1. family and parenting
2. children

Sunday April 26, 2015
12:00- 6:00 PM
Registration
4:00- 5:00 PM
Opening Plenary: Angela Tucker
5:00 – 6:30 PM
Reception
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Monday April 27, 2015
7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Registration Open
7:00 – 8:15 AM
Breakfast
8:15– 10:00 AM
Best Practices in Family Drug Courts– Doug Marlowe
This plenary will review the latest research on outcomes in Family Drug
Courts and best practices that lead to the most effective results.
10:00 – 10:15 AM
Networking Break
10:15 – 11:30 AM
Break Out Sessions (Please select 1 of the 8 sessions below,
7 of the 8 sessions will repeat in the afternoon with the exception of,
Building Sustainable Safety Though Meaningful Parenting Time in the
Child Welfare System. An additional session not offered in the morning
will be offered the afternoon.)
Risk and Need in Family Drug Courts
Presenter: Doug Marlowe Ph.D., J.D., Chief of Science, Law & Policy, National Association of Drug
Court Professionals
Research in the criminal justice system proves clearly that services must be matched to the riskand-need profiles of offenders. Providing too much, too little, or the wrong types of services
wastes resources and makes people worse. This breakout will review the principles of risk and
need and how they may apply in Family Drug Courts.
Steps to Maximize Youth Voice and Participation in Court
Presenters: Sheri Danz J.D., Deputy Director OCR, Amanda Donnelly J.D., OCR Staff Attorney, and
Victoria Black OCR Youth Representative
This session will provide a brief overview of OCR's 2014 report "Children and Youth in
Colorado Courts: Participation in Dependency and Neglect Proceedings" and focus on
subsequent efforts to increase youth attendance. We anticipate using the 2014 report (FY13) as
baseline data to assess whether youth attendance has increased. Additionally, we plan to
highlight best practice court teams that have adopted promoting youth attendance as a district
goal, explore the challenges and success of those efforts, and identify promising practices from
other districts. The session presenters will include a former foster youth who will speak to
components of successful youth participation and participation as an empowering experience for
youth.
The Intersection of Colorado State Child Welfare Law and Federal
Immigration Law: Best Practices for Protecting Colorado’s Non-Citizen
Children in Dependency & Neglect Proceedings
Presenters: Kathleen M. Glynn Esq.,Grob & Eirich, LLC Senior Associate Attorney and Abbie Johnson
Esq., Children’s Program Managing Attorney, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network
Colorado child protection laws and policies neither create nor recognize distinctions in the
availability of protections and services based on immigration status. In practice, however, lack of
immigration status may interfere with a child’s or a family’s access to public services and ability
to comply with the requirements of treatment plans and reunification efforts. Undocumented
individuals, including children, face constant threats of “ICE holds,” removal proceedings, civil
immigration detention, and possible removal from the United States. These realities complicate
efforts to work toward family reunification and achieve permanency for children.
Federal immigration law provides avenues to lawful status in the United States for certain
categories of vulnerable individuals. In particular, Congress consistently has renewed pathways
to lawful immigration status for abused, abandoned, and neglected children under the jurisdiction
of a State court, as well as for victims of crimes who have assisted law enforcement in its
investigation or prosecution.
Many of Colorado’s non-citizen children and their families involved in the State child welfare
system are eligible for immigration status. Often times, county case workers and State and
juvenile court judges are the front-line individuals who can provide information and make
appropriate referrals. Education between and collaboration among State and juvenile court
judges, the County Departments of Human Services, guardian ad litems, and immigration
attorneys and advocates ensures that the best interests of Colorado’s children are served, and the
goals of reunification and permanency are achieved.
Placement Prevention in Family Drug Courts: Key Strategies and
Generalizations for "Traditional" D&N Cases
Presenters: Magistrate Vigil 4th Judicial District, Amy Kingery Problem Solving Court Program Analyst
and members of the 4th Judicial District FTDC
Presentation will address program engagement and retention strategies, the role and education of
extended kin and kin-like support in safety planning, use of in-home services and key
professional roles linked with the placement prevention model of El Paso County’s FTDC. Tips
and strategies which can be generalized to “traditional” D&N cases/courts will also be discussed.
