2018 Judicial Summit on Mental Health
The Judicial Commission on Mental Health (JCMH) partnered with the Supreme Court Children’s Commission to host the inaugural Judicial Summit on Mental Health on October 22-23, 2018, in Houston, Texas. The Summit represented the first conference of the JCMH, a joint commission by the Supreme Court of Texas and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
The Summit drew leaders from across the state in the child welfare, juvenile justice, and criminal justice court systems to discuss and develop solutions to the many challenges faced by individuals in those courts systems with mental health or intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Mental Health and Intellectual and Development Disability (IDD) Literacy
Dr. Carol Nati will lay a foundation for the Summit by defining mental illness and IDD, describing common mental illnesses, reviewing adverse childhood experiences, and discussing how to interact with individuals with mental illness or IDD.
Presentation by:
Carol Nati, MHMR of Tarrant County, Pecan Valley Centers, and Helen Farabee Centers
Creating Integrated Adult and Children's Mental Health Systems
In collaboration with national consulting firms and mental health professionals across the state, MMHPI revealed three populations in critical need of improvements to mental health care in Texas: veterans,
children, and those in our criminal justice system. In this presentation, Dr. Keller will discuss the commonalities in these populations and explore opportunities to create more proactive, integrated
systems.
Presentation by:
Andy Keller, PhD., Chief Executive Officer Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for Texas
Changing Lives Through Specialty Courts and Dockets
Specialty courts and dockets improve outcomes for those who have involvement in our courts by combining evidence-based practices for treatment and accountability. This presentation will offer ideas for
implementing a specialty court, developing standards of practice, and sharing resources to build on successes.
Presentation by:
Hon. Ruben Reyes, 72nd District Court, Lubbock & Crosby Counties
Information Sharing in Criminal Justice/Mental Health Collaborations: Working with Privacy Laws
Diversion of people with mental illnesses from justice systems requires cooperation across judicial, correctional, and health systems. A major obstacle to such cooperation is confusion over confidentiality laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This presentation will provide a framework for resolving confidentiality questions and addressing specific issues that arise in the context
of the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM).
Presentation by:
John Petrila, Vice President of Adult Policy, The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Best Practices and Barriers in Early-Intercept Jail Diversion
Judge Brent Carr will lead a panel of experts in a discussion of best practices and barriers they have encountered throughout the SIM. This session will provide actionable information to help individuals with mental health concerns and IDD in courtrooms and communities.
Moderator:
Hon. Brent Carr, Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 9
Panelists:
Hon. Nelda Cacciotti, Tarrant County
Major Mike Lee, Harris County Sheriff’s Dept.
Hon. Camile DuBose, Uvalde County
Beth Mitchell, Disability Rights TX
Alyse Ferguson, Collin County MHMC
Hon. Roxanne Nelson, Burnet County
Dr. Courtney Harvey, HHSC
Denise Oncken, Harris County District Attorney’s Office
Hon. Dave Jahn, Denton County
Hon. Polly Spencer, Bexar County
Adrienne Kennedy, NAMI
Steve Wohleb, THA
Beth Lawson, StarCare Specialty Health System
Becoming Trauma-Informed: Updates from DFPS and TJJD
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department will provide updates on each agency’s efforts to integrate the principles of trauma-informed care into each agency’s operations, programming, and culture.
Presentation by:
Kristene Blackstone, Associate Commissioner Child Protective Services, Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
Seth Christensen, Texas Juvenile Justice Department
Are the Kids Alright? Preventing Youth Suicide
If it seems like more young people are taking their lives these days, it’s true - the kids are not alright. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults ages 10-34. In Texas, one out of every eight high school students attempted suicide in 2017. At this interactive session, you will gain valuable information to identify potential risks and warning signs for suicide and develop skills to help
young people save their lives.
Presentation by:
Janet Pozmantier and Betsy Blanks, Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston
Engaging Youth Voice in Our Daily Work
The saying “Nothing About Us Without Us” is often used by child welfare advocates to emphasize the importance of including youth with lived experience in decisions that impact their lives. This panel will discuss how to incorporate youth voice into organizational policy, day-to-day operations, and interaction with young people.
Moderator:
Christine Gendron, Texas Network of Youth Services
Panelists:
Charles Batiste, University of Houston
Justin Hayward, Texas Network of Youth Services: Young Adult Leadership Council
Dr. Sarah Narendorf, University of Houston
Dustin Rynders, Disability Rights Texas
Ensuring Racial Equity in Serving Children and Youth
A child-serving system cannot be truly trauma-informed without addressing the disproportionality and disparities felt by the children, youth, and families it serves. This session will encourage attendees to
confront complex challenges and identify opportunities to achieve racial equity.
Presentation by:
Sheila Craig, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Improving the Courts’ Response to People with Mental Illness or IDD
As leaders of their courts and communities, judges are well-positioned to successfully convene and engage stakeholders and solve multi-faceted problems. In this session, participants will receive practical tools for convening and developing local protocols focused on working with justice-system involved individuals with
mental health or IDD needs.
Presented by:
Kristi Taylor, Judicial Commission on Mental Health
Convening of the Statewide Collaborative on Trauma-Informed Care
The Statewide Collaborative on Trauma-Informed Care (SCTIC) aims to elevate trauma-informed policy in the Texas child welfare system by creating a statewide strategy to support system reform,
organizational leadership, cross-systems collaboration, and data-informed initiatives with sustainable funding. The SCTIC will convene for an update on the progress of the four workgroups and next steps
for the collaborative. All Summit participants are welcome to attend.
Presented by:
Hon. Darlene Byrne, 126th District Court
Katy Bourgeois, Mission Capital
Renee Encinias, Hope Rising Ministries
Christine Gendron, Texas Network of Youth Services
Andy Homer, Texas CASA