
A New Approach – Family Treatment Courts as Part of a Continuum of Care
Friday, June 1, 2018
2018 Annual OJJDP Family Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance Grantee Gathering
Family Matters – Transitioning to a Family-Centered Approach in All Drug Courts
Developing a Plan of Safe Care: What You Need to Know about Serving Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorders
Discipline Specific Breakout: Judges – Juvenile, Family, and Mental Health Courts
7:15am – 8:30am
Room 320 C
Track:DSB-3
Presenter(s): Hon. Jeri Beth Cohen, Hon. Stephen Goss, Hon. Gail Meinster
Want to know what sessions you should attend? Have questions about the conference agenda? Need to discuss burning issues impacting your program? This year’s discipline-specific sessions are for you!
This year’s conference includes opportunities for disciplines to meet and resolve burning issues and critical questions. Starting on Wednesday morning at 7:15 am. An expert practitioner who shares your role on the team will facilitate the breakout designated for your discipline. The facilitator will review the conference program, identify sessions specifically designed for your role on the team, and lead discussion to address your burning issues.
Discipline Specific Breakout: Family Treatment Court Practitioners
7:15am – 8:30am
Room 381 A/B
Track: DSB-16
Presenter(s): Russ Bermejo, Tessa Richter
Want to know what sessions you should attend? Have questions about the conference agenda? Need to discuss burning issues impacting your program? This year’s discipline-specific sessions are for you!
This year’s conference includes opportunities for disciplines to meet and resolve burning issues and critical questions. Starting on Wednesday morning at 7:15 am. An expert practitioner who shares your role on the team will facilitate the breakout designated for your discipline. The facilitator will review the conference program, identify sessions specifically designed for your role on the team, and lead discussion to address your burning issues.
Leading Change – Transforming, Expanding, and Advancing the Family Treatment Court Movement to Better Serve Children and Families
Room 381 A/B
Track: SB-13
Presenter(s): Alexis Balkey, Phil Breitenbucher, Theresa Lemus
Family Treatment Courts (FTCs) are problem-solving courts that emerged during the 1990s as an adaptation of the adult criminal drug court model to address the unique and complex needs of families affected by substance use disorder who are involved in the child welfare system. Well-functioning FTCs rely on multi-disciplinary and collaborative family-centered approaches, and experience outcomes that include significantly higher rates of participation and longer stays in treatment, higher rates of family reunification, and less time for children in foster care when compared to standard services. This skills-building workshop provides a brief history of the FTC movement, highlights the state of the movement today, and identifies the issues that threaten to disrupt the future of FTCs. Using the National Strategic Plan for FTCs as a framework for this presentation, practitioners will discover the critical role of FTCs in achieving larger systems change including solution-oriented strategies to advance justice for all families affected by substance use disorders. Practitioners will develop their leadership skills by engaging in breakout discussions to explore innovative approaches that transform operations, expand the reach of services, and promote systems change.
Moving Beyond Guidance: A Sneak Preview of the Upcoming National Family Drug Court Standards
1:15pm – 2:30pm
Room 340 A/B
Track: TS-13
Presenter(s): Phil Breitenbucher, Jane Pfeifer, Terrence Walton, Meghan Wheeler
In 2017, the National Strategic Plan for Family Drug Courts (FDCs) was released outlining a coordinated national strategy to enhance and expand the use of FDCs to reach more children and families. Development of National FDC Standards is documented as one of the strategies and builds on the work of the Guidance to States: Recommendations for Developing Family Drug Court Guidelines. The Center for Children and Family Futures and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals through the support of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention have partnered in the development of the National Family Drug Court Standards. The goal of this effort is to create model standards to guide the daily operations of FDCs. These Standards will help advance the FDC movement as they 1) provide a mutual understanding of the provisions necessary for a quality family treatment court and 2) guide the planning, implementation, operation, and assessment of FDCs. The Standards are expected to be published in late 2018. This listening session will provide an update on the development of the National FDC Standards. This interactive session is designed for FDC professionals to share their feedback and help advance the work of the National FDC Standards.
Checklist to Change – Readiness to Reality
Room 370 A/D
Track: A-4
Presenter(s): Alexis Balkey, Tessa Richter
Families involved in the child welfare system and affected by parental substance use disorders face a difficult and arduous journey towards achieving their recovery and reunification goals within the time limits set forth by ASFA. Family Treatment Courts (FTCs) provide a pathway for achieving positive outcomes through interagency collaboration, coordinated and comprehensive service delivery, and enhanced accountability. The phasing system of the FTC model, in particular, provides participants and the team visible steps for measuring progress and success. Many FTCs have moved beyond the traditional pre‐set phasing structure focused on compliance and completing a checklist of requirements to one that accounts for parents’ strengths, readiness, and desire behavioral change. While some FTCs have redesigned their phasing system to align with the stages of reunification, others have integrated behavioral benchmarks into their current phasing structure. This presentation will explore the innovative and meaningful approach FTCs have adopted to better assess and prepare families for successful recovery and reunification. Attendees will be encouraged to define what “success” means for participant families by examining program requirements around perfect vs. safe, compliance vs. behavior change, and treatment vs. recovery.
