Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor addressing the 2018 Ohio Supreme Court’s Specialized Dockets Conference.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor addressing the 2018 Ohio Supreme Court’s Specialized Dockets Conference.

Leading experts in drug, veteran, and mental health courts will gather at Ohio State University on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 to share ideas on how to improve care for those who get in trouble with the law while facing drug, alcohol, and mental health problems.

The conference, organized by the Ohio Supreme Court’s Specialized Dockets Section, will bring together court and treatment personnel to work collaboratively to assist defendants with treatment instead of prison. The success of specialized dockets is measured by reduced recidivism, improved treatment, and cost savings.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor will welcome an expected room of 500-600 professionals from across the state.

After an opening assembly, there will be 60 breakout sessions covering subjects such as bringing veterans out of the darkness and into the light, as well as discussions about local courts maintaining fidelity to the drug court model.

Panelists include:

• Judge Taryn Heath, Stark County Common Pleas Court
• Judge Paul Herbert, Franklin County Municipal Court
• Dr. Mark Hurst, Ohio Department of Health medical director
• Dr. Doug Marlowe, National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) senior scientific consultant
• Brian Farrington, Ohio Supreme Court’s statistics analyst.

To learn more about the sessions and to register, visit the conference website.