[From an inside page] The National Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System (QIC-NRF) is a collaborative effort among the American Humane Association, the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law and the National Fatherhood Initiative, and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau  [Image shown above]

This gets interesting — as the inside page is only referencing the QIC-NRF factor, but the cover page references QIC-NRF and ‘QIC-Child Welfare System” both.  Which is it?

So the National QIC-NRF is the “effort” or project, but it’s spoken of as if it’s the producer. or curriculum funder, on the face page, with no reference to the role of the HHS:

[From the cover page] Curriculum Funded by the National Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System   

One moment it’s an entity, the next, a collaborative effort by 3 other entities (all nonprofits, the ABA a big one, the AHA, an old and generally respected one, and the NFI, while more controversial for its programming, having incorporated in 1994, has been influential and its programming is not entrenched within 1996 Welfare Reform and social services delivery systems through establishing grants administered by HHS, authorized under 1996 Welfare Reform.  As the HHS decides who gets these discretionary funds appropriated to it, I’d say HHS leadership (which in some years was closely entrenched with NFI leadership — do some homework, even Wikipedia, it will come up) is also a collaborator.

“Funded by the National Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System” is a false statement — on the cover of the training curriculum!  Unless that center is itself a separate corporate “person” (business identity, including a nonprofit), it’s not “funding” anything, but is rather itself “funded BY” others. This common tactic of substituting a project name for a business entity IS a tactic to downplay where the money is coming from, going to, and who it’s passing through.  A specific HHS grant is mentioned on the inside, but the cover page only mentions ONE entity — and that’s the American Humane Association, with its author. (Screenprints below on this post, or see that link). On page 3 bottom, it’s phrased differently:

This curriculum was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, Washington, D.C., as part of a supplemental award to the National Quality Improvement Center on Non- Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System, Grant #90CA1025.

NOW LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THIS PROGRESSIVE LANGUAGE CREEP AS FACILITATED BY CERTAIN ASSOCIATIONS (see subject of [the above] post)

Year, 2007

(follow up from 2004 start of a Commission for Justice Initiatives to do exactly this type of activity)

Changing the Culture of Custody  (Pennsylvania)

Also found at http://www15.brinkster.com/ncfcpgh/Report.pdf  (ALL font changes mine in the quote):

Chairman’s Introduction  (Chairman was The Hon. Thomas King Kistler)

The adoption of the Gold Standard Model set forth in this report, and the associated programs, will immediately change the course for the future of family separations and subsequent parenting arrangements. Children will be exposed to a far less contentious system, and will bear fewer emotional scars for the rest of their lives.

(Please note absence of parent representatives on the committee:)

Beginning in 2005, at the request of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, a Committee of experienced practitioners from many disciplines began the process of seeking a truly new and innovative way to resolve “custody” cases with less cost, delay and anguish. Through their dedicated and continuous efforts this Committee now offers the following report.

Over the last two years, the Committee has held 21 full day meetings, and conducted research projects and numerous investigative visits to courts to determine the best options for separating families.

Best according to whose definition?

Arnold Shienvold, Ph.D.,** brought great understanding of the dynamics of separation, as a clinical psychologist; Judy Shopp, {{Hover cursor for some of her qualifications & associations}} contributed vast knowledge on Alternative Dispute Resolution and mediation, and edited this report; Kathy Morrison {{PCADV}} represented the Domestic Violence community and their suggestions; Kim Nieves and Don Harris brought the expertise of the AOPC office, and its statistical gathering muscle; Maria Cognetti** {{AFCC presenter}} spoke for all of the family law practitioners {{??}}; Cindy Stoltz and Amy Ross added the perspective of Court Administration who will have to ‘run’ any system created; Gregg Warner illustrated the legislative interests and needs; Frank Cervone*spoke tirelessly on behalf of children and their needs; and Common Pleas Judges Manny Bertin (Montgomery), Chet Harhut (Lackawanna),** Katherine Platt (Chester), and Larry Kaplan (Allegheny) contributed their vast and varied experiences with family court matters over thousands of cases. This group was brought together and coalesced under the guidance and efforts of Marie Queen, of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. My sincere thanks and admiration go to each of them.

Some of the Personnel above:

SHIENVOLD appears to be lead personnel here, which basically says that AFCC’s standards are going to be the Gold Standard.

Dr. Shienvold’s name appeared on protests at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in recent months as a problem professional.  Nevertheless, his firm is part of a contract for expert witnesses hired by (don’t quote me, but I did look it up) the State of Pennsylvania.  Not mentioned:  He’s AFCC Board Member and I heard President-Elect.  Surprise, surprise, they recommend a Rule of Civil Procedure for Parent Coordinators.  Past models from Florida (where Parenting Coordination was successfully lobbied for, with the help of establishing a Florida Chapter of AFCC first, etc. Next up (if not there already) — pass a law in Pennsylvania (as in Florida) allowing judges to order parenting coordination over the objections of either parent.

You should read the report (I did).

**Ms. Cognetti — “Vice President of AAML” presenting alongside Dr. Shienvold at a JOINT AFCC-AAML conference, this past December, in Phillie:

ADVANCED ISSUES IN CHILD CUSTODY:  EVALUATION, LITIGATION & SETTLEMENT   “An exceptional, advanced-level training opportunity co-sponsored by two premier family law organizations”

• Learn the latest advanced practice skills and strategies • Earn continuing education credit • Expand your practice through unparalleled networking opportunities • An interdisciplinary faculty of leaders in the field • The latest research on children, custody, separation and divorce

Topics include:

Witness Preparation Direct and Cross Examination Child Development and Attachment Child Relocation Disputes Mental Health Consultation

Parental Alienation  Psychological Testing Domestic Abuse Bias and Opinion Formulation Ethics: Best Interests or Zealous Advocacy?

Cognetti & Shienvold  (Cognetti is probably also AFCC member, but I’m not sure):

Program Committee

Kenneth P. Altshuler, Esq., AAML President-Elect Nancy Zalusky Berg, Esq., AAML Fellow Maria Cognetti, Esq., AAML Vice President Gaetano (“Guy”) Ferro, Esq., AAML Past President Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, Esq., AAML Vice President Arnold T. Shienvold, Ph.D., AFCC President Elect Robert M. Smith, Esq., AFCC Past President

Frank Cervone (I didn’t know the name) testified recently in re:  Penn State Child Abuse Allegations;

About Frank P. Cervone

Mr. Cervone currently serves as the Executive Director of Support Center for Child Advocates, the nation’s oldest and largest program dedicated exclusively to providing pro bono legal services for abused and neglected children. Since its founding in 1977, Child Advocates has trained more than 3,500 attorneys who contribute pro bono services valued at more than $4.6 million annually.

. . .

Mr. Cervone serves as Chair of the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund. He chaired the Advisory Committee on Child Welfare Services and served as member of the Advisory Committee on Adoption Law, of the Joint State Government Commission, the research arm of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.. . .

He also serves as a member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Procedural Rules Committee, and as member of the National Advisory Committee for the National Quality Improvement Center {{“QIC” pops up later on this post; learn the term}} on the Representation of Children in the Child Welfare System. He is a member of the Board of the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance and member of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation Children’s Rights Litigation Committee Working Group. He is a founder and co-director of the National Children’s Law Network.

Mr. Cervone is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University School of Law, and he has a Masters Degree in Theology and Ministry from LaSalle University.

Here’s an update on his RECENT testimony after the Penn State Abuse:

CHESTER HARHUT:

Well, here’s a 2008 article stating how concerned he is there aren’t more volunteer to protect the kids in the court:

Finding allies for children in court

For President Judge Chester Harhut, the idea of bringing in volunteers to help children in the court system has been a long time coming.

BY ERIN L. NISSLEY STAFF WRITER Published: Monday, May 5, 2008 1:00 AM EDT

For President Judge Chester Harhut, the idea of bringing in volunteers to help children in the court system has been a long time coming.

The county received grant money more than five years ago to launch a program that paired children in abuse and neglect cases with advocates who would spend time getting to know their needs. But Judge Harhut and other court officials had a hard time finding an agency that would take a leading role in the project, including screening volunteers and coordinating training.

I think what speaks most loudly for The Hon. Harhut is how the FBI has raided his court, after repeated complaints about abusive practices by the GAL, he appointed — it turns out, she is without lease, without contract, not an employee, and taking advantage of public property to work her magic on the families.  The community also expressed repeated concerns also about supervised visitation and parenting coordinator Ann Marie Termini, including parents being forced to pay cash, and in short, they are pretty well upset and picketing the courthouse weekly.

FBI VISITS LACKAWANNA COURTHOUSE   (Note:  Lackawanna County is just north of the more famous Luzerne County, where 3 judges went down in a racketeering scandal).

PREDICTABLY (given who was on the Commission for Justice Initiatives, Changing the Culture of Custody Committee — a whole lot of AFCC) (incl. Harhut), the next order of business was pushing through PARENTing COORDINATION in Statute form.  Who better to “evaluate” this than some of the same folks, and here it is:

http://www.momjiananderer.com/articles_pdfs/steve_articles/article.pdf

The report on page 3 says that “Pennsylvania Law Permits the PA Supreme Ct to Authorize the Courts of Common Please to Appoint Mental Health Professionals as Parenting Coordinators and the PA Supreme Court Should Issue a Rule Allowing for Such Appointments” (with some abbreviations obviously).  What’s funny(?) about that — not too long after, the same authority revoked the same rule, taking the respective communities by surprise and — last I checked — parenting coordination so carefully promoted was “out on its ass” in the Commonwealth.  I haven’t checked back since then, but  “as I recall.” LGH/2017 update.)

[I recommend to click and read.  It’s plain white paper, not really date-and-time stamped, but it points out that once you have a commission, chances are you’ll have a task force from it, and that the same task force just might be a little stacked one way or the other.  What I did in 2012 was look up those in “footnote 1” and categorize them.  Below these first 3 screenprints (a technique I didn’t learn til later was how to take one and post it), the second one showing that Footnote #1, is a bulleted list showing who they are, some rough categorization by their degrees.  The combo of degrees matches the types of degree-combos also found in the AFCC, naturally.)*  

*(Font color-coding.  That color was a short insert, 2017)

Image 1 of 3, “Report of the Parenting Coordination Task Force on Delegation and Delegation to Non-Lawyers

Image 2 of 3 (p.1 bottom showing FN1)

Image 3 of 3 (part of p2)

A Task force of course has to issue a report.  Here’s who was on the Task Force (The document is only 15pp double-spaced, might as well read it, too!).  Notice:  Ph.D.’s, Ed.D.s (a few), Esqs & JD’s, and Judges. (Looks like I underlined the Judges…)

• $$$  Steven J. Anderer, J.D., Ph.D. – $$$
• Rachel L. Baturin, MPH, J.D.
• The Hon. Robert J. Bigham
• $$$ Steven Cohen, Ph.D.  (see 2006 article cowritten by 3 members of this task force:  Cohen, Orlow & Iannuzelli)** (see his ad/link for PC’s, below)
• Kimberly Cox, Esq.
• $$$ Mark B. Dischell, Esq.
• John C. Howett, Jr., Esq.
• $$$ Jane Iannuzelli, M.Ed.D., M.A.
• Samuel Knapp, Ed.D.
• The Hon. Robert J. Matthews
• $$$ Eve Orlow, Ed.D., M.S. {Member of PA State board of Psychologists)
• The Hon. Katherine B.L. Platt
• $$$ Arnold Shienvold, Ph.D.
• $$$ Michele Southworth, J.D., LMFT**
• $$$ David J. Steerman, Esq.  (List reads “David Michele Steerman” @ PCCentral)
• Cynthia K. Stoltz, Esq.
• $$$ Anne Marie Termini, Ed.D., M.S., LPC ** (and why I bothered to type out this list!)
• The  Hon. Jeannine Turgeon
• The Honorable David N. Wecht

Legend:  “$$$”

For Comparison, Several of the Above are already listed at PARENTING COORDINATION CENTRAL.  Marked with $$ signs next to their bullet, above!

So, those on the task force have been found:  writing together, training as parent coordinators together, presenting at AFCC/APA conferences together, and etc. , and their websites are pretty uniformly pushing HARD for parenting coordination, which I’ll spare you here (but have seen enough of!).  Whether or not all those makred $$ have taken their trainings with Boyan/Termini, I don’t know — but here are the elaborate details of how much participants will be charged to learn what:

http://www.parentingcoordinationcentral.com/pg91.cfm.   To register, go to the amazing, the invisibly incorporated (that I can see) http://www.cooperativeparenting.com/:

Susan Boyan and Ann Marie Termini are co-founders of the Cooperative Parenting Institute (CPI). The CPI is an organization {{WHERE??}} whose mission is to promote the healing and enhancement of family relationships. The Institute offers a wide range of services and resources to assist families as well as professionals with a successful transition from a one to two home family. The professionals at CPI are dedicated to educating the public, judges, legal and mental health professionals on the effects of divorce and time-sharing arrangements on the development of children.

Family Law Judges and Attorneys don’t know this already?   Hey, but if it’s tax-deductible as CLE or something, bring it on!

Article I cited in 2012 post by Steven R. Cohen , and (next similar image) a small part from that site’s “A Warning on Websites” — really a warning on choosing custody evaluators.

(Two screenprints from the “2006 article co-written by 3 members of this task force” article — still dated “2006” at footer, while it’s still functional.  Link again in image caption):

As I read the references to this short piece (found at Anderer site, above), it’s clear they are basically AFCC professionals citing AFCC professionals, in typical language:  Other states have done it thus (not mentioning, which AFCC professionals were involved IN those other states).   By this rationale, we should just “go with the flow.”

What happened to the concept of independence of the Judicial and Legislative Branches?  The report rationalizes:  We already have a civil rule that allows this and “Judges in at least 15 counties have appointed parenting coordinators”  -(see the list.  I wonder how many are AFCC members!).   A THIEF could use the same rationale:  “But I’ve already been in the habit, shouldn’t you decriminalize theft?  All this debate over it is causing undue conflict for the parties in question!”

None of the august assemblage seemed to think that an actual layperson (they’re apparently the priesthood, so I call others “laypeople”) to keep them honest, among other things, or inject a little new blood into the deliberations!  Particularly as Ms. Termini has an obvious conflict of interest, being a parent coordinator already, and advocate of it.

***Steve Cohen, Ph.D. Page promoting Parent Coordination as if it were just something that “just happens” bcause of litigious parents.. It’s addressed to attorneys, to handle families that “just don’t want to change”:

Attorneys:  why should you consider a parent coordinator for your client?

You have probably heard the old joke: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? One — but it really has to want to change.

Many family law clients don’t really want to change . .  (etc. . ..  )

Speaking of Mandatory Services Ordered: [2017 update: Original image gone, Dr. Orlow’s name gone from the above link to her name on the bulleted list, but a click on “Children First Services” at “CenterPsych.com” (main url to that link) did lead to this link with a very brief description and an Ardmore, PA street address:

Our Children First Program

OUR CHILDREN FIRST is a county mandated parent education program aimed at assisting divorcing parents in ameliorating the disruptive consequences of divorce on their children. Utilizing videos, discussions and role plays, parents are sensitized to a child’s view of divorce and taught to remain a stable force in their children’s life. In this four hour seminar, parents are informed about: child development – which may serve as a basis for planning parenting time, potential pitfalls to avoid, and taught skills to help their child cope with the many adjustments required of them and parents through the divorce process. This program emphasizes that children need both parents; divorce does not change a child’s need for an ongoing relationship with a mother and a father. Divorcing parents are taught how to co-parent their children during this painful and chaotic time.

