The Law & Mental Health Conference is the premiere online educational event dedicated to the intersection of law and mental illness. Since 2000 the Conference has brought together expert speakers and teachers with legal, clinical, and lived experience. The Conference is designed for attorneys, law enforcement, public and private clinicians; public healthcare and hospital administrators, social workers, policy designers and legislators, and organizations and individuals involved with the care and welfare of people with mental illness, addiction, and alcoholism.
Alternatives to Police II is a two-day online interactive program with up to 11 continuing education credits. Day One will focus on policy, data, and research, and Day Two will have reports from city-based teams around the country.
Members of the Alternative Mobile Services Association attend the conference free of charge. Deep discounts are available for full time students, public defenders, and people with lived experience of mental illness.
Session Speakers
Professor Jamelia Morgan, Founding Faculty Director of the Center for Racial and Disability Justice at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law & Jordyn Jensen, Executive Director of the Center for Racial and Disability Justice at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Professor Morgan is an award-winning and acclaimed scholar and teacher focusing on issues at the intersection of race, gender, disability, and criminal law and punishment. Her scholarship and teaching examine the development of disability as a legal category in American law, disability and policing, over-criminalization and the regulation of physical and social disorder, and the constitutional dimensions of the criminalization of status.
Courtney Tassin is the Crisis Intervention Program Manager for the City of Aurora, Colorado where she oversees four mental health / emergency services collaboration programs to include an alternative response, law enforcement co-response, targeted violence prevention program, and a cold weather emergency activation team. Prior to this role she served three years on the Aurora Police Department’s co-responder model, the Crisis Response Team, and was then chosen to build the City’s first alternative response model, the Aurora Mobile Response Team.
Jackson Beck is a senior program associate with the Vera Institute of Justice’s Redefining Public Safety initiative. His projects focus on improving emergency responses and promoting community-based care for people with unmet mental health and substance use needs. This work includes researching programs that dispatch civilian crisis responders instead of police and partnering with local practitioners and advocates to drive change in their own public safety ecosystems.
Mobile Response Teams in Baltimore: A crisis center’s experience
Quinita Garrett is the Director of Call Center, Mobile Crisis and System Coordination at Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc (BCRI). Quinita has worked for BCRI over 9 years in various roles; including as a mental health clinician on their Mobile Response Team.
Quinita also works part time providing individual, family, and group therapy as a licensed clinical professional counselor.
Assistant Chief Ché Stedman, of the Madison Fire Department, has been a member of the Madison Fire Department since 1996.He has served as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Lieutenant, Training Captain, and Division Chief. He is currently the Assistant Chief of Medical Affairs.
Ché holds a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Psychology from the UW-Madison, and has worked as a part-time vocational rehabilitation counselor at the Madison VA Hospital. Ché oversees the Madison CARES Team as the program coordinator.
Mobile crisis services and neurodivergence: What you need to know to recognize and support autistic and other neurodivergent persons
Mitzi Waltz, PhD – Athena Institute of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Dr. Waltz teaches and conducts research in partnership with disabled people, with a focus on developing inclusive education, social care, healthcare, housing and employment through training, program and systems change, and policy development.
She has previously led the Autism Studies programs at the University of Birmingham and Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, and currently works with the Athena Institute of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and with Disability Studies in Nederland.
Expanding First Response: Tools for building, strengthening and moving community response work forward
Melissa McKee – policy analyst, Shontelle Ramsay – policy analyst, and Nina Richtman – senior policy analyst, work for the CSG – Justice Center, Community Responder Team. With a background in direct service and non-profit leadership rooted in personal lived experience, they bring a wealth of information for policy development, education, and technical assistance.
Session Pre-Read – A Toolkit for Community Responder Programs
Mobile Crisis in Portland, Oregon
Jackie Thomson works for Cascadia Health as their Senior Director of Crisis Services where she oversees Project Respond, mobile crisis team, and Urgent Walk-in Clinic (UWIC). After earning her Master of Social Work degree in 2013, Jackie working in homeless services in Spokane, then made the decision to move to Portland, where she got the opportunity to join Cascadia Behavioral Health and help develop the Shelter Behavioral Health Team.
Once that program was up and running, Jackie became a co-manager of Cascadia’s Project Respond, overseeing all programs under that branch. Jackie became Senior Director of Crisis Services in 2021 and now oversees all of the crisis response systems within Cascadia.
