NH JUVENILE COURT DIVERSION SUMMIT
2025 NH Juvenile Court Diversion Network Summit
Monday, June 9th & Tuesday, June 10th
Grappone Conference Center | Concord, NH
Grappone Conference Center | Concord, NH
SUMMIT PRESENTERS
Keynote Presenters
Erika Sasson
Attorney and Practitioner Designing and Facilitating Restorative Justice Practices
Josh Shipp
Author, Speaker, Youth Empowerment Expert
- At-Risk Foster Kid to Harvard University
- Featured by Oprah, NY Times, Good Morning America
- Bestselling Author of Several Books
Statistically, Josh Shipp should be dead, in jail, or homeless. But his success as a preeminent author, speaker, and global youth empowerment expert is living proof of the power of one caring adult. A former at-risk foster kid turned youth advocate; Josh is renowned for the documentary TV series on A&E that followed his groundbreaking work with youth and families.
He has written two national bestsellers, “The Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans” – winner of the Nautilus Gold Award for Parenting & Family – and “The Teen’s Guide to World Domination.”
Thanks to the support of teachers, counselors, and a fantastic set of foster parents, Josh went on to be named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 under 30 list and completed his postgraduate studies at Harvard.
Josh is regularly called on by OPRAH, CNN, FOX, The New York Times, 20/20, Good Morning America, and others to comment on the next generation’s challenges. Over the years, Josh has keynoted events for countless groups of parents, educators, and social workers – with audiences as large as 55,000 – and, to date, has spoken live in front of more than two million people. Viral clips of his acclaimed presentations have been viewed an estimated 50 million times online through platforms such as UpWorthy, Goalcast, and BuzzFeed.
To serve his ultimate goal of reaching as many students as possible, Josh trains other speakers through Youth Speaker University, helping them use their own stories to make an impact. His social-emotional learning curriculum is used in hundreds of classrooms, while his free newsletter offers practical strategies to 200K+ parents, educators, and social workers.
Learn more about Josh here.Session Presenters
Madelyn Bergen, Student
Madelyn is a sociology/psychology double major at Mount Holyoke. She has a specific interest in incarcerated youth and social justice among adolescents. She has worked as an intern with GNMH and seeks to continue building her resume and knowledge of youth, sociology, psychology, and law.
Daley Buckwell, MSOL, Educational Coordinator/ RENEW Facilitator, Dover Children’s Home
Daley has worked for Dover Children’s Home (DCH) for two years. She has worked with underserved youth her entire professional life, and making sure they have the same educational and extracurricular opportunities is her primary goal. She has been working on the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts for DCH and the Juvenile Justice system. The goals of our efforts are to recognize ethnic and racial disparities in our systems and address them holistically in education and in every realm.
Heidi Cloutier, MSW, Endorsed Northeast Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Trainer, RENEW Trainer, NH Alternative Peer Group Trainer, Project Director III, Institute on Disability at UNH
Heidi is an endorsed Trainer with the Northeast Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Network and presents nationally on Multitiered Systems of Support, Behavioral Health, and Youth Leadership. Trained as a Peer Leader while still a sophomore in high school to recognize warning signs of suicide in her peers; the following year, she began facilitating groups at her local middle school with youth. This started a lifelong passion for youth leadership, wellness, and a commitment to equity and belonging for all. She worked in community mental health before joining the Institute on Disability in 1999. As Co-Director of Training in Children’s Behavioral Health at the University of New Hampshire, Institute on Disability, she collaborates with state partners to prepare and support the behavioral health workforce to provide the best possible support to NH’s youth and families. Heidi Coordinated a statewide effort to develop the NH Alternative Peer Group Model, convening individuals and families with lived experience with SUD, policymakers, and treatment providers to define the APG model implemented in NH, develop evaluation tools, and provide coaching and support to the five organizations implementing 10 APGs in NH.