Click here for a copy of the registration form to print and mail in. (<==looks to be more recent)

(screenprint showing it’s $60 for the four-hour seminar, made payable to the entity, not an individual)

http://www.centerpsych.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/OCF-Jan-Feb-2017.pdf

For Dr. Orlow’s link (above) I notice that the link to Center Psychological Services also talks about Montgomery County’s Mandatory Parent Education Services “Our Children First” (cf.  KidsFirst out of some other counties, which I blogged on plenty, see “Muklewicz”).  $60 a pop or not custody modification hearing for you!  The Montgomery County Parent Seminar Registration site doesn’t even tell viewers who the provider is — it’s a website contact form, and parents “will be contacted.”

…….

(This table in original post, I can see the page summary of “Our Children First” program has changed meanwhile).

Enclosed form (same link) says:

Pursuant to Montgomery County Local Rule N. 1915.3, in an action for custody, partial custody or visitation, both parents must attend an approved educational seminar on the general responsibilities of separated and divorced parents.

About The Seminar

OUR CHILDREN FIRST seminar is a four-hour workshop in which instructors and participants will explore the potential social, emotional, psychological and economic implications on children during the divorce process. This seminar is for adults only; no childcare is available and children are not permitted to attend.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. To Register:

1) Complete the form below; 2) Enclose your $60.00 check or money order, payable to CPS

Dr. Orlow’s blurb on Center for Psychological Services:

Eve Orlow, Ed.D., M.S.

Areas of Interest/Specialty:
Individuals; couples; Families, Individual Psychotherapy; Parenting issues;

Parenting adolescents with adjustment issues.

Separating parents, divorcing parents, Parenting coordination.

Ardmore

Was this blurb the same before she was assigned on the task force as to whether to mandate parenting coordination?

[update — I found a Nov. 23, 2011 article at “NYDivorce.Com” by Neil Cahn, “Are Parenting Coordinators too Little Too Late in Custody and Visitation Disputes?” going straight into an Eve Orlow quote, that is right after referencing Andrew Schephard of Hofstra, then citing several cases — in NY — involving parenting coordinators), and afterwards, citing several cases:

Professor Andrew Schepard of the Hofstra University School of Law in his  article, “Parenting Coordinator for High Conflict Parent” N.Y.L.J., 5/8/03, p. 3 col. 1, explained the role of Parenting Coordinator as “a combination educator, mediator and sometimes-therapist who helps parents develop conflict-management skills and decides disputes if they cannot. . . . [B]y supervising parenting and resolving conflict, a Parenting Coordinator helps high-conflict parents develop a tolerable working relationship (usually parallel as opposed to cooperative parenting) for the benefit of their children.”

In her 2007 article “Working with Parenting Coordinators” in the Summer, 2007 issue of the Family Advocate, the publication of the American Bar Association’s Section of Family Law, Eve Orlow, Ph.D., noted that a Parenting Coordinator mixes counseling and parent education with mediation and arbitration….

Some of the related posts on this one (dated 2017, 2016) are hair-raising; for example, a mother can’t move 17 miles away, or where a daughter refuses to see her father (in forced therapeutic visitation — and she’s 17), this is no longer forced — but his child support is terminated. Some of them, both parents were represented, sometimes both parents AND the child and the one where Mom couldn’t move 17 miles to Rye NY (where she worked, and alleged the school district was better) and a less expensive residence (apartment) near HER work as librarian, she was denied because the father, who claimed daily involvement with them — although he also claimed working several places in NJ regularly — the mother had no attorney).  I may have summarized them wrong, but here are the links:

(2017 added info here is light-pink background, smaller font).

