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Summit County Juvenile Court earns award for new pilot model
In 2021, Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio adopted a pilot model known as the Multidisciplinary Representation Team to provide support and services to parents seeking to reunite with their children. The MRT program earned the court the Innovative Court Programs and Practices Award. OSBA President Dan Griffith presented the award during the annual meeting of the Ohio Judicial Conference in Columbus in September. Pictured here from the left are Summit County Juvenile Court staff members Joe Baglieri, Woody Tyrrell, Dawn Greathouse, Judge Teodosio and OSBA President Griffith. (Photo courtesy of the OSBA).
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: October 25, 2024
When a parent loses custody of a child, it can be a long road to reunification, as the person seeks to navigate the legal system and overcome other challenges.
In the winter of 2021, Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio began offering parents and guardians the support and wraparound services they need to be successful in their efforts, starting a pilot project known as the Multidisciplinary Representation Team (MRT).
Under the program a parent who has lost custody is paired with a court-appointed defense attorney, a social worker, aka a case coordinator or case manager and a parent advocate.
While the lawyer handles the legal end of things, the other team members perform a variety of tasks ranging from securing substance use or mental health treatment to assessing housing, employment and/or transportation to enable the individual to provide a safer and more stable environment for the child.
“The goal of the team is to connect the parent with any services or assistance that is needed,” said Judge Teodosio. “For example, if the parent needs drug or alcohol treatment, the case coordinator can help set up the appointments, accompany him or her to the initial visits if requested, or teach the parent how to use the bus system to get to the appointments if he or she is unfamiliar with public transportation.
“Our parent advocate is someone who has had prior involvement with the child welfare system and has been reunified with a child or children,” said Judge Teodosio. “As a result, this person can provide unique insight and empathy on the reunification process.”
The MRT program recently earned the juvenile court the 2024 Innovative Court Programs and Practices Award.
Ohio State Bar Association President Dan Griffith presented the accolade to Judge Teodosio and several staff members on Sept. 19 during the annual meeting of the Ohio Judicial Conference, which took place at the Hilton Columbus At Easton.
Sponsored by the Ohio Bar Judicial Administration and Innovation Committee, the award seeks to highlight exemplary programs in Ohio courts that offer creative and new approaches to tackling significant issues that are regional in scope.
While Judge Teodosio’s MRT model was already being utilized in other states, the Summit County Juvenile Court was the first to adopt it in Ohio. Since then other courts have implemented the program in Cuyahoga, Stark, Clark, Erie and Wayne counties.
As of the end of September 47 children had been reunified with their parents and 26 others were placed with relatives as a result of the MRT model.
In a press release, OSBA President Griffith stated, “Not only does Judge Teodosio’s team approach mean better outcomes for families and children, but it also saves taxpayers in the long run with fewer kids going into the foster care system.
“This program is also innovative in the way it inspires an important cultural shift, moving away from the perceived adversarial nature of custody cases into that of a supportive team atmosphere. That helps increase confidence in our courts overall.”
During the award presentation, staff members Joseph Baglieri, Dawn Greathouse and Woody Tyrrell accompanied Judge Teodosio to the podium.
She thanked her team and the Ohio Supreme Court, which she said has also been “vital to the creation of the MRT program with its support and guidance.”
MRT Case Coordinator James Warner II said providing parents with the assistance they need to reunify with their children is very satisfying work.
“I’ve been a case manager in Ohio for about 27 years,” said Warner. “As a result I have a lot of connections to services that can help these parents.
“But I think the most important part of what our team members do is help parents overcome the fears and frustrations of being separated from their children and provide a sense of hope.
“We let them know it will be a long journey but they don’t have to do it alone,” he said. “We also help instill confidence in them that they can get to the end of the road.”
In addition to the Innovative Court Programs and Practices Award, retired Lakewood Municipal Court Judge Patrick Carroll received the Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence.
Established in 2010 by the OSBA in honor of the late chief justice, who was posthumously given the award, the accolade recognizes a current or former Ohio state or federal judge in the Moyer mode who displays qualities of outstanding judicial excellence including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professionalism, ethics, creativity, sound judgment, courage and decisiveness.