Powerpoints, handouts and demonstrations of techniques will be utilized. Time will also be
allowed for rich Q&A/panel discussion.
Building Sustainable Safety Though Meaningful Parenting Time in the Child
Welfare System (Morning Only)
Presenters: Lori Oswald Client Services Administrator and Staff Development Administrator, Arapahoe
County Department of Human Services, Jacqueline Ruybal Patenting Time and Kinship Support Program
Supervisor, Arapahoe County Department of Human Services and Allyson Coldwell Patenting Time
Supervisor, Arapahoe County Department of Human Services
Parenting time visitation is an invaluable resource in reunifying parents and children involved
the child welfare system. In 2011, Arapahoe County Department of Human Services developed
and launched a parenting time program focusing on engagement, transparency and creating
meaningful time between parents and children who are separated due to abuse or neglect. This
interactive workshop will introduce the program’s service including orientation, appraisal,
therapeutic and life skills coaching as well as group parenting time. Participants will learn how to
include foster and kin care providers in partnering with families towards the goal of
reunification. The presenters will share the successes and challenges experienced in
implementing the program in addition to program outcomes.
Improving Educational Outcomes for Children and Youth in the Child
Welfare System
Presenters: Sheree Wheeler Colorado Department of Education State Coordinator- Foster Care
Education, Dr. Clemens Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Northern Colorado and Mary Griffin
Colorado Department of Human Services State Foster Care and Kinship Programs Administrator
Education is the foundation for success for all young people. Colorado is pioneering in its
collaborative work to identify the educational outcomes of youth in the child welfare system,
determine key factors that affect these outcomes, and create a road map for systems level reform.
Initial analysis of statewide data indicate there is a long way to go to ensure educational success
for every, child every time. For example, fewer than one in three youth who experience an out of
home placement graduate from high school within four years of entering 9th grade.
Approximately one in eleven older youth dropped out of school during the same year they
experience an out-of-home placement. Members of the judicial system play a critical role in
improving the educational outcomes for youth in the child welfare system. The purpose of this
presentation is increase understanding of the connections among the judicial, human services,
and education system that can be leveraged to support educational success. Colorado has
embraced the cornerstone publication of the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education, the
Blueprint for Change: Education Success for Children in Foster Care as tool for change that all
stakeholders can use to identify what they can do to promote educational success for youth in
foster care in their jurisdictions. The presentation will include an overview of the promising
practices being implemented in Colorado to reach the blueprint goals such as “youth are entitled
to remain in their same school if in their best interest” and the most recent data that can guide
setting benchmarks for continuous improvement.
Comings and Goings: Making Choices
Presenter: Hon. Janice M. Rosa Ret. NYS
Parent victims of DV who stay or return to the batterer are a common frustration for all systems.
Asking “Why doesn’t she just leave” is the wrong question. Comings and Goings is an
interactive participatory session, which engages the participants to make choices when DV is
present. There is an escalation of 'events' where a participant will make his/her own choice to
leave or stay or return, all of which will have child welfare involvement effects. The intent is to
have attendees understand the confusion felt by victims with conflicting directions, and
perceived limited choices in making safe decisions for themselves and their children. There is an
audience debrief where participants discuss the reasons for their actions or non-actions.
Implementation of novel screening and intervention programming to address
the intersection of traumatic brain injury, substance abuse, mental illness and
criminality in an offender population: A collaboration between State, County,
and University Partners
Presenters: Dr. Kim Gorgens Ph.D., ABPP, Dr. Jennifer Gafford Denver Sheriff Department
Psychologist Supervisor, Judy Dettmer Statewide TBI Consultant, Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment, and Nicole Glover Graduate Student University of Denver
This presentation will provide an overview of a collaboration between the State of Colorado, the
Denver Sheriff’s Department, Denver Juvenile Probation, the University of Denver, Denver
Problem-Solving Court, Adams County Veteran’s Court, Department of Youth Corrections and
Denver, Boulder and Larimer County Jails to provide free neuropsychological and traumatic
brain injury (TBI) screening to a population otherwise not served by those services and to
develop programming to meet the needs identified in the assessment. These needs include but are
not limited to self-advocacy training, employment support, anger management/conflict
resolution, parenting training and more. This presentation will illustrate the prevalence within an
incarcerated population of TBI, mental illness, substance abuse, and criminality as well the
intersection of these risk factors that contributes to an increased risk for recidivism and other
poor outcomes including family disruption and violence. The data gathered to date,
interventional models for this most vulnerable correctional/judicial population, and plans for
recidivism surveillance and long-term risk reduction will be highlighted in this engaging
presentation.
11:45 – 12:45 PM
Lunch/Award Ceremony
12:45 - 1:00 PM
Networking Break
1:00 – 2:15 PM
Break Out Sessions (Please select 1of the 8 sessions below,
utilizing the session descriptions provided above)
Session Titles:
Risk and Need in Family Drug Courts
Steps to Maximize Youth Voice and Participation in Court
The Intersection of Colorado State Child Welfare Law and Federal Immigration Law: Best
Practices for Protecting Colorado’s Non-Citizen Children in Dependency & Neglect Proceedings
Placement Prevention in Family Drug Courts: Key Strategies and Generalizations for
"Traditional" D&N Cases
Improving Educational Outcomes for Children and Youth in the Child Welfare System
Comings and Goings: Making Choices
Implementation of novel screening and intervention programming to address the intersection of
traumatic brain injury, substance abuse, mental illness and criminality in an offender
population: A collaboration between State, County, and University Partners
The Role of Fatherhood in Children, Youth and Families (Afternoon Only)
Presenter: Ray Washington
This is an interactive session, which introduces the Jefferson County and El Paso County
Responsible Fatherhood Programs. We will discuss how these programs effectively collaborate
with Child Welfare professionals to ensure successful completion of treatment plans, provide
additional support, services and parenting education. Best Practices When Working With
Father's - Provides information regarding the positive outcomes associated with peer based
support groups for parents, strength-based case management, Human Services and Judicial
system navigation and intergrated case management. Leveraging Fatherhood and Community
Services to Strengthen Families- This topic provides information regarding the various resources,
supportive services and assistance available to service providers and families.
2:15 – 2:30 PM
Networking Break: Coffee and Tea Provided
2:30 – 5:30 PM
BPC and FTDC Facilitated Team Meetings
__________________________________________________________________
Tuesday April 28, 2015
7:00AM – 4:00 PM
Registration Open
7:00 – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
8:30 – 10:00 AM
Breaking Barriers in Child Welfare Panel
10:00 – 10:15 AM
Networking Break
10:15 – 11:30 AM
Break Out Sessions (Please select 1 of the 8 sessions below,
6 of the 8 sessions will repeat in the afternoon with the exception of,
Super Users, Leadership and Court Culture: Why you are an Agent of
Change! and Implementing Best Practices in Family Drug Courts
for Family Drug Court Teams. Two additional sessions not offered in
the morning will be offered the afternoon)
Colorado’s Collaborative Response to Child, Youth and Young Adult
Trafficking
Presenters: Amanda Finger Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking Executive Director, Katie Smith
Esq. Assistant Director Human Services Section of the Denver City Attorney’s Office, Bob Coulson
Adolescent Services Administrator Colorado Department of Human Services, and Kelly Zebroski Child
Protection Intake Supervisor Jefferson County Human Services
Human trafficking is defined as a person induced to perform a commercial sex act or labor
through force, fraud, or coercion. Any person under age 18 who performs a commercial sex act
is considered a victim of human trafficking, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion was
present. Nationally and locally, domestic minor sex trafficking, has received a growing attention
for a collaborative response. For Colorado child welfare and juvenile justice, human trafficking
has become an emergent issue due to the children, youth and emancipating young adults who
commonly victimized or at risk of victimization and protective provisions of state legislation
(C.R.S. 19-3-205, Continuing Jurisdiction) and new federal legislation (Public Law 113-183,
Child Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act).
This session provides participants an opportunity to interact with a panel of subject matter
experts working on developing Colorado’s collaborative human trafficking response. Participants
will gain a better understanding of the community, state, county and legal responses to child and
youth trafficking victims already being served in child welfare and how it may impact your
practice. Participants will learn to identify the common risk factors and characteristics of
victims, survivors and vulnerable and the protective factors of safety and security, permanency
and wellbeing with trauma-informed services and placement. Participants will also explore the
provisions of current, new and emerging legislation and the intersecting tension points of child
and youth victim protection, permanency, prosecution and punishment.
Super Users, Leadership and Court Culture: Why you are an Agent of
Change! (Morning Only *Session limited to SuperUsers)
Presenter: Judge David Shakes 4th Judicial District Judge
Honorable. David Shakes, with the 4th Judicial District will share the importance of leadership
and why Court culture matters. Additionally, this session will provide SuperUsers with an
introduction to the history of judicial Administration, aspects of court culture and the high
performance court framework.
Using the Colorado Family Safety and Risk Assessment Tools with Families
Presenters: Laura Solomon Colorado Department of Human Service Intake Child Protection
Administrator and Lauren Morley Hutto Coaching and Curriculum Development Manager, Colorado
Child Welfare Training System, Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and
Neglect
Assessing and addressing safety and risk are fundamental tasks for all child welfare caseworkers.
Doing so in an effective way that engages families in the process is a key element of the
Colorado Practice Model. Some questions asked during a county department of health/social
services’ involvement include:
-
When a report alleging abuse and/or neglect is received, how can safety and risk
assessment tools inform decisions around current or impending danger?
What information would you need to have to make a decision about removing a child
from their family home?
-
What information would you need to know to build safety with caregivers and leave a
child in their family’s home? Who should be a part of the decision-making process?
Per Volume 7, the new Colorado Family Safety and Risk Assessment tools are to be completed
with families. Families should be involved in the decision-making process about their child’s
safety, permanency, and well-being. The new tools help to create transparency in how safety and
risk is assessed and decisions are made by a county department. By involving the family in the
assessment process, they co-create clear goals with the child welfare agency to either maintain
the child in the family’s home or to ensure the child’s safety and protection in the least restrictive
setting available. Please join this session to learn more about how child welfare uses these
standardized assessment tools to assess both the safety of a child and risk for future maltreatment
throughout the family’s involvement within the child welfare system.
Effective Treatment and Management of Youth who Sexually Offend in the
Community
Presenter: Christopher Lobanov-Rostovsky Sex Offender Management Board Program Director and
Carl C. Blake III, PsyD, LPC Sex Offense Specific and Assessment Services Coordinator
This session will address the significant problems posed by youth who sexually offend.
Decisions must be made related to the rehabilitation needs of the youth as well as the safety of
the victim, family, and community. This session will identify strategies for assessing these issues
as well as the needed safety parameters for youth who remain in a community-based setting.
Particular emphasis will be placed on providing for the safety of the victim and potential victims
in the family, school, and community setting.
Predictors, Sequelae, and Treatment of Child Abuse
Presenters: Dr. Nichole Wallace Assistant Professor of Pediatrics University of Colorado and Diane
Baird Instructor of Pediatrics University of Colorado and Co-Director at START
Many children who are ultimately victims of fatal or near-fatal child abuse have encountered
medical professionals, social workers, law enforcement personnel, and the judicial system due to
previous psychosocial concerns or injuries. As professionals who encounter at-risk children, we
need to be cognizant of the key predictors and sentinel injuries that are often precursors so that
we can intervene to prevent the fatal or near-fatal event. We also need to understand the longterm psychological and behavioral consequences of child abuse in order to further inform our
child abuse prevention and treatment efforts. Maltreatment is the symptom of a troubled parentchild relationship. Thus, physical treatment and recovery is only the first step; treatment must
also address the relationship issues that led to the abuse. The parent must repair the loss of trust
on the part of the child victim or psychosocial development will be compromised. In this session,
we will review new and emerging information on sentinel injuries as well as the sequelae of
child abuse.
Engaging Domestic Violence Offenders so as to Assess Risk Level and
Progress Toward Change
Presenters: Beth Collins Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence Advocacy Director and Amy
Pohl J.D., Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence Communication and Membership Director
Placement decisions are weighty matters, particularly when a parent is perpetrating domestic
violence. A quality assessment process, such as the Critical Components process outlined in the
Safe and Together model, is important in locating and describing the source of the risk. Once the
risk is visible, Child Protective Services workers and Dependency and Neglect Court officers
who build accountability and connection with the domestic violence offender are best able to
monitor change and optimize the potential for safe reunification. Strategies for respectful
engagement, motivating positive change, and appropriate accountability will be discussed. Case
plan examples will be reviewed, and the limits and potentials of community referrals will be
explored with emphasis on targeted services and multidisciplinary monitoring.
