Event Schedule

Conferences
EVENT SCHEDULE

This page provides a full description of all breakout sessions offered during the conference. To register as an attendee, click here. To register as an exhibitor or sponsor, click here.

AM Sessions

Legal, Semi-Legal and Is-It-Legal? Highs: Now, Then and To Come

Kevin Wadalavage, Training & Quality Consultant, Outreach Project
Hon. JoAnn Ferdinand, Presiding Judge, Brooklyn Treatment Court

The presentation will review "unconventional" substances which have been subject to abuse. This will include: substances which have existed as organic compounds and become subject to use and abuse (Banana peels; Nutmeg; Morning glory seeds); drugs which have existed for some time but are now subject to use and abuse (DXM, "bath salts"; MDMA (prior to scheduling); novel combinations or "cocktails" of some controlled substances (T's & B's; Viagra & Club Drugs); designer drugs which avoid being on Controlled Substances list (Spice; K-2, etc.); and, previously little-known controlled substances which are now available (e.g. Nexus 2-CB).

Legal concerns that will be covered are: some substances will never be banned due to more traditional uses and acceptability; other substances will only be banned followed by outcry; and, understanding DEA Emergency Scheduling under The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984.

Outcomes not Opinions: EBPs Addressing Criminal Thinking in Addiction Treatment

Dr. Janetta Astone-Trewell, PhD, Psychologist-Samaritan Village, Inc.
Tabatha Cotto, MSW, CASAC, Director, Samaritan Village 822

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of clients mandated to drug treatment through the CJ system. Substance abuse treatment programs need to implement and evaluate evidence based programs (EBP) tailored to the needs of the criminal justice referred clients. This program will inform providers of the successful implementation of the National Institute of Corrections developed, EBP, Thinking for a Change, in an outpatient and residential program. We will describe the essential modifications of this implementation within these modalities and review our evaluation findings which demonstrated a reduction in criminal thinking and an increase retention among clients completing T4C compared with clients who did not participate in the group a were matched on key demographics.

Substance Abuse & Trauma Amongst Victims of Trafficking and Domestic Violence

Hon. Toko Serita, Presiding Judge-Queens Misdemeanor Drug Court
Naima Aiken, LMSW-Project Director QMHRC, Prostitution Diversion Court

This training will explore the relationship between substance abuse and trauma for victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence. During this presentation they will examine how to identify this population, discuss how the criminal justice system has addressed this issue in the past and explore the appropriate modes of treatment to provide better services.

Devastation, Acknowledgment and Dedication: Brings about Recovery-Tackling the Behavior and Addiction Issues of the Alcohol Offender

Keica Hancock, M A - Resource Coordinator, Queens DWI Court
Helena Campbell, MMHC, New York City Department of Probation
Michael Day, SCRAM
Joseph Madonia, LCSW-R, CASAC, Project Director, Brooklyn Treatment Court

This presentation will provide information on the assessment process, the "Phase" and "Band" advancement requirements and the monitoring procedures for all Queens DWI Court participants. Throughout this process participants are monitored while in treatment and outside treatment by the New York City Department of Probation. Through partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this organization has provided an up close and in-person experience for our participants. Through attending the "Victim Impact Panel" participants are able to witness how those who drink and drive affect innocent victims.

The combination of laws, treatment programs, and monitoring technologies is starting to have a measureable impact on a number of alcohol-triggered populations, starting with the hardcore drunk driver. From drug and alcohol offenders to veterans to family court to domestic-violence offenders, AMS will share why proper alcohol monitoring is important in your court, provide a summary of the pros and cons of today's many monitoring protocols, and offer tips on how to strike a balance between risk and cost for your specific offender population.

Opiate Addiction and Recovery: An Overview of Current Practice

Joseph Kransnansky, Vice President and Chief Program Officer, LESC
Larry Taub, Divisional Director, Residential Programs, LESC
Victor Gonzalez, Divisional Director, Outpatient Opioid Recovery Services, LESC
Belinda Greenfield, PhD, CRC, OASAS

The panel will present the breadth and depth of opiate addiction to heroin and illicit prescription medications and the costs and impact on the community. The presentation will be based on current data on addiction and criminal justice populations from multiple sources including criminal justice departments.

Lower Eastside Services Center Presentation: Comprehensive opioid treatment has many models and can be provided in different settings. When appropriately delivered depending on the needs of the person and setting it is highly effective. Methadone and other medical agonist therapies are called medication assisted treatment (MAT) or the NYS OASAS term ‚Äì Medication Supported Recovery (MSR). MAT is a highly effective evidence based treatment that is well suited to the realities and goals of drug treatment courts especially to reduce recidivism. An overview of MAT models will be discussed including the mechanisms of medication therapy and the comprehensive (behavioral and medical) interventions provided.

