Treatment Courts and COVID-19Follow-Up

WelcomeThe webinar will begin at 3:00 PM (EDT)

Treatment Courts and COVID-19Follow-UpPresented by

Carolyn Hardin, MPAChief of Training and Research

NADCP

Nora Sydow, JDPrincipal Court Management Consultant

NCSC

Housekeeping

• Webinar is in listen only mode. All participants will remain on mute.• Chat is disabled and will not be monitored.• Questions may be submitted through the Q&A function. The Q&A

function will be monitored, and as time allows, questions will be submitted to the panel during the Q&A session. If you have the same or similar question to one already asked, you can upvote it by clicking the thumbs up icon.

• Webinar is being recorded and will be made available at a later date. The first webinar conducted on March 26th is posted at:

https://www.nadcp.org/covid-19-resources/.

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Goals for Today

Share examples of what treatment courts are doing in response to COVID-19.

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WelcomeChief Justice Nathan Hecht

Supreme Court of Texas

Supporting Federal, State and Local Mandates and Suggestions

Nora Sydow, JD

Treatment Courts and COVID-19

About the Guide:Reviews considerations treatment

courts should review during the crisis Provides short-term and long-term

examplesAvailable for download on

https://www.nadcp.org/covid-19-resources/

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Treatment Courts and COVID-19

State Resource Guide

Provides links to resources in your state/territory

Available for download on https://www.nadcp.org/covid-19-resources/

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Looking at the Big Picture

Carolyn Hardin, MPA

Universal Truths

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Health

Safety

Welfare

Will you need to relax some evidence-based practices?

Hot Topics

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Staffing

Status Conference

Treatment

Supervision

Connectedness

Accountability

Staffing

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“We are utilizing Zoom and the ability to share our screen and review documents as a team. This is a new practice we are adapting to and learning about the importance of team email communication.” – Judge Alan Blankenship, Stone County, MO

“We are doing a conference call with team members to staff cases.” – Coordinator Julie Seymore, St. Charles County, MO

“We are utilizing email to send out weekly updates on participant matters to be dealt with at the next court hearing like graduations, promotions, sanctions, etc.” – Coordinator Andy Brown, Ottawa County, MI

Staffing - Referrals

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“We are still processing referrals and made everything remote with screenings done via web conferencing and team discussing the cases for acceptance. We are looking to opt-in our first participant in the coming week.” – Judge Mary Jane Knisely, Yellowstone County, MT

Status Conference

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“We are using Polycom to conduct our status hearings that allows participants to see everyone online. Our coordinators help participants download the Polycom app and give instructions how to dial in. One amazing trend we are seeing is mailing out gift cards for those receiving incentives, our participants are asking to donate it to other people in the program needing it.” - Judge Mary Jane Knisely, Yellowstone County, MT

“We are doing status hearings using Zoom. This is working out so far with the only major problem being user error of forgetting to turn on the audio on the smartphone.” – Coordinator Dean Roher, District 3A Lincoln, NE

Online Platforms Being Used

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Free FeeFaceTime

Skype

Treatment

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“Our treatment providers are doing groups and individual counseling through Doxy.me telehealth and other video conferencing.” – Judge Charles Auslander, Athens-Clarke County, GA

“Our treatment agency created virtual support groups for participants to attend to stay connected.” – Coordinator Rhett Reader, North Oakland County, MI

“Our clinical team is utilizing Doxy.me, which is a telehealth video platform to have clinical sessions to support clients. Clients have online meetings and complete summaries of each meeting are submitted to probation officers.” – Coordinator Jason Sterwerf, 22nd Judicial Court, IL

Online Platforms Being Used

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Free Fee

Be Aware – Hacking

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Trolls are breaking into AA meetings being held on Zoom video calls and harassing recovering alcoholics

-Business Insider

What safety measures need to take place?

How do you create a closed group?

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/03/826129520/a-must-for-millions-zoom-has-a-dark-side-and-an-fbi-warning

Supervision

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“Our probation officers are connecting with clients via Zoom every day or every other day. We want our participants to stay home. If someone is on home alcohol monitoring and loses their job, the providers are being flexible on the fees.” – Judge Robert Anchondo, El Paso County, TX

“We are still testing our clients, but getting creative about it. We are placing safety measures to only allow three people into the building at a time to keep social distancing and requiring everyone to call each day, but reduced the number of people tested each day. We are utilizing technology in any way we can so participants can stay home.” -Judge Mary Jane Knisely, Yellowstone County, MT

Supervision – Testing

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Innovative practices:Utilizing technology for alcohol

testing and GPS location

Using sweat patches for drug testing

Some jurisdictions still able to collect UAs by setting up safety precautions

Supervision – Innovative Practices

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“We are keeping safe distance from participants for theirs and our health safety. Participants are being asked to step out of their homes and talk at a safe distance. Participants are being asked before any contact is made if they are sick or feeling sick at the moment, or if they have had contact with anyone who is sick.” – Judge Robert Anchondo, El Paso County, TX

