Official proceedings of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD) research to practice outreach meeting, February 3, 2012 (Part three of four).

This is part of a half-day CLE training event which brings together national FASD medical, law, and justice experts. Exposure to alcohol during pregnancy sometimes causes brain damage resulting in cognitive and behavioral impairments. Many persons with FASD are of borderline intelligence, have poor judgment, weak impulse control, lack an understanding of the consequences of their actions and frequently get in trouble with the law. Effective and ethical representation of these juvenile and adult clients requires recognizing and understanding this disability. A high percentage of adopted children have FASD, with major implications for both adoptive parents and adoption agencies. FASD is also a factor in decisions to terminate parental rights, and is more common among children in foster care than in the general population. Understanding FASD and where to find resources to help is critical for many legal and justice professionals.

PRESENTERS:

Eileen B. Bisgard, J.D., 17th Judicial District Juvenile Court SAMHSA FASD Center for Excellence Project, Adams County, CO, Moderator for Part Three

Judge Michael Jeffery, Superior Court, 2nd Judicial District, Barrow, AK

Judge Peggy Walker, Juvenile Court Judge, Douglas County, GA

Judge Ernestine Gray, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court, New Orleans, LA

For more information: original program book with agenda, speakers’ biographies, presentation talking points; and ancillary materials, visit: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about-niaaa/our-work/ICCFASD/proceedings/2012

These videos and accompanying materials were designed to be used as part of a continuing legal education credit (CLE) program. Any CLE granting organization may use these free videos and accompanying materials as part of its CLE program, but may not charge for the viewing of the videos per se. If you have any questions, please contact the coordinator of the ICCFASD (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about-niaaa/our-work/ICCFASD/organization).

This program is an initiative of the Justice Issues Work Group of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD), in collaboration with U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS); and the American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law. ICCFASD is sponsored by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH.

For more information go to http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/about-niaaa/our-work/ICCFASD/proceedings/2012