IPS Presents the 2023 Judicial Roundtable
Free Virtual Event
Thursday, June 29, 2023
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Whether you participate in court proceedings or just want to learn more about the mental health court and commitment systems in Illinois, this event is for you. Meet Illinois judicial leaders, learn what they do and about their concerns on how the Illinois court system currently functions. Weigh in with your thoughts on how to improve the court system and build relationships with key judges and other judicial stakeholders. Together, we can work towards a better system for patients with mental illness in Illinois!
Panelists:
Scott A. Block, AOIC Statewide Behavioral Health Administrator
Judge Maureen Ward Kirby, Circuit Court of Cook County
Daniel Mosher, Assistant State's Attorney, Sangamon County
Moderated By: Dr. Andrew Lancia and Dr. Abdi Tinwalla
Meet the Panelists:
Scott A. Block
AOIC Statewide Behavioral Health Administrator
As the AOIC’s Statewide Behavioral Health Administrator, Scott serves as the Illinois Judicial Branch’s dedicated voice and resource, committed to furthering local, state, and national behavioral health and justice initiatives. In this capacity, he is the project director for the Illinois Mental Health Task Force, provides strategic and technical consultation to Illinois Courts, and acts as liaison behavioral health and justice affiliates and organizations. Throughout his career, Scott has served on numerous governmental and not-for-profit boards, committees, and work groups, helping to shape policies and inform best practices in the field. He has a Master’s Degree in Counseling, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional, and a National Center for State Court’s Certified Court Manager. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Aurora University, teaching Graduate Addictions courses.
Judge Maureen Ward Kirby
Circuit Court of Cook County
Maureen Ward Kirby has been a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County since 2007. Prior to joining the bench, she was a Partner in the Litigation Group at Bell, Boyd & Lloyd (now KL Gates) handling complex commercial litigation cases.
Since September 2009, Judge Ward Kirby has been assigned to the County Division, where she hears, among other things, matters arising under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. She has presided over thousands of civil mental health proceedings seeking involuntary commitment and/or involuntary treatment. She also supervises the AOT case management call involving individuals who have entered into Agreed Care and Custody Orders.
She is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Mental Health Task Force and currently serves on the Illinois Supreme Court Special Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning. Judge Ward Kirby was also one of two Illinois judicial representatives to the Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative. Along with medical experts from the University of Chicago, she piloted two seven session series on opioid addiction and medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in the Fall of 2020 and Spring of 2021.
Judge Ward Kirby lectures extensively on civil mental health proceedings and has taught numerous courses on behavioral health issues for her judicial colleagues. Judge Ward Kirby is also a certified Supreme Court of Illinois new judge mentor
Daniel Mosher
Assistant State's Attorney, Sangamon County
Dan Mosher is an Assistant State’s Attorney for Sangamon County State’s Attorney Daniel K. Wright. He has been an Assistant State’s Attorney since 2010. Since 2011, Mr. Mosher has represented the State in proceedings under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. He has personally done approximately 400 involuntary commitment and involuntary treatment hearings. Since 2020, he has also represented the State in outpatient commitments for the new Assisted Outpatient Treatment program in Sangamon County. In addition to matters related to mental health, he works on criminal prosecutions, post-conviction petitions, civil asset forfeiture, property tax, and civil litigation involving Sangamon County.