The Honorable Ruben Reyes
1964-2020
The Honorable Ruben Reyes, beloved former NADCP board chair and longtime treatment court judge and champion, passed away on Saturday, December 12, 2020 following complications related to Covid-19. This tragic loss is being mourned across the nation, from Lubbock, Texas, where Judge Reyes served as state district judge and presided over adult drug court, to courtrooms around the world that benefited from his ongoing commitment to improving the justice system’s response to substance use and mental health disorders.
“It is impossible to state the magnitude of this loss,” said NADCP CEO Carson Fox. “Judge Reyes was a monumental figure not only in the Texas judiciary but in the treatment court movement. His compassion saved countless lives, and his vision and tireless commitment to improving the justice system was heroic. As chair of the NADCP board of directors, Judge Reyes helped strengthen the organization with his thoughtful leadership. But what I’ll miss most about Judge Reyes was his unrivaled integrity and kindness. He saw the good in people and treated everyone with respect and dignity. This is a tragic loss, and all of us at NADCP will strive to carry on the values he so profoundly personified.”
In addition to serving on the Texas Association of Specialty Courts, Judge Reyes was president of the Council of State Drug Court Associations from 2012 to 2013, where he led the successful effort to increase federal funding for treatment courts. Judge Reyes joined the NADCP board of directors in 2010 and served as board chair from 2015 to 2017. Like in treatment court, Judge Reyes led NADCP by example, with kindness, wit, and an abiding determination to press forward. He never lost sight of the lives at stake, and his example is one that NADCP will always strive to equal. For his incredible service, Judge Reyes was inducted into NADCP’s Stanley Goldstein Treatment Court Hall of Fame in 2018.
Ruben Reyes was always a leader. He was the first of his family to graduate high school, going on to complete his undergraduate degree at Yale and his law degree at Baylor University. Following a career in private practice, he was appointed judge of the 72nd District Court of Lubbock and Crosby counties by Governor Rick Perry in 2006. It was behind the bench that Judge Reyes found his calling. In addition to his regular caseload, Judge Reyes presided over adult drug court, a program he led with humility and grace. In 2012, Judge Reyes was named chair of the Texas Governor’s Criminal Justice Advisory Council, where he helped lead the state’s expansion of treatment courts and other reforms.
Judge Reyes was active in the Lubbock community. He was a mentor to younger jurists, active in his church, and known to give freely of his time to causes that support individuals in need. He was the recipient of numerous awards for his service.
In a recent interview, Judge Reyes reflected on his life and career: “I think it’s up to every one of us every day to try and make everybody else’s world a little bit better. Whether it’s a kind eye, a courtesy, or something big…if we’d all be diligent about being good to each other every day, I think that would be a good reflection of Ruben.” Let us take these words to heart.
Remembrances can be posted on our All Rise Facebook page.
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New Toolkit: National Impaired Driving Prevention Month
Raise awareness for impaired driving prevention and your program in December
December is Impaired Driving Prevention Month and a critical time for your DWI court to engage and educate your community. Awareness is key to reducing the impaired driving epidemic, and your treatment court can help. Download your newly redesigned toolkit from NADCP’s National Center For DWI Courts to find out how!
Inside the toolkit you’ll find:
- Ideas for safe events to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving and to educate your community on how DWI courts are making a difference
- Tips for engaging your local media and elected officials
- Sample social media posts and op-ed
- Ideas for keeping your participants safe during the holiday season
- And much more!
We encourage you to share what your program is doing on social media! Tag us on Twitter @_allrise_ or on Facebook @AllRise.org
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Webinar: Military Leadership Principles in Veterans Treatment Courts
Join the webinar: Nov. 23 | 2:00 p.m. ET
NADCP’s Justice For Vets is presenting a webinar on applying the principles of military leadership to veterans treatment court programs.
Led by retired U.S. Army Major General Clyde “Butch” Tate, this webinar addresses the core principles of military leadership and how to apply them successfully to veterans treatment court teams and participants. Attendees will learn to identify and describe leadership do’s and don’ts when working with justice-involved veterans and how to apply these principles in treatment courts. This is a must-attend event for veterans treatment court practitioners in any role!
About the speaker: Major General Clyde “Butch” Tate (retired)
Major General Tate is NADCP’s chief counsel. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2014 as deputy judge advocate general, one of the branch’s top two military attorneys. An expert in veteran and military law policy, Tate also advises other organizations that connect veterans and their families with other veterans, community partners, and government services.
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Justice For Vets Launches Veterans Treatment Court Academy
Schedule one-on-one virtual office hours with veterans treatment court experts
Veterans Treatment Court Academy is now open! This new resource from NADCP’s Justice For Vets offers interactive learning tools from seasoned experts on topics critical to treating and caring for veterans in treatment court settings.
Veterans Treatment Court Academy is offering virtual office hours with veteran support experts November 5 and 6. Schedule your appointment today!
Just like a professor in college, virtual office hours allow practitioners to schedule one-on-one discussion time with experts and receive individualized, confidential instruction via video chat or conference call.
Schedule your appointment now with Justice For Vets Director Scott Tirocchi and Project Director David Pelletier to answer any question on veterans treatment court issues, including:
- Trauma
- Mental health
- Recovery support
- Behavior modification
- Sustainability
- And more!
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Apply Now to Help Build Recovery Capital in Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts
Application deadline: Friday, November 20
NADCP is thrilled to announce an exciting new project to help participants and families in juvenile drug treatment courts (JDTCs) build recovery capital. The Adolescent Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (AROSC) Project is a multi-year endeavor for JDTCs that want to lead the field in applying the principles of recovery capital to improve operations and enhance positive youth development. This project is funded through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
How does it work?
NADCP will select six JDTC programs to participate in the AROSC project through a competitive application process. The selected programs will be asked to re-envision operations through a recovery-oriented lens. Each team will be assigned an NADCP coach over the two-year project. Coaches will engage in site visits and support teams through training, technical assistance, strategic planning, and networking with other AROSC sites to help each court align operations with the recovery capital model.
Is my JDTC eligible?
Your JDTC is encouraged to apply if it meets the minimum criteria below:
- Has been operational for at least three (3) years
- Accepts participants diagnosed with substance use disorder
- All core JDTC team members agree to participate
- Can identify and describe local, youth-oriented recovery resources
- Has support from administration and other decision-makers
- Is willing to engage in change processes and measure outcomes
NADCP is now accepting applications, and the application deadline is November 20, 2020. Don’t wait, just six spots are available!
Apply now
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Celebrate Veterans Day in Your Treatment Court
Justice For Vets Veterans Day 2020 toolkit – available for download now
Veterans Day is an opportunity for treatment courts to pause and recognize the service of members of the U.S. armed forces, past and present. NADCP’s Justice For Vets assembled a toolkit full of ideas for programs to safely recognize and celebrate Veterans Day – Wednesday, November 11.
November is the ideal time for veterans treatment courts to engage their community. This toolkit contains a wealth of resources to help you plan and execute events, as well as educate your elected officials and the media. In addition, Veterans Day can bring up mixed emotions or usher in a difficult holiday season for some veterans in your program. For these reasons, we have also included tips on ensuring your staff, participants, and mentors have the support they need.
We encourage you to share what your program is doing on social media. Tag us on Twitter @Justice4Vets or on Facebook @JusticeForVets.org!
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Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts: Your Questions Answered
Schedule your one-on-one video conference October 26 or 27
NADCP’s National Drug Court Institute Drug Court U is hosting virtual office hours to answer your questions on juvenile drug treatment courts! Schedule a one-on-one virtual appointment with Dr. Jacqueline van Wormer, NDCI’s director of juvenile training and technical assistance.
Whether you have an established juvenile drug treatment court program or are looking to start one, Dr. van Wormer can help!
Reserve your appointment now! Times are limited.
Just like office hours in college, Drug Court U offers treatment court practitioners the opportunity to schedule one-on-one discussion time with experts and receive individualized, confidential instruction via video chat or conference call.
