Association of Family and Conciliation Courts is presenting a two day seminar December 3-4, 2007 at the
University of Baltimore, Maryland, titled Parenting Coordination: Helping High Conflict Parents Resolve Disputes. It will be presented by Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and former Executive Director of the Northern California Mediation Center. Dr. Kelly has published more than 80 articles and chapter, and her book, Surviving the Breakup: How Children and Parents Cope with Divorce, remains a classic resource Here is the description of the program:
A two-day training for parenting coordinators, mediators, custody evaluators, lawyers and other professionals who work with high-conflict families.
Parents with continuing disputes and chronic litigation about their children, following separation or divorce, present a difficult problem for courts, lawyers and mental health professionals. This training will focus on the parenting coordination structure and process, including the range of disputes resolved, practical and ethical issues, effective court orders, case examples, and the parenting coordinator role in cases with alienated children and relocation issues. Participants in this two-day training will:
• Understand the most recent empirical research on who high conflict parents are, and why they continue to have entrenched disputes regarding their children;
• Identify the types of conflict most destructive for children, and what buffers have been identified that help protect children from parental conflict;
• Understand the rationale for combining education, mediation, and arbitration in the Parenting Coordination models used for continuing g high conflict parents;
• Understand the relationship between the authority described in the order or consent agreement for the PC and the types of disputes typically addressed by Parenting Coordinators;
• Distinguish between Parenting Coordination and psychotherapy/assessment or serving as a representing lawyer and the role boundaries in functioning as a Parenting Coordinator;
• Understand the value of including children in Parenting Coordination processes, from research, interview material, and discussion;
• Learn the importance of precise, clear writing of decisions for court orders or consent agreements by discussing examples written by several PCs following either mediation or arbitration of parenting disputes;
• Identify the various ways in which Parenting Coordinators can intervene effectively in relocation, child alienation, and special needs cases; and
• Describe ethical situations that arise in Parenting Coordination practice, and the need for case consultation and mentoring.
AGENDA
Monday, December 3, 2007, 8:30 am-4:00 pm
1. Continued Parental Conflict after Divorce – Who and Why?
2. Empirical Research on Impact of High Conflict on Children’s Adjustment
3. Parenting Coordination: Definitions, Objectives, Disputes, Roles and Qualifications
4. Legal Frameworks and Models of Parenting Coordination
5. Critical Elements in Court Orders for Parenting Coordination
6. Referrals, Setting up Cases, Parental Informed Consent and Beginning the Case
Tuesday, December 4, 2007, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
1. Including Children in the Parenting Coordination Process
2. Negotiation, Decision-making and Drafting Decisions
3. Ethical and Clinical Issues in Serving as Parenting Coordinators
4. Types of Parenting Coordination Cases
5. Specialized Interventions with Parents to Reduce Conflict
6. Parenting Coordination in Child Alienation and High Conflict Relocation Cases.
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