Calendar

Credible messenger mentors are individuals who share lived experience with the youth they are mentoring, traditionally those impacted by the juvenile-justice system. Join our webinar, “The Credible Messenger Model: A Transformative Approach to Mentoring” to learn more about this innovative, community-based, and justice-centered model. Pioneers of the movement will discuss credible messenger mentoring’s history, and how they see this model evolving and fitting into the broader mentoring landscape. We will explore what distinguishes credible messenger mentoring from other mentoring models, alongside how mentoring practitioners can incorporate it into their own programming.

It is important for child welfare stakeholders to be up to date on changes to law and policy that affect Child in Need of Care (CINC) cases. The 2023 Legislative Session did not see as many changes to Louisiana Children’s Code Title VI as the 2022 Legislative Session. Yet, there were some relevant amendments to laws affecting the families that we serve. Kathy Lynn Cook, Deputy General Counsel for Mental Health Advocacy Service/Child Advocacy Program, and Richard Pittman, Director of Juvenile Defender Services for the Louisiana Public Defender Board, will help us understand these new provisions. In addition, they will refresh our recollection about the significant changes to Title VI that were made in 2022 as part of Act 272.
Speakers:
- Kathy Lynn Cook, J.D., M.A., C.W.L.S.,* Deputy General Counsel, Mental Health
Advocacy Service/Child Advocacy Program - Richard M. Pittman, J.D., C.W.L.S.,* Deputy Public Defender, Director of Juvenile Defender Services, Louisiana Public Defender Board
*Child Welfare Law Specialist, Certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children
Agenda:
12-12:25pm 2023 Legislative Updates
12:25-12:50pm 2022 Legislative Refreshers
12:50-1:00pm Questions & Discussion
Objectives:
- Understand the 2023 legislative changes that impact Child in Need of Care cases and the families served by child welfare stakeholders.
- Gain more familiarity with specific 2022 legislative changes to Title VI of the Louisiana Children’s Code.
This training is free and is designed for all judges, private adoption attorneys, adoption agencies, clerks of court, foster parents, social workers, educators, faith-based leaders and child welfare stakeholders.

We are pleased to invite you to government-to-government Tribal consultations and accompanying listening sessions with the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) on OJJDP priorities, proposed regulations, and how OJJDP funding can best support Tribes to enhance and expand efforts to prevent and reduce delinquency and improve juvenile justice systems.
Each Consultation session will be immediately followed by a listening session for those other than Tribal leaders to weigh in on the topics.
During the Consultation, Tribal Leaders will be called in the order in which their registration is received. During the Listening Session, others interested to speak will be called in the order in which their registration is received.
A reminder email will be sent to all registrants during the week of the session, and it will include the order of speakers for each portion of the session.