How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Judicial Decision-Making

Overview

Although prevalence estimates vary, there is consensus that high percentages of justice-involved women and men have experienced serious trauma throughout their lifetime. The reverberating effects of trauma experiences can challenge a person’s capacity for recovery and pose significant barriers to accessing services, often resulting in an increase risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system

Objectives

How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Judicial Decision-Making is a training program for court professionals to:

• Increase understanding of trauma
• Create an awareness of the impact of trauma on behavior
• Develop trauma-informed responses

Trauma-informed court responses can help to avoid re[1]traumatizing individuals, and thereby increase safety for all, decrease recidivism, and promote and support recovery of justice-involved women and men with serious mental illness. Partnerships across systems can also help to link individuals to trauma-informed services and treatment for trauma.

Program Participants

This highly interactive training is specifically tailored to community-based criminal justice professionals including:

• Judges
• Court personnel
• Other court professionals

 

Speaker:

Jennifer Sullivan

Criminal Justice Specialist
Mental Health Association Oklahoma

Jennifer Sullivan is the Criminal Justice Specialist at Mental Health Association Oklahoma, a statewide nonprofit advocating on behalf of Oklahomans impacted by mental illness, substance use disorders, homelessness and the criminal justice system. She researches, develops, and delivers mental health trainings to criminal justice stakeholders. At the Justice & Mental Health Training Center, our goal is to help for example a mix of law enforcement - police, sheriffs, probation & parole, correctional officers, security, attorneys, case managers, other service providers, support staff, Judges as well as court personnel better understand people at risk to be justice-involved. In addition, our training offers tips for diversion and connection to resources. Jennifer is a Certified QPR Gatekeeper Trainer and a Certified Trauma Trainer.

Jennifer graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma University in 2003 where she majored in Criminology and went back to receive another bachelor’s degree in Education from Northeastern State University. She is licensed in Elementary Education and Physical Education but taught public school for just a few years before realizing the difference one could make helping families receive services beyond the education arena. Jennifer has been working with nonprofits for the last 9 years. She has been a certified Behavioral Health Case Manager, parent/child educator, and family support specialist for those involved in treatment for substance use. Jennifer is passionate about her work that uniquely combines her love of teaching with advocating for underserved populations.                                                                               

 

 

Disclaimer: All views or opinions expressed by any presenter during the course of this CLE is that of the presenter alone and not an opinion of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the employers, or affiliates of the presenters unless specifically stated. Additionally, any materials, including the legal research, are the product of the individual contributor, not the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials.