Judicial
Important Information
Child Welfare Law Specialist Certification - Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) certification is a professional achievement that signifies an attorney’s specialized knowledge, skill, and verified expertise in the field of child welfare law. The specialization area is defined as “the practice of law representing children, parents … Read More
Louisiana CINC Benchbook - The Court Improvement Program of the Louisiana Supreme Court, Louisiana Judicial College, and Pelican Center for Children and Families is delighted to announce the publication of the Louisiana Child in Need of Care Benchbook for Juvenile Judges. The Benchbook project is a … Read More
Upcoming Events
The program consists of nine 2 hour sessions. Applicants must register for the entire 9-week program. The training program will offer participating professionals the opportunity to acquire or enhance the competencies, skills and insights necessary to effectively work with children and families in the child welfare system. Please see course descriptions and course presenters below. All nine courses will be led by national experts in the field of child welfare and child maltreatment.
Event Details Coming Soon!
March 5th: Block Physical Abuse: Solutions presented by Stacie LeBlanc, JD, MEd, FAPSAC
March 12th: Baffling, Bizarre, Beyond Belief Child Abuse Cases presented by Debra Esernio-Jenssen, MD, FAAP & Barbara Knox, MD
Resources
(FRIDAY) March 21st: Bogus Physical Abuse: Mimics of Maltreatment presented by Michelle Greene, DO
Resources
March 26th: Brains: Abusive Head Trauma presented by Randell Alexander, MD, PhD
Resources
April 2nd: Burns: Pediatric Burns and Their Medical Mimics in Child Maltreatment presented by Lauren Burge, MD
Resources
April 9th: Bull: Medical Child Abuse: Detecting, Surviving and Healing from Unprecedented Bull presented by Rebecca Gill, MD, Jordyn Hope & Brian Fleming
April 16th: Bones/Fractures presented by Dr. Adrienne Atzemis
April 23rd: Brains and Backlash: Medical Diagnosis, Legal Controversies, and Prevention Strategies for Abusive Head Trauma presented by Vincent J. Palusci, MD, MS, FAAP, FAPSAC
Resources
April 30th: Bruises and other Boo-Boos: Skin Injury presented by Dr. Adrienne Atzemis
Join the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) in Boston for their 2025 National Conference on Juvenile Justice. The conference will feature amazing presentations on current and cutting edge topics that will inspire you, broaden your knowledge, and provoke discussions about issues facing the juvenile and family court system.
Parenting is challenging, particularly when you are parenting a child from a hard place. TBRI ® Empowering Principles will provide an in-depth look at ways to empower your children by meeting their unique physical needs and creating an environment in which they can succeed. This session includes information on sensory processing and practical tools and skills to help children regulate their emotions and behaviors. This multi-disciplinary training is designed to give caregivers, volunteers, and professionals who serve children and families the knowledge and practical skills they need to bring hope and healing.
Join us for an enlightening session on “Identifying and Providing Mental Health Services for At-Risk Children,” hosted by the Louisiana Children’s Trust Fund. This virtual event is designed for educators, mental health professionals, attorneys, caregivers, and community members dedicated to supporting the mental well-being of vulnerable children. Our speakers will provide information about the challenges faced by at-risk children, the signs of mental health issues, and the most effective methods for providing the necessary support and services. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the mental health needs of at-risk children and practical strategies to ensure they receive the care they deserve.
Parenting is challenging, particularly when you are parenting a child from a hard place. Children from hard places include children who experienced distress in the womb or during delivery, were hospitalized early in life, were abused or neglected, or experience trauma, whether natural or man-made. Trust-Based Relational Intervention® Introduction & Overview will focus on understanding the meaning of child behaviors, the brain chemistry of a child from a hard place, and how to help children and families heal and connect. This multi-disciplinary training is designed to give caregivers, volunteers, and professionals who serve children and families the knowledge and practical skills they need to bring hope and healing.
Whole Health Louisiana is the state’s cross-sector initiative intended to systematically address, mitigate, and prevent childhood adversity within our systems of care and support sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Health and the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center.
