Washington Chapter                Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Fifth Annual Conference 

 

We have a stellar line-up of three Plenary sessions with top speakers from across the country. Attorneys, judges, Guardian ad Litem, mental health practitioners and evaluators will find valuable information at the Fifth Annual WA AFCC Conference  to be held Saturday, March 7th, 2015 at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle.

 

SHARED PARENTING PREDICAMENTS

Plenary sessions will be held with several top experts in the field.  Among these notable presenters are attorney J. Herbie DiFonzo, J.D., Ph.D., Professor of Law at Hofstra University and author of two books including Beneath the Fault Line: The Popular and Legal Culture of Divorce in 20th Century America. He is the co-reporter and editor of the AFCC special issue on Shared Parenting which emerged from the AFCC Think Tank (Family Court Review, April 2014). He will address Shared Parenting: Research, Policy and Practice.

(J. Herbie DiFonzo, J.D., Ph.D.)

              

Also on the agenda is Mindy Mitnick, Ed.D., M.A. who will present on the Special Needs of Never Married Parents. 

We are excited to have Christine Coates, J.D., a renowned expert on Parenting Coordination, Mediation, High Conflict and ADR who will present on Parenting Coordination and Other Innovations for High Conflict Cases.

 

         (Mindy Mitnick, Ed.D., left; Christine Coates, J.D., right)   

Break Out Afternoon sessions will allow you to choose between the following sesssions and speakers 

such as Dr. Carl McCurley, Manager of the WA State Center for Court Research who has published data on the Residential Time Patterns in Washington custody cases. He will present on Parenting Plans in Practice: Best Available Evidence.

                        (Paul Battan, J.D, left; Carl McCurley, Ph.D., right)

 

Also on hand will be local attorney Paul Battan, J.D. presenting on the Interface between Family Law and Criminal Law. 

 And rounding out the sessions will be a panel presentation by Alyson Jones, M.A., et al from Vancouver, BC entitled Moving Families Forward: A Coordinated Re-Unification Response to Parental Alienation, Estrangement, and High Conflict. 

 (Alyson Jones, M.A.)

 

Silent Auction, Cash Bar Social Hour to Follow

Register Now!For your convenience, you can use this Link to Register Now, or review more about conference details below and use another link further down the page to register. 

 

Saturday March 7, 2015 Conference Schedule and Program Description 

Opening Greetings –   Dana Dean Doering  -- Chapter President

Plenary Session I:  Shared Parenting in the 21st Century: How Law and Culture Shape Child Custody            (8:45-10:15   1.5 hr)

J. Herbie DiFonzo, J.D., Ph.D.

Professor DiFonzo will focus on a significant  development in child custody determinations in which the formally gender-neutral “best interests” standard has come under attack by a movement calling for a presumptive 50-50 division of child custody. Legislation introduced in many state legislatures would replace the individualized child custody decision with a mathematical formula. Professor DiFonzo will discuss the problem and propose a solution drawn from the increasing use of “parenting plans” devised by the divorcing parents themselves. Such parenting plans (frequently constructed with the help of mediation and other techniques to avoid litigation) provide methods for sharing custody more in keeping with child development findings in psychology and less likely to lead to further litigation. 

Plenary Session II: Special Needs of Never Married Parents  (10:30-12:00   1.5 hr) 

Mindy Mitnick, Ed.D.

Never married parents are appearing before the Court on matters of custody and parenting time in increasing numbers.  This program will identify how family law professionals can help this diverse group navigate the system towards successful resolution of their disputes.  The workshop will provide potential solutions for conflicts experienced by this heterogeneous demographic.  We will focus on interventions tailored to the roadblocks to resolution typically seen in this group of parents, including ADR and evaluations. 

 

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12:00 to 1:15    Member Meeting, Mingle and Buffet Luncheon    Lobby Lounge 

Tickets available for non-members who are encouraged to attend, see registration form for details. Business meeting for WA AFCC Chapter, social networking;                          

Others, Lunch on Your Own

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Plenary Session III: Perspectives on Parenting Coordination and Other Innovations for High Conflict Cases (1:15-2:45   1.5 hr)

Christine Coates, J.D.

