Teri Deal

Teri Deal partners with courts to develop effective system improvements that strengthen communities and improve outcomes for families.

She guides courts in implementing our Upstream court-community collaboration framework focused on prevention. Deal also developed a framework that helps courts assess their readiness for implementing new projects, policies, and practices. 

Some of her recent work is focused on the courts' response to adolescents and emerging adults with justice-system involvement, including leadership of our 2025 national convening that drew teams from 47 states and territories. 

Before joining NCSC, her previous experience included directing federally funded projects and providing training on continuous quality improvement and evidence-based practices for a decade at the National Center for Juvenile Justice.

She studied at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Virginia and earned her Ph.D. in community engagement at Point Park University.