Shannon Desilets, MNRI Core Specialist Community Wellness Administrator/Program Director, NH Department of Health and Human Services, Division for Behavioral Health – Choose Love Movement
Shannon is the Community Wellness Administrator and Program Director of the Choose Love Movement for New Hampshire’s DHHS Division for Behavioral Health. She also leads Choose Love for Corrections nationally with the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement and collaborates with government departments nationwide. Shannon’s journey with Choose Love began in the Newtown/Sandy Hook community, where she has provided brain-based trauma therapy for the last 12 years. Governor Chris Sununu appointed her as Program Director from 2018 to 2023. Her position was then moved to DHHS to continue supporting and serving New Hampshire. She is an integral part of NH’s School Safety Preparedness Task Force and supports schools, homes, communities, and organizations across our state. Under her leadership, New Hampshire became the first to implement Choose Love for Corrections, achieving significant success in both women’s and men’s facilities and Transitional Housing Units. She also works closely with SYSC, developing programming for residential facilities.
Lyn Downey, Program Coordinator, State of NH, Department of Justice
Lyn was a prosecutor, mainly of domestic violence and child abuse cases, in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, for over 6 years. Since moving to New Hampshire, she has worked in the criminal appeals unit of the NH Attorney General’s Office and has been the Victims’ Compensation Program coordinator. She also serves as a board member for the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards.
Abby Falk, MS, LCMHC, LMHC, Community Operations & Relations Clinical Manager, Granite State Children’s Alliance Behavioral Health Services
Abby joined the Granite State Children’s Alliance (GSCA) in June of 2022 as the on-site clinician at the CAC in Manchester and currently serves as one of the clinical managers for the GSCA Behavioral Health Services program. Abby holds a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and a Master’s in Crime & Justice Studies and is licensed in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She provides supervision to other clinicians within the program and works to develop relationships with community partners as it relates to spreading awareness of the program and providing training.
Savannah Fay, LICSW, Clinical Manager/ RENEW Coach, Dover Children’s Home
Savannah is the Clinical Manager at Dover Children’s Home. She has been in this role since 2021 and has been a part of the agency in some capacity since 2017. While in this role, Savannah obtained her license as an independent clinical social worker and has worked to increase and improve therapeutic services for the residents served by providing individual therapy, consulting and connecting with community-based providers and bringing awareness to the mental health needs of youth in residential care. She is certified as a RENEW coach and utilizes this role to support staff and youth in improving their confidence in achieving their goals. Savannah is passionate about working with adolescents in residential care in a therapeutic, clinical, and RENEW capacity. She obtained a master’s in social work at the University of New Hampshire and loves reading in her spare time.
Kathy Francoeur, M.Ed, Co-Director of Training and Technical Assistance, Children’s Behavioral Health Team, Institute on Disability at UNH
Kathy is the co-director of training and technical assistance at the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, providing training, consultation, and technical assistance in the development and expansion of the Multitiered System of Support for Behavioral Health and Wellness Framework (MTSS-B) for schools and communities to partner together to promote social-emotional wellness for all children and youth. She delivers training and technical assistance in developing Resilience Empowerment and Natural Supports for Education and Work (RENEW), an intensive support intervention to help at-risk youth engage in high school completion and post-secondary options. Kathy presents nationally, training schools and districts on the RENEW model, and as part of the “Who Cares About Kelsey? “film project, in which she and filmmaker Dan Habib share the benefits and process of RENEW with audiences.
Audrey Garfield, Motivational Interviewing Trainer
Audrey is a Motivational Interviewing (MI) trainer and health advocate. She has been involved with the MI community for fifteen years and has facilitated MI trainings around Vermont and New Hampshire for the past ten years. She is dedicated to building a compassionate system of care that empowers people to make positive changes. Supporting others in realizing their full wellness potential is her heart’s work.
Jessica Goff, MSW, Education & Training Director, NH Outright
Jessica is the Education and Training Director with New Hampshire Outright, a nonprofit organization that serves, supports, and advocates for LGBTQ+ youth across New Hampshire. As part of this role, she coordinates educational opportunities and spaces within schools, organizations, and the broader community that aim to increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ youth and foster the implementation of supportive practices. Jessica holds her Master’s in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire. She has worked within the nonprofit sector for the past nine years. She has continually sought to create intersectional safe spaces in her work with youth, unhoused folks, individuals with Developmental Disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Sarah Gordon, MSW, Director of Treatment Services/ RENEW Coach/ TBRI Practitioner, Dover Children’s Home
Sarah is the Director of Treatment Services at Dover Children Home, a youth residential treatment program in Dover, New Hampshire, serving youth ages 10-21. She has been instrumental in providing trauma-informed care and supporting a resilient culture for all employees. Sarah started her career working with victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and human trafficking for over a decade. During that time, she was an educator and youth and court advocate, working with folks in desperate need for their voice to be heard. Following those experiences, Sarah oversaw two separate grants through the Office of Violence Against Women, supporting higher education institutions to develop policies and practices to address disclosures of violence. In that work, she increased victim services, developed innovative strategies to support safety, and facilitated prevention education initiatives. Interrupting systems that do not give voice to victims became a passion, which is how Sarah integrated into the residential care community in 2019. Sarah is a certified RENEW Coach and TBRI Practitioner. She supports staff training, treatment oversight, and organizational direction. Sarah is a Pinterest enthusiast who enjoys kayaking, group workouts, DIY projects, and bringing any competition to a new level.
