Participants will learn about the role of the family court judge overseeing initial hearings and child welfare proceedings, as well as the proper examination of Reasonable Efforts. Attendees will learn about the legal mandate on the agency to provide evidence of safety issues and the reasonable efforts they provided to prevent removal. Participants will learn about quality legal representation, including multidisciplinary representation and early legal advocacy. Viewers will learn best practices for quality hearings and how each role can reduce harm to the family experiencing the trauma of removal and work with a sense of urgency to reunify families who are separated. Lived Experts will provide commentary throughout the program with the goal of offering a deeper awareness for what systemic and practice changes are needed to help families and protect children from unnecessary or prolonged separations.

This is a multidisciplinary training offered to judges, attorneys, social service professionals, community providers, and people with lived experience in the child welfare and legal/judicial system across NYS. Participants will become more trauma aware and learn best practices and skills to engage and better help children and the families who encounter the system.

Honorable Ann-Marie Jolly, Administrative Judge for New York City Family Court;
Jennie Stansfield of LEAG, Honorable Angel Cruz of Bronx Family Court,
Honorable Andrea F. Composto of Rockland County Family Court,
Ginger Molloy, NYS Office of Children and Family Services; Krysta Crawford of LEAG;
Jessica Horan-Block, Esq., of The Bronx Defenders, Sarai Mejia, Advocate;
Samantha Lepre, Esq. and Tracy M. McNeil, Esq., of The Legal Aid Society - Juvenile Rights Practice