What Does Quality Treatment Look Like? Identifying Effective Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Families
11:00am – 12:15pm
General Assembly C
Track: B-16
Presenter(s): Theresa Lemus
Court-involved families affected by substance use disorder often have complex and co-occurring needs which make them a challenging population to serve, especially when dependent children are involved.
A client’s successful involvement in an effective substance use treatment program is essential to promote family well-being and achieve positive court outcomes. When caregivers are referred to treatment as a condition to keeping or reunifying with their children, court systems must ensure that the most effective treatment for overall family recovery is available. It is critical that all systems and community partners have a common and thorough understanding of what effective and quality substance abuse treatment programs look like.
The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) has developed a discussion guide designed to help court and other professionals increase their knowledge and understanding of the treatment available in their communities, and how it may (or may not) align with their clients’ needs. These guiding questions can help generate discussion with treatment partners, and assist court and other professionals to gain a better understanding of the types of services that fit the multiple needs of families.
The moderator will present an overview of quality treatment, along with key concepts to consider that best align with the needs of parents, children and families.
The session will also provide attendees with an introduction to other cross-system training and technical assistance resources offered through NCSACW.
Connecting Veteran Treatment Courts and Veteran Justice Outreach Services Through Collaborative Court Staffing: Improving Service Delivery to Veterans, Their Children, and Families Through Family-Centered Approaches
11:00am – 12:15pm
Room 340 A/B
Track: VCC-B-3
Presenter(s): Jeremiah Jones, Larisa Owen, Hon. Mary Kreber Varipapa
All collaborative courts are family courts when their participants include adults who have children. Recent survey results indicate that more than half of the participants served by VTCs are parents with children. Prioritizing family-centered approaches in VTCs is justified based upon the trauma and substance use disorder service needs of veterans, their children, and families. This session will explore the need to establish connections between VTCs with VJOs while drawing upon existing family- and child-servicing agencies within the community. Participants will gain a greater understanding about how to improve service delivery by examining the collaborative strategies within the Ten Element VTC Framework. Highlights of this presentation include particular attention to parental stress, family trauma, and the associative factors of disrupted parent-child relationships including deployment, reintegration, and separation from service. Presenters will make the case for family-centered approaches by drawing upon their collective experience as part of a coalition in Orange County, California which collaboratively operates service provisions to veterans involved in collaborative courts (i.e., Veterans Treatment Court, Domestic Violence Court) and mental health systems.
Strengthening Families and Supporting Success
Room 370 A/D
Track: C-4
Presenter(s): Jennifer Foley, Margaret Lloyd, Jill Murphy, Hon. William Owens, Semret Nicodimos, Michelle Thomas, Mary Derby
The accountable, time-limited mandate for achieving permanency for children set forth in the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) drove the demand for a better and coordinated system response to meet the needs of families affected by parental substance use. This workshop presentation will explore the impact of parental substance use on the parent-child relationship and the essential service components needed to address these issues. The King County Family Treatment Court (KCFTC) with the support of SAMHSA funds, enhanced services and achieved stronger outcomes for all clients through the addition of a new peer support position called the Family Recovery Support Specialist (FRSS). KCFTC will share how the FRSS position was created, the role it plays in the KCFTC program, and what was discovered through their process evaluation. Judge Owens, Wapello County Family Treatment Court (WCFTC) and Margaret Lloyd, University of Kansas, will present the expansion of their court via five-year federally-funded Regional Partnership Grant project designed to provide a system of service coordination and implementation of Celebrating Families! and Strengthening Families programs. Attendees will examine evaluation outcomes including an increased likelihood of reunification and significant cost savings for those receiving these services.
Ready-Set-Go! 5 Key Planning Decisions to Help You Successfully Launch Your Family Treatment Court
Room 370 A/D
Track: D-4
Presenter(s): Alexis Balkey, Jane Pfeifer
Families affected by substance use disorders who enter the dependency system are often given two options: standard dependency court or family treatment court. Yet, these families have a wide range of needs and protective and risk factors that require a more tailored approach. This presentation will explore how to build a continuum of care in your jurisdiction by matching service to need for all families in the child welfare system affected by SUDs. Family Treatment Courts (FTCs) are one part of this larger system of care designed to improve safety, permanency, and well‐being outcomes for high risk/high need families. Presenters will share lessons from the Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) where states institutionalized effective practices used by FTCs and incorporated them into the larger dependency systems to ensure all families have timely access to comprehensive and coordinated screening, assessment, and enhanced service delivery. Panelists from Colorado and Iowa will discuss how they are applying FTC research to create “a new approach” in dependency court while utilizing the FTC intervention for families who need a more intensive level of care.