Isabelle Lanser, PhD – Research Fellow at UCLA
Jackie Thomson – director of Portland’s Project Respond
Tiffany Patton-Burnside – Chicago Department of Public Health
Steve Miccio – People USA
Steve David – Columbus Safety Collective
Raven Cruz Loaiza – Dayton Mediation Resource Unit
Keynote speakers are live and will answer questions from attendees, as will presenters during an hour-long afternoon panel discussion. Other sessions are pre-recorded. The full conference will be available for review for credit online during the month of July. A full program will be available soon.
The Law & Mental Health Conference is July 6 & 7, 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific Standard Time, and will be streamed through YouTube, including audio, video, and the chat function. A full recording of the conference will be available online to registered attendees for the full month of July 2023. Questions? Contact Conference Coordinator, Jason Renaud ~ Jason@lawconferences.org
Past Conference Speakers
2022 – Civil Commitment – Paul Appelbaum MD, Sarah Vinson MD, Nev Jones PhD, Angela Smith DNAP, CRNA, Cassidy Wilson, Robert Boruchowitz JD, Amanda J. Marshall JD, Phebe Bell MSW, David Cohen MSW, PhD, Jonathan Cantarero JD, Will Hall MA, DipPW, Shoshana Kehoe-Ehlers JD, Janet Hays, Kate Donahue JD, Bob Harris MPP & Bonnie Roy
2022 – Alternatives to Police – Ebony Morgan RN, Moki Macias, Ann Kitchen JD, Dominique Jones MA, LMFT, Jenna Cooper & Dave Thompson, Kenneth “Kensu” Carter MD, Taleed El-Sabawi JD, PhD, Laurel Lisovskis LCSW & Sara Stroo, Kaia Sand, Eric Rafla-Yuan MD, Chief Paul Pazen, Carleigh Sailon LCSW, Mariela Ruiz-Angel MSW & MBA, David Harris, Amy Watson PhD, Ashley Krider MS, Jackson Beck & Jason Tan de Bibiana MSc.
2021 – Impact of Alcohol – Susan Cheever, David H. Jernigan PhD, Joel Ainsworth, Andrew Dyke PhD, Linda L. Chezem JD, Don Coyhis, Paul A. Gilbert PhD, Tiffany Hall, Bruce Lee Livingston MPP, Mike Marshall, Nandita Murukutla PhD, Rebecca Perl, Timothy S. Naimi MD & MPH, Alicia Sparks PhD & MPH, Mike Tobias, Cassandra Tourre MPA.
2020 – Ebony Clarke LCSW, Alison Bort JD & PhD, Joe Biel, Mellani Calvin, Faith Harper PhD, Joseph Green, Suzie Kuerschner MEd, Brian Lindstrom, John Mullin, Anne Larson, Emily Cooper JD, Ivanova Smith, Thaddeus Betz JD, Sgt. Amy King, Melissa Fisher, Bruce Miller MD.
2019 – Bob Joondeph JD, Sandra Luckow, Billy Williams JD, Kevin Rau, Janet L. Holland LCSW, Ellen Ganley, Karen Perdue, Emily Cooper JD, Kim Mosolf JD, Tina Bialas, MA QMHP, CADC III, Anne-Marie Bandfield MSW, Commander Tad Larson, Undersheriff Troy Clausen, Melissa Allison JD, Sarah Radcliffe JD, Professor Aliza Kaplan JD, Mike Marshall, Michelle R. Guyton PhD, ABPP, Alexander Millkey PsyD, Laurie Robertson, Jonathan Meyer JD, J.P. Anderson
2018 – Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, Judge Pat Wolke, Tamara Sale MA, Leticia Sainz LPC, Bob Joondeph JD, Sarah Radcliffe JD, Eric Martin MAC, CADC III, PRC, CPS, Joan Ayala MSW, Sean Syrek PSS, Edward Jones JD, Judge Heather Karabeika, Judge Cindee Matayas, Sid Moore JD, Rabbi Ariel Stone, Jo Ann Hardesty, Mark Schorr LPC, Cynthia Fowler MD, Jeffrey Howe JD, Mandy Davis LCSW, PhD, Natasha Tracy, Octavio Choi MD, PhD, Sheriff Mike Reese, Chief Deputy Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell, Chief Ron Louie MPA, Chief Pete Kerns, Brian Lindstrom
2017 – Elyn Saks PhD, JD, Libby Stuyt MD, Judge Juliet Britton, Stephanie Maya Lopez MD, Harris Matarazzo JD, Craig Johnson JD, Elena Balduzzi PsyD, Lynn Jones, Alex Bassos JD, Ashlee Albies JD, Kristen Chambers JD, Rev. Dr. T. Allen Bethel, Sheriff Jason Myers, Walt Beglau JD, Ann-Marie Banfield MSW, Judge Kathie Steele, Micky Logan JD, Sarah Radcliffe JD, Bob Joondeph JD, Meg Kaveny LCSW, Brenton Gicker EMT, RN, Juliana Wallace LCSW, Karen James, Chris Farentinos MD, MPH, Freda Ceaser, Janie Marsh, Johnnie Gage, Tonya Jones, Beckie Child, MSW, Doug Querin JD, LPC
Conference Sponsors and Partners for Spring 2022
