INSIDE: Judge Steven Leifman retires from the bench and reflects on JPLI’s role; JPLI trainer Dr. Yelena Koldobskaya highlighted in The New York Times; and more. | |
Protecting Vulnerable People in the Judicial System: Judge Leifman Advocates for Change Through JPLI Training | |
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Although he is retiring from the bench this month, Judge Steven Leifman has no plans to slow down his involvement with mental health and the law. As one of the founders of JPLI, he is stepping down as the associate administrative judge of the Miami-Dade County Court Criminal Division this month, where he has served for almost 30 years. He will continue to be involved with a new behavioral health center in Miami, as well as working with courts and states to improve their responses to people with mental illnesses. Additionally, he plans to intensify his involvement in training with JPLI to create structural change in how court systems respond to people with behavioral health needs.
To effect change, Judge Leifman emphasizes that training is critical. Good intentions aren’t enough. “For anyone, unless you are a clinician or have a family member with behavioral health needs, you often have no idea how to identify people with a mental illness, how to talk to people with a mental illness, or how to de-escalate a problem situation,” Judge Leifman said. “And most importantly, for a judge, you probably have no idea what to do with the case.” Criminal cases have limited options; an all-too-common disposition is to order an evaluation for competency to stand trial, which can worsen a problem.
JPLI’s training curriculum is a key part of the solution. It is updated regularly, interactive, and engaging, and JPLI is working to have it validated. JPLI’s goal is to train 10,000 judges by 2030 (currently, about 3,000 have completed the training). But Judge Leifman emphasized that the goal is not only to teach judges: It is also to identify leadership to help create structural change.
“Mental health has such an enormous impact on the administration of justice, both criminal and civil,” he said. When asked what differences he has seen over the years regarding mental health issues and the courts, he observed that in the past, “I had to spend the first half of a training session explaining why we had a problem. Now, people know we have a problem—they want to focus on how to fix it, so we can help vulnerable people recover.”
Judge Leifman has received many awards, both nationally (for example, from the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015) and internationally (a papal medal in 2023). He is heartened by what he calls “pockets of success,” but said, “There’s much still to be done.” With his plans to continue training and developing leaders through JPLI, Judge Leifman will continue to advocate on behalf of people with behavioral health issues and will inspire others in the judicial system to do the same.
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Dr. Yelena Koldobskaya Brings Mobile Mental Health Experience to JPLI
Psychiatrist Dr. Yelena Koldobskaya is co-medical director of Los Angeles County’s Homeless Outreach & Mobile Engagement program, where she provides treatment and services to patients experiencing homelessness directly on the streets. As evidence of her commitment and effectiveness, her work was recently highlighted in The New York Times: “Under an L.A. Freeway, a Psychiatric Rescue Mission.” She was previously a psychiatrist at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
Dr. Koldobskaya was trained as a JPLI trainer in September 2024 during the Train the Trainer session in Phoenix. She looks forward to facilitating JPLI trainings throughout California in the future. Learn more about Dr. Koldobskaya here.
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In our last issue, we asked courts about their engagement in cross-training between justice and behavioral health professionals. Half the respondents to the poll—53 percent—have not considered engaging in cross-training topics for behavioral health and criminal justice professionals. | |
These responses reveal an opportunity gap: while many courts recognize the value of cross-training, resource limitation often prevents implementation. To help courts overcome these barriers, The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center offers guidance on implementing best practices in court-based diversion programs. Additionally, Pinal County, AZ, a criminal justice and mental health learning site, provides training and resources to diversion program employees in Effective Practices in Correctional Settings (EPICS II), motivational interviewing, trauma-informed practices, Risk-Needs-Responsivity, various assessment tools, mental health treatment, and NARCAN administration. | |
Publications, Resources, and Support | | |
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Downtown Austin Community Court Celebrates 25 Years of Service and Connecting over 600 People to Housing
The Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) celebrated 25 years of service in October 2024. As the first community court in Texas and the seventh in the United States, DACC connects participants to services to resolve outstanding cases and helps remove barriers to housing and employment. The court’s clinical diversion program embeds case managers directly in the courtroom to enhance connection to services and improve case completion rates. DACC also operates a mobile court program. Since October 2015, DACC has reached a significant milestone by connecting more than 600 people to long-term housing.
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Applications Open for Pretrial, Prosecution, Defense Counsel, and Courts Mentoring Initiative Mentor Sites
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and RTI International are seeking mentor sites to share their best practices and expertise with diverting justice-involved people with substance use disorders to community-based treatment, or with connecting people to treatment and support services during the pretrial and court adjudication phases of justice processing. The Pretrial, Prosecution, Defense Counsel, and Courts Mentoring Initiative promotes peer-to-peer learning among pretrial, prosecution, defense counsel, and/or court agencies that—in collaboration with community partner organizations—are implementing programs or practices that support people involved with the criminal justice system post-arrest.
This program is part of the training and technical assistance (TTA) resources available to jurisdictions through BJA’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP). Mentor applications are due by January 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET.
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Recent and Upcoming JPLI Trainings | |
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Judicial Work at the Interface of Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health
To align with recommendations from the Conference of Chief Justices/Conference of State Court Administrators on judicial education in behavioral health topics, this training helps judges understand what is important to know when making decisions involving people with behavioral health issues. To set the foundation, the session begins with an overview of common mental health and substance use disorders that judges encounter in the courtroom. Trainers will present case studies involving people with a wide range of mental health, substance use, and legal issues. The format will be interactive to help participants apply skills demonstrated throughout the training; it will feature recommendations on interactional approaches and will explain strategies to help increase positive outcomes. The session will also cover systemic issues related to mental health, substance use, and criminal justice, such as access to care, the right level of care, equity, and evidence-based practices. Approaches to improve a court system’s response to people with mental health issues will be discussed as well.
November 20, 2024 – Missouri Judicial College, Kansas City, MO
Judge Cotton Walker and Dr. Angeline Stanislaus
November 22, 2024 – California Judicial Council, San Francisco, CA
Judge James Bianco and Dr. Reba Bindra
December 13, 2024 ‒ Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals Conference, Murfreesboro, TN
Judge Carlyn Addison and Dr. Alicia Barnes
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The Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative is a partnership of the CSG Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, funded by Janssen Charitable Contributions to create a community of judges and psychiatrists, increase the reach of trainings, and develop educational resources. | |
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