Speaker Bio’s
HONORABLE ERIC M. MEHNERT has served as the Chief Judge of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court since 2008. He presides over the Nation’s Criminal and Civil Courts as well as the Nation’s Wellness Court. He tells anyone who will listen that it is the best job he ever had, and ever hopes to have.
He has also served as the Wellness Court Judge for the Hopi Tribe in Arizona. He was appointed in 2016 to help establish the Tribe’s Wellness Court which is now fully active. In 2019 he worked with the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe in Wisconsin to help establish their Wellness Court and it too is fully active. He has presented on the benefits of Wellness Courts at seminars hosted by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the North American Indian Court Judges Association, the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the American Bar Association and the Maine Bar Association.
He serves as a Contract Judge for the Bureau of Indian Affairs where he is a member of a team reviewing Tribal Courts to assist in meeting the due process requirements of the Tribal Law and Order Act and Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction under the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
He is a member of the Maine, Massachusetts & Federal Court bars, as well as being admitted to practice before the United States First Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Prior to his appointment to the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court Eric was a senior partner in Hawkes & Mehnert, LLP. In his thirty-nine year career he focused his litigation practice on civil rights; employment discrimination, housing discrimination and defending the rights of those who have been institutionalized.
Eric has also served as the Chief of Enforcement of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Commission against Discrimination overseeing a staff of 45 investigators and 15 attorneys in prosecuting discrimination actions throughout the Commonwealth. He has served on the Maine Advisory Group to the US Commission on Civil Rights; The Board of Directors of the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Executive Board of the Portland Branch of the NAACP.
RHONDA DECONTIE (Algonquin and Penobscot) has served the Penobscot Nation’s Judicial System since 2011 and was promoted to the Clerk of the Court in 2014. That same year she was selected by the National American Indian Court Judges Association to receive its national Outstanding Court Support Award. Under her leadership, the Tribal Court has been nationally recognized as a leader in the handling of child protective proceedings and for its culturally aligned Healing to Wellness Court. Rhonda is also the recipient of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute’s Healing Advocate Award in 2019. During that same year she was appointed by the Governor of Maine to serve as the Tribal Court Representative to the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse. In 2021 the Penobscot Nation Tribal Council appointed Ms. Decontie to serve as the first Magistrate Judge to serve the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court.
Rhonda has also served the Hopi Tribe and the Lac Courtes Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in helping to develop culturally aligned healing to wellness courts. She has worked on-site, in tandem, with court staff to rapidly initiate healing to wellness programs.
She considers her work for her people in the Nation’s Judicial System one of the greatest achievements of her life. She is committed to ensuring that the Court provides a just, compassionate, culturally aligned problem solving approach for those it serves.
REBECCA WINTER was hired as the Court Administrator for the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court in March 2022. Previously employed as a Victim Witness Advocate for Kennebec County District Attorney’s office after graduating from the University of Maine at Augusta with a BS in Justice Studies. In 2019, she was nominated for the Maine Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse, and assigned to the Victim Witness Advocate for the Court System seat in 2020 by the Governor.
CANDI EWER is a tribal member of the Penobscot Nation. She is the Director of the Penobscot Nation Department of Education and Career Services, since 2012. Candi is a member of the Healing to Wellness Court team, and Board Chair of Wabanaki Youth in Science (WaYS) program.
My name is MARIE MITCHELL. I am a member of the Penobscot Nation. I have worked for the tribe for 34 years. The last 26 years I have worked for the Penobscot Nation Counseling Department. I hold the following licenses: LCPS, CADC, CCS. I have been a member of the Drug/Wellness Court since 1999. It has been a great opportunity and privilege to work with and support the participants. I am a mother of 4 adult children, 7 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.
PATRICIA GRAFFAM is a Citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik and is in her 11th year of working for the Penobscot Nation. She is the Prevention Coordinator for the Nolawesi “I Live Well” Program, doing Addiction Awareness & Prevention. Patricia graduated from the University of Maine and has been married to her husband, Dave for 37 years. She is the Secretary for the Wabanaki Women’s Coalition and sits on the Board of Visitors for the Penobscot County Jail, ensuring that inmates are being treated with respect and dignity.
ZACHARY BRANDMEIR is the Public Defender of the Penobscot Nation. He has been the contracted Public Defender for over a decade. Through that work, he has represented all participants in the Healing to Wellness Court, most Defendants in general criminal matters, as well as parents in child custody proceedings. Attorney Brandmeir also maintains a legal practice involving family and criminal law in Bangor, Maine. In his legal practice he has represented parties in most courts in the State of Maine as well as the United States District Court for the District of Maine. He also currently sits as the elected Judge of Probate for Penobscot County in the State of Maine.
