Presenter(s): Judge Robert Russell (ret.) is a recently retired Associate Judge for Buffalo City Court and Acting Erie County Court Judge. Presently, Russell serves as the Governor’s appointee to the New York State Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council. He has been presiding over treatment courts since 1995, having created, during the course of his tenure, Buffalo’s drug treatment court, mental health treatment court, and veterans’ treatment court. In 2008, he created and began presiding over the country’s first veterans’ treatment court. His work in the treatment court field led to his induction into the NADCP Hall of Fame and the Justice for Vets Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of the 2014 White House Advocates for Action Award, presented by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Awards of Merit from the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the Erie County Bar Association. 

Target Audience: This webcast was developed for judges—whether presiding over state, municipal, general jurisdiction, treatment/specialty courts and/or whether they are law trained or not. 

Webinar Description: This webinar will assist judges who preside over treatment courts as well as criminal courts by identifying what medically assisted treatment is available for opioid use disorders, the efficacy of such treatment, the recommended practice to incorporate this treatment component, and how to improve treatment outcomes by incorporating medically assisted treatment. 

Educational Objectives:

• Identify and describe the commonly used medication for the treatment of opioid use disorders;
• Cite why it is the recommended practice to incorporate medication for opioid use disorders;
• Gain knowledge to dispel myths and inaccuracies about medications for opioid use disorders;
• Describe how medication maintenance treatment leads to improve outcomes; and
• Recognize that federally funded treatment courts can not preclude participation because a
  person is on medically assisted treatment.

Support for the Program:
Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant no. 1H79TI081968 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.