Sarah Harlow, MA, PS-C, New England PTTC Co-Director, AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc.
Sarah has worked in the field of prevention since 2014 in various capacities. She served as the outreach coordinator for a Drug-Free Communities coalition in Central Maine, supporting positive youth development and connections to the community. She served Kennebec County as the Community Coordinator for a Child Abuse and Neglect prevention council. Sarah joined the New England PTTC, housed at AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc., in 2020 as the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator, and in the Summer of 2024, became the Co-Director. Sarah earned a BA in Social Science and a BS in Public Administration from the University of Maine at Augusta. The same year, she earned a master’s in Peace and Reconciliation studies at the University of Maine. She became a certified prevention specialist in her home state of Maine. Sarah has been lucky to work creatively to serve the prevention workforce through product creation, including collaborating on the Graphic Medicines In the Air (vaping prevention) and Against the Odds (problem gambling prevention), leading the Research and Design (RAD) Fellowship Program, co-chairing a national Prevention Stakeholder’s workgroup on marketing and communications, sitting on the NAADAC Prevention Committee, and facilitating national trainings on special subjects such as Climate Change and Prevention and Prevention Onboarding and Orientation. Sarah loves thinking about prevention and all its connections to the world around us and is happy to have conversations about all the ways connection heals us.
Karen Kersting, Executive Director, UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center
As Executive Director of UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Goffstown, NH, since 1998, she paired her love of horses with a desire to partner with them to improve the lives of children and families through equine-assisted services and therapies. A former Vice President in Cash Management at Citizens Bank, Karen brings her financial analysis, product development, and project management skills to the organization. Karen previously served on the NH Court Juvenile Diversion Network board and is a former co-chair of the PATH Intl. Center Advancement Committee and sits on the Granite United Way Youth Enrichment Partnership Team.
Jon Kidde, MSW, Consultant, Green Omega, L3C
Jon is an independent consultant in restorative justice. He has studied and applied restorative justice theory for 20 years. He has played a critical role in designing, applying, and enhancing restorative justice within diverse settings. He collaborates with his co-presenter Marc Wennberg on multiple initiatives, including a restorative justice training project for NH juvenile justice stakeholders.
Amber McCarthy, MA, MS, Intensive Community-Based Therapist, Greater Nashua Mental Health
Amber is an intensive community-based therapist for GNMH. In addition to her crisis work, she also oversees the adolescent substance use treatment program of 7 challenges. Amber works extensively with older adolescents, supporting their daily living goals. She also works very closely with Juvenile Justice, the UNH learning collaborative, and other agencies in the greater Nashua area to meet the needs of families.
Amy McCormack, Associate Bureau Chief, Juvenile Justice, NH Division of Children, Youth and Families
Amy McCormack is a graduate from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Upon graduation Amy worked for the Youth Educational Employment Services Program from 2003-2007 as a caseworker and supervisor. Amy obtained employment with the State of NH in 2007 as a Juvenile Probation and Parole Officer. Amy remained in this role until 2016 when she served as an Assistant Supervisor for Juvenile Probation and Parole, in 2018 Amy accepted the position of Southern District Office Supervisor for Juvenile Justice. In 2020, Amy transitioned to DCYF Associate Bureau Chief of Field Services for Juvenile Justice. As an administrator in this role Amy has been a leader for the Juvenile Justice Transformation efforts within the field. Amy has received the DCYF Directors Award and Granite Award in 2023 for her leadership in Juvenile Justice. Amy also received the TCOM Systems level award in 2023 for implementation of CANS in a Justice Setting. Amy is committed to the youth and families in NH achieving better outcomes through preventative programming while maintaining safety for the youth, family, and community.
