WA AFCC

From Shared Parenting Schedules to Children Who Resist Contact with a Parent:

Considerations for Residential Schedules and Interventions 

February Training 2018

The Washington Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts is a non-profit charitable educational organization that serves the interdisciplinary needs of judges, attorneys, mental health professionals and others who work with child custody and parenting cases.

As part of our service to the community, the WA AFCC Speakers Bureau has developed a one-day six-hour training event that provides update advanced training for GALs, Parenting Evaluators, and Family Law Attorneys. The program has been approved by the WSBA (activity 1049943) for 6.0 hours of continuing legal education credits. CE credit also available for mental health and psychology requirements.

The regular registration fee is being significantly reduced ($75) for those who are not WA AFCC or AFCC members. Members regular registration is $60. Additional Early bird discounts apply so if you sign up now you can save even more.  Early registration ends January 15th. Training materials will be posted on the WA AFCC website in PDF format for download.

It is necessary to register in order to ensure that we have sufficient space for those who wish to attend, as space is limited. Course evaluation and program evaluation forms will be utilized for gathering feedback and for meeting continuing education requirements.

The February 2018 program will take place on the Univ. of Washington campus (UW Tower O Main Auditorium). Since this is a Saturday program, campus parking should be available with lunch options nearby. Please join us for a in-depth discussion and a time for colleagial contact.

Program Schedule, Topics and Trainers

8:30 to 9:00-- Registration

9:00 to 10:30-- Shared Parenting: Research and Considerations for Developiung Schedules -- Dr. Lynn Fainsilber-Katz

10:30 to 10:45-- break

10:45 to 12:15-- Parent-Child Contact Problems Part I: Moving away from the "Alienation" framework towards a more contemporary framework-- Dr. Jennifer Wheeler

12:15 to 1:45—Lunch on your own

Plus: WA AFCC Membership Meeting

1:45 to 3:15-- Parent-Child Contact Problems Part II: Issues and Interventions from the point of referral through post-separation-- Dr. Jennifer Wheeler

 3:15 to 3:30-- break

3:30 to 4:15 -- Parent-Child Contact Problems Part II: (continued)

4:15 to 5:00 -- Panel discussion with Questions and Answer 

 

Link to Register Now

for February 2018 Training 

Program Details

Separating parents present with a wide range of strengths and deficits, which may vary tremendously depending on their level of conflict, personalities, and other factors.  At one end of the continuum are parents who are able to effectively co-parent post-separation under a “shared parenting” schedule.  At the other end of the continuum are families in which a child is resisting contact with one parent (often referred to as "alienation" cases).  In Part 1 of this training, we will provide an overview of the relevant scientific literature about "shared parenting” schedules, as well as practical considerations for designing schedules based on a family's individual needs. In Part 2 of this training, we will review the history of "alienation" as a framework for describing parent-child contact problems, and current approaches to describing and responding to these complex family dynamics.  We will provide information about interventions for responding to these dynamics from the point of the referral and following the entry of the Parenting Plan.

Learning Objectives -- Participants will:

1. Learn about research relevant to "shared parenting" and considerations for developing residential schedules
2. Learn about the current framework for understanding parent-child contact problems
3. Learn about possible interventions to respond to child-contact problems

Program Faculty:

Lynn Fainsilber Katz, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in Child Clinical Psychology and Developmental Psychology at the University of Washington, and Associate Director of the University of Washington’s Center for Child and Family Well-Being.  Dr. Katz has 26 years of experience working with children and families on issues relating to marital conflict, parenting and family relationships.  She has been conducting research on the effects of marital and family conflict on children’s adjustment.  Dr. Katz has written extensively in the area of marital conflict, and has authored numerous publications. In her private practice, Dr. Katz conducts parenting evaluations in child custody disputes, provides expert witness testimony and forensic psychology consultation in child custody litigation, and does individual and couples therapy. She serves on the board of the Washington Chapter of AFCC (WA-AFCC).

Jennifer Wheeler, Ph.D. received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington, completing both pre- and post-doctoral training in criminal and civil forensic evaluation and treatment.  She has published numerous articles and chapters on a variety of topics, including human sexual behavior, abuse/violence, couple therapy, and personal injury evaluations.  Dr. Wheeler is currently president of the Washington State chapter of the Association for Family and Conciliation Courts (WA-AFCC). Dr. Wheeler maintains a private practice in clinical and forensic psychology in Seattle, WA. She serves currently as the President on the board of the Washington Chapter of AFCC (WA-AFCC). 

For More Information, contact Dr. Daniel Rybicki at (253) 509-0922 or by email at info@wa-afcc.net