Stacy Lynch has joined the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts as their new Court Improvement Program (CIP) Director. Lynch comes to the AOC from the Juvenile Court of Rutherford County, where she was a partner in the law office of Hull, Ray, Rieder, Ewell, Lane & Lynch, PC in Tullahoma and a part-time Magistrate for the Juvenile Court of Rutherford County, presiding over the Family Preservation Initiative (FPI).
“I am so excited about the opportunity to be working as the new Director of the Court Improvement Program and to work with the AOC,” Lynch said. “Over the last several years during my work with the treatment courts, I had the pleasure of working with Leslie Kinkead, Michelle Consiglio-Young, Stephanie Etheridge and Juvenile Court Judges throughout the State. I always found each of them to be knowledgeable, helpful and welcoming. It was not until I learned of Leslie’s retirement and this opportunity that I realized the extent of assistance that the CIP provided to juvenile courts, attorneys, judges and the child welfare system as a whole.”
As CIP Director, Lynch will continue to focus the CIP team goals of improving quality court hearings, improving quality legal representation, improving the entry and analysis of juvenile court data, and collaborating with Department of Children’s Services (DCS) to improve the well-being of children in care. She will oversee the CIP grant budget and application process, answer questions concerning juvenile laws and procedures, and monitor statutory changes affecting youth and families.
“My passion is working with families and youth, and I believe alternative approaches to the serious issues these most vulnerable members of our communities face in our current judicial system must be utilized,” Lynch said. “This position gives me the opportunity to share my experience and knowledge and effect real change.”
Goals: The goal of the Court Improvement Program is to equip and empower Tennessee child welfare stakeholders, including youth and families with lived experiences, attorneys, judges and the child welfare agency; and to improve systems and processes that support the safety, well-being and permanency of Tennessee children and families with, or at risk for, child welfare involvement. Lynch has even more specific goals in mind, including increasing the communication between herself as a representative of the CIP and each of the juvenile courts throughout the state; increasing the awareness of the resources, trainings and programs offered by the CIP; updating the CIP website; researching and utilizing best practices of other state Court Improvement Programs; building positive relationships with DCS to continue collaboration between CIP and DCS for the benefit of youth and families involved in the child welfare system; updating the attorney and judge training curriculum, content and survey process; and creating consistency among each of the juvenile courts throughout the state (clerks, court staff, detention centers, etc.) for the entry and analysis of data.
“Stacy comes to the AOC with a breadth of knowledge about and on-the-ground experience in juvenile law,” said Michelle Consiglio-Young, Director and Counsel, Intergovernmental Affairs Division at the AOC. “Her prior experience as a Magistrate for both the Coffee County and Rutherford County Juvenile Courts gives her a unique understanding of the needs of the juvenile system. This background allows her to jump right into the position and start working on the goals and impact of Tennessee's CIP, which include assessing and improving current processes that support the well-being and permanency of children involved in the child welfare system. I have every confidence that she will implement her ideas and energy to improve current programs and create new ones. We are grateful to have her join the team at the AOC.”
About the Court Improvement Program: The Court Improvement Program (CIP) is funded by a federal grant program provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and aimed at improving juvenile court response to children who are dependent, delinquent or unruly and are at risk of, or are placed in foster care. The Tennessee Supreme Court received its initial Court Improvement grant in 1995. Tennessee receives three grants to fund the CIP - Basic Grant, Training Grant and Data Collection and Analysis Grant.
The Court Improvement Program Work Group is a statewide multi-disciplinary group appointed by the Supreme Court to review and address issues of safety, permanency and well-being for children and families in the child welfare system. A sub-committee of the Work Group, the Law Committee, meets to review state laws, rules and policies affecting children and families.
