February 18th, 2025, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management

Understanding trauma-informed engagement is increasingly essential for court employees and judges. Many—if not most—individuals who interact with the court system have experienced significant trauma. Whether they are litigants, witnesses, or defendants, they often carry the invisible weight of past or ongoing adversity.

A trauma-informed approach helps court professionals recognize signs of trauma and respond in ways that foster trust, reduce stress, and minimize the risk of re-traumatization. Additionally, this approach supports the well-being of court employees by equipping them with strategies to navigate difficult interactions while mitigating the impact of secondary traumatic stress on themselves.
This month, we are exploring the role of trauma-informed engagement in court interactions. How can courts further integrate this critical practice to enhance fairness, empathy, and effectiveness in the justice system?

Listen to the February 18, 2025, CLA Podcast Episode on your way to or from work. 32 Minutes 59 Seconds

Watch the February 18, 2025, CLA Podcast Episode on YouTube. 36 Minutes 28 Seconds

Today’s Panel

Carrie Summers-Nomura has been with the Clackamas Circuit Court for approximately two and a half years. She is the first person to serve in the newly created role of Program Coordinator, a position designed to support the Deputy TCA in recruitment efforts and oversee the court’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives.

A longtime resident of Clackamas County, Carrie spent 17 years as a post-secondary educator, primarily teaching sociology at Clackamas Community College. Before transitioning to the judicial field, she worked in child welfare as a Training Manager for therapeutic foster care providers and as a Volunteer Manager for a child abuse evaluation center.

In her current role, Carrie collaborates with community partners to provide professional development opportunities for court staff and leads the New Courthouse Move Change Management Committee.

Trent Baker, PsyD, has over a decade of experience working with the dependency court system in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Broward County/17th Judicial Circuit).

Before advocating for children in the child welfare system at the Guardian ad Litem Office, Trent served as a Clinical Intern at the Early Intervention Development Center within the Department of Human Services’ Psychological Services Division.

Since joining Court Administration in the 17th Circuit in 2018, Trent has held several key roles. For two years, he coordinated the Early Childhood Court. He now serves as the Program Coordinator for the Juvenile Problem-Solving Courts, overseeing the Early Childhood Court, Dependency Drug Court, and Juvenile Drug Court.

Trent earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He went on to receive both his Master’s in Clinical Psychology and his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) with a specialization in Health Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Jill L. Houck has been the trial court administrator of the Atlantic/Cape May Vicinage since 2022. Jill is a graduate of the Institute for Court Management where she was awarded the Award of Merit. Prior to becoming court administrator she was the assistant court administrator.

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Published by Peter C. Kiefer

Peter C. Kiefer is a career court veteran with over 40 years experience working with trial courts in Oregon, Arizona, and California. He has been an administrator in general jurisdiction and limited jurisdiction trial courts; he has also worked for state court administrative offices in both Oregon and California. He has consulted with the judicial systems in Liberia, Moldova, and Beirut, Lebanon, as well as being a member of a NACM delegation that visited the People’s Republic of China. Peter graduated from Santa Clara University with his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and received his Masters of Public Administration with a specialty in Court Administration from the University of Southern California. In 2016 he became a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management. In 2015 Peter was given the NACM Award of Merit.

One thought on “Trauma-Informed Engagement and the Courts: What We Do Need to Know Now?”

  1. This was very interesting & whoever said it was in need of a cultural shift near the end was correct.  As a retired court administrator, I believe the old way was to ignore or attribute the way a litigant may be acting was to be dismissive.  I think this would be a good conference session at the judicial conferences as well as staff conferences.  2)  While many of the suggestions to help staff handle the public were admirable, what do you do when you have a small staff & can’t substitute someone to “cover the window” to afford the stressed worker a break.  As for giving staff back rubs, I’m sure you’ve thought of the issue of sexual harassment raising its head during one of the sessions.  

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