2020 NEARCP Conference Agenda

  • A. Morning Program
    8:00 AM  –  8:15 AM
    Welcome/Conference Overview
    Roberta Garson Leis, MEd, MPA, Executive Director, New England Association of Drug Court Professionals
    Honorable Robert P. Ziemian (retired), President, New England Association of Drug Court Professionals
    8:15 AM  –  9:30 AM
    Keynote Address

    Taking Stock of Drug Courts After 30 Years: The Good News, The Bad News, and Lessons Learned for the Next Generation

    Douglas Marlowe, JD, PhD, Senior Scientific Consultant, National Association of Drug Court Professionals

    More research has been conducted on drug courts and other treatment courts than virtually all other criminal justice programs combined. The Good News: Drug courts reduce crime and substance use, improve the lives of persons involved in the justice system, and produce positive cost-benefits for taxpayers. Evidence has identified the optimal target population for drug courts and a range of best practices associated with better outcomes. The Bad News: Some drug courts violate core tenets of the model by targeting the wrong participants, barring use of medication-assisted treatment, paying insufficient attention to racial and ethnic disparities, and overusing jail sanctions. Lessons Learned: Current policy proposals for justice reform must heed the lessons of 30 years of research on drug courts to achieve their intended aims of enhancing public health and safety.

    Marlowe Keynote Video

    B. Workshop Session I

    9:45 AM  –  11:15 AM
    A1. Effective Substance Use Disorder Treatments for the Justice-Involved Veteran Population  (A1)
    9:45 AM  –  11:15 AM

    Helen Harberts, MA, JD, Chief Probation Officer and Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney (retired), Butte County California

    Across the country certain issues appear to commonly challenge and even threaten treatment courts. The speaker has developed a list of common concerns in a few major areas. Some of the areas of concern are internal threats, and some are external. The focus will be on treatment, the law, probation and supervision, political challenges, target populations and the challenges of dealing with people who need help in an era of illness and social distancing. You may have a headache after this presentation, but you won’t be bored.

    C. Workshop Session II

    11:30 AM  –  1:00 PM
    B1. Complex Cases  (B1)

    Moderator: Honorable Tina Nadeau, Chief Justice, New Hampshire Superior Court

    Helen Harberts, MA, JD, Chief Probation Officer and Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney (retired), Butte County California
    Brian Meyer, PhD, LCP, Clinical Psychologist, PTSD-SUD Specialist, Central Virginia VA Health System; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University

    During this session, the panel will discuss several actual cases from New England Drug Court Programs involving participants who have struggled with drug court program requirements and whose behavior has been especially challenging for the drug court team to manage and address successfully. During this session we will ask the experts for recommendations on whether sanctions were appropriate, whether the team was considering all treatment options, and whether termination was appropriate. At the suggestion of conference attendees from last year, we are inviting you to bring your own complex case scenario for discussion as well.

    Complex Case 1
    Ashlyn complex case 2020
    Case Study-RCDTC 2020
    Complex Case Study Cheshire 2020

    11:30 AM  –  12:45 PM
    B2. Leveraging Military Cultural Nuances to the Participant’s Benefit  (B2)

    Scott Tirocchi, MA, MS, LPC, Major, USA (retired); Director, Justice for Vets

    Military service has a unique and long-lasting impact on current and former service members. For those that become justice-involved, the learned cultural values, ethics, and standards applied during their service can be leveraged with the participant by the VTC Team in a manner and context that will benefit the participant, participant’s immediate support network, and the overall community.

    11:30 AM  –  1:00 PM

    Paul Cary, MS, Independent Forensic Toxicology Consultant

    Effective drug testing in Drug Court is essential to the overall success of the program. This presentation is designed to be a comprehensive review designed to provide information and strategies for building and maintaining a successful abstinence monitoring program. Collection strategies and result interpretation – two essential components of a credible testing program will be discussed. Attendees will learn the reasons for testing, how to select clients for maximum abstinence surveillance, and what specimens yield the best results. Additional focus issues will include controlling sample tampering and the use of creatinine measurements, the application of EtG/EtS monitoring, the challenges of on-site testing, dispelling popular drug testing myths and much more. This session is intended to encourage practitioners to know more about drug testing than their clients.

