Inside This Issue
Volume 4, Issue 3September 2014
A Publication by the
2014 Officers and Directors
Tennessee Association of Drug Court Professionals
Christy VernonSpirit Award 2VolunteersNeeded! 2ConferenceAgenda 3The President’sCorner 3"Stuff theBus" 4MembershipApplication 4
PresidentMary SchneiderVice PresidentTracye BryantTreasurerBrad PriceSecretaryRick TaylorWest Tennessee DirectorAngela ParkersonMiddle Tennessee DirectorMike LewisEast Tennessee DirectorJudge Charles CernyAt Large DirectorsRon HanaverKevin BattsJill Barrett
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It’s that time of year again! Registration for the 10th Annual Recovery Drug Court Conference is now open! The conference committee has been working hard to provide a quality, relevant line up of topics and speakers that will not only educate but will energize and inspire you. The conference theme, which is something new we’ve added this year, is “Out of the Darkness, Into the Light.” We are tackling the issue of stigma that surrounds addiction and recovery by inviting producer of the film, The Anonymous People, Greg Williams, to speak on this topic and facilitate a panel discus-sion with other recoverying people. Paraphrasing one of the panelists, Dr. Steven Loyd, “We always hear folks talk about their hard road to recovery, but we rarely hear about what happens in the months and years after,” acknowledging that some of the stigma may be perpetuated by a universal emphasis on the addiction part of the recovery process. We all know and hear this stigma realized in the attitudes and language of people we come in contact with personal-ly and professionally every day. Even for those of us who, for one reason or anoth-er, understand addiction and recovery on a deeper level, it is part of the norm to hear words affirming negative stigmas and say nothing. This year, we will talk about how we can be ambassadors for change in our work and home environ-ments. It benefits recovery courts and those served by them to have this conver-sation. Please come be a part of it!But wait! That’s not all we have for you at the conference this year. The line-up this year is comprehensive, so there’s something for everyone. To highlight a few examples, the role-specific conversa-tions from last year are back, but with a bit more focus on one or two key topics. Based on feedback from last year, it was obvious the role-specific discussions were helpful, but a few asked for more direction. Come check them out and see what you think.The National Council on Family and Juvenile Court Judges will be providing two breakout presentations for our juve-nile recovery drug courts. Norene Puckett, Coordinator for the Bradle County Juvenile Drug Court, is on the conference committee this year and has been working with NCFJCJ to bring some fantastic presenters. We also have ethics covered for those needing 3 credit hours of ethics. Rebekah Warren, with Centerstone, is going to provide a session on the 2014 updates and another on technology issues. For those Dr. Loyd fans, we have him all morning on Thursday! Alas, there’s too much to detail here, but you can go to www.tadcptn.org to find more about the conference agenda and register. The conference will be at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and there will be a limited block of rooms at the state rate. We will be sending email about the conference as well as regular mail, so if you want to attend or exhibit, look for it!
(Check out the 10th Annual Drug Court Conference Agenda on Page 3!)
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We need members like you! There’s so much exciting stuff going on people, and TADCP has a number of opportunities for you to get involved, including the conference, our spring regional train-ing event in 2015, on our various committees, facili-tating small group discussions, or as members of the board.
Conference Volunteers
At the conference we will need people for greet-ing and for the registration desk throughout the con-ference, room attendants to make sure our valuable speakers and panelists have what they need and that people know where sign in sheets are located, where to find evaluations for each session, etc.
Training Event Volunteers
At the spring 2015 training event, we will need people for registration and facilitation of small group discussions.
Committee Volunteers
TADCP has the following committees that still need member participation for this year:
• Membership Committee (Lead by Tracye Bryant
and Mike Lewis)
• Communications Committee (Lead by Jill
Barrett and Angela Parkerson)There are other committees that, while currently have active participation, may need members at a later date as goals and projects are completed or as members have to roll off. This year we have benefit-ed from the most FABULOUS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, and we will need volunteers to begin working on the 2015 conference early in the new year. Depending on the committee and its goals, mem-bers may meet quarterly or monthly. For example, the conference committee has met about every 4-6 weeks since March, and has strictly adhered to one hour meetings so people can confidently schedule the rest of their day around them.
Small Video Group Meeting Facilitation
In addition, TADCP wants to provide an opportu-
nity for small (must be less than 25) member groups with specialized programs or issues (i.e., juvenile,
family, DUI, mental health recovery courts, or spe-cial issues that groups may want to address) to meet using our quality video conferencing capabilities. If you are a part of one of these special programs or have a topic you want to tackle with your peers, please consider volunteering to facilitate these dis-cussions. Meeting with our conference utility is so easy, and can be accessed by phone for those with-out access to a computer camera.