OASAS Presentation: OASAS will present on the historical underpinnings of Medication Supported Recovery (MSR) efforts as well as current day activities regarding the integration of MSR.

Mental Illness and Drug Court: What we Know About Treatment Outcomes, Recovery, and Expectations

Charles Amrhein, PsyD, Clinical Director- TASC Mental Health Court Program
Carol Fisler, JD, Director of Mental Health Programs, Center for Court Innovation

Drug Court practitioners understand many of the challenges and successes in working with clients with mental illnesses, but practitioners often struggle with defining reasonable expectations when mental illness impairs participants' ability to succeed in Drug Court. Is it reasonable to expect the same outcomes from someone with a serious mental illness as we would expect from someone else? What does the research tell us about treatment engagement and outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses, and how does this research inform our work with these participants? This presentation offers insight into these questions, while also providing a review of research in the areas of treatment and criminal justice outcomes for people with mental illnesses.

PM Sessions (1)

Principles of Caring for People with HIV Infection as They Transition from Correctional Facilities to the Community

Jonathan D. Zellan, MD, Associate Medical Director, Help PSI

The global HIV/AIDS epidemic has taught health care providers and public health officials that in the face of catastrophe, treatment equals hope. An overview of HIV treatment in 2011 will be summarized. HELP/PSI has worked with the criminal justice system for 20 years to help to provide a continuum of care for PLWHIV. Lessons learned from this experience will be shared.

Standardization and Enhancements to the Intervention and Treatment of Impaired Drivers in New York State

Patricia Flaherty, Esq., Counsel/Co-Director of Criminal Justice Services, OASAS

OASAS, in collaboration with the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles, is spearheading a multi-faceted, multi-year initiative that is expected to significantly improve and standardize the services provided to impaired driving offenders across New York State, thereby improving the safety of all motorists on New York highways.

In this training participants will: come to understand the multiple efforts that are taking place statewide to reduce the recidivism rates of impaired driving offenses in New York State, become familiar with the new Drinking Driving Program curriculum, PRIME For Life, and the newly issued Standards for Clinical Services Provided to Individuals Arrested for an Impaired Driving Arrest, and become aware of the statewide implementation plan and the preliminary outcomes for both initiatives.

RED TEAM: A Collaborative Initiative that Improves Outcomes for the "Revolving Door Population"

Cheryl Lynn Martin, MA CASAC, Trauma, Motivational Interview, Network Trainer Coordinator of Access, Retention and Transition
Nicholas Coulter, MSW, Rapid Engagement Demonstration Care Coordinator, Monroe County Office of Mental Health

This presentation is a story about one team's effort to enhance recovery for those persons in the community who are the least likely to engage into services or to receive the guidance from which they could benefit. By supporting the choices and abilities of these individuals, the RED (Rapid Engagement Demonstration) team opens the possibility for the person to discover his/her values and life goals and initiate changes using the tools and natural community resources that will realize these goals.

Legal Aspects of Treatment Court for Treatment Providers

Leigh Latimer, JD, Legal Aid Society
Rosemary Walker, MPS, Project Director, Nassau County Treatment Court/Nassau County Veterans Court

The presentation will include an overview of the legal system as it applies to treatment courts. This will include an explanation as to how a client ends up in treatment court, the plea and the plea agreement and possible sentencing issues. Participants will also learn about who are the staff members of a treatment court and each of their responsibilities. During the training you will also learn about what are some of the expectations of the treatment court in its relationships with treatment providers and possible areas of conflict between court and treatment goals. Finally, we will explore how court staff and providers can work together more effectively so that each is able to accomplish their desired outcomes.

Constitutional and Other Legal Issues in Drug Treatment Courts

Valerie Raine, Director of Drug Court Programs, Center for Court Innovation

Drug courts approach case processing in a non-traditional manner, focusing as much on achieving improved outcomes for litigants and the communities as on adjudicating an individual's actions. Although this approach has been lauded by many as a way to address the underlying problems, both practitioners and appellate courts have raised important questions regarding the constitutional and other legal issues that these courts present. Some appellate courts have expressed concern with certain drug court practices and their implications for due process, equal protection, and the First and Fourth Amendments.

This presentation will educate attendees in these areas of concern and then offer recommendations for constitutionally and legally sound policies and procedures ‚Äìwithout relinquishing the problem-solving tools and strategies that have helped achieve such positive outcomes for individuals and communities.

