Recent News

September 1, 2006

School bells ring: helping students with behavioral issues

As school begins for another term, we are reminded that school districts are increasingly overwhelmed by the needs of certain students with behavioral disabilities, frequently handing them off to a juvenile justice system not equipped to meet their needs. How can we close the floodgates and stem the flow of students with disabilities into the juvenile justice system?

Kristen E. Hildebrant, an attorney for the Ohio Legal Rights Service, will conduct a 3.0 hour CLE seminar on Sept. 15 from 1:30 to 4:45 p.m. titled “Closing the Floodgates: Keeping Students with Disabilities from the Juvenile Justice System” to help public defenders, public interest attorneys, school attorneys, guardians ad litem, juvenile judges, juvenile attorneys and prosecuting attorneys find out how the role of special education may be used to divert youth from the juvenile system.

In this basic-level seminar, individuals will learn how to advocate for support and services in the school setting to increase behavioral control and limit the need for a referral to juvenile justice; educate the court about disability and advocate for the child’s return to school after a referral has been made; and identify sources of services and supports outside of the school including services for very young children and those in the custody of the state.

Find out how the schools can help the child. Investigate what special education students are entitled to from public education. Discover what a school district’s obligation is to provide behavioral support to students in the least restrictive environment. Explore the issues commonly encountered by children who are wards of the state, including the role of the surrogate parents and conflict issues.

Do not miss out on this valuable information. Register online at www.cbalaw.org or phone 614/221.4112 for event 3633. The cost is $85 prepaid/$95 day of for members, $125 prepaid/$135 day of for non-members and $55 prepaid/$65 day of for paralegals.