Board Volunteers
We have a number of positions on the board com-ing open at the end of December. The Tennessee Association of Drug Court Professionals currently has ten total board positions, including president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, East Tennessee Director, Middle Tennessee Director, West Tennessee Director, and three Director-At-Large positions. Seven of those positions will be open, and even if a current member plans to run again for a position they have held, we welcome and encourage addition-al members to run. The open positions that will be open for 2015 are:
• President, currently held by Mary Schneider,
16th Judicial District Recovery Courts Director
• Treasurer, currently held by C. Brad Price, 31st
Judicial District Recovery Courts Director
• East Tennessee Director, currently held by
Honorable Charles Cerny, Knox County Recovery Courts Judge
• Middle Tennessee Director, currently held by
Kevin Batts, 23rd Judicial District Recovery Court Director
• Director At Large, currently held by Jill Barrett,
10th Judicial District Recovery Court Director
• Director At Large, current
-ly held by Mike Lewis, Coffee County Recovery Courts Director
• Director At Large, current
-ly held by Ron Hanaver, Knox County Recovery Courts Director Board members are expect-ed to attend board meetings and to facilitate committee meetings, which are currently held through online video conferencing, making it easier than ever to participate. The board meets quarterly at a mini-mum, with short meetings in between if issues arise that cannot wait. They are asked to support the mis-sion, purpose, goals, policies, and programs of TADCP and be actively engaged in board and com-mittee meetings. Board members are also asked to represent the programs of their region and the broad-er recovery court community. Each board member agrees to a number of expectations, including the ones mentioned above. If you would like to see a copy of those expectations, please email Marie Crosson at the address at the bottom of this article.Board participation can be a very rewarding and educational endeavor so you are all encouraged to give it serious consideration. The recovery court arena is growing and changing before our eyes. There are new courts and new staff all the time, so don’t let the idea that you don’t have enough time or experience in the field keep you from participating.Just in case you aren’t convinced yet, there will also be an opportunity at the conference this year to hear what TADCP has been doing from the board members and from the director, and there will be a chance to nominate members for board positions. HOWEVER, if you already know you would be interested in board participation, or know a member that you think would be a great fit, tell us now! If any of these opportunities speak to you or you want more information before you decide, please contact Marie Crosson at [email protected] or 615-780-5901, Ext. 23.
It is time to nominate candidates for the Christy Vernon Spirit Award. At each TADCP Conference, your nominee is pre-sented with a special plaque representing your recognition of their service to recovery courts. Christy Vernon was a grant program man-ager in the State of Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs. She lost her life in a tragic accident, but not before making a significant impression on the people she met. Christy's exuberant attitude was infec-tious, and the spirit with which she interact-ed with all who met her is the same spirit that we wish to celebrate in your nominee for the Christy Vernon Spirit Award. Nominations for this award must explain in detail how the person meets the following criteria:
• Be associated with an existing
recovery court in Tennessee
• Demonstrate a commitment for the
advancement of recovery courts
• Have a history of community ser
-vice
• Motivate and inspire co-workers,
volunteers, and participants
• Serve as an advocate or champion
for recovery courtsPlease email your nomination to me by November 9th. The nominations will be compiled and presented to members for a vote through Survey monkey. The winner will be revealed during the Thursday lun-cheon during the conference. Please take a moment to nominate that worthy person whom you know. Even if they are not cho-sen, knowing they were nominated will tell them how much they are appreciated!Send your nominations to Marie Crosson at [email protected]rg no later than October 3rd. If you have questions email Marie or call at 615-780-5901, Ext. 23.
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Boy what a month, quarter, summer it has been!! Whatever happened to the “hazy, crazy, lazy days of sum-mer”? I don’t know about anybody else, but our courts have been extremely busy this summer…no slow down at all! There is some peace in having a program nobody knows about, but boy, once the word is out to judges and attorneys as well as the community, suddenly everyone wants information on recovery courts. This is definitely not a bad thing; you just need to adjust.Speaking of adjusting, my motto this summer has been “Nothing is constant but change.” However, with change brings opportunity, and we have had many this year! TADCP now has a physical presence. We are renting office space in Nashville in the same building as TAADAS, the Tennessee Redline, and the Recovery Bookstore. Seems like a pretty good fit, huh? So Marie has been busy moving her home office to the official TADCP office. She would love for you to stop by for a visit!The Conference Committee is meeting regularly and we are very proud of the conference this year. It will be differ-ent and hopefully very informative for everyone attending. Please go to our website to register for the conference and other news that may be happening: www.tadcptn.org.The Advocacy Committee is also meeting and we hope to have news about our next Day On The Hill soon. They are also looking at expanding our influence with the Legislators. I look forward to seeing what they come up with, as I am always interested in what is happening on The Hill!Ron Bailey from the 12th Judicial District has agreed to be our Representative on the Tennessee Co-Occurring Disorder Steering Committee with TAMHO. He has attended two meetings and been reporting to the Board. We appreciate his commitment and willingness to be our voice at these meetings as integrated treatment for dual dis-orders becomes more important for our recovery courts. Don’t forget about our Facebook Page! Feel free to put articles, pictures, events, etc that are happening in your jurisdiction. We all love to see what the other courts are doing.Enjoy your fall! Now would be a good time to schedule a visit to an East Tennessee recovery court and enjoy the fall leaves while you are there! And don’t forget to register for the conference!!
Regards,Mary Schneider, LAPSW
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