The Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, an initiative of the Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court, aims to bring innovative, evidence-based, and equitable interventions to Specialty Courts and related settings.
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Learn More About MA Specialty Courts
In the Spotlight
An Overview of Alcohol Use Disorder and Treatments
Joseph Sawicki, RPh, PharmD
Joseph Sawicki, RPh, PharmD, is a Consultant Pharmacist with ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School and is affiliated with the Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts within the Implementation & Translation Division. Joe specializes in substance use disorders, pain management, cannabis, and the use of long-acting injectable medications for behavioral health conditions.
He develops and delivers educational programs for frontline staff, healthcare professionals, and community partners on emerging drug trends, overdose prevention, and the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. His work is grounded in evidence-based practice, compassion, and a commitment to reducing stigma while improving how healthcare and justice systems respond to individuals with substance use and mental health needs.
September 21st, 2026
1-2 pm
Alcohol use disorder is one of the most common conditions we see in both clinical and justice settings, but it is often missed, misunderstood, or undertreated. Alcohol is associated with more deaths each year than drug overdoses, yet many people are never connected to the safe and effective treatment options that exist. In this training, we will review common warning signs of alcohol-related impairment and withdrawal, discuss where alcohol fits in the larger mortality picture, and explain what treatment options are available.
Educating Future Physicians
Joseph Sawicki, RPh, PharmD
Specialty Courts as Alternatives to Incarceration is a workshop designed and led by the Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, in collaboration with ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School. As part of Criminal Legal Justice System Day during the medical school’s Intersession A: Societal Forces of Health & Disease, the workshop introduces fourth-year medical students—soon to be residents—to treatment courts as an evidence-based alternative to incarceration for people with substance use disorders. By connecting clinical training to the realities of the criminal legal system, the workshop empowers future physicians to see how diversion programs and treatment courts work, recognize barriers to substance use treatment, and apply evidence-based care for individuals moving through the system.
Developed and facilitated by Ekaterina Pivovarova, PhD, and Joseph Sawicki, PharmD, from the Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, the workshop was offered to the UMass Chan fourth-year class in June 2026.
Outcomes by Design
Unlocking Treatment Court Results Through Standards of Practice
Outcomes By Design: Unlocking Treatment Court Results Through Standards of Practice is an in-person training series brought to you in your geographic area by the Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court’s Specialty Courts Department and the Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts. The series is designed to deepen understanding of best practices across all treatment court roles. Recognizing that shared learning and continuous improvement are at the heart of effective operations, this series brings practitioners in the same geographic areas together to learn, reflect, and grow.
The series will run continuously on a Fall (October-December) and Spring (April-June) cycle. Treatment Courts within a geographic area will be invited to attend in-person trainings twice per year, with each session highlighting specific standards of practice. The Spring 2026 training will focus on Roles and Responsibilities of Specialty Court team members.
Trial Court employees will receive training credits for participation. Please follow the Trial Court Policy for obtaining manager approval to attend.
Save the date
Metro Boston Area Training
April 6, 2026 | Monday, 9:30 am-3:00 pm
Location: Judicial Conference Room, John Adams Courthouse
1 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA
Northeastern Area Training
April 10, 2026 | Friday, 9:30 am-3:00 pm
Location: St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish
St. Theresa Church
1 Grace Avenue, Billerica, MA
Western Area Training
May 11, 2026 | Monday, 9:30 am-3:00 pm
Location: Holyoke College
303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke, MA
Southeastern Area Training
May 15, 2026 | Friday, 9:30 am-3:00 pm
Location: Plymouth Jury Pool Room,
Plymouth Court Complex
52 Obery Street, Plymouth, MA
Central Area Training
May 18, 2026 | 9:30 am-3:00 pm
Location: Massachusetts Probation Service Training & Operations Center
55 Green Street, Clinton, MA
An Overview of Psychiatric Medications and the Disorders They Treat
Brian P. Daly, MD
Chief Medical Officer, UMass Memorial Healthcare Community Healthlink, Vice Chair of Public Sector Psychiatry – UMass Chan Medical School Department of Psychiatry, Co-Director & Co-Principal investigator The Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, Associate Professor UMass Chan Medical School, Medical Consultant
June 5th, 2026, Friday
1:00-2:30 PM
Online Webinar
This training is brought to you by the Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court and Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts. This presentation will give a fairly in-depth overview of psychiatric medications and the illnesses they are designed to treat. Training topics include classes of medications, specific medications in those classes, psychiatric illness, symptoms of those illnesses, and how the medications act to treat those symptoms. Learners will become familiar with classes of psychiatric medications and some more common specific medications. Learners will gain a better understanding of the symptoms of various psychiatric illnesses. Learners will gain knowledge of which medications treat which illnesses.
All Rise Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards
The All Rise Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards provide a national, evidence-based framework for the design, implementation, and operation of effective treatment court programs. Developed through over two decades of multidisciplinary research in criminology, behavioral health, and treatment court outcomes, these standards translate best practice into actionable guidance aimed at enhancing participant success, public safety, and improving outcomes across all treatment court models.
These best practice standards apply broadly to adult drug courts, mental health courts, veteran treatment courts, co-occurring courts, family treatment courts, reentry courts, DWI courts, and tribal healing to wellness courts. As a dynamic guide, the standards are periodically reviewed and revised to reflect emerging trends, ensuring that treatment courts remain effective, equitable, and adaptable.
To explore the full standards, click the link below:
All Rise Best Practice Standards
What You Need to Know About Xylazine
Joseph Sawicki, RPh, PharmD
This one-page brief is intended to provide information about Xylazine. Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative that acts as a muscle relaxant and analgesic agent used in veterinary medicine. It is added to street opioids to enhance and prolong their euphoric effects. Long-term effects include severe skin wounds that appear over the body (not just at injection sites) and worsen very quickly.
Register for our Practitioner Portal to access a range of trainings, tools, resources, and technical assistance. Once registered, explore our comprehensive one-page brief and handout on Xylazine effects and management, along with many other essential topic areas related to Specialty Courts.
Helen Harberts, MA, JD
Faculty, National Drug Court Institute, National Center for DWI Courts,
Description:
This online course will focus on working with justice involved people who use methamphetamine. Working with this population can be confusing for professionals, as methamphetamine use can present some unique issues and challenges. People who use methamphetamine may display behaviors that are easily misinterpreted as resistance or defiance. Court, treatment, and case outcomes improve when supervision, treatment, counsel, social services, health staff, and Court personnel know what to look for, what to expect, and how to address challenges. This training is hosted by Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, and funded by the Executive Office of The Massachusetts Trial Court.
Access the Training:
Per the trainer’s request, access this training and supporting materials by registering for the Practitioner Portal.
Register – Practitioner Portal