Speakers
Robert Hines, MSPH, CQIA – Robert Hines is the Deputy Director for Planning and Performance at the Louisiana Department of Health. He is an Experienced Staff Analyst and Quality Improvement Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the field of public health. Hines has a Master of Science in Public Health with a focus on Tropical Medicine from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Kenyatta Royal – Kenyatta Royal currently serves as the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Implementation Manager with the Bureau of Planning and Performance. She is a native of New Orleans, LA, and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health, specializing in Community Health Education, from Dillard University. With over a decade of experience in public health, she has focused on programs addressing critical issues such as HIV/AIDS, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, and Tobacco Control.
In 2023, the Louisiana Legislature created the Office of Child Ombudsman within the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office. The definition of an “ombudsman” is a person who investigates, reports on, and helps settle complaints.
The Louisiana Child Ombudsman acts as an independent ombudsman monitoring and evaluating the public and private agencies involved in the protection of children and delivery of services to children; reviews state policies and procedures to ensure they protect children’s rights and promote their best interest; and safeguards the welfare of children through educational advocacy, system reform, public awareness, and training.
Anyone who has concerns regarding Louisiana’s child services programs in state agencies can contact the Ombudsman. These state agencies include the Department of Children & Family Services, Office of Juvenile Justice, Department of Education, and Louisiana Department of Health.
Kathleen Stewart Richey is the state’s first Child Ombudsman. She will explain the requirements of the legislation and its application. She will also provide information about the first published report since the creation of the position.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about the law establishing Louisiana’s first Child Ombudsman.
- Understand how the requirements of the program will be implemented.
SPEAKERS
Kathleeen Stewart Richey, J.D., State of Louisiana Child Ombudsman, Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office
Kathleen Stewart Richey joined the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office in October 2023 as the first Child Ombudsman for the State of Louisiana. Prior to joining the LLA, Kathleen served as a juvenile court judge in East Baton Rouge Parish for 24 years and has extensive experience and training in both the child welfare system and the legal system.
Kathleen began her career as an attorney representing children in child dependency and delinquency matters. During that time, she served on the Children’s Code Project Committee, which drafted the Louisiana law regarding children’s issues. In 1991, Kathleen became the first Juvenile Judge in East Baton Rouge Parish. She served in that role for twenty-four years and was instrumental in establishing Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), for the capital area. Her decades of experience, knowledge and service as a proven and dedicated advocate for the well-being of all children makes her the perfect choice as the state’s first Child Ombudsman.
Parenting is challenging, particularly when you are parenting a child from a hard place. TBRI ® Empowering Principles will provide an in-depth look at ways to empower your children by meeting their unique physical needs and creating an environment in which they can succeed. This session includes information on sensory processing and practical tools and skills to help children regulate their emotions and behaviors. This multi-disciplinary training is designed to give caregivers, volunteers, and professionals who serve children and families the knowledge and practical skills they need to bring hope and healing.
Parenting is challenging, particularly when you are parenting a child from a hard place. TBRI® Connecting Principles will provide and in-depth look at connection and attachment and will give you strategies and skills for helping children and families heal. This multi-disciplinary training is designed to give caregivers, volunteers, and professionals who serve children and families the knowledge and practical skills they need to bring hope and healing.
The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s prompted educators and health and human services professionals to develop cultural competence. The belief was, if the mostly white practitioners increased their knowledge of diverse racial and ethnic groups’ values and customs, they could improve the delivery of services to diverse populations. While cultural competence was a step in the right direction, it inadvertently reinforced and created stereotypes about cultural practices and experiences that fell short of achieving its goal of supporting culturally sensitive service delivery.
In this two-part training session, participants will learn the importance of cultural humility: suspending cultural assumptions and, instead, embracing individuals’ personal definitions and expressions of culture. Participants will explore cultural humility by defining their own personal culture using a myriad of identity factors (e.g., skin color, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and ability) and determining whether those identity factors place them in privileged or marginalized groups, or both. They will learn how the intersections of various identity factors create a unique cultural experience for every individual and how these intersections result in systemic power differentials and complex experiences of oppression. Finally, they will apply their cultural identity to the framework of the Cage of Oppression and, using the example of lookism, evaluate how existing power structures impact their lives and the lives of those they serve. By recognizing the societal effects of intersectionality, participants will be challenged to incorporate cultural humility in their personal and professional interactions.