WHAT

The Summer Advocacy Seminar is a one-day training event, aimed at increasing child abuse awareness and the community’s knowledge of legal and therapeutic interventions. As increasing numbers of kids are displaced every day due to family trauma and abuse, it is imperative that child advocates be armed with effective intervention tools that address root issues and long-term effects. Last year, Liberty County had a child removal rate that was 160% higher than neighboring Harris County. Removals for the Baytown area were 40% higher on the Chambers County side than across the Harris County line. This training is offered to childcare workers, school personnel, legal and law enforcement professionals, volunteer advocates, and any other community members who desire to understand more about the child welfare system and how to best meet the protective needs of our youngest citizens. Sponsors enable us to provide this event at an accessible cost to attendees and extend our promotional impact.

Join CASA of Liberty/Chambers Counties as we host our Summer Advocacy Seminar – a one-day training conference held August 13th. Conference topics will include Courtroom Advocacy, Trauma Intervention, Psychotropic medication, CPS investigations, TBRI, and School Advocacy. You’ll also have an opportunity to meet and network with fellow advocates and community members.

Conference is open to ALL. Registration cost is $10.00 and includes Saturday lunch, snacks, and all conference materials.

Questions? Contact information@casalctx.org

REGISTRATION

To register: https://form.jotform.com/CASALCC/casa-summer-advocacy-seminar

Registration will close on August 9

WHEN

 SATURDAY, AUGUST 13TH

  • 9:00am     Welcome, Kimberly Stephens, Executive Director
  • 9:15am     Opening Keynote – Courtroom Advocacy – Judge John Lockwood
  • 10:00am   Keynote Speaker – Trauma Challenges and Solutions, Stephanie Montgomery
  • 11:00am    Keynote Speaker – Psychotropic Medications, Stephanie Montgomery
  • 12:00pm  Lunch – Men of CASA
  • 12:45pm    Lawyers Prospective for Courtroom Advocacy, Allison Trousdale and Crystal Magee
  • 1:30pm     CPS Investigations, Maria Garzoria
  • 2:15pm     Break
  • 2:30-4:00pm CFE Tools, Karen Foyil

Or

  • 2:30pm     Real Life with TBRI, Nancy Pigford and Kerri Courville
  • 3:15pm     Educational Advocacy for CASA Children, Heidi Airey
  • 4:00pm    Closing Comments

 

WHERE

Barbers Hill Middle School North
C. T. Joseph Conference Center
9600 Eagle Drive
Mont Belvieu, Texas 77523
The C. T. Joseph Conference Center is located at the back right corner of the Barbers Hill Middle School North building near the Football Stadium.

 

SPONSORSHIP

To sponsor our event, please sign up here: https://form.jotform.com/CASALCC/SASsponsor

 

SPEAKERS

Judge John C. Lockwood

Associate Judge for the 2nd Region Child Protection Court

Judge John C. Lockwood has served as Associate Judge for the 2nd Region Child Protection Court #1 since September 2019. The court hears all CPS cases in Liberty, Chambers, Hardin, Tyler, Jasper and Newton Counties. Before becoming an Associate Judge, he was an Assistant County Attorney and CPS prosecutor for Montgomery County. Prior to that, Judge Lockwood had law offices in Huntsville and Conroe where he maintained criminal and family law practices, during which time he represented many children and parents as attorney ad litem. Judge Lockwood holds degrees from Baylor University, University of St. Thomas School of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and South Texas College of Law Houston. He has also served more than twenty-five years in the pastoral ministry and two terms as mayor of the city of Wallis, Texas in Austin County during the early 90s. Judge Lockwood is from Bellville, Texas, lives in Montgomery, Texas and has a twenty-four-year-old son and a Rat Terrier named “Ellie.”

Stephanie Montgomery

CEo of Universal Agape Love Non-Profit Organization

Stephanie Montgomery, CEO of Universal Agape Love Non-Profit Organization, has been in the field of helps and education for over 20 years. Stephanie is a native Texas philanthropist, and a mother of three. Stephanie moved to Pennsylvania to complete her degrees in Pharmacology (PIT), Bachelor’s in Behavioral Health Science, and a Minor in Communication (DU). Stephanie secured an Executive Master’s degree Education and Psychology in Human Division with a + 30. Combined with her knowledge in the fields of Pharmacology, Education, Behavioral Psychology, and Ministry; she chose to serve her community in Christian Counseling utilizing all aspects of her spiritual and professional development for the betterment of those in need. Stephanie built a coalition of agents seeking change through transcending Agape love without boundaries. She later remarried the love of her life Brandon and gained a bonus son! She is an Ordained Minister and is currently registered at Harvard University. She heads’ University Agape Love’s Counseling Center, Mentorship Program, Project Restoration, What’s Next Program (transitioning aged out fostered children/adults). We provide help for the community though food drives, Case work, and Legal Advocacy. Stephanie is aware that none of these efforts would be possible without her business partners Wendy Soliday, along with Maurinea Jones, and our UAL Counselors, who work diligently hard daily supporting the vision of change.

People working together changing the world with God, one need at a time.

Allison Trousdale

Attorney and Mediator

Allison Trousdale is an attorney and mediator representing clients in both civil and criminal matters in Liberty and Chambers counties since 2006. While Allison has managed a diverse law practice, her primary focus has been private adoptions and advocating for parents and children in lawsuits brought by Child Protective Services (CPS). As attorney ad litem, Allison has advocated for more than 1,200 clients in CPS cases from inception to verdict.

In addition to her work in the state courts, Allison works as a public defender for the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and as attorney ad litem in the tribe’s child protection cases.

