Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28Washington County Attorney’s Office—2016 Annual Report 21 Diversity Training Understanding Muslim Culture in Work Environment On February 19th, the County Attorney’s Office in collaboration with Community Corrections and the Sheriff’s Office sponsored a two hour elimination of bias training that focused on positive interactions and working effectively with Muslim clients and colleagues. The presenter was Amarita Singh, Civil Rights Director at the Council on American Islamic Relations, Minnesota. She spoke about how as diversity in Minnesota increases, it becomes vital for employers, law firms, nonprofits and others to receive credible training on how to positively interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. The training covered four areas – unconscious bias, introductions to Islam and Muslims, religious and cultural norms, and understanding the Somali people. The take away from the training was basic information that allows people of different backgrounds to bridge the gap of understanding, expand our cultural knowledge, and also provide a resource to help answer questions and concerns about cultural norms. Approximately 125 Washington County employees from all different departments attended this training. Veterans Program The veterans program promotes public safety while supporting veterans and their families through a coordinated effort among the veteran services delivery system, community-based services, and the court – thereby leaving no veteran behind. This program recognizes the unique problems facing veterans and how problem solving courts can help by recognizing the disabilities that military men and women returning from active deployment develop and identifying resources to assist the justice involved veterans. The program strives to identify veterans, offer them assistance, assess their needs, and help them solve their problems. It is a unique partnership between the criminal justice system, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and local treatment providers. Veterans Program January 2012—January 2017 72+ applicants 44 veterans accepted into program 26 of the 44 have graduated from the program 18 currently in the program Veterans working in the County Attorney’s Office include Pete Orput, Celina Postelli, George Kuprian and Jenn Baltaian (photo taken at Veteran’s Day Recognition in office)