Intent vs Impact: Are We Set Up to Fail?

SESSION INFO

Monday, January 31, 2022
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Session Type: Workshop

DWI treatment court practitioners want the best for the people they serve. Utilizing a variety of tools, resources, and services enables the team to respond to the specific needs an individual has; thereby, providing the greatest chance for a successful outcome. However, having a systematic (i.e., treating everyone the same) and inflexible approach in responding to one’s needs may have an impact that differs from the intent. Sometimes, the best intentions miss their mark; other times, they have a negative impact. A team needs to understand how to create a program and respond to behaviors that don’t set up the program or the individual to fail. This session will examine the common missteps in providing treatment, incentivizing participation, creating case plans and court requirements, costs of services, and responding to behavior. Note: While this session is aimed at DWI treatment court practitioners, much of the information also applies outside of that arena to other models of treatment court, treatment, and supervision.

SESSION PRESENTERS

James Eberspacher
Director, Impaired Driving Solutions


James Eberspacher is the director of the National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC). Mr. Eberspacher’s background in treatment court includes experience at the state and local levels. In his current position, he is responsible for NCDC's overall daily operations, training, curriculum development, outreach, and promoting the expansion of DWI courts. Overall, Mr. Eberspacher has over two decades of combined experience in treatment courts, corrections, policy development, and training/technical assistance.


Jessica Lange
Project Director, Impaired Driving Solutions


Jessica Lange is a project director for the National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC), a division of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). While serving as a treatment court coordinator in Minnesota, Ms. Lange led her team to an Academy Court designation. Ms. Lange also served as operations analyst for the Sixth Judicial District in Minnesota, where she worked to enhance eight treatment courts, focusing on extensive grant work, training, and data and research. She received her bachelor’s degree from Hamline University, where she studied law and criminal justice, and a master’s degree in business administration with a focus on leadership and change from the College of St. Scholastica.


Julie Seitz
Project Director, Impaired Driving Solutions


Julie Seitz, LGSW, LADC, is a project director for the National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC), a division of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). She joined NCDC in 2018, bringing with her 20 years of experience working in the clinical sector. Previously, she was the clinical director of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Duluth, Minnesota. In her work with clients, she has focused her clinical practice on feedback-informed research and outcome-driven practice. Ms. Seitz has trained at the local, national, and international levels on feedback-informed treatment, drug court best practices, and the science of addiction.