Innovative practices:Home visits - with client on

porch and PO checking from the sidewalk

Virtual office visits using technology

Talking with participant on the phone

Case Management

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“Staff will go through the website with participants at intake to ensure they know how to submit their weekly contact form. They fill out the form on the website and that sends an email to the officer with all the information they entered. This information is then transferred to our case management system. Our case management system is provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts. This system will populate a report with information from the service provider data management system for treatment updates as well as information from the case management system that includes the information entered on the website. The judges wanted to create an opportunity to hear directly from participants in writing prior to staffing and court each week.” – Coordinator Landon Parks, Lincoln, NE

Case Management

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About the Guide:Look at digital ways to do

reporting to engage the participant

Checkout our sample documents https://www.ndci.org/resource/sample-documents/

Connectedness

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“All of our participants were issued a phone through Corrisoft so we can have virtual visits with them for both supervision and court. We are having our first virtual docket tomorrow. Each phone has all of the firewalls and safety features in place and they each have their own username and password. We are also using Zoom through the Corrisoft phone (we just had that feature installed today for each participant). The only problems we've had are some connection issues because everybody in the country is using remote programs. We are hoping not to have those problems with Zoom.” – Coordinator Julie Seymore, St. Charles County, MO

Connectedness

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“We are using an app called Voxer that allows chat groups. Since we have gender tracks, we created a men’s and a women’s chat group that invites all participants and team members to stay connected and be supportive.” – Judge Shaun Floerke, South St. Louis County, MN

“Our treatment providers are finding ways to keep people engaged, so they are starting an online book club for people to join.” – Judge Alan Blankenship, Stone County, MO

Connectedness

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Yoga therapy is one of the elements of the Yellowstone County DUI court in Billings, Montana and the South St. Louis County Court in Duluth, MN. Their yoga therapists are providing virtual yoga sessions for participants and team members.

Volunteerism

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“Participants can receive up to a maximum of five community service hours a week for attending online support groups.” – Judge Alan Blankenship, Stone County, MO

“Working with local yoga, meditation, boot camp & other fitness instructors in the community, art instructors, GED instructors, and someone to help work on DMV testing that will all be available starting Monday through Zoom. These will be free classes offered; each participant will complete five hours of these activities in place of community service.”

Accountability

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“We are not using jail sanctions. Technology is being utilized if needed. Right now, we are focusing on the positives and supporting our clients to stay connected.” – Judge Charles Auslander, Athens-Clarke County, GA

Accountability – Creative Ideas

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Community Service

• Read a children’s book aloud on YouTube for children to listen to.

• Send cards to long-term care facilities for the elderly.

• Teach something on YouTube (e.g.; crochet, cooking, how to play cribbage).

Tribal Courts

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Tulalip Healing to Wellness Court is using GoToMeeting, which meets HIPAA requirements, to hold court sessions and interact with participants.

Juvenile Courts

• Survey of parents to determine internet access and needs• Probation/case manager provides ongoing contact with youth and parents

via online options (e.g. Zoom, FaceTime) or phone contact• Treatment providing tele-health to continue sessions with youth and

parents• Probation coordinates with schools re: online education plans• Court supporting parent driven (reasonable) rewards and punishers for

youth behaviors• Youth assigned workbooks, written and/or online assignments that are

reviewed with probation and/or treatment providers via online options• Weekly goal setting and review of progress with probation and treatment

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Special Populations

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Mental Health DisordersMeeting their needs while

encouraging isolationExplain COVID-19Develop safety plans and

proceduresEncourage the use of support

networks

Stay in your lane

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Federal, state, and local guidelines

Ethical obligations

Scope of practice

Are you placing the participant or team at risk?

Quote to Consider

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“In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.”

- Dave Hollis

What Next?

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This is a time for innovation

What new practices can you continue to use?

Are you tracking data on these innovations to see if engagement

increases/decreases?

Future Webinars

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Practical Guidance for Continuing Treatment, Supporting Recovery, and Preventing Recurrence/Relapse During the COVID-19 Global PandemicTerrence Walton - Thursday, April 16 at 3:00 p.m. EDT

Calming Practices During Trying Times: Maintaining the Best Version of YourselfThursday, April 23 at 3:00 p.m. EDT

Use of TechnologyDoug Marlowe - Thursday, April 30 at 3:00 p.m. EDTSponsored by NADCP and APPA

Treatment Courts are Criminal Justice Reform

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These are unprecedented

times and we need to lead

Planning for Change

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Most Importantly

Utilize this time of transition to rethink how your program operates and be ready to move toward best practices when more regular operations resume.

QuestionsCarolyn Hardin, MPA

Nora Sydow, JD

Please submit follow up questions to:chardin@nadcp.org

Thank you