Pot: It’s Complicated!

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Emil Affsa III serves the Judiciary of the State of New Jersey as Statewide TASC (Treatment Assessment Services for the Courts) Coordinator. He is responsible for the clinical supervision, credentialing, and clinical oversight of the substance abuse evaluators (SAEs) working in the courts throughout New Jersey. Emil has extensive experience working in both mental health and substance use disorder treatment, including multiple levels of care and treatment modalities. He has presented multiple times at the All Rise (formerly NADCP) annual conference on multiple topic areas. Emil holds a Master’s in Counseling from Seton Hall University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), and a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS).

KATE HUFFMAN served for twenty-one years as a General Division Judge on the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court and since 2023 has served on the Ohio Second District Court of Appeals. During her trial court tenure she presided at various times over the Drug Court and the Women’s R.IS.E. court. Judge Huffman teaches as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Dayton School of Law and on the faculty of the National Judicial College. She currently serves as the American Bar Association Judicial Fellow, providing peer-to-peer training on a variety of topics associated with impaired driving. Judge Huffman is also the author of numerous publications, primarily related to impaired driving as well as treatment court issues.

John P. Prevost retired in 2011 after 32 years with the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. His career included working in and managing field offices; developing and delivering training; managing programs; implementing a data-driven computerized case management system and on-line portal to generate supervision reports; developing risk assessment instruments; and strategic planning. His recent work involves evaluating accountability courts and studying the effects of peer mentoring on desistance from crime. He earned his Ph.D. from Georgia State University.

As American Probation and Parole Association’s Probation Fellow, Mark Stodola brings over 30 years of experience working in the field of court management and adult probation in Arizona. Mark worked at the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department for 18 years serving in a number of capacities including division director overseeing drug and alcohol treatment programs, problem solving courts and services for the mentally ill. Mark later became the Court Administrator of the Tempe Municipal Court where he served for eight years managing the day to day activities of the court. Most recently Mark served as Program Services Manager in the Adult Probation Services Division of the Arizona Supreme Court where he had oversight of treatment programs for Arizona’s Adult Probation Departments. Mark has presented training on topics surrounding high risk drunk drivers at national, regional and state conferences throughout the country. Mark also is an adjunct instructor at Arizona State University. Mark received his undergraduate degree in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Master’s Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University. Mark became a Graduate Fellow through the National Council of State Courts Institute of Court Management.

Katie Thomson serves the Judiciary of the State of New Jersey as Statewide TASC (Treatment Assessment Services for the Courts) Coordinator. She is responsible for the clinical supervision, credentialing, and regulatory oversight of the substance abuse evaluators (SAEs) working in the courts throughout New Jersey. She also provides consultation and training for the courts regarding substance use disorders and criminality implications. Katie has extensive experience working in both mental health and substance use disorder treatment, including multiple levels of care and treatment modalities. Katie holds a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Caldwell University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS).