Before the Court

San Mateo County Superior Court judges and court staff attend RISE24 conference in Anaheim. San Mateo County Collaborative Courts team members were among 7,000 fellow treatment court professionals at the RISE24 Conference in Anaheim on May 22. Judges and court staff were joined by representatives from San Mateo County partner agencies, including the District Attorney’s Office, Private Defender Program, Probation Department and multiple treatment providers. Hosted by All Rise since 1995, RISE is the premier training and educational conference for treatment court professionals. Two dozen team members from a diverse spectrum of professional disciplines serving the San Mateo County Superior Court’s Veterans Treatment Court, Military Diversion Program, and Multiple DUI Court attended this year’s RISE conference. Their participation was made possible by grant funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance Veteran’s Court Enhancement Project Grant (15PBJA-21-GG-04279-VTCX) and the California Office of Traffic Safety Multiple DUI Court Program Grant (AL240210). The conference offered practical, multidisciplinary content to help treatment court programs better meet the needs of veterans and those with behavioral health disorders. The sessions covered numerous aspects of treatment courts, from judicial supervision to rehabilitation services, providing a holistic view of the field in conjunction with important training on emerging science and trends. Participants had direct access to experts in treatment, evaluation, supervision and law. Additionally, the RISE24 Conference provided opportunities for exchanging ideas with peers from across the country, allowing attendees to learn how other programs employ best practices and innovative solutions to enhance collaborative court programs. San Mateo County Collaborative Courts Supervising Judge Susan Jakubowski said, “The RISE24 Conference was a unique and valuable opportunity to meet and learn from other collaborative courts and justice partners from all over the United States.” A highlight of the conference was the RISE24 Expo, which showcased the newest and most innovative services and products available to the treatment court field. Conference attendees will reconvene this summer to determine how best to implement learnings from the RISE24 Conference.

Susan E. Cohn is a member of the State Bar of California. She may be contacted at susan@smdailyjournal.com.