Court Personnel Training
Grantee: NYS Unified Courts System
Project Goal:
This project will work to improve the capacity of the NY Court Systems to serve people with developmental disabilities. Many officials and professionals who encounter individuals with IDD are only tangentially aware of the needs and circumstances of this population. Even those who have a greater awareness of the general issue are largely uninitiated on current best practices. This project will work to educate court personnel across the state.
Project Summary:
As part of this 3-year initiative, The New York State Unified Court System’s Office for Justice Initiatives (OJI) and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) will partner to develop and pilot training series for family court judges, court attorneys, court officers, court clerks, and probation officers. This training will help court personnel better understand the needs of people with IDD and help them to better serve the community.
Key Activities:
- Do an assessment to understand needs and gaps for people with IDD interacting with the courts system.
- Create a training for court personnel that will increase knowledge around the needs and best practices for the IDD population
- Pilot the training in each of the four judicial departments (based in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York County (Manhattan), Albany County, and Monroe County (Rochester)
- Update an improve trainings based on pilot experience.
- Compile a final Sustainability Plan for the CDD, which includes identification of specific strategies to sustain the program beyond the life of the grant.
Total Funding: $450,000
Project Length: 3 years
Project Start: January 1, 2026
Geographic Reach: Statewide
Current Status: Active