Judge spreads word on Crossroads program
By Kathleen Folkerth
DOWNTOWN AKRON — Judge Linda Teodosio is logging a lot of miles as head of the juvenile division of Summit County Common Pleas Court.
During the past couple of years, Teodosio has been invited to conferences in Boston, New York City, Orlando and Washington, D.C., to talk about an issue that is a major part of her court: the treatment of juvenile offenders who also have mental health or substance abuse problems.
Teodosio said Ohio is a leader in addressing the needs of these youths through its juvenile court programs, while cities like Sacramento, Calif., and Seattle are also known for their programs. But the rest of the country is just starting to catch up.
“It really is a trend that is catching on nationwide, especially when they see what the courts have done and how it’s benefited our kids,” Teodosio said in a recent interview.
In most of her appearances at conferences, the judge gives a presentation on the Crossroads program being conducted in her court. After she was elected to the bench in 2002 and took office in 2003, Teodosio and her department focused on making changes to what was then known as the Drug Court by adding an emphasis on helping youths with mental illness. The name was changed to remove the stigma associated with the court, she added.
She said the program is a
labor of love for the team of professionals involved,
which includes probation officers, a court psychologist
and representatives from the Summit County Alcohol,
Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board; Community
Health Center; the Akron Health Department; and other
agencies. Dawn Jones is administrator of the program.
“We deal with kids who
have some pretty serious substance abuse issues as well
as mental issues,” Teodosio said.
Youths ages 12-17 are eligible
for the voluntary program, for which there are 75 spaces
total. As one group of students “graduates”
from the program, usually in about a year’s time,
more teens can participate.
The program is limited to youths
who have a mental health diagnosis, such as major depression,
bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, and/or substance
dependence. According to information provided by Teodosio,
at time of admission to the program, 98 percent of the
participants are users of drugs,
such as marijuana (77 percent), alcohol (16 percent),
cocaine (3 percent) or amphetamines (2 percent).
There are some limitations as
to who can participate. Youths who are gang members,
sex offenders, mentally retarded or who receive services
for the developmentally disabled are not eligible.
Teodosio said youths involved
in Crossroads come from all walks of life.
“Mental illness does not
discriminate,” she said. “We have kids from
just about every community in the county. Some folks
qualify for Medicaid and others have private health
insurance.”
Once a youth is admitted to the
program, he or she, a parent, probation officer and
community provider meet to develop a case plan. The
youth and parent report to the court periodically for
a review as they work through the four phases of the
program.
Throughout their participation,
the youths are tested periodically to verify they are
staying off drugs. Once a teen successfully completes
the program, the charges and any probation violations
against him or her are dismissed and the person’s
record is expunged.
The goal of the program is to
help troubled young people become productive, healthy
citizens, Teodosio said.
“These kids that come through
this court are absolutely wonderful,” Teodosio
said. “They’ve made some poor choices, and
we’re here to see that they see the consequences,
but also get their lives turned around and become productive
members of society. We try to focus on the fact that
it’s up to them to make a difference in their
life and they’re better off than when they came
in.”
Although the 75 spots are usually
filled, Teodosio said there are no plans at this time
to expand the program.
“Where we’re operating
is a good number for us right now,” she said.
Teodosio, a resident of Munroe
Falls, served as the administrative and presiding judge
in Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court before being elected
to her current post. She said it was while in that position
that she realized she wanted to
work in the juvenile courts.
“I had the most satisfaction
in dealing with young adults 18 or 19 years old,”
she said. “I had many family members who would
say that they wished there was something when that child
was under 18. I saw the greatest opportunity to make
a difference in somebody’s life.”
She said she always wanted to
be involved in the law, although she earned her bachelor’s
degree in elementary education from The University of
Akron before going to law school there.
“It’s competitive
to get into law school, so I wanted to have something
to fall back on,” Teodosio said. “I never
dreamed ahead to being a judge.”
Teodosio, 50, is married to Tom
Teodosio, an attorney and District 2 representative
on Summit County Council. He was elected to serve as
a judge on the Summit County Common Pleas Court for
the term set to begin in May. The couple are the parents
of a son and daughter, both in college.
The judge, whose term ends in
2008, said she is planning
to run for re-election.
“We’ve got a lot
of plans, and it does take time to put programs into
place,” she said, adding that she is now working
with the American Corrections Association on getting
the juvenile detention center nationally accredited.
Because of her interest in improving
children’s lives and the law, she said her current
position is a good fit.
“Being in juvenile court
is a happy marriage,” she said. “I’m
very lucky.”
For details on the Crossroads
program, call (330) 643-2910 or visit www.co.summit.oh
.us/juvenilecourt/index.
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