Historically, relationships between the courts and traditional child-serving systems have been siloed at best and more often than not, adversarial. By virtue of the high-risk populations of children and youth they serve, CMEs must engage with the judicial system. Serving children and youth through the CME approach requires an understanding of and willingness to engage with the judicial system in more progressive and coordinated dialogue.

CMEs can be an important and valuable resource to juvenile justice, child welfare and the courts to help reduce recidivism, decrease delinquency, lower patterns of re-offending, and help inform decisions regarding removal and permanency. This 90-minute webinar provided an overview of best practice approaches to interactions between care management entities and the judicial system, including judges and the court. It explored the role of the court and the CME; strategies for addressing the tension in roles; resolving conflict and issues related to confidentiality; and advantages of the CME approach for improving coordination and outcomes for children and families who are involved in the court system.

Agenda

I. Introduction

Speaker: Dayana Simons, Senior Program Officer, CHCS; Sheila A. Pires, Partner, Human Service Collaborative, Washington, DC; Senior Program Consultant, CHCS Child Health Quality

II. CME Engagement and Work with Judges and the Court

Speaker: Bruce Kamradt, Administrator, Wraparound Milwaukee; Honorable Thomas Donegan, Milwaukee County Children’s Court

Mr. Kamradt and Judge Donegan described the approach used by Wraparound Milwaukee to engage with the courts, how enrollment in Wraparound Milwaukee involves the court system, legal roles of care coordinators and the benefits of Wraparound Milwaukee to the court from a judicial perspective.

Speaker: Honorable Roger W. Daley (Ret.) Middlesex County Vicinage, New Jersey

Judge Daley discussed his perspective on working in the context of New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care and Care Management Organizatons and strategies used to create cross system synergy.