The Texas Juvenile Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Law Bench Book (commonly called the “Juvenile Bench Book”) is a procedural guide for Texas juvenile judges hearing cases regarding children with mental illness and/or IDD, developed by the JCMH and numerous contributing authors and editors including the Juvenile Bench Book Committee.
The Juvenile Bench Book Committee is chaired by Judge Cynthia Wheless and meets as needed to advise on content, editing, and feedback on the most up to date version of the Juvenile Bench Book. In 2021, the Committee reconvened to advise on the 2nd edition of the book, which is available here.
- Hon. Cynthia Wheless, Chair
417th District Court
- Jamie Bernstein, J.D.
Supreme Court Children’s Commission
- Ryan Bristow
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Amanda Peters Britton, M.Ed., L.P.C., N.C.C.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Tina Carnes, J.D.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Shandra Carter, L.C.S.W.-S.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Kimberly Cooper, M.P.H., L.M.S.W.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- William R. “Bill” Cox, J.D.
Texas Indigent Defense Commission
- Tami Coy
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Emily Dirksmeyer, L.C.S.W.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Lacey Evans, L.C.S.W.-S.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Alyse Ferguson, J.D.
Rosenthal Kalabus & Therrian
- Hon. Dena Fisher
315th District Court
- Morgen Gawlik
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Hon. Cynthia Porter Gore
Allen Municipal Court
- Sean Grove, J.D.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Yakir Harosh
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Jennifer Jones
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Chris Lopez, J.D.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Jill Mata, J.D.
Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department
- Hon. Stacey Mathews
277th District Court
- Rosie Medina
El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department
- Morgan Miller, J.D., M.S.W.
Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department
- Janel Morgan
El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department
- Valerie Murrieta, M.S.W.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Brittany Norman, J.D.
Disability Rights of Texas
- Evan Norton, Psy.D.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Todd Novak
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Susan Palacios, Ph.D., L.P.C.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- DuJuan Prater, M.S.
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Officer Terry Qualls
McKinney Police Department
- Hon. Renee Rodriguez-Betancourt
449th District Court
- Simone Salloum, J.D.
Texas Health and Human Services
- Hon. Riley Shaw
Associate Judge, 323rd District Court
- Kaci Singer, J.D.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
- Hon. Charles A. Stephens, II
Comal County Court at Law #2
- Nydia Thomas, J.D.
Lone Star Justice Alliance
- Jeannie Von Stultz, Ph.D.
Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department
- Kimberly Wied
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
As of October 2023