Joe H. Brown, PhD, Professor, University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work and Director of the Families in Transition Program announced at the AAML/LBA seminar a new program funded with a sizeable grant from The Bureau of Justice Administration. The goals of the program include helping high conflict divorced parents create parenting plans and to reduce repeated litigation over parenting issues. He and Mary Lou Cambron, MSSW of Jefferson Family Court, are seeking referrals from attorneys of Jefferson County parents with children between ages 6 and 11 who are at risk of high conflict and repeated parenting disputes. The criteria includes two or more motions related to custody or visitation, but excludes participants covered by an active Domestic Violence Order, active Child Protective Services case, and families already working with a Parenting Coordinator. They want to help and study these families before escalation of the conflict becomes permanently unmanageable.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two programs: Parents Achieving with Collaborative Teams, (PACT) will consist of a six session program led by licensed family therapists, aimed to help persons deal with anger and manage conflict and provide family/community support. Parent Education Referral Services (PERS) will have information sessions about parenting plans and anger management and referrals may be made to other agencies.
Dr. Brown has already trained the facilitators who include Dr. Sally Brentzel, Dr. Katie McBride and Judith Cumbler.
Families admitted will be served though March, 2007.
Look for an article in the May, 2006 LBA Bar Briefs. Meanwhile, they are already accepting referrals. If you have a case that may qualify, let Mary Lou Cambron (502)595-4787 know.
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