Center on Behavioral Health and Justice Integration, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, Underdog Law Office, Kaiser Permanente, Multnomah County, Molina Complete Care of Arizona, Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, Multnomah County District Attorney, Oregon Council on Behavioral Health, Washington County Behavioral Health, Washington County District Attorney, Bridgeway Recovery Services, Clackamas County Behavioral Division
Conference Sponsors and Partners for 2021
Oregon Health Authority & the Oregon State Hospital, Multnomah County Behavioral Health Division, Kaiser Permanente, Ganapati Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, Central City Concern, Providence Health & Services, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, Bridgeway Recovery Services, Northwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center, Rainier Springs Hospital, Health Share of Oregon, Oregon Council for Behavioral Health, Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon, Oregon Recovers, Oregon Department of Justice, Alcohol Policy Alliance
Conference Sponsors for 2020
Multnomah County and their Mental Health & Addictions Division, Oregon Health Authority – Oregon State Hospital, Psychiatric Security Review Board, Kaiser Permanente, Oregon Health Science University – Department of Psychiatry, Providence Health & Services, Association of Community Mental Health Providers, Bridgeway Recovery, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, Central City Concern, Clackamas County Behavioral Health Division, Health Share of Oregon, Oregon Council for Behavioral Health, Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, Oregon Public Health Division, Washington County & Washington County District Attorney
Conference Sponsors for 2019
Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, Bridgeway Recovery Services, CareOregon, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, Cedar Hills Hospital, Central City Concern, Clackamas County Behavioral Health Division, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, Multnomah County Public Health Department & Mental Health & Addictions Service Division, Native American Rehabilitation Association NW, the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon State Hospital, the Oregon Public Health Department, Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, Oregon Aging & People with Disabilities, Northwest Forensic Institute LLC, Psychiatric Security Review Board, Telecare, Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
Conference Sponsors for 2018
Cedar Hills Hospital, Psychiatric Security Review Board, Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, Multnomah County Mental Health and Addiction Services Division (MHASD), Northwest Health Foundation, Columbia Community Mental Health, Mental Health Association of Portland, Central City Concern, Bridgeway Recovery Services, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, Clackamas County Behavioral Health Division, Kaiser Permanente Behavioral Health Services, Oregon Public Health Division, Northwest Forensic Institute, LLC, Multnomah County District Attorney, Oregon Department of Human Services Aging and People with Disabilities, The Oregon Center on Behavioral Health and Justice Integration, Serenity Lane, Ainsworth United Church of Christ, Teras Intervention and Counseling, Sequoia Mental Health Services, Disability Rights Oregon, Mental Health Association of Oregon, Northwest Housing Alternatives, Unity Center and Legacy Health, Harris Matarazzo, JD, Philip Shapiro, MD, Clackamas County District Attorney, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, Washington Count District Attorney
Conference Sponsors for 2017
American Psychiatric Nurses Association – Oregon Chapter, Association of Community Mental Health Programs, Cedar Hills Hospital, Central City Concern, Mental Health Association of Portland, Mid-Valley Behavioral Care Network, Multnomah County District Attorney, Multnomah County Mental Health & Addiction Services Division, NW Forensic Institute, LLC, Oregon DHS – Seniors and People with Disabilities, OHSU Department of Psychiatry, Providence Health, Psychiatric Security Review Board, Unity Center for Behavioral Health