Healing the Family: Tribes and Counties Working Together Within the Family Treatment Court and Family Tribal Healing to Wellness Court
Room 361 C/F
Track: D-7
Presenter(s): Hon. Mary Cardoza, Jennifer Foley, Hon. Charlene Jackson, Lauren van Schilfgaarde
The drug court movement led to numerous adaptations by jurisdictions and communities who wanted to take a problem-solving approach to better serve individuals and families affected by substance use disorders and other co-occurring issues. Child welfare and dependency court advocates developed the Family Treatment Court (FTC) model to improve the poor recovery, safety, and permanency outcomes for families affected by parental substance use. For tribal communities, the development of Family Tribal Healing to Wellness courts integrated drug court principles with tribal values, laws, and resources. This workshop will discuss both movements, best practices, and strategies to improve collaboration between county and tribal communities. Each of the presenters will draw from available research and their own professional experience and expertise working with a multitude of programs. The presentation will highlight how tribal child welfare systems differ from State and County systems and how the family-centered approach of both models uniquely promote family recovery and stability. Attendees who want to increase their understanding of tribal communities and learn strategies to better serve tribal families in their jurisdiction are invited to attend this session.
A New Approach – Family Treatment Courts as Part of a Continuum of Care
Room 370 A/D
Track: E-4
Presenter(s): Theresa Lemus, Judge Gail Meinster, Judge William Owens, Brenidy Rice, Tessa Richter
Families affected by substance use disorders who enter the dependency system are often given two options: standard dependency court or family treatment court. Yet, these families have a wide range of needs and protective and risk factors that require a more tailored approach. This presentation will explore how to build a continuum of care in your jurisdiction by matching service to need for all families in the child welfare system affected by SUDs. Family Treatment Courts (FTCs) are one part of this larger system of care designed to improve safety, permanency, and well‐being outcomes for high risk/high need families. Presenters will share lessons from the Statewide System Improvement Program (SSIP) where states institutionalized effective practices used by FTCs and incorporated them into the larger dependency systems to ensure all families have timely access to comprehensive and coordinated screening, assessment, and enhanced service delivery. Panelists from Colorado and Iowa will discuss how they are applying FTC research to create “a new approach” in dependency court while utilizing the FTC intervention for families who need a more intensive level of care.
Continuum of Care Handout.pdf Continuum of Care Presentation.pdf
2018 Annual OJJDP Family Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance Grantee Gathering
10:30am – 12:00pm
Room 310, Level 3
Closed Meeting
Presenter(s): Alexis Balkey, Phil Breitenbucher, Jennifer Foley
Closed Meeting: Invite Only
Family Matters – Transitioning to a Family-Centered Approach in All Drug Courts
Grand Ballroom A
Track: CG-17
Presenter(s): Phil Breitenbucher, Carolyn Hardin
All collaborative courts are family courts if their clients are part of a family system. Substance use disorders have a profound effect on all relationships in the family unit and recovery support must extend beyond the client to a more family-centered approach. This concurrent general session will offer judicial leaders and drug court professionals working in any drug court key strategies for implementing a family-focused approach. This presentation will make the case for why all drug courts should pay greater attention to children and families and that cross-system collaboration and communication are critical for family safety and recovery.
This concurrent session will draw from the findings of the recently published study by Center for Children and Family Futures and NADCP – Transitioning to a Family Centered Approach: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Three Adult Drug Courts. Presenters will share lessons from three drug courts that transitioned from a traditional adult drug court to one that expanded services to families and children.
Developing a Plan of Safe Care: What You Need to Know about Serving Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorders
3:15pm – 4:30pm
Grand Ballroom A
Track:CG-28
Presenter(s): Nancy K. Young
The nation’s prescription drug and the opioid crisis have led to an increase in opioid use disorders among pregnant and parenting women. Best practices suggest the need for a collaborative response across systems to improve outcomes, reduce risks and adverse consequences for pregnant and parenting women and their infants, and help families remain together safely.
In July 2016, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) was signed into law including amendments to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). The CAPTA amendments focused on improving well-being and safety for infants affected by prenatal substance exposure and their families or caregivers by: including both legal and illegal substances in the categories of infants to be identified, specifying requirements for notification to child protective services, stipulating the development of a plan of safe care that includes the treatment needs of the family/caregiver in the plan, and increasing the monitoring requirements.
Family treatment courts are uniquely positioned to implement the changes to CAPTA because of their emphasis on collaborative practice and improving outcomes for families involved in the child welfare system who are affected by substance use disorders. This workshop will highlight strategies and best practices for serving pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorders, expanding services within the family treatment court to serve the needs of mothers, families and their infants, and developing a family-centered Plan of Safe Care to improve the well-being and safety of infants with prenatal exposure and their families.
Image Credit: Brian Reading [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons