Social Worker Meetup: Early Mitigation

During this week’s social worker meetup we will talk about how we are using mitigation for early-stage case advocacy, whether prepetition or predisposition. If we can be called in early to develop mitigation, our mitigation information can be used in a compelling way by attorneys who seek to reduce charges, avoid indictment, and advocate dismissal and release. How are you using early development of mitigation – or how might you if given the chance?

Stephanne Cline Thornton is a West Virginia native who has worked in and around criminal defense and mitigation for more than 20 years in Georgia, Colorado, and West Virginia. She is currently the Clinical Director for the West Virginia Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program, and owner of Transform Legal, a consultancy focused on mitigation, training, and sustainability. As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor, Stephanne focuses on proper assessment for and access to trauma and substance use disorder treatment to ensure the health and well-being of affected individuals. Stephanne is on the Trauma-Informed Care Network Speakers Bureau and uses that platform to call attention to the intersection of secondary traumatic stress and legal practice. She approaches her work with clients, lawyers, social workers, and mitigation specialists through a contextualized mitigation lens.