November 2021
Full Court Press is the newsletter of the University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC).
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Shanta Trivedi Returns to UBalt Faculty, Joining CFCC as Faculty Director
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CFCC’s new Faculty Director, Assistant Professor of Law Shanta Trivedi, spent three and a half years as a clinical teaching fellow at UBalt’s Bronfein Family Law Clinic, and later served as a clinical teaching fellow in the Domestic Violence Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center. On CFCC’s Blog, she talks about what drew her back to Baltimore and the opportunities she sees in her new role at CFCC as a way to continue her scholarship and advocacy on behalf of systemic change to better serve the needs of families and children. She partners with CFCC’s Executive Director, Rebecca Stahl, who previously served as CFCC’s Deputy Director. Here are excerpts from our conversation with Shanta Trivedi:
What excites you most about your new role at CFCC?
This was really a dream opportunity for me. I have always done clinical work, and I enjoy lawyering and teaching students how to lawyer. This role at CFCC takes the work I have been doing throughout my career to a higher level, allowing more focus on policy and programs in addition to direct services to families. I have written a lot about how we can do things better for families, but being able to put some of that into practice at CFCC means that those ideas could have broader impact. Over 20 years, this Center has definitely shown that a small center at a law school in Baltimore can help to effect real change that improves outcomes for thousands of families.
Can you talk about your vision for CFCC’s future?
I’m still really in the listening phase. My aim is to understand what CFCC does best, and to think about how the work of the Center can align with the needs of families and children at this moment in time. Some of the challenges are different today than they were 20 years ago, and some of the issues that the Center has always worked on remain the same. This Center has been a means for the law school community to be engaged with the larger community in Baltimore. Programs like the TCP literally go into the heart of the city and bring the expertise of lawyers to the community, making it easy for families to access the help they need to avoid interactions with the courts. CFCC has always centered on helping courts think about how they could do better for families, and my work has the same goal. Our law school and therefore our Center is in the heart of the city. I think it’s important to be doing this work in conjunction with, and in support of, the people of Baltimore.
As we look forward, we’re thinking about how CFCC can continue to have a direct, positive impact on the lives of families and children in our own community.
Read more from our interview with Shanta Trivedi, including more on her experience and scholarly interests on CFCC’s Blog.
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CFCC’s Truancy Court Program Returns to
In-Person Programming
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With COVID-19 safety protocols in place, CFCC's Truancy Court Program (TCP) Team returned to Baltimore City Public Schools this year, continuing our work to get school attendance back on track after a long period of virtual learning.
The TCP is operating in five Baltimore City schools this fall: Furley Elementary School, Mt. Royal Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore Design School (Middle/High School), Franklin Square Elementary/Middle School, and The Belair-Edison Middle School. We are already off to a productive and successful school year.
During the COVID- 19 pandemic, the TCP team had to be creative and flexible as they worked with students virtually. There were some advantages to the virtual format for TCP. Because they were at home, TCP students were able to show the TCP Team personal items important to them and parents often were able to participate fully in the TCP sessions from home or work.
Now that the TCP is operating in person again, students can meet together in one large room for a restorative circle with the TCP Mentor and staff. TCP students leave the circle to meet individually with the TCP Judge, the TCP Coordinator and school personnel.
As an in school, non-punitive, voluntary program the TCP reduces truancy by identifying and addressing the root cause of each child's absences and by reconnecting students and their families with their schools. The TCP employs a holistic approach that includes mentoring, consistent follow-up, social services and legal guidance and the powerful presence of a judge who volunteers at the school to lead the effort.
TCP staff focus on providing support and referrals for students’ basic needs. They also continue to advocate as necessary to ensure consistent access to education and protection of legal rights for students. Families and students participating in the TCP receive:
- Up-to-date information on resources for free food, hygiene products and other basic necessities
- Information on the rapidly-changing nature of academic delivery – from work packets to online lessons
- Continued advocacy with Baltimore City Public Schools on behalf of students experiencing homelessness and those with learning differences
- Support regarding access to Chromebooks and internet services
- Assistance and information regarding new COVID-related benefits
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CFCC Staff Updates
In addition to its new management structure, CFCC has seen several staff changes this fall in its Truancy Court Program.
CFCC’s longtime TCP Coordinator, Spencer Hall, has moved to the position of CFCC’s TCP Attorney, providing legal guidance and referrals to legal services providers, as well as individual advocacy and information about students’ educational rights to empower students and families to become effective self-advocates.
With the new school year, the TCP team welcomes two new members.
Rohina Zavala has joined the team as TCP Coordinator, serving as the program’s liaison with judges and schools. A 2021 School of Law graduate, Rohina received the Saul Ewing Civil Advocacy Clinic Excellence Award for her work representing low-income individuals in Baltimore as a law student. Her knowledge and insights gained as a development coordinator at Blue Oak School drove her to attend law school, with a focus in public interest and education. Rohina is looking to using the legal education and experiences she gained from UBalt and her current work in the Baltimore City schools, paired with prior experiences in private school education, to help the TCP moving forward.
Bonnie Freeman has joined the team as TCP Social Worker, providing assessment, intervention and prevention services in order to assist students’ academic, social and emotional growth. In her previous role as a Baltimore City Public Schools social worker, she regularly worked with students in pre-K through high school to address Truancy related challenges. Bonnie’s extensive experience working to assess and develop in-school intervention in Baltimore City Schools will be an asset to the program.
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Spencer Hall
TCP Attorney
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Rohina Zavala
TCP Coordinator
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Bonnie Freeman
TCP Socal Worker
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Winter 2022 – CFCC will publish a Community Resource Guide to provide families with information on resources that can help them address issues that could lead to negative interventions from the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
Spring 2022 - The first in a new series of brief, informative CFCC Webinars will focus on the concept of Primary Prevention—preventing maltreatment before it occurs—in child welfare.
Fall 2022 - CFCC’s annual symposium will return in September 2022. Watch our newsletters and website for a confirmed date and details.
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Family Law Resources for You |
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CFCC’s Benchbook for Family Courts on Substance Use Disorders (Benchbook) – Second Edition provides valuable insight into the science of addiction, the treatment of SUDs, how SUDs affect children and families in many family law cases, and how family courts can intervene in ways that lead to better outcomes. The good news is that with a recognized neurobiological basis for substance use disorders, there is potential for recovery. Evidence-based interventions can prevent harmful substance use and related problems, and the courts have considerable power to influence individuals suffering from these disorders.
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About CFCC
The Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) promotes policies and practices that unite families, communities and the justice system to improve the lives of children and families and the health of communities. CFCC advocates the use of therapeutic jurisprudence, the understanding that the legal system has an effect on behavior, emotions and mental health.
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