Speaker Bios

Krista Forster has over twenty-five years of experience in the criminal justice and probation field. She began her career as a police officer, transitioned to criminal investigations, and was an adult probation officer in Yavapai County prior to joining the Arizona Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts. She is the Statewide Adult Drug Court Coordinator and Program Specialist, with oversight of the Adult Drug Courts and Drug Treatment and Education Fund. She is an expert in evidenced-based practices, assessments, case planning, case documentation and cognitive interventions. Ms. Forster has been employed by the AOC for fourteen years, ten of those with the Adult Probation Services Division where she has been a Project Manager on various assignments, including the original statewide implementation of Effective Practices in Correctional Settings-II (EPICS-II), the revalidation of the risk/needs assessment by the University of Cincinnati and the composition and implementation of multiple state and federal grants. Ms. Forster has Bachelors’ Degrees in both Justice Studies and History from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University.

Sixto Valdivia is a former U.S. Marine who has worked in the criminal justice system for over 20 years in addition to over four years in local government programs that provide services to the residents of Coconino County. He has served on numerous non-profit and local government boards and commissions and served one year on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. In community corrections he managed probationers sentenced to a term of Intensive Probation and worked in Specialty Courts for 10 years as a coordinator. Sixto developed curricula and served as faculty at the Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Education Services Division in the Probation Officer Academy and Faculty Skills Development courses. There, he supported statewide committees and initiatives in probation and training issues. Currently, he is a Special Project Consultant with the Administrative Office of the Courts, Adult Probation Services Division, assigned to manage the statewide BJA Adult Drug Court grant which will implement statewide guidelines and gamification technology into adult drug courts. He represents the fifth generation of his family residing in Flagstaff where he raises 8 his two daughters, ages 7 and 8. Sixto enjoys outdoor activities, Southwestern history and cooking and eating New Mexican cuisine. He graduated from President Johnson's Great Society program, Project HeadStart in 1969, N.A.U., B.S. in 1990 and the University of Idaho, J.D. in 1994

Synopsis

Treatment courts need diverse and dedicated team members working together to achieve the best possible outcomes. Recognizing and respecting each team member’s area of expertise is critical.

This session will utilize NDCI curriculum in conjunction with the updates to the AllRise Best Practice Standards, utilizing various activities to help your team:

1. Strengthen cooperation and collaboration
2. Identify overlap in responsibilities
3. Engage in effective communication regarding Roles and Responsibilities