CHRIS KING started working for the Penobscot Nation as a Patrolman from 1994-2001. After working for Maine Pretrial as a Case Manager for State Drug Court, Chris was hired as a Healing to Wellness Court Case Manager for the Tribal Court in March 2020. Chris has served with the United States Navy from 1987-1992. He served onboard the U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides), in Boston which is considered Honor Duty within the Navy. He then served with the Naval Support Activity in Souda Bay Crete during Desert Storm. Upon returning from active duty, he served in the Naval Reserves and was assigned to the Naval Communications Unit out of Cutler Maine.
He has a BS in English Literature with a double major in History from UMaine. He is a Penobscot Nation Community Member and lives on Indian Island with his 12-year-old son. Chris and his son enjoy traveling, taking day trips and, anything that presents quality time together.
GABRIEL PAUL is one of the Cultural Advisors for the Healing to Wellness Court. He has been with the program for 8 years. He is a Language Instructor and Cultural Education Coordinator for the Penobscot Nation Cultural & Historic Preservation Department. He has worked for the Nation for 23 years.
My name is HEATHER MURPHY formally Sergi. I was born and raised in Maine and have lived here my entire life. I graduated from Orono High School in 2006 and shortly after Graduation moved to Washington County. While living in Washington County I worked for AMHC and WCPA at the Residential facility for children in Calais, Maine. While there I was a Case Manager for the Residents on the Crisis Unit and I worked Primarily with Children who struggled with Aggression and Substance use. I attended Washington County Community College in Calais and was Vice President of the Phi Theta Kappa Chapter on Campus. I graduated with a 3.94 GPA in Applied Sciences for Medical Assisting. Upon graduating I worked for the American Red Cross as A Collection Specialist for Blood Donation and did a lot of travel for Blood Drives around New England. I later worked for the Indian Township Health Department for the Passamaquoddy Tribe in Indian Township Maine for 5 years. There I worked as a Medical Assistant and help to set up the current MAT Program which is still going today. In 2019 I was offered the opportunity to work for the Penobscot Nation Health Department as a Medical Assistant . After a year of being employed through PNHD I applied for the MAT Case Manager position where I have been since. While working in this Program I have been able to grow my skills and knowledge in Substance Abuse. I was honored to be extended an invitation to join the Healing To Wellness Court Team in 2020. I value the Courts Mission and Values and privileged to be able to be a part of the Team. I currently Live in Old Town, Maine with my 3 Children, and 2 Dogs. When not at work I enjoy spending time with my family outside, reading, and Coaching Cheer.
COLLEEN O’NEAL works as a part-time Victim Witness Advocate, as well as a part-time Case Manager with the Healing to Wellness Court. Colleen has over twenty years of experience in public service. First as a paramedic and most recently in emergency management before retiring in 2022. Colleen holds a bachelor’s degree in Intelligence and Securities and a master’s degree in Homeland Security. She has been married for 32 years to her husband Steve, has two children and four wonderful grandchildren.
My name is ELISHA SOCKBESON. I am an enrolled member of the Penobscot Nation, and the Assistant Director of the Penobscot Nation Department of Social Services. I graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies. I continued my education and graduated in May of 2017 with a second bachelor’s degree in Social Science. I attended graduate school at the University of Southern Maine and in May of 2019 graduated with my master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies. In August of 2013 to October of 2018, I was a telecommunications officer with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police Department in Connecticut. I then began working for the Penobscot Nation in December of 2018 at Indian Health Services as a patient intake specialist. From there, I began working at the Penobscot Nation Department of Social Services in October 2019. I began my journey at the Penobscot Nation Department of Social Services as the Tribal Family Advocate and Violence Prevention Coordinator, coordinating family violence prevention efforts through the Parent Partner program. I also facilitated the child protection team meetings and the social emotional response team meetings, managed the licensing of resource families, developed, and maintained partnerships for community engagement and public presentation with Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, Bureau of Maine Indian Education and other tribal departments. I often collaborated with the Penobscot Nation Child Welfare department to assist in case management to both protect and support compliant with the Indian Child Welfare Act. In July of 2021 I became the Assistant Director of Penobscot Nation Social Services Department. As the assistant director I oversee our Tribal Child Welfare department, our Prevention department and our Supportive Visit program.