Integrated Treatment of Substance Misuse and Co-Occurring Disorders for Service Members and Veterans

Michael DeFalco, PsyD, Director of Adult and Military Services, Liberty Behavioral Management/The Holliswood Hospital

This presentation is designed to highlight trends in behavioral health and rehabilitative needs of current Service members in light of the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to highlight integrated treatment options to manage issues related to substance misuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, and reintegration. A model of integrated treatment across numerous domains will be reviewed, and case example highlighting specific treatment modalities (such as EMDR and expressive art therapies) will be discussed and demonstrated. A focus will also be on justice-involved veterans and their experiences.

PM Sessions (2)

Homophobia - Reducing the Risk and Harm

Diana Padilla, Cultural Proficiency Program Manager, NDRI

Practitioner's values and expertise can at times be challenged when working with clients of varying cultures and sexual orientation. This presentation seeks to increase awareness of how homophobia can impact members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities and identify strategies to use in practice.

The Drug Court Experiment at 20 Years: An Overview of the Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE)

Michael Rempel, Director of Research, Center for Court Innovation

Over the past two decades, specialized drug courts have proliferated throughout the United States, becoming a standard element of "business as usual" in many state court systems. This session will review outcomes of the MADCE concerning the effectiveness of drug courts in reducing recidivism, drug use, and other social and psychological problems of offenders. The session will also report on which specific drug court techniques produce better or worse outcomes, exploring the role of the drug court judge, drug testing, sanctions for noncompliance, clear legal consequences of graduation and failure, and defendant perceptions of how fairly they were treated during their program experience. Most of what we know concerns adult drug courts, but the session will also underline key findings from the more limited research literatures related to the juvenile and family drug court models.

Ethical Concerns for Lawyers and Social Workers in the Treatment Court Setting

Mary Beth Anderson, J.D., L.M.S.W., Director of Social Work and Investigation Services at Brooklyn Defender Services
Mike Yorio, J.D., Supervisor of Patient Advocacy [PA], NYSOASAS Bureau of Standards and Compliance
Mia Santiago, MPA, Project Director II, Screening & Treatment Enhancement Part/ Misdemeanor Brooklyn Treatment Court [STEP/MBTC], Criminal Court of the City of New York
Rosemary Walker, MPS, Project Director, Nassau County Treatment Court

This panel consists of three people who serve clients in the criminal justice system in very different ways. One panelist is employed by OASAS, where he supervises patient advocacy, to ensure patients' rights as consumers of substance abuse services. A second panelist, a social worker and CASAC-T, works for the Queens Treatment Courts, screening prospective clients and ensuring that clients are placed into appropriate treatment services. The third panelist is a lawyer and social worker, who has represented clients in various treatment courts throughout the city. The panel will provide an overview of the ethical considerations that lawyers, social workers, and substance abuse treatment providers must keep in mind when they work in treatment courts. The panel will discuss similarities and differences in the ethics of social workers, treatment providers, and attorneys, and demonstrate how the different ethical codes can be reconciled, as well as how to handle situations where the ethics of the professions cannot be reconciled.

The panel will examine some of the ethical dilemmas that come up in problem-solving courts, and provide advice on how to handle these dilemmas.

The panel will also discuss the role risk assessments may play in problem-solving courts. Risk assessments have been used in corrections and mental health settings for years; some courts have begun to include risk assessment as part of their screening process. We will look at the concept of "dangerousness," what it means to different professions, and whether it should be considered in evaluating prospective court participants.

The presenters will leave ample time for questions from the audience. If there are no questions, the panel will present audience-interactive hypotheticals on some of the "stickier" ethical issues we've seen over our years of experience.

Operation S.A.V.E.: Suicide Prevention and Our Nation's Veterans

Yvette Branson, PhD, VA Medical-Brooklyn

This presentation will discuss: the scope and importance of suicide prevention; the negative impact of myths and misinformation; how to identify a Veteran at risk; how to effectively communicate with a suicidal Veteran; how to gain information to help the Veteran; and, how to refer a Veteran for evaluation and TX.

Latest Developments in Alcohol/Drug Testing and Treatment

Michael Rooney, State Government Relations Manager, Alkermes Inc.
William J. Closson, Ph.D, Director of Laboratories at Bendiner & Schlesinger, Inc.

Bendiner and Schlesinger Inc. will present an update and provide a better understanding of laboratory toxicology testing as related K2/Spice and alcohol. Cutting edge developments regarding testing will also be discussed. Alkermes will discuss psychopharmacological treatments for alcohol and opioid addiction. How the courts can utilize ETG/ETS testing and Vivitrol will be the focus of the workshop.

NOTE: A total of 4.5 CASAC hours are OASAS approved and will be provided for the full day. For CLE credits, see individual breakout session listing.