Child Abuse, Resiliency & Evidence-based Hope!
Presenter: Magistrate Robert Lung 18th Judicial District
This presentation provides a brief, comparative review of the definitions of three types of abuse
under Colorado statutory law (Title 18 and 19) and Colorado case law. The presentation next
addresses the various physiological, neurological, psychological and sociological impacts of
child abuse. The presentation briefly reviews several national studies of child abuse including
ACES, NCANDS and NSCAW II. The presentation then regards a particular child's story,
identifying “promotive” and protective factors yet also addressing the complex and chronic
abuse of the child. Lastly, and by far most importantly, the presentation focuses on the demystification of resiliency and provides evidence-based hope to the audience that resiliency and
recovery is possible. The presentation will motivate the audience to reaffirm their hope and
belief that they can be difference makers in the lives of children and families.
Implementing Best Practices in Family Drug Courts for Family Drug Court
Teams (Morning Only)
Presenters: Meghan Wheeler Senior Consultant for the National Drug Court Institute and Shannon
Carey Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Senior Research Assistant, NPC Research
How do we put best practices for family drug courts into practice? This session will provide
detailed guidelines and information on implementing best practices in family drug courts. We
will also identify ongoing resources to assist in enhancing operations to better address best
practices. This session will provide a special focus for family drug court teams on addressing the
challenges and identifying the successes of operating family drug courts.
11:45 – 1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 – 1:15 PM
Networking Break
1:15 – 2:30 PM
Break Out Sessions (Please select 1 of the 8 sessions below,
utilizing the session descriptions provided above)
Session Titles:
Colorado’s Collaborative Response to Child, Youth and Young Adult Trafficking
Using the Colorado Family Safety and Risk Assessment Tools with Families
Effective Treatment and Management of Youth who Sexually Offend in the Community
Predictors, Sequelae, and Treatment of Child Abuse
Engaging Domestic Violence Offenders so as to Assess Risk Level and Progress Toward
Change
Child Abuse, Resiliency & Evidence-based Hope!
Safely Reducing the Use of Congregate Care in Child Welfare Utilizing CQI
Methodology and Data (Afternoon Only)
Presenters: Dennis Desparrois, Kerry Swenson, Jon Sushinsky and Dallas Elgin Ph.D., Performance
Management Analyst, Colorado Department of Human Services
Colorado has one of the highest congregate care populations in the Nation. Using Continuous
Quality Improvement (CQI) tools through CStat and the Colorado Practice Model to improve
service delivery, county departments, local judicial districts, and the Division of Child Welfare
have collaborated to reduce the number of children in congregate care. Using CQI tools and data,
Colorado has developed a better understanding of the congregate care population and children's
needs to determine the appropriate level of care for children entering our system. This
presentation provides an overview on how Colorado is using data to safely reduce the use of
congregate care in child welfare.
Applying Family Drug Court Research in the Broader Context of Child
Welfare and Court Practice (Afternoon Only)
Presenters: Meghan Wheeler Senior Consultant for the National Drug Court Institute and Shannon
Carey Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Senior Research Assistant, NPC Research
Are you not currently a team member for a Family Drug Court in your jurisdiction, but are
interested in the impact of family drug court best practice recommendations? Are you interested
in learning how to put best practices in family drug courts into practice? This session will present
a review of the essential components of family drug courts and describe the implementation of
best practices. This session will provide a focus for individuals who are not working directly
with a family drug court to provide an overview of the research based best practices and how
they apply to the child welfare and justice systems outside of family drug court programs.
2:30 – 2:45 PM
Networking Break: Coffee and Tea Provided
2:45 – 5:30 PM
BPC and FTDC Facilitated Team Meetings
_________________________________________________________________
Wednesday April 29, 2015
7:00 – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
8:30 - 10:00 AM
Compassion Fatigue – Francoise Mathieu
This presentation will cover topics such as: understanding the difference
between compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, burnout and moral
distress; evaluating self-care and triggers; developing a strategic plan for
individuals and as a team.
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Finalize Goals and Turn in Worksheets