ICFall08: Summer Conf Wrapup

Summer Conferences a Hit!
If you weren't able to make it to our summer line-up of conferences, you missed excellent programming, top-notch faculty, and irreplaceable camaraderie with your peers. But, as they are capstone offerings, these conferences will be back next year, and we promise to keep making improvements so that your judicial education experiences are the best ever. We received constructive feedback from this year's attendees, and you can see some of their comments below. Thanks to our expert presenters, attentive participants, and competent TCJ staff, we can call our summer line-up of educational programs a complete success. See you next year!

I actually thought that since our DWI court was up and running, there would be times I would find the material “old.” Not so!! Very helpful for a new court, especially in the area of needing bright lines for eligibility criteria, effects of addiction on the brain, solving some backlog problems, and so much more. Very educational and intense. The materials supplied will be a great help to take back to our court for implementation. I learned a practical road path for planning implementing, evaluating, and sustaining DWI court. I learned how to better structure the entry process to our program and incorporate more positive social cultures for participants. I learned [it's possible to have] successful accountability if the offender is provided with long term treatment, and that lives can be saved. I discovered there are many outstanding and knowledgeable people on the “front line” with me. I discovered that recovery is hard and can take a long time to achieve. I was surprised that the years of substance abuse [are] not quickly recovered, in respect to the body and brain returning to full capacity. I was surprised to learn that many of the host DWI court participants had really changed their lives. I was surprised that the years of substance abuse are not quickly recovered in respect to the body and brain returning to full capacity.	Knowledgeable speakers, all were well prepared, good handouts. The entire staff of PDP was very helpful and everything ran smoothly. Benefit of the PDP program: Brings coordinatorstogether to discuss the specific operations of theircourts. Awesome speakers. Great interaction with speakers and classmates. Handouts/information given by speakers will be useful tools that can be – will be – taken and used back at the office. I have learned to utilize and make changes in my court with all the information (networking) gathered at PDP. I discovered that most of my classmates had the same problems I had. I discovered that there are multiple ways to interpret (for better or worse) statistics. I discovered that I need to be more demanding in leadership. I love PDP – I really wish you would create a program for Coordinators that have attended all three years of PDP and have a general class on (maybe each day have) legislative updates on family law, criminal law and civil law changes/updates. It would be very helpful for Coordinators with general jurisdiction, but it would help all of us. Thanks to all the PDP staff – you were awesome! I love these classes. I always go home with so many ideas I want to try.
	A general theme such as mental health/brain development gave it cohesiveness – one subject played to another. Application of information to identify with children from Monday’s Brain Development topic was great. The focus on violence and ethics was superb – thank you. “Irreconcilable Differences: Forensic and Therapeutic Roles” – most helpful session I’ve heard at any SBOT conference for judges. One of the most consistent and enjoyable CLE’s – wonderful to have courses just for associate judges. Thank you. I learned why therapeutic and forensic areas are incompatible and how this re-emphasizes the importance of parenting coordination confidentiality. I discovered that unmarried parents collect only one-half as much child support as divorced parents. Overall one of the best meetings I have attended in seven years. As a result of this conference, I plan to create a chart for the bench reflecting the different drug levels, thus helping me interpret the drug results. As a result of this conference, I plan to talk to my commissioners, judges and OAG re: starting a community supervision program.
The Texas Center for The Judiciary does an outstanding job in producing this annual conference. It is better every year – 2008 is the best so far. Different emphasis this year which focused on children’s development, visitation, therapy. I enjoyed the wider focus. I learned more about forensic/clinical differences in mental health expert roles. More about child’s brain development. I learned that risks for children increase when unrelated people are in the home. I was surprised that testosterone levels in amniotic fluid can predict future performance of a child. I want to learn more. I was surprised to learn that some courts have access to even more resources than I thought. As a result of this conference, I plan to advocate for unified family courts in Texas. As a result of this conference I plan to closely examine the mental health experts' take in cases (forensic/clinical).