 Parenting coordination is a relatively new process of ADR in family cases, having been introduced in the late 1990s.  The parenting coordination process has spread throughout North America and other countries and has become a popular intervention with post-decree, high-conflict families. As an early proponent and developer of the process and chair of AFCC’s Task Force on Parenting Coordination that published Guidelines for Parenting Coordination, the presenter will provide an overview of the evolution of parenting coordination, including current models of parenting coordination, best practices, and challenges. Creative and innovative interventions for high conflict families will also be highlighted, with suggestions for effective integration by practitioners.  

3:00 to 4:30   Afternoon Concurrent Workshop Series   A-C

Session A: Parenting Plans in Practice: Best Available Evidence.

Carl McCurly, Ph.D.

The presentation covers the source data for and results from the Washington State Center for Court Research's series of Residential Time Summary Reports, launched in response to a request contained in legislation from the 2007 session. Results from 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014 reports will be presented, showing the distribution of residential time allocated to mothers and fathers, allocation of residential time in cases where one parent is reported to have one or more risk factors (having committed domestic violence, abuse or neglect of children, substance abuse, or mental health needs), residential time as it relates to representation of parties, and the use of dispute resolution. 

Session B:  Interface Between Family Law and Criminal Law

Paul Battan, J.D.

Family law attorneys and mental health practitioners dealing with parents involved in custody disputes will confront situations where clients may engage in behaviors or have questions about acts which fall in the “convergence zone” of contested issues in civil domains and criminal activity as defined by prevailing Washington statutes. This workshop will afford participants an opportunity to consider a large number of such  circumstances (e.g., checking spouse’s email, installing keystroke monitor, calling a child and inadvertently talking to one’s ex-spouse when protective orders are in place). In addition to presenting a summary of many applicable RCW references, there will be an emphasis on shared experience and discussion in this session.

Session C:  Moving Families Forward: a Coordinated Re-Unification Response to Parental Alienation, Estrangement and High Conflict Family Situations.

Alyson Jones, MA RCC , Saba Golchin, MA RCC, Rebecca Smyth, MA Candidate, and Rob Croezen, MSW RSW

Issues such as parental alienation, estrangement and high conflict are some of the most difficult family situations for both lawyers and mental health professionals to deal with. Attempts at regular family therapy often fail in these situations, and not everyone can afford a residential program. This workshop is designed to assist professionals in understanding family fractures and how to reunify a family when there has been a rejection of a parent, or attachment disruptions. The Family Forward Re-Unification Program is unique, but the workshop will demonstrate how the structure and model can be utilized by other professionals in this field.

The presenters will explain why a coordinated team approach is essential when dealing with complex family situations, and the workshop will provide a communication protocol that assists in time and cost efficiency in these cases. Practical tools regarding how to respond to family fractures and how to develop a team approach will be outlined. 

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Register Now!Registration includes program materials, training and refreshments. Members will be holding a lunch meeting and mingle (buffet lunch served). Tickets are available for non-members to join the lunch meeting, otherwise lunch is on your own. Register early for savings. Class size is limited, so sign up soon. 

Program materials will be distributed on-line and by way of USB flash drive as PDF documents. Session materials will not be distributed in print form at the conference. High speed wireless internet is available at the Washington Athletic Club for a fee. 

Parking fees are not included. There are several public lots nearby and a parking facility used by the WAC is about a half-block north on Sixth. Public transportation is also available.

Lodging: Please make your own travel arrangements. A limited number of rooms are available at the WAC for WA AFCC attendees. Other major hotel chains such as the Sheraton are within easy walking distance. 

 

 

Who Should Attend?  

Attorneys, Guardian Ad Litem,  Judicial Officers, Psychologists, Mental Health Professionals, Researchers and Treatment Providers involved with Family Law and Dependency Court custody matters.

 

More information on Learning Objectives, Presenter Bio's and Continuing Education Credit information is available at our website www.wa-afcc.net

 

For other program and registration inquiries, contact WA AFCC

at  (253) 858-8850, Dr. Daniel Rybicki. 

Continuing Education Credits:

This program has been approved for up to 6.0 hours of CLE through WSBA (activity ID 385994).

This program has also been approved for 6 hours CEUs by the NASW Washington State Chapter. Licensed Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors are eligible (Provider number is 1975-312).

The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) parent organization is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AFCC maintains responsibility for the program and its content.