The NCJFCJ and OurFamilyWizard announce new bench card will help judges respond effectively to victims of trauma by creating a healing environment that promotes safety, agency, and meaningful connections.
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), along with OurFamilyWizard, the world’s most trusted provider of co-parenting technology, are proud to lead the development of a new Bench Card designed to help judges make trauma-responsive decisions in real time. This streamlined reference tool helps judicial officers recognize signs of trauma activation in children and prioritize trauma-sensitive strategies during hearings and rulings.
Lyn R. Greenberg, Ph.D., a member of the Bench Card development committee, explains, “The Bench Card equips judges with strategies to create a courtroom environment that minimizes trauma activation, fosters trust, and improves case outcomes by promoting safety, engagement, effective referral and fairness.” A trauma-informed lens supports the court’s central mission: acting in the best interest of the child.
Judge Gayl Y. Branum Carr says, “Judicial officers should have a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding of trauma and how it impacts the brain, life experiences and behavior including testimony in the courtroom. The bench card provides this knowledge and understanding and includes evidenced-based, practical solutions and tools to recognize trauma, avoid trauma activation and how to intervene, through court orders, to address the trauma experienced by litigants in the courtroom.”
The committee members involved in the development of the Bench Card include experts from various legal and mental health fields: Judge Gayl Branum Carr, Fairfax Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court; Michael Saini, PhD, MSW, RSW, Professor at the University of Toronto; Judge Jill Moss, New Zealand judiciary; Sarah Calvert, PhD, Clinical Psychologist; Bill Eddy, LCSW, JD, High Conflict Institute; Judge David Katz, New Jersey Courts; Judge Jane Pearl (Ret.), Legal expert; Katrina Volker, OurFamilyWizard representative; Lyn Greenberg, PhD, ABPP, Family Forensic Psychologist; Elle Barr, Esq., OurFamilyWizard representative; Robert Simon, PhD, Mental health and forensic professional; and NCJFCJ Leadership.
“Judges set the tone in every courtroom,” said Joey Orduña Hastings, CEO, NCJFCJ. “This bench card was designed specifically for them because their decisions shape the experience of children and families. By equipping judges with practical tools, we are helping them recognize and respond to trauma in real time, prevent unnecessary escalation, and develop court orders that support long-term healing.”
The NCJFCJ is distributing the Bench Card across all 50 states. It is also available on ncjfcj.org. Judges and court staff can familiarize themselves with the Bench Card’s principles and approaches, then refer to it in real time to guide the strategies they apply in daily court proceedings.
“We believe children deserve safe, supportive, and healthy family connections,” says Elle Barr, guardian ad litem, family law attorney, and OurFamilyWizard representative. “By supporting parents, caregivers, and professionals with trauma-informed resources like this Bench Card, we help families focus less on conflict and more on building brighter futures together.”