Creating a Trauma Informed Court through Servant Leadership: The Role of the Judge

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Creating a Trauma Informed Court through Servant
Leadership The Role of the Judge

• Judge Kim Berkeley Clark

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Servant Leadership

• The servant-leader is servant first It begins
  with the natural feeling that one wants to serve,
  to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one
  to aspire to lead.

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My Journey

• Getting Hooked on FGDM
• Culture Change
• Paradigm Shift
• Servant Leader

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Why are they here?

• Abused Neglected
• Children Removed
• TPR Hearing
• Domestic Violence
• Arrested Accused
• Victim of Crime
• Divorce
• Custody
• Support

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• TRAUMA!!

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On the Road to Becoming a Trauma-Informed Court
through Servant Leadership 10 Recommended Changes
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Be Humble
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RESPECT!Overarching theme Promoting Dignity
Respect within the Family Division
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• Too many people see leadership as the right to
  dominate rather than the responsibility to
  serve.

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• Embrace Teamwork

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Encourage
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Set Examples
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Communicate Effectively
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Speak Softly, but Carry a Big Stick
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Get Off the Bench (or Out of the Office)!
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Walk in Their Shoes(But for the Grace of God)
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TRAUMA AUDIT

• Allegheny County selected to be a Model Court
  through NCJFCJ
• Pre-survey of Stakeholders (200)
• Site Visit October of 2014

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SITE VISIT

• Observation of Physical Facility
• Courtroom Observation
• Focus Groups Interviews

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Developing and implementing a trauma-specific
  policy and protocol

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Adopting a universal precautions model throughout
  the court
• system

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Identifying trauma-focused, evidence-based
  providers and community resources in Allegheny
  County

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Developing and implementing a written
  trauma-specific policy for employees faced with
  secondary trauma or burnout.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Developing and integrating a trauma screening
  tool

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Providing a brief explanation of the purpose of
  the court hearing

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Making an effort to schedule hearings and other
  court appearances at the convenience of families
  and children

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Increasing security monitoring in the courthouse
  waiting areas

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Increasing safety measures in the courtrooms

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Increasing the security presence in the PFA
  waiting areas
• Having separate check-in areas for plaintiffs and
  defendants in PFA cases

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Making the courthouse and certain courtrooms more
  child-friendly and family-friendly

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Providing training to all court stakeholders on
  cultural and implicit bias competency

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Implementing a court-wide signage and court forms
  renovation initiative

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Modifying courtroom doors and windows to reduce
  noise during court hearing

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Developing a policy and practice to reduce staff
  traffic during court hearings

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Designating attorney/client consultation rooms on
  each courthouse floor

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WHAT WEVE DONE

• Motivational Interviewing Training for Judges
  Judicial Officers
• Exit Survey
• Training on Implicit Bias Cultural Competence
  (ongoing)
• Changes in Website
• Changes in scheduling practices (ongoing)

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WHAT WERE IMPLEMENTING

• Developing a policy and practice to reduce staff
  traffic during court hearings signage for
  courtroom doors
• Mediation prior to adjudication
• Creating a video to explain the court process
  etc.

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WHAT WERE IMPLEMENTING

• Major renovations to the PFA Department to
  increase safety and reduce trauma including
• Separate check-in areas
• Private space for confidential communications
  with lawyers and advocates and to complete
  lethality assessments
• Play area/child-care area within the Unit
• Secure doors

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WHAT WERE CONSIDERING

• Commendation letters other rewards
• Therapy/comfort dogs

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RESULTS (SO FAR)

• Peaceful Hearings
• Parties thank/compliment CWs JPOs
• I get hugs
• People show up on time!
• Virtually no appeals 201010 20117 20129
  20136 20145
• 20151 APPEAL!!

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Servant Leader

• Are others highest priority needs being served?
• Do those served grow as persons?
• Do those served become healthier safer, more
  capable?

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Who Benefits?

• Children Families
• The Community
• Taxpayers

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ME!!!!!
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• All are WELCOME!

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Caring for persons, the more able and the less
able serving each other, is the rock upon which a
good society is built. If a better society is to
be built, one that is more just and more loving,
one that provides greater creative opportunity
for its people
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then the most open course is to raise both the
capacity to serve and the very performance as
servant of existing major institutions by new
regenerative forces operating within them." The
Institution as Servant, Robert K. Greenleaf
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Thank You!!

• It Has Been
• An Honor
• A Privilege

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The Paradoxes of Servant Leadership

• For a copy of this poem please go to the
  following website
• decker.typepad.com/the-paradoxes-of-servant-leader
  ship.html

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Contact Judge Clark

• Judge Kim Berkeley Clark
• Family Law CenterSuite 5059
• 440 Ross Street
• Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (U.S.A.)
• 412 350-0269
• kim.clark_at_alleghenycourts.us