As a mediator, Allison has assisted parties in settling hundreds of lawsuits throughout Southeast Texas. Most recently nine counties have called on Allison to mediate their CPS cases relying on her strategic efforts to reach a final agreement that serves the best interest of the children without the necessity of trial.

Prior to becoming an attorney Allison was a marketing analyst; however, she had already begun her journey in advocating for children who had been brought into the legal system. In 1998, shortly after graduating from college, she became involved in Young Professionals for Children, a Houston-based children’s charity. Shortly after that she was introduced to CASA and was eager to become a volunteer advocate herself. Her legal training and experience with CASA have afforded her numerous opportunities to help educate CASA volunteers and employees through presentations and mentoring.

Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Sam Houston State University. She attended Texas A&M School of Law where she earned her Juris Doctor. While in law school Allison volunteered as a research assistant focused on therapeutic jurisprudence and worked in a law clinic assisting predominantly low-income families. As part of her continued education, Allison has received extensive training in child abuse and neglect, trauma-informed care, juvenile law, the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children, the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Violence Against Women Act.

Aside from her professional career, Allison is a wife and mother of four. She serves on the Board of Trustees for The Covenant Preparatory School in Kingwood, Texas and leads the women’s ministry at her church.

Heidi Airey

retired high school teacher – CASA advocate

Heidi Airey is retired teacher who taught all levels of science, from inclusion classes to dual credit classes over the course of 26 year. She taught at Barbers Hill ISD and Orangefield ISD. Prior to teaching Heidi was a Research Chemist with Caterpillar Research and Development in Peoria, Illinois

As a teacher Heidi lead students in such endeavors as the Fly-High Program sponsored by NASA where student would fly to highs of 30,000 feet and they would then turn the engines off and free fall to 10,000 feet. She also took the Robotics Teams to meets all over the country competing with teams from all over the world. Also, Heidi lead the Select Academic team, UIL Science Team and was sponsor of the Key Club who did monthly Community Service Projects.

As a teacher she also sponsored and traveled with students to places such as Galapagos, Ecuador, England, Costa Rica, and Iceland where they saw the Northern Lights. She has also sponsored numerous educational field trips with students to Disney World.

With her family she has also travelled to 30 different countries all over the world and will be traveling to Italy, Greece, and Turkey in September

Shortly after retiring, Heidi pursued a long-time desire to become a CASA volunteer. Her educational training and experience with students have afforded her numerous opportunities to help educate parents, relatives, school personnel, and other CASA volunteers on how school advocacy can change the trajectory of our CASA children.

Heidi holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois (Ronald Reagan’s Alma Mater). She attended Lamar University where she earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership. She also earned National Board-Certification which is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students, and schools. It was designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

Aside from her professional career, Heidi is a wife and mother of three and proud grandmother of four.

Nancy Pigford & Kerri Courville

CASA Advocates

Nancy Pigford and her husband Mike live in Crockett, Texas. After retiring they moved from the hustle and bustle of the busy Atascocita area to the quiet hills where they have a working ranch and she quilts among other activities. Nancy is retired from CASA of Liberty/Chambers and served as our trauma specialist for many years. Through her passion for helping others, she became a TBRI Practitioner and has trained the complete staff and hundreds of advocates in the importance of understanding how trauma effect the children we serve. She continues today as a CASA and training others in her area where she currently resides. Nancy and Mike have 8 children,18 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.  They ALL just returned from a vacation together and have a cruise to Alaska planned for 2023 with most if not all of their family!

Kerri Courville and her family live in Beaumont, Texas. She has been married to her husband, Kevin Courville, for 19 years and they currently have 4 children that range in age from 10 to 19 years old. They became foster parents through Buckner in 2014 and then adopted their two youngest daughters in 2016 and their son in 2018. Kerri has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, master’s degree in Deaf Education, and a master’s degree in Counseling & Development. She has close to 20 years’ experience working with children and youth from varying backgrounds and forms of trauma. The most empowering thing Kerri has learned over the years is that we must connect with children before we can correct the behaviors that come from the trauma.

Crystal Magee

Attorney and Mediator

Crystal Magee, born and raised in a small town in north Louisiana, received her undergraduate degree from Southern University and A&M College and her law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  After graduating law school, Crystal moved to Dallas, Texas, to attend Southern Methodist University to obtain a Master of Laws (L.L.M.) degree.

After receiving her L.L.M. in 2003, Crystal went into private practice for a short time, but soon accepted a position in the Denton County District Attorney’s Office in Denton, Texas, as a misdemeanor prosecutor.  After a year, Crystal was offered the position in the Family Law Division in the D.A.’s office in which she represented the Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS).

In 2007, Crystal went into private practice with her main focus on representing parents and children in CPS cases in Denton and Dallas counties.  After relocating to Houston for her husband’s job in 2013, Crystal accepted a position as a Regional Attorney for CPS where she represented the Department in multiple counties including Galveston, Walker, Liberty, Montgomery and Harris counties.  In 2017, Crystal decided to go back into private practice.  Her law practice is 100% devoted to Family Law with 98% of those cases involving CPS.  She currently practices CPS cases in Montgomery and Liberty Counties. She is also a certified Family Law and CPS mediator.

In her spare time, Crystal enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons and attending their numerous sport events.

Maria Garzoria, M.A.

DFSP

Maria Garzoria and has been with DFSP for almost 10 years. She started as an investigator in 2012, and has been a supervisor for Investigations for almost 8 years now. She supervises 6 investigators and 1 administrative assistant.

Maria attended Texas A&M Kingsville and received a Bachelor of Science in Criminology. She then went to the University of Houston Clearlake and received a Master of Arts in Criminology as well. Maria really enjoys her job and is  honored to serve the communities of Liberty and Chambers counties.

When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with my family. She enjoys fishing and going to the beach as well as watching MMA and Boxing.