     

    D. Workshop Session III

    1:15 PM  –  2:30 PM
    C1. Building and Sustaining Your Community Coalition for Your JIV Population  (C1)

    Patrick Welch, PhD, Veteran, United States Marine Corps

    This session provides practical examples and engaging discussion on how to ensure that one of the most critical components of the VTC, the mentoring component, survives and thrives. The primary focus of this training is the essential role the mentoring component provides to the veteran participant concerning continuity of support and resources long after they have completed the court program.

    1:15 PM  –  2:45 PM
    C2. Drug Testing Mythbusters  (C2)

    Paul Cary, MS, Independent Forensic Toxicology Consultant

    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.

    C2. Drug Testing Mythbusters 

    E. Workshop Session IV

    3:00 PM  –  4:15 PM
    D1. Finding Hope: Reducing Recidivism Among Veteran Populations and Individuals with Antisocial  (D1)

    Personality Disorder (ASPD)

    Kenneth Robinson, EdD, President and Founder, Correctional Counseling, Inc.

    This session is designed to equip attendees with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions when choosing evidence-based treatment options for their clients, especially Veterans and individuals with cooccurring disorders. An emphasis is placed on substance abuse and criminal justice statistics, review of research on effective treatment approaches (and ineffective approaches), and results of over 30 years of research on the Moral Reconation Therapy – MRT® program in various court and corrections settings.

    Personality Disorder (ASPD)

    3:00 PM  –  4:30 PM
    D2. Program Termination  (D2)

    Helen Harberts, MA, JD, Chief Probation Officer and Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney (retired), Butte County California

    It is human to become frustrated and react to many of the challenges presented by people with complex disorders. Often that reaction results in participant defiance, self-sabotage, and results in premature termination. This class is designed to address multiple issues around termination, including types of termination, when and why you might terminate, and the legal issues which surround termination procedures. If you think your process and termination rate is perfect, this isn’t your class. If you are concerned, stop by.

    D2. Program Termination

  • Thursday, November 19, 2020
  • A. Workshop Session I
    8:00 AM  –  9:15 AM
    E1. Criminogenic Risk and Needs and the Justice Involved Veteran Population  (E1)

    Scott Tirocchi, MA, MS, LPC, Major, USA (Retired); Director, Justice for Vets

    Failure to recognize and address the issues that put a justice-involved veteran or service member at risk for continued criminal behavior can result in the person returning to the criminal justice system again and again. This session will focus on identifying the most significant risk factors for criminal justice involvement and actions that can be implemented to reduce a veteran participant’s likelihood of further criminal justice involvement.

    E1. Criminogenic Risk and Needs and the Justice Involved Veteran Population

    8:00 AM  –  9:30 AM
    E2. Medication Assisted Treatment: Diagnosis, Medication and Therapy  (E2)

    Steven Hanson, MS Ed., Associate Commissioner of Treatment, NY State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS))

    This session will tackle the complicated relationship between addictions, violence, and criminal recidivism. Individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) are often involved with the justice system and SUD are associated with an increased risk of violence and criminal behaviors. The complex relationship between SUD, violence and justice involvement – an unfortunate trifecta – leads to a set of social circumstances that further cement this association. For example, homelessness, financial limitation and association with individuals with a criminal record often seen with SUD incites criminal behavior. Such behavior may introduce the person to the justice system and lead to incarceration, probation or parole, further compromising their socioeconomic situation and subject them to trauma and violence which they may later perpetrate. In this session, we aim to dissect the medical basis of addictive disorders, understanding their neurobiological basis, as well as the social, interpersonal and psychological phenomena manifested in persons with SUD, specifically addressing Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). We will further discuss evidence based and data driven diagnostic and treatment approaches for working with persons with SUD including MAT medication and what those individual treatment plans look like.

    E2. Medication Assisted Treatment: Diagnosis, Medication and Therapy

    B. Workshop Session II

    9:45 AM  –  11:15 AM
    F1. Research-Driven Therapies for Survivors of Trauma  (F1)

    Brian Meyer, PhD, LCP, Clinical Psychologist, PTSD-SUD Specialist, Central Virginia VA Health System; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University

    A significant portion of individuals that are in the criminal justice system has incurred a single trauma or several traumas throughout their lives. This session will focus on having a trauma-informed approach to working with these participants in your VTC. Additionally, research-driven trauma-informed services that most effectively meet the responsivity needs of the JIV will be identified and reviewed for possible consideration.