Kristen McGraw, ESMHL, Program Director, UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center
Kristen has been involved in equine-assisted services since 1996. Her certifications include PATH Intl. CTRI, Level II PATH Intl. Driving Instructor, and ESMHL. She is the Program Director at UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Goffstown, NH. As part of program delivery at UpReach, she takes ponies to Sununu Youth Service Center and Hampstead Hospital.
Amy Michaels, MS, Greater Portsmouth Youth Wellness Coalition, Director of Prevention Programs, Pinetree Institute
Amy is a highly qualified and experienced child development specialist and parent educator. She has 25 years’ experience working with children and families and specializes in trauma informed care and resource development. Amy is professionally trained in multiple evidence-based parent education programs, has experience teaching adult learners including women parenting in high-risk situations. Previously Amy served as Family Services Director at New Generation Shelter in Greenland, NH. In this role she managed all direct care programming at the shelter that serves homeless women and their children. She developed and implemented all programming related to parenting resources and education. She was also responsible for management and reporting of all service data to state, federal and regional funding agencies. Amy received her Childhood Family Mental Health Certification and is a Certified Recovery Support Worker. She is a Reiki level II practitioner and specializes in working with children who have experienced trauma. She is a fierce advocate for young adults and has a natural love of learning new things and sharing them as part of her journey. She believes that this work can only be done through connection. Amy earned her MS in Leadership and Policy in Early Care and Education from Wheelock College, and a BS in Family Studies from the University of New Hampshire.
Nicole Mitchell, Registered Yoga Teacher, LADC, LCS, Director, Grafton County Alternative Sentencing
Nicole is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in New Hampshire and Vermont and a Licensed Clinical Supervisor. With a master’s degree from Dartmouth College, she dedicates herself to her role as the Director of Grafton County Alternative Sentencing, where she supports individuals on their journey to recovery. Nicole supports adults and youth in her community. She has been working with youth since 1997.
Yoga has been Nicole’s transformative practice for over the past 20 years. As a registered yoga teacher for fourteen years, she finds joy in sharing her passion by teaching weekly classes at Rising Spirit Yoga in Wells River, VT. In her moments away from work, Nicole loves immersing herself in a good book, exploring the outdoors through hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and discovering new places through her travels.
Macey Muller, Project Director III, Institute on Disability at UNH
Macey joined the Institute on Disability in 2020 with over 8 years of experience working with students on academic probation and those with learning disabilities in higher education in Boca Raton, FL. As the Project Director for Building Futures Together at the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, Macey now implements and manages an instructional on-the-job apprenticeship program for paraprofessionals working in the Behavioral Health field who are working with children, adolescents, and youth impacted by substance misuse. She has recently co-led the NH Rapid Response Crisis Training supported by the NH Department of Health and Human Services, a workforce development training for NH Rapid Responders.
Lindsay Murphy, PhD, LCMHC, Associate Director of Child, Adolescent and Family Services, Greater Nashua Mental Health
Dr. Murphy is a licensed therapist in NH. She has been working at Greater Nashua Mental Health for over ten years. Aside from supervising therapists and providing clinical care, Dr. Murphy also presents multiple trainings across the state in suicide prevention, postvention, CALM, child and adolescent mental health, and more. Dr. Murphy’s work history includes extensive community-based services for intensive families, crisis interventions, and consults with other agencies, including Juvenile Justice, Child Advocacy Center, Hampstead Hospital, and other social services.
Mark Rolon, Vice Chair, Juvenile Justice Reform Commission; Member of the NHDCYF Advisory Board; Parent Champion, NH Division of Children, Youth and Families; Adjunct Faculty, Child Welfare Education Partnership UNH; Consultant for Anne E. Casey, and Administration for Children and Families
Mark is a parent champion from New Hampshire’s Division of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Mark became involved with the child welfare system when one of his sons had a mental health breakdown in school, and instead of seeing a doctor, his son was put in front of a judge. Mark now works for all families, working directly with staff and parents, advising all policy, practice, and procedure aspects. Mark currently holds two governor-appointed positions. He serves on the New Hampshire DCYF Advisory Board and is Vice Chair of the Juvenile Justice Reform Commission. Mark also advocates on regional and national levels. He’s been featured on the Capacity Building Center for States (CBCS) podcast “A Look Inside Sharing Power in Child Welfare, episode 4: Partnering with Parents for System Change” and featured in the CBCS July 2024 spotlight newsletter. Mark’s story has been published in the ATTACH publication “Healing Connections: A Community Approach to Childhood Trauma and Attachment” and contributed to the 2024 OJJDP publication “Partnering with Youth and Families: A Best Practices Guide for Youth Justice Stakeholders.” Mark is determined that no family should ever go through what his family already has.
