Court Employees Present At Several Programs
![Court Employees Present At Several Programs](/media/3539/mhdd.jpg?center=0.65333333333333332,0.555&mode=crop&width=1024&height=512&rnd=133310570170000000)
A number of Court employees have recently been called upon to pass along their expertise.
Darren Toms, the Court's Community Outreach Coordinator and Public Information Officer, taught a two-day course on Public Relations at the Ohio Supreme Court June 7 and 8 (top photo). The curriculum was part of the Certified Court Executive program offered every three years by the Supreme Court via the National Center for State Court. Darren is a certified instructor for The Institute for Court Management.
The Public Relations course provides participants with tools they can use to promote community engagement and increase public trust and confidence. Among the topics that were covered were the public perception of courts, procedural justice, community engagement, and media relations. Darren was able to incorporate a number of programs and policies from our Court into the program.
MHDD Jail Liaison Specialist Lottie Gray, MHDD Court Coordinator Phil Florian, and MHDD Probation Supervisor Matthew O’Brien presented at the Ohio Chief Probation Officers Association’s 2023 Line Officer Training in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, June 8 (middle photo).
Their presentation "Mental Health Courts: What (We Think) We Know So Far" reflected on the last 20 years of mental health courts and identified best practices for community supervision of justice involved clients with mental illness.
Judge Nancy Margaret Russo and Re-Entry Court Probation Officer Chyvonne Kimbrough were asked to present at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Office of Reentry Summit 2023 at Ashland University on Friday, June 2 (bottom photo).
The Judge and Chyvonne discussed basic structure and how reentry court impacts and community support. The ODRC Office of Reentry strives to connect individuals with communities, programs and services to facilitate successful reintegration for individuals.
The Court is proud of its employees, and it's always an honor when our Judges and staff are asked to take part as instructors in these critical training programs!