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Rochelle Romosca Caton, J.D.
Rochelle Romosca Caton, J.D., has been the Director of the Office of Patient Advocacy, in the Office of General Counsel at SC Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities, Office of Mental Health (OMH) since 2006. She was also the legislative liaison for SCOMH until November of 2022. She received a B.S. degree in finance, summa cum laude, from the University of South Carolina in 1989 and her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1993. Beginning her practice with Nelson, Mullins, and Riley & Scarborough she was assigned to work on a class action federal civil rights lawsuit brought by incarcerated juveniles against the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). In 1994, she began working with Fairey, Parise & Mills, PA, concentrating on civil rights, particularly the DJJ lawsuit and children’s issues. In 1999, Rochelle became a staff attorney at SC Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. As leader of the Conditions in Facilities team, she advocated on behalf of incarcerated children and adults, including clients in mental health facilities and facilities for people with developmental disabilities.
Sheresa Christopher, Ph.D, ABPP
Sheresa Christopher, Ph.D., ABPP is a clinical forensic psychologist and Assistant Professor within the Community and Public Safety Psychiatry Division (CPSPD) of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC. Dr. Christopher attended Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University (PAU) where she earned a Forensic Psychology Emphasis Certificate and a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology. She completed a Predoctoral Internship at the University of Massachusetts Medical School/ Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital (Forensic Track) and a Postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology at East Central Regional Hospital/ Augusta University.
Dr. Christopher has worked with adults and adolescents through various levels of care including outpatient, residential, intensive residential, acute psychiatric stabilization, and long-term hospitalization in state psychiatric hospitals. Clinically, she is particularly interested in legally involved youth experiencing a range of psychopathology, including the psychological effects of trauma. Dr. Christopher conducts a variety of criminal and civil forensic evaluations with adults, juveniles, and families. She also provides consultation services and conducts psychological autopsy evaluations for the Department of Corrections. She serves as the Director of the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology and the Youth and Family Forensic Program. Dr. Christopher is a Specialist in Forensic Psychology per the American Board of Professional Psychology and a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology.
Samantha Horsley, PhD, ABPP
Samantha Horsley, PhD, ABPP, received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Sam Houston State University in Texas. She has extensive training and experience in forensic psychology, having completed a predoctoral internship at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Missouri and a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at Texas Tech University/Lubbock Regional MHMR. She is board certified in forensic psychology and is a member of the Board of Directors for the American Board of Forensic Psychology. Dr. Horsley has worked for the Office of Mental Health (formerly the Department of Mental Health) Forensic Evaluation Services since 2010, performing competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility/capacity to conform evaluations with juveniles and adults. She has also worked at the Department of Juvenile Justice, where she conducted postadjudicatory, psychosexual, and prewaiver evaluations. Dr. Horsley is currently the Training Director for the Office of Mental Health’s postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology, and she also holds an academic position as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of South Carolina. She additionally serves on the faculty of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. She has testified as an expert witness numerous times in Family Court and General Sessions Court proceedings and has given several prior CLE presentations.
Kelly Gothard, PhD.
Kelly Gothard, PhD. is a licensed psychologist and the Director of Forensic Services at the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (SCDBHDD)-Office of Mental Health. She graduated summa cum laude with her B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University. She earned her M.S. and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University, where she focused her clinical training and research experiences on juvenile delinquency and sex offender evaluation and treatment. She completed her predoctoral internship in 2007 at William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute/ USC Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science. She has previously worked as a psychologist for the SC Department of Juvenile Justice, in the South Carolina Sexually Violent Predator Treatment Program as the Clinical Director, and as Director of OMH Forensic Evaluation and Outpatient Services.
SAMANTHA M. LUCK, Esq.
Samantha Luck is a Juvenile Defender Advocate with the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense (SCCID). Prior to joining the SCCID, she served as a staff attorney at the SC Human Affairs Commission. Ms. Luck worked for nearly six years as a Juvenile Public Defender for both Richland and Lexington Counties where she became well-versed in the area of juvenile defense and advocacy. In addition to her work as a juvenile defender, she was as an attorney for Richland County Court Appointed Special (CASA), representing court-appointed Guardian ad Litems for children in the foster care system. Having started out her legal career as a youth advocate, Ms. Luck also has extensive knowledge in the area of special education law and worked at Disability Rights South Carolina (formerly Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc.) for several years. There, she represented students with disabilities in public primary and secondary education, ensuring the protection and enforcement of students’ rights under the IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA.
Ms. Luck obtained both her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and J.D. from the University of South Carolina. During law school, she clerked in the family court division for the Richland County Public Defender Office and during that time, also became a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem. She is a Certified Juvenile Training Immersion Program (JTIP) Trainer and was a participant in the 2017 JTIP Summer Academy. Throughout her legal career, Ms. Luck has been a strong advocate for youth in S.C. and believes wholeheartedly in fighting for the rights of children. She believes that by investing in community services and programs aimed at addressing the needs of youth, rather than incarceration, youth will have greater success at rehabilitation and better future outcomes.
Ms. Luck serves on the Board of Directors for Roses in Concrete South Carolina and is a member of the J.T. Farmer Advisory Board for the Law Offices of S. Chris Davis.
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