NASAMS Sentencing Advocacy Training AGENDA
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CONFERENCE SESSION LIST
Opening Plenary
Presidential Address – Lori James-Townes, Chair [confirmed]
- Current status of NASAMS organization
- Pending projects & future directions
- Conference overview
Welcoming Remarks - Jean Faria, State Public Defender, Louisiana Public Defender Board [confirmed]
- Progress of indigent defense & community reform in Louisiana
- Development of statewide defense office
Plenary – Marc Mauer [confirmed]
- Receipt of award
- New outcomes in racial disparity research & impact on sentencing
- Specific attention to crack retroactivity
TRACK/THEME 1: Rebuilding Communities
Risk & Resiliency – Dr Michael Cunningham, Tulane Dept of Psychology [confirmed]
- Understanding how risk & protective factors impact later outcomes in behaior & functioning
- Specialty focus on the African American community
- 2+ sessions or longer time slot
Finding Community Treatment Options in Rough Economic Times – Betsy Biben, PDS [confirmed]
- How to develop relationships with community providers to access services for clients
- Utilizing resources to impact sentencing outcomes
Unique Considerations in Working With Victims of Domestic Violence - Katherine Mattes, Esq; Tulane Criminal Law Clinic [confirmed]
- Understanding how effects of domestic violence impacts all stages of litigation (rapport, pretrial strategy, plea negotiations, sentencing recommendations)
- Learning to identify domestic violence victimization & how that affects decision making and client relationships
- Developing safety & release plans
- Special emphasis on collateral consequences (custody, professional licensing, immigration, employment)
Emerging Trends in Sex Offender Treatment - Ashley Smith, LCSW; Clinical Coordinator, Forensic Sex Offender Program; Tulane University School of Medicine Forensic Psychiatry Department
- Understanding new treatment developments for sex offenders
- Learn assessment techniques for intervention strategies
- Recent legal changes & effects on sentencing practice (Adam Walsh Act)
Reentry Programs: Current Issues & Future Directions – Melissa Sawyer, Norris Henderson [confirmed]
- Gaining a better understanding of reentry programs
- How reentry can assist in reduction of recidivism
- Differences between adult & juvenile programming
Jail Discharge Assessments – Heather Hall [confirmed]
- Learning how to assess pretrial & discharge needs of incarcerated clients
- Developing instruments to impact future funding of defense programs
- Suggestions for obtaining & effectively managing grant funds
TRACK/THEME 2: Behavior & Functioning
Psychological Testing with Non-English Speakers – speaker TBA
- Joint LIB session (2 sessions or 1 longer session)
- Understand specific considerations in choosing & working with experts
- Factors influencing psychological testing outcomes
Cultural Influences on Behavior & Defense Strategy - Cessie Alfonso [confirmed]
- Raising cultural awareness to increase client rapport
- How to incorporate cultural factors in sentencing recommendations
Developing Mental Health Issues When Records Don’t Exist - Dr Mark Cunningham [confirmed]
- Non-traditional means of establishing psychiatric history
- Interviewing techniques for lay witness interviews
- How other types of life history records can demonstrate mental health symptoms
Identifying & Presenting Cognitive Impairment – Dr Victoria Swanson [joint LIB session; confirmed]
- Working with cognitively impaired clients (but not MR)
- Tailoring sentencing recommendations for clients who have problems following through due to cognitive limitations
Debunking Antisocial Personality Disorder – Kathy Wayland [joint LIB session; confirmed]
- Rethinking & reframing diagnosis with sympathetic behavioral descriptors
- Understanding diagnostic changes in the DSM
TRACK/THEME 3: Tools of the Trade
Using Technology to Get Your Point Across – speaker TBA
- Developing familiarity with basic software programs
- Special emphasis on Adobe, PowerPoint, CaseMap
Get In, Get Out Interview Techniques - Anna Bulkin [confirmed]
- Learn methods for short-term rapport building to gather information
- How to develop specific techniques for eliciting information with different types of witnesses
Analyzing Life History Records – Michelle Wydra, Deputy Director/Senior Case Manager, New Orleans Investigates [confirmed]
- How to analyze different types of records
- Incorporating document analysis into understanding of client & defense strategy
Tell Your Client’s Story: Effective & Persuasive Writing Techniques – Jim Tibensky [confirmed]
- Understanding your audience
- Thinking creatively while telling your client’s story
- Differentiating sentencing reports from witness interview summaries
Navigating the Land of Private Practice – Anna Bulkin, Melissa Lang [confirmed]
- Factors to consider when making the decision to work in private practice
- Balancing types of cases & finding supportive resources
Traumatic Byproducts of Our Work: Importance of Self-Care – Lori James-Townes [confirmed]
- Balancing social & emotional needs to prevent burnout
- Learning self-care techniques
Ethics for Social Workers in Public Defender Offices – Betsy Biben, Melissa Kupferberg [confirmed]
- Understanding difference between traditional social work roles & employment in a defense agency
- Specific emphasis on mandatory reporting
Understanding the Federal System – Jim Tibensky [confirmed]
- Working with the sentencing guidelines
- How sentencing decisions impact future BOP placements
- Navigating the BOP
TRACK/THEME 4: Juveniles
Mental Health Issues Impacting Juvenile Delinquency - David Katner, Esq; Director Tulane Juvenile Law Clinic [confirmed]
- Learning what mental health disorders are unique to juveniles & how they impact all stages of litigation
- Understanding recent research in juvenile competency
Expressing the Unique Challenges of Juveniles in Court - Cheri Deatsch, Juvenile Regional Services & Carol Kolinchak, Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana [confirmed]
- Presenting developmental considerations
- Incorporating the youth development model in working with clients
Best Practices in Juvenile Transfer Evaluations - Karen Rabwin & Monica Lujan [confirmed]
- Working with mental health experts
- Convincing judges that juveniles are not merely little adults
- Develop skills useful in fighting transfers
Deciphering Educational Records - speaker TBA
- How to understand & interpret school records
- What school records & testing tell you about the client
- Understanding the gaps in records & implications of that missing information
- Strategies for filling gaps
Closing Plenary
Bringing Your Client’s Voice Into The Case - speaker TBA
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