Summer Webinar Series

Register for the 2025 Summer Webinar Series!

In June, July, and August 2025, the JCMH will host three webinars on topics related to IDD Law. Topics and registration information are listed below. We look forward to seeing you there!

One hour of CLE credit has been approved for each session.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025: IDD 101 and the Community Safety Net

Watch the webinar replay HERE!

CLE #: 174283840

The presentation will discuss diagnostic eligibility criteria, define local IDD authorities’ role as safety net providers, and explore community-based services. As a transition into the next webinar topic, this presentation will conclude with a discussion on factors contributing to an increased presence of IDD individuals in the criminal justice system, and the need for IDD deflection as a more therapeutic, humane approach.

Presenters:

Dr. Evanthe Collins is the Vice President of the IDD Services Division and Agency Grants & State Contracts at The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, where she has served since 1996. With a career dedicated to innovation and strategic planning, she has held multiple leadership roles that advanced services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Collins holds an Ed.D. in Counselor Education from Texas Southern University, along with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in counseling and psychology, respectively. She has presented nationally on topics such as trauma-informed care and stigma in mental health. A committed community advocate, Dr. Collins also serves on various boards and committees focused on housing, services, and policy for individuals with IDD.

Laura Golden is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist in the state of Texas. She is the System Director of Transition and Teaming at MHMR of Tarrant County, which provides services and support to people of all ages with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Tarrant County. She is a member of the Transition Support Team, which supports Betty Hardwick Center, Center for Life Resources, Helen Farabee Centers, and Pecan Valley Centers. Areas of expertise include intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, trauma, and dementia.

Watch the webinar replay HERE!

CLE #: 174285092

This presentation is focused on the legal and clinical considerations involved in the civil commitment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to State Supported Living Centers (SSLCs) in Texas. Erin Lawler covers the role of Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authorities (LIDDAs). She explains how interdisciplinary team evaluations are conducted, how placement recommendations are developed, and what recent legislative changes mean for practice in the field. Beth Mitchell provides an overview of the legal framework governing civil commitments to SSLCs. She covers statutory requirements under Chapter 593 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, due process protections for individuals, and key judicial findings necessary for a lawful commitment.

Presenters:

Beth Mitchell has worked at Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), the federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organization for Texas that protects and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, since graduating from the University of Miami School of Law in 1991. Beth currently serves as Litigation Coordinator at DRTx and also briefly oversaw the agency’s Residential Child Care Monitoring team, which monitors the State’s compliance with the federal court order in M.D. v. Abbott regarding the treatment of foster youth in Texas.

For more than three decades, Beth has led DRTx’s Institutional Rights and Civil Liberties team, focusing on representing individuals with mental illness and intellectual disabilities in securing community-based services and protecting their rights while institutionalized in psychiatric hospitals, state supported living centers, juvenile justice facilities, and jails and prisons. Her work has spanned impact litigation, administrative advocacy, policy and rulemaking, systemic monitoring, and legislative engagement.

Erin Lawler is the Chief of System Policy with the Texas Council of Community Centers. She is a licensed attorney and healthcare policy expert, whose career has focused on long-term services and supports for specialty populations.

Register HERE for the August 20th webinar!

This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of the legal and clinical landscape for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) who are found incompetent to stand trial. Panelists will discuss the types of commitments permitted under Article 46B of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and how they differ from those involving individuals with mental illness, including the legal determination of incompetency, options after failed restoration attempts, and next steps when restoration is unlikely. They will also address legal and clinical considerations when confinement in a State Supported Living Center (SSLC) is no longer appropriate. The session will include an overview of forensic services provided at SSLCs, with a focus on the competency restoration program and curriculum. Attendees will also learn about the range of treatments and services available to individuals at SSLCs who have forensic commitments.

Presenters:

Dr. Dawna Campbell is the Director of State Supported Living Center (SSLC) Forensic Psychological Services for the Office of Forensic Services and Coordination (OFSC). Dr. Campbell works collaboratively with the OFSC team members to provide direction and guidance in the strategic operation and planning of forensic services for the SSLCs. She also provides support to the SSLCs for conducing high-risk determinations for alleged offender residents, conducts forensic competency assessments and other psychological assessments as needed for the facilities, provides court testimony as necessary, and offers outside clinical forensic consultation and training in the best practices for treating individuals with intellectual and developmental disorders and forensic involvement for SSLC staff and partner organizations.

Beth Mitchell has worked at Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), the federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organization for Texas that protects and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, since graduating from the University of Miami School of Law in 1991. Beth currently serves as Litigation Coordinator at DRTx and also briefly oversaw the agency’s Residential Child Care Monitoring team, which monitors the State’s compliance with the federal court order in M.D. v. Abbott regarding the treatment of foster youth in Texas.