    9:45 AM  –  11:15 AM
    F2. Practical Guidance for Continuing Treatment, Supporting Recovery,

    and Preventing Recurrence/Relapse During These Unprecedented Times and Beyond

    Terrence Walton, MSW, CSAC, Chief Operating Officer, National Association of Drug Court Professionals

    Recovery is more than abstinence. Recovery is more than remission. Recovery is a process of change through which individuals achieve remission from substance use disorder and improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. Research demonstrates that recovery is not only possible, it’s probable. Most people living with SUD will eventually achieve stable long-term recovery. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same likelihood of moving from addiction to recovery. This session will explore the critical steps in achieving stable recovery, the factors that differentiate those who recover from those who do not, and how treatment courts can help.

    and Preventing Recurrence/Relapse During These Unprecedented Times and Beyond

    C. Workshop Session III

    11:30 AM  –  1:00 PM
    G1. Ensuring Effective Team Communication During Challenging Times  (G1)

    Honorable Mary Jane Knisely, State of Montana

    As members of a multidisciplinary team, we act as role-models and set the stage for influencing long term recovery and non-justice involvement. The way in which we communicate with each other will impact the way in which we communicate with our justice-involved veteran (JIV) participants. This session will address how to effectively communicate with one another even during these challenging times when physical communication in a personal setting may not be an option.

    G1. Ensuring Effective Team Communication During Challenging Times

    11:30 AM  –  1:00 PM
    G2. Working with Methamphetamine Involved Participants  (G2)

    Helen Harberts, MA, JD, Chief Probation Officer and Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney (retired), Butte County California

    Join a fast-moving tour of the unique attributes of methamphetamine dependent persons in your treatment courts. There are unique aspects of the drug which make engagement, treatment, behavior modification and supervision different from other stimulant and CNS depressant users. The physical, behavioral and cognitive challenges are a perfect match for a drug court. Learn how to recognize the differences and get tips on how to adapt for success. Some people have expressed concern about dealing with methamphetamine dependent folks. They are different, but very treatable. You just need to know what to expect.

    G2. Working with Methamphetamine Involved Participants

    D. Afternoon Program

    1:15 PM  –  2:00 PM
    What’s recovery got to do with it? Only. . . everything!

    Tom Coderre, Regional Administrator for Region 1 – New England – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

    In this session, participants will learn about the activities and efforts of both federal and state governments to promote recovery. SAMHSA’s recovery portfolio has existed for many years and has enabled the innovation of a suite of recovery support services. We will discuss how these programs are funded and the evidence that supports them.

    Coderre SAMHSA Presentation

    2:00 PM  –  2:45 PM
    Premiere of Video Honoring 25 Years of Drug Courts in NE

    E. Workshop Session IV

    3:00 PM  –  4:15 PM
    H1. The Mentee-Mentor Relationship in Your Veteran Treatment Court  (H1)

    Stacy Hester, Veteran United States Marine Corps; Founding Partner, Eagle Ops.

    A mentor’s influence can be critical to the veteran mentee’s success while in the Veterans Treatment Court. This session provides an overview of that role and uses case studies to help depict the ideal relationship-building between mentor and mentee

    H1. The Mentee-Mentor Relationship in Your Veteran Treatment Court 

    3:00 PM  –  4:30 PM
    H2. Understanding and Coping with Participant Relapse: Its Effect on the Drug Court Team  (H2)

    Joe Lunievicz, Consultant, National Drug Court Institute

    As Drug Courts mature, and we struggle through the COVID pandemic, longer-term issues of team continuity and growth take on increased importance. A more informal work environment, increased accessibility in the context of a dual criminal justice and drug treatment environment, the difficulties of coping with relapse, issues of counter transference, and the effects of vicarious trauma impact upon this. Dealing with a chronic illness for which the client is prone to relapse requires a further understanding of the relapse process and a re-examining of a practitioner’s standard of success. Selfcare and team wellness strategies, in light of these stressors, will be discussed.

    H2. Understanding and Coping with Participant Relapse: Its Effect on the Drug Court Team