JOHN BEAR MITCHELL is a citizen of the Penobscot Nation from Indian Island in Maine. He presently serves as the University of Maine System Office Native American Waiver and Educational Program Coordinator, University of Maine’s Wabanaki Center Outreach and Student Development Coordinator, as well as, a Lecturer of Wabanaki Studies and Multicultural Studies at the University of Maine in Orono. He has served on numerous museum and educational boards throughout the state with missions based on Maine’s Wabanaki people. For 15 years John visited schools in Maine as a Maine Touring Artist delivering an Arts in Education program. During that time, he visited over 150 schools. He toured with the Native American Storytellers of New England, while presenting a traditional and contemporary program in Native American Stories and Song. His singing and storytelling can be heard in many Maine PBS, tribal-sponsored awareness videos, independent film, HBO Lionsgate TV, and many documentaries with topics on Maine’s Native People.
MATTHEW ERICKSON is a true-blue graduate of Utah State University (the home of the Mighty Aggies, the Spot Where the Sagebrush Grows) and the University of Maine School of Law. He has worked as a migrant farm worker, a janitor, a truck driver, a sailing instructor, and a stained glass artist, though not recently. He was the lead singer and songwriter in a very popular local punk/salsa band, The Freedo Lays, which performed in the Craftsbury, Vermont area in the late 80’s. Matt generally knows what knot to use, and how to tie it. His legal experience includes stints at Shaw, Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge in Washington DC, the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office in Portland Maine, the Maine Attorney General’s Maine Drug Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, and he is currently the Tribal Prosecutor for the Penobscot Nation. He was selected as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2006. In 1991, Saddam Hussein repeatedly tried to kill him with Scud missiles but failed every time. Matt is the author of the short story Haircut from Hell, he coined the term “nutrilicious”, and he almost never uses matches to start a fire. He lives in Bucksport, Maine with his wife and two of his six children.
BROOKE LORING LCPC CADC CCS, is the Counseling Coordinator/Counseling Supervisor for the Penobscot Nation Health Department. In this role she supervises 3 full time clinicians and carries a caseload. Brooke has over 20 years’ experience in the mental health field to include case management, in home BHP, clinician in an outpatient setting, clinician in an inpatient setting, and a supervisory role. Brooke obtained a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Mental Health and Counseling. Brooke is currently a Certified Clinical Supervisor and Certified in Nutritional and Integrative Medicine for Mental Health. Brooke enjoys following her 2 beautiful daughters to all of their amazing events, and has been married to her wonderful husband for over 21 years.
My name is DANIELLE CAREY. I practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker doing both case management and therapy. I have worked at Wabanaki Health and Wellness since 2011 and have been affiliated with the Penobscot Nation Healing to Wellness Court for several years. I live in the woods of Maine with my husband, 3 boys and four English Mastiffs.
MORGAN TALTY is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation. He is the author most recently of the debut novel Fire Exit. His debut short story collection, Night of the Living Rez, won the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Sue Kaufman Prize, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, the New England Book Award, the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Honor, and was a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, and The Story Prize. His writing has appeared in The Georgia Review, Granta, Shenandoah, TriQuarterly, Narrative, Lit Hub, and elsewhere. Talty is an assistant professor of English in Creative Writing and Native American and Contemporary Literature at the University of Maine, Orono, and he is on the faculty at the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing as well as the Institute of American Indian Arts. He lives in Levant, Maine.
ROD K. ROBINSON, MA, MAC, LAT, (Enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe)
Mr. Robinson serves as the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Project Manager for the Pathways to Wellness Recidivism Reduction Initiative within the Field Operations Directorate. Mr. Robinson has over 40 years of experience as a clinician, administrator, educator, policymaker, and spiritual helper, serving Native communities and addiction recovery programs throughout the United States.
His expertise and passion are in building solution-focused integrated service delivery systems in Indian Country that interface with all community service disciplines that support the recovery and healing process.
Mr. Robinson can be e-mailed at Rodney.Robinson@bia.gov.
BARBARA D. ESTRADA, M.S., is the Director of the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) Coordinating Center (GCC) and Software Development for Lighthouse Institute (LI) of Chestnut Health Systems. The GCC provides training and technical support for those wanting to adopt and implement the GAIN. Ms. Estrada oversees GAIN product and services development and customer support teams. In addition, Ms. Estrada is the project manager for a Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services funded Pathways to Wellness Recidivism Reduction Initiative to provide training and technical assistance to 10 tribes to implement the GAIN-SS, and the SAMHSA funded project to develop Screen4Success, a web-based application to provide a self-screening and referral management service for individuals and professionals. Ms. Estrada has worked as a research director and evaluator for over twenty studies funded by NIDA, SAMHSA, DOE, HRSA and HUD. Ms. Estrada received her MS in Business and Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona in 1993.
Ms. Estrada can be reached at bestrada@chestnut.org or 309-4512-7891