10:00am - 11:15am

1st Breakout - Sessions I

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) at the Supreme Court and Learning of Promising ICWA Practice through ICWA Courts (PowerPoint PDF)

• Sheldon Spotted-Elk, Senior Director, Judicial National Engagement, Casey Family Programs

Session Description: Haaland v. Brackeen was decided 7-2 at the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the ICWA. During the buildup to the final decision, nearly 500 Tribes and twenty-plus states signed amicus briefs addressing the constitutionality and on-the-ground practice to support ICWA as the “gold standard of child welfare.” Attendees will learn about the decision and how through ICWA “Congress exercised that lawful authority to secure the right of Indian parents to raise their families as they please; the right of Indian children to grow in their culture; and the right of Indian communities to resist fading into the twilight of history. All of that is in keeping with the Constitution’s original design.” Further learn about ICWA courts—20 specialty courts—throughout the country that are capturing both the black letter and the spirit of the ICWA to improve legal outcomes for Indigenous families.   

I2 - Juvenile/Family Healing to Wellness Courts

Location: Sierra

Best Practices in Conducting Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court Processes (Intake, Staffing, Status Hearing and Case Management Meetings) (PowerPoint PDF)

•  Nan Benally, Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court Training and Technical Assistance Specialist, Tribal Youth Resource Center, Tribal Law and Policy Institute

• Erin Thin Elk, Consultant, Tribal Youth Resource Center, Tribal Law and Policy Institute

• Pat Sekaquaptewa, Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts Training and Technical Assistance Manager, Tribal Youth Resource Center, Tribal Law and Policy Institute

• Laura Smith, Program Coordinator, Tribal Youth Resource Center, Tribal Law and Policy Institute

• Ethleen Iron Cloud-Two Dogs, Tribal Youth Training and Technical Assistance Manager, Tribal Youth Resource Center, Tribal Law and Policy Institute (Moderator)

Session Description: This session will feature a walk-through intake as well as Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court hearing. The intake will focus on some common questions and issues to avoid during these critical stages of participant involvement. Presenters will engage with the audience to gain their input on what next steps should be and what could have been done differently. The walk-through intake will address issues such as family involvement, participant willingness, and confidentiality. The performance will culminate in a Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court Hearing where participants will show what to expect during a hearing and common issues that may stem from the intake/case management process.

The Art of Rebuilding: The Willingness to Change (PowerPoint PDF)

• Hon. Sherrie Harris, Juvenile Judge, San Carlos Tribal Court, San Carlos Apache Tribe

• Hon. Karla Comanche, Chief Judge, San Carlos Tribal Court, San Carlos Apache Tribe

• Laura Smith, Program Coordinator, Tribal Youth Resource Center, Tribal Law and Policy Institute (Moderator)

Session Description:  COVID-19 presented challenges in the planning process; we will describe some of the challenges we experienced and discuss the steps we have taken to overcome and address these challenges, based on the feedback received from partners and stakeholders and reassessing the work done prepandemic. This reflection identified the need to improve communication and collaboration within our team as well as restructuring our approach to court development. The team was able to prioritize meeting the needs of community youth post-COVID-19 while still meeting project goals and objectives.

Telling Your Story: It’s More Than Just Numbers (PowerPoint PDF)

• Nan Benally, Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court Training and Technical Assistance Specialist, Tribal Youth Resource Center, Tribal Law and Policy Institute

• Angie Juárez-Monger, Tribal Wellness Court Specialist, Tribal Law and Policy Institute

Session Description: Often programmatic success is defined by quantitative data measures. The session will demonstrate how to use data descriptively to capture the collective spirit of a community’s efforts that speak to the strengths-based models of healing, wellness, and programmatic success. Practice utilizing narratives to enhance how data can expand your program’s mission and goals and can tell the real success stories.