About Dr. van Wormer
Jacqueline van Wormer is the director of juvenile training and technical assistance at NADCP. Before this appointment, she was an assistant professor at Whitworth University and Washington State University. She has held various positions in the criminal justice field, including serving as the Spokane regional criminal justice administrator and as the coordinator for both the adult and juvenile drug programs in Benton and Franklin counties.
Dr. van Wormer has trained and lectured extensively on issues related to treatment courts and pretrial reform. She has worked with hundreds of planning and operational therapeutic court teams to offer technical assistance, facilitation, and training. She has also written extensively on juvenile drug treatment courts, risk/need tool development, detention alternatives, effective treatment options for offenders, and collaboration among social service agencies. Dr. van Wormer received her Ph.D. in 2010 from Washington State University.
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Last Chance to Register for RISE20 Virtual On Demand
Deadline to register: October 31, 2020
Time is running out to access RISE20 Virtual On Demand! Earn up to 60 hours of continuing education credit while learning from our most sought-after presenters as they share their expertise on topics critical to your program.
Here’s what you need to know:
- The deadline to register and receive access to the full suite of RISE20 Virtual sessions is October 31, 2020. Registration must be paid in full by October 31 to receive access!
- All content will remain available in the virtual platform until January 31, 2021.
Questions? Email registration@allrise.org.
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Improving Client Outcomes: Using Core Correctional Practices in Treatment Courts
October 21 or November 12; 2:00 p.m. Eastern
NADCP is pleased to present a webinar on Core Correctional Practices on Wednesday, October 21 and will repeat it Thursday, November 12. Both events begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
The webinar will educate probation officers, case managers, treatment providers, and others working in treatment courts on the fundamentals of Core Correctional Practices (CCP). The skills developed through CCP are designed to improve team members’ relationship skills, rapport, motivational enhancement strategies, and cognitive-behavioral problem solving approaches critical to aligning with national best practice standards. While developing these skills among case managers is critical, all team members are encouraged to attend to learn how the skills can be used in various roles in the treatment court.
The one-hour webinar includes an brief overview of the research on CCP, the three main components of CCP (relationship building, motivational enhancement skills, and intervention skills), an example demonstration of one skill within each component and Q&A.
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Experts Answer Your Questions on Evaluating Your Treatment Court
Schedule your one-on-one video conference October 14 or 15
NADCP’s National Drug Court Institute Drug Court U is hosting office hours with our partners at the National Drug Court Resource Center. Get one-on-one appointments with evaluation experts Kristen DeVall, Ph.D. and Christina Lanier, Ph.D. to ask your questions about determining outcomes in your program. Appointments are available Wednesday, October 14 and Thursday, October 15.
Understanding your program’s effectiveness is important to the health and well-being of your participants. Drs. DeVall and Lanier can answer your questions about evaluability assessments, needs assessments, as well as process and outcome evaluations.
Whether your program is new to evaluating outcomes or has been doing it for years, our experts can help you!
Reserve your appointment now! Times are limited.
Just like office hours in college, Drug Court U offers treatment court practitioners the opportunity to schedule one-on-one discussion time with experts and receive individualized, confidential instruction via video chat or conference call.
About Dr. DeVall
Kristen E. DeVall received her Ph.D. in sociology from Western Michigan University in 2008. She is the co-director of the National Drug Court Resource Center and a professor of sociology and
criminology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She has conducted evaluations of numerous treatment court programs and other criminal justice initiatives in Michigan and North Carolina since 2004. She has conducted several statewide evaluations, which involved the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. In addition, she worked as a case manager for a community corrections program in Michigan for seven years. Overall, her work seeks to bridge the gap between academia and practitioners, as well as influence the development of evidence-based policies and practices.
About Dr. Lanier
Christina Lanier is the co-director of the National Drug Court Resource Center and a professor of sociology and criminology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Delaware in 2006. She has extensive experience in the area of grant writing and program evaluation. She conducts program evaluations for specialty courts in North Carolina and is a co-evaluator for a local reentry program. Other recent projects include statewide evaluations in Michigan and North Carolina. Dr. Lanier’s focus is on linking the work of researchers with practitioners to make policy and social change.
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