For more than three decades, Beth has led DRTx’s Institutional Rights and Civil Liberties team, focusing on representing individuals with mental illness and intellectual disabilities in securing community-based services and protecting their rights while institutionalized in psychiatric hospitals, state supported living centers, juvenile justice facilities, and jails and prisons. Her work has spanned impact litigation, administrative advocacy, policy and rulemaking, systemic monitoring, and legislative engagement.

Nicole Hawk is the Director of Capacity and Service Continuity, State Supported Living Centers, HHSC.

2024 Summer Webinar Series

In 2024, the JCMH hosted three webinars that focused on various aspects of Competency Restoration Law. Each webinar has been approved for 1 hour of CLE credit. 

Watch the webinar

Webinar Resources

The Competency Restoration process can be complicated. In this webinar, you will learn the laws and best practices relating to Competency Restoration and then apply them to real case studies from four mental health law experts.

CLE #: 174239816

Presenters

Lee Pierson obtained his B.B.A. from Texas Christian University in 1991, and then graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1994. Following the bar exam, he practiced as an Assistant City Attorney in both Arlington and Wichita Falls, and later branched out into private practice practicing primarily in the areas of criminal defense and family law, with some civil litigation. Mr. Pierson ran his own practice for 9 years before joining the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office in 2011 as a misdemeanor prosecutor. He has been the Chief of the Mental Health Division since 2015.

Vickie Rice is the Special Programs Division Chief of the Dallas County Public Defender's Office; she oversees critical segments, including the Mental Health Division, Engagement Division, Bond Division, and Specialty Courts. Ms. Rice earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of South Carolina and furthered her academic journey by obtaining a Juris Doctorate Degree from Tulane Law School. After completing law school, Ms. Rice embarked on a remarkable career, beginning as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Kosta Vlahos, Senior Circuit Court Judge for Harrison, Hancock, and Stone counties in Mississippi. In 2002, Ms. Rice made the pivotal move to Dallas, where she has since been an integral part of the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office.

Kendall McKimmey is the Deputy Chief of the Mental Health Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Ms. McKimmey graduated in 2003 from Texas Wesleyan Law School and began her career as a criminal defense attorney. She practiced in the private sector in Dallas for 10 years before joining the DA’s Office in 2013.

Jason Foster has been a licensed attorney for 16 years and has been with the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office for over 5 years. He worked in the Dallas County Specialty Court Division within the Public Defender’s Office prior to being assigned to the Mental Health and Competency Restoration Program.

Watch the webinar

Webinar Resources

The demand for inpatient Competency Restoration services greatly exceeds the capacity of the state hospital system. Jonathan Lemuel will teach you how to use Jail-Based Competency Restoration services and court-ordered medications to restore individuals to competency locally and reduce the burden on the state hospitals.

Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

CLE #: 174241955

Presenter

Jonathan Lemuel is the Director of Jail Diversion at Bluebonnet Trails Community Services (BTCS) and has worked for this organization for 19 years. BTCS serves as the Local Mental Health Authority for eight central Texas counties: Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Lee and Williamson. Jonathan’s primary responsibilities include liaising between BTCS and local jails by facilitating the discharge of inmates whose offenses are a direct result of mental health symptoms. Jonathan provides training for Law Enforcement Jailers and Local Bar Associations. In addition to these tasks, he oversees and facilitates continuity of care for BTCS patients at State Hospitals, coordinating aftercare once a person is released from the hospital.

Watch the webinar

Webinar Resources

Sometimes, a person is deemed not competent to stand trial and unlikely to be restored to competency in the future. Join us as Hon. Nelda Cacciotti and Alice Taylor outline what treatment options are available for the individual and what legal options are available in the criminal case.

Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

CLE #: 174240799

Presenters

Hon. Nelda Cacciotti is an Assistant Criminal District Attorney for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and is the Chief of the Mental Health Unit. Prior to taking this position in January 2023, she served 8 years as Judicial Staff Counsel/Mental Health Magistrate for the Tarrant County Criminal Courts. Ms. Cacciotti began her criminal law practice as a trial prosecutor for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. She is a graduate of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now Texas A&M University School of Law) and of St. Edward’s University.

Alice Taylor, M.A., LPC serves as the Outpatient Competency Restoration Program Manager for My Health My Resources of Tarrant County. Since joining the organization in 2015, she has been instrumental in assisting clients and their families with competency concerns, guiding them from initial incompetency determinations to case disposition and reintegration into the community. A graduate of Texas Wesleyan University, Alice is committed to supporting individuals through significant life changes and values her role in facilitating positive transformations in their lives.