Kelly Smith, MSW, LICSW, Clinician, Training Director, Dartmouth Trauma Interventions Research Center
Kelly has spent her 30+ year career working directly with children and families who have experienced abuse and neglect and consulting with various private and state agencies across New Hampshire to shift how they work with individuals and families who have experienced trauma, disrupted attachment, and loss. In her current work with the Dartmouth Trauma Interventions Research Center, Ms. Smith trains clinicians across NH to work with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. As the Director of Training for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Ms. Smith trains volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the NH courts. She has traveled the world working with children in orphanages and foster care, preparing them to be adopted by parents in the US. Ms. Smith and her spouse have birthed, fostered, supported through guardianship, and/or provided safe refuge to six young adults.
Daryll Tenney, Bureau Chief, Children’s Behavioral Health, NHDHHS – Department of Behavioral Health
Daryll has provided clinical supports, including High Fidelity Wraparound for youth and families living with severe emotional disturbances for nearly 20 years. With experience working within a community mental health center, higher education, and state government, Daryll has provided care coordination, therapeutic behavioral interventions, family therapy, mediation, and youth driven wraparound support for youth transitioning from school to career. Daryll is motivated and passionate about ensuring that youth and their families are connected to the needs that they “voice” and can build upon strengths that can support their overall well-being. Also, with a Master’s of Science in Couples and Family Therapy and a Master’s in Health Education, Daryll brings knowledge of family systems and complex needs. Now the Bureau Chief for the Bureau for Children’s Behavioral Health with NH DHHS, Daryll brings this knowledge to help manage, sustain, and transform New Hampshire’s Children’s of the System of Care.
Eddie Torres, Parent Champion, NH Division of Children, Youth and Families
Eddie is a family leader and advocate for fathers and parents to be part of their children’s lives when it is safe to do so. Eddie was formerly incarcerated in Federal prison but reunified and gained custody of their daughter shortly upon release. In NH, Eddie partners with the Child Protection and Juvenile Justice Agencies to help improve outcomes for children and their families and help facilitate positive changes in policy, practice, and culture.
Aimee Tucker, CPS, MLADC, Student Assistance Program, Concord High School / Second Start
Aimee has been the Student Assistance Program Coordinator at Concord High School since 2016 and has served as an SAP implementation consultant for the NH Student Assistance Network since its inception in 2022. She mentors and supervises SAP-Cs and facilitates peer learning collaboratives for the Network.
Marc Wennberg, Consultant in Restorative Justice, Community Reentry
Marc is an independent consultant in restorative justice. Marc facilitates training, planning processes, and restorative processes to address harms and impacts. He collaborates with his co-presenter, Jon Kidde, on multiple initiatives, including a restorative justice training project for NH juvenile justice stakeholders.
Kristen Wheeler, JD, Legal Director, Strategies for Youth
Kristen is the Legal Director for Strategies for Youth (SFY). In this role, she leads SFY’s educational programming for youth, Juvenile Justice Jeopardy, working with communities and stakeholders nationwide to design educational games that help youth understand various topics related to the juvenile justice system. Kristen is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a Boston University School of Law graduate. Before joining SFY, she worked as a public defender with the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), Massachusetts’ public defender office. In her work at CPCS, Kristen was a trial attorney representing indigent clients accused of misdemeanors and serious felonies in County District and Superior Courts at all stages of the criminal trial process.
Julie Yerkes, MEd, CPS, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.
Julie has worked in prevention and education for over 20 years, focusing on strengthening community-school-family connections to support positive youth development and prevent substance misuse. She is the Director of the NH Student Assistance Network, supporting the 40+ NH Student Assistance Programs. As a Prevention Subject Matter Expert at JSI, Julie has provided consultation services, technical assistance, and training to various stakeholders, from direct service providers, coalition facilitators, and regional directors.
For event related information or questions, please send an email to [email protected].
This publication was financed under a Contract with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.