8:30 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Pamela Harris, State Court Administrator

Grant Programs Overview
Lou Gieszl, Assistant State Court Administrator - Programs

AmeriCorps: Leverage Your Volunteer Program
Nathan Cabrera, Outreach Manager, Volunteer Maryland
Hope Braveheart, AmeriCorps Director, Community Mediation Maryland 

Learn how Volunteer Maryland partners with nonprofits, government agencies, and schools to support the structure of their volunteer programs with the use of AmeriCorps Members who serve as Volunteer Coordinators.These partnerships are intended to build capacity, increase retention, and establish/improve policies and procedures, and develop other materials within the host organizations.

You’ve Got the Grant, Now What? Understanding the dos and don’ts of
managing grant financials and personnel timekeeping.
Leslie Overholser, Deputy Director, Community Mediation Maryland
Khalima Jacobs, Internal Auditor, Internal Affairs, AOC

This session will cover some of the most common audit findings with managing grants and how they can be avoided. Attendees will learn about business management practices, time sheets, and recording ‘time and effort’ against multiple funding sources, as well as some basic financial management.

Problem-Solving Court Performance Measures
Gray Barton, Program Director, Problem-Solving Courts, AOC

The effective use of data-driven performance measures can improve participant and court outcomes in problem-solving courts. In this session, participants will learn about how the adult drug court and mental health court performance measures were developed in Maryland. Discussion will cover the benefits and challenges of collecting and using program data, coordination of local, state, and data resources, and the use of contextualized training scenarios for adult drug court and mental health court teams.

Becoming an Inclusive Organization: Recruiting staff and volunteers that
match the community you serve.
Brandi Hill, Policy Specialist, Juvenile & Family Services, AOC
Ann Marie Foley Binsner, Executive Director, CASA/Prince George’s County, Inc.

This session will provide a foundation for understanding why diversity and inclusivity are important to your organization’s staff, volunteers, and the individuals you serve. Attendees will explore the development of racial identity and why your organization should reflect the diversity of the community being served.

Self-Care: Don’t let the work get you down!
Shamika Dent-Williams, Manager, Professional Development, Judicial College
of Maryland, AOC
Brandy Hall, Training Specialist, Professional Development, Judicial College of
Maryland, AOC

Managing stress is something we all must do but don’t always do effectively.  In this session, we’ll identify the major sources of stress and the physiological changes that occur within the body when under stress. Participants will gain an understanding of how various personalities respond to stress and how to create a work/life balance as a method to reduce stress. How to communicate while managing high stress levels will be covered as well. Participants will develop their own plan of intervention strategies and walk away with a renewed commitment to themselves in managing their stress more effectively.

Mediation in Family Cases: Empowering parties to create their own solutions
Jonathan S. Rosenthal, Program Director, Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Office, AOC
Richard Abbott, Program Director, Juvenile & Family Services, AOC

This interactive workshop will focus on why self-determined resolutions in family cases are more likely than a court-imposed decision to address both the substantive and underlying interests of the parties. Following a discussion about recent research on mediation and its benefits in family cases, participants will learn practical tips on how to structure mediation programs that will ensure only those cases that are appropriate for mediation are being sent to mediation. This will include learning about screening tools and processes that can be implemented to determine which family cases are not suitable for mediation or may require additional safety measures to be made suitable.

Creating Effective Partnerships to Support Youth and Address the School-to-
Prison Pipeline
Cynthia Jurrius, Senior Program Manager, Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Office, AOC
Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Mid Shore Community Mediation Center

In this session, presenters will discuss the concept of the School-to-Prison Pipeline, a recognition that implementation of zero tolerance, exclusionary discipline results in disadvantaged children being funneled out of the school system and into the criminal justice system. Mediation and restorative practices present an alternative to exclusionary discipline, and by developing community partnerships, schools and courts have potential tools for dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline.

Making the Data Work for You
Jovonne Lewis, Family and Court Program Evaluation Manager, Juvenile &
Family Services, AOC
Dominique Johnigan, Senior Researcher, Research & Analysis, AOC

All your hard work leads to lots of data, what do you do with it? How do you use it tell your organization’s story? Attendees will learn to use data effectively in grant applications and reporting.

MDEC Reporting for Courts
Sarah Parks, Court Operations Specialist, Research & Analysis, AOC

As many court staff become more comfortable with MDEC, it’s time to take MDEC skills to the next level. This workshop will provide an overview of how reports are generated, how to run reports, and some samples of what reports are available. Attendees will gain a greater understanding of MDEC reporting
and be provided tips for finding data.

Grant Writing 101
Alecia Parker, Senior Program Manager, Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Office, AOC
Kelly Franks, Senior Program Manager, Juvenile & Family Services, AOC

Whether you are new to grant writing or just looking to refresh your skills, this workshop is for you! Working from the perspective of the grant reviewers, attendees will gain insight into the core components of writing a successful grant application.

Winning People Over – Building Partnerships
Shannon M. Baker, Esq., Deputy Director and Quality Assurance Director,
District Court of Maryland ADR Office
Andrew Fontanella, Esq., Regional ADR Programs Director-Eastern Shore,
District Court of Maryland ADR Office

Starbucks in Target. Disney and Marvel. Chicken ‘n Waffles. What makes a partnership successful? In this session, we will share best practices for developing and maintaining partnerships, based on our experiences working with diverse stakeholders in court-based ADR programs.

Trauma-Responsive Tools for Interacting with Court Involved Families
Rebecca M. Stahl, J.D., LLM, Deputy Director, Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center
for Families, Children and the Courts, University of Baltimore School of Law

This presentation will focus on the role of trauma and toxic stress in the courtroom and their effect on parties and professionals. Attendees will be provided with (1) an overview on how trauma/toxic stress affects individuals and the court system; (2) skills to care for themselves; and (3) tips and tools to interact better with parties whose behaviors indicate they may be affected by trauma/toxic stress, and thereby mitigate the effects of trauma on parties and professionals alike.