Beyond the Bench 20: Collaboration Works! Improving Outcomes and Achieving Safety and Stability in Challenging Times June 3–4, 2010 San Diego, California

Program Overview | General Information | Agenda

Program Overview

Please Note: Judicial officers and court staff employees can apply judicial branch Modernization Funds (MOD) to cover particular conference fees. For the MOD Fund registration web site, click here. Beyond the Bench (BTB) is California’s premiere multi-disciplinary event for juvenile dependency and delinquency professionals. Each year over 1,000 judges, attorneys, social workers, probation officers, CASAs, foundations, and others gather for cutting edge programming that focuses on collaboration, innovative approaches to families, and California’s unique environment in a time of unprecedented economic stress. This year, BTB also welcomes those working with the family courts, self-represented litigants and issues of domestic violence for workshops and plenaries devoted to all aspects of child and family safety. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Beyond the Bench conference sponsored by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), Center for Families, Children & the Courts (CFCC). More than 20 years ago, Judge Leonard Edwards, retired presiding juvenile court judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County, spearheaded the idea of bringing together organizations and individuals serving children and families in the child welfare system. Anticipating a rise in court filings and new stresses on California’s families facing hard economic times, the theme for the conference is “Collaboration Works! Improving Outcomes and Achieving Safety and Stability in Challenging Times.” These workshops will showcase innovative programs and expertise responsive to the needs of our most vulnerable families. Despite cutbacks in the workforce through furloughs and the reduction of annual educational offerings, BTB continues to provide high quality programming to the juvenile system and this year, issues relevant to family law courts, including working with self-represented litigants and domestic violence issues.  Join us this year for: • Plenary speakers including Oliver Williams (Director, Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community, University of Minnesota), and R. Dwayne Betts (author of A Question of Freedom and National Spokesperson for the Campaign for Youth Justice). • Juvenile dependency workshops including Dependency Legal Update, Funding Streams for Child Welfare, and Defining Reasonable Efforts in Unreasonable Fiscal Times. • Juvenile delinquency workshops including Delinquency Legal Update, Gang Prevention, and Applying Evidence Based Practices to Youthful Offenders. • Workshops on risk assessment, funding for mental health services, and neuroscience in the juvenile court. • Family and self-represented litigant workshops, including Family Law Update, Expanding Self-Help Centers to Assist Victims of Crime, and Minors Counsel in Family Law. • Much more, including 13 concurrent workshop sessions with popular workshops repeated throughout the day. Pre and post conference activities include meetings of the Child Welfare Council, a Family and Juvenile Law Joint Summit, and specialized trainings for dependency attorneys, probation officers, and others.  • A special pre-conference free educational session will be held on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. The 8-hour session titled, “Best Practices Approach Initiative: Focus on Community Probation Practices and Substance Abusing Youth” is aimed at delinquency and collaborative justice court professionals. Please see the agenda for details. Please register now for the current registration rates. We look forward to your attendance at the conference!