During this session, JSI Co-President Judge Brian MacKenzie (Ret.) will speak about the litigation undertaken by the U.S. Department of Justice and the American Civil Liberty Union against court agencies and businesses that restrict or bar the use of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).  The conversation will cover why judges and other Recovery Court

JSI Consultant Gina Wilkie will cover aspects in which a Mental Health Recovery Court differs from other types of Recovery Courts, particularly in the area of supervision and engagement of the target population. The session will present an overview of the types of mental illness generally seen in the population and address how the supervision

All Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) are composed of multidisciplinary teams working towards a common goal with justice involved veterans with behavioral health issues. In most cases the teams have more than one discipline that may play some type of case management role requiring some form of a case plan. Generally, the disciplines are supervision, treatment

Honorable Brian MacKenzie (Ret.) Recovery Courts modify the role of judges and lawyers that work within them. Judges must navigate a collaborative decision-making team role. Prosecutors and defense advocates must pull back from their traditional adversarial role and learn to cooperate to enable a participant’s recovery. These and other changes in the professional roles of

Recovery courts are multidisciplinary teams working together towards common goals generally focused around enhancing public safety and supporting the recovery of justice involved populations with behavioral health issues. Outside of the Recovery court team concept, the participating disciplines have not worked in collaboration before, and consequently, teams may struggle with cohesiveness and efficiency. At this

Since the development of the treatment court model in 1989, abundant research has been conducted on the courts themselves and on the populations served in the courts. There has been specific research on factors associated with criminal conduct, criminal recidivism, and effective interventions. Research shows that treatment courts can positively impact recidivism and facilitate behavior

The prosecutor and defense counsel are important members of a treatment court’s multidisciplinary team. While serving on a treatment court team, the roles of the prosecutor and defense counsel differ from their roles in a traditional court of law. Along with embracing individual paradigm shifts, the prosecutor and defense counsel must embrace new ways of

JSI Associate Chief Cynthia Herriott (Ret.) will provide a comprehensive overview of the essential components needed to establish a Mental Health Court. Participants will learn about best practices for court design, stakeholder engagement, and tailored mental health interventions. The program also covers strategies for addressing the unique challenges that arise in creating a successful, sustainable

Veterans Treatment Courts (VTC) employ volunteer mentors as regular parts of VTC teams.  What are the special ethical issues for mentors and the judges involved with these courts?  Are there standards that mentors should apply to their work? Co-President Judge Brian MacKenzie (Ret.) will discuss this important topic as mentors continue to demonstrate their importance