ABA, APA, AFCC & AAML — so far (above), right?

Lackawanna Bar site highlights Termini’s PC operation:

Cooperative Parenting Programs

ADMINISTRATOR:
Ann Marie Termini, Ed. S., M.S.
Lackawanna County Family Court (963-6512) –
and Clarks Summit, PA (586-5669)

HISTORY: 
In effect for three (3) years in Lackawanna County

COMMISSION ON JUSTICE INITiATIVES (etc) says, “Bring it on! for high-conflict families!”

But:

PARENTS + FBI in LACKAWANNA COUNTY, PA, see it a little differently.

Here is selected feedback from “Scranton Political Times” on the Co-parenting/Termini thread!

Lackawonderful wrote: Let me see if I have this straight…. Ann Marie Termini lists her credentials as Ed.S. (Education Specialist), M.S. (Master’s in Education) and L.P.C. (Licensed Professional Counsellor).  She does not have her Ph.D. and she is not a psychologist! From the invoices for this year, through August 2011 she has billed Lackawanna County for consultation and as the CoParenting Coodinator (???). over $44K! Basically, we, the taxpayers, will be paying (based on her billing so far this year) $80k + to a Social Worker…. Someone in the county should take a walk up the street to Scranton Counselling and see what a social woker position in Scranton really commands, and I assure you it is no where near $80K…. Again the taxpayers are getting the raw end of the stick!!!

or, by “resignation please” (Oct. 2011)

Are we going to find out what Termini did to earn all that cash?  Funny how that job didn’t go out for advertising every year.  Most contract work is supposed to be bid out, isn’t it? This stuff pisses off everybody who reads it.  Everybody who works at 200 Adams Ave is so disgusted they want to walk out.  That Court Administrators Office run by Claire is a shinning example of deplorable work ethic and professional conduct. More like a barn full of fat animals if you ask me.

or, by “redrider” (oct. 2011):

no not bad day at the office  anne marie terminni testified in another county during a custody case she was just a consultant for lackawanna county i was ordered in wyoming county court to attend coparenting with terminni i started getting bills in the mail from lackawanna county but my case has nothing to do with lackawanna county how can someone whos seeing you in her private practice  all of a sudden start sending you bills from lackawanna county courts and she would only accept money orders for payments i think that something fishy goin on

Why don’t we just centralize it — one class, one idea, nationwide — and at least cut down on the opportunities for overbilling.  This guy from California seems to have the concept down– get certified with the court, get the classes online, pay people $45 per referrals, and sit back with the on-line ATM machine!   (found when I looked for the Wyoming class — good SEO placement, Dr. Ari!)

{{Note:  I believe Scranton Political Times forum has been down for several years, but didn’t check recently.  I was an active participant on there for a long time; my “Formerly Sticky Post” (see recent post with this in its title)” “Quips, Thinks and Links” for the signature block eventually used).}}

(PROBABLY UNRELATED TO OUR Ms. TERMINI, HERE>>>)

http://www.onlineparentclass.com/About-Online-Parent-Class.aspx

(What this really is all about is professional expansion for educationists and psychologists anyhow….)

(CONT’D @ Here is selected feedback from “Scranton Political Times” on the Co-parenting/Termini thread!)

or by Joe Pilchesky summarizing her earnings — which he took the time to ascertain:

\

And finally, here’s the image of a “Right to Know” letter (from Mr. P.) re: Termini.  Images of the payment vouchers are on the same thread.  How many other people in ANY other counties have even asked?

 [[<==The images are out because the forum is down..]]

Summarized from images above (and his responses from the RTK), he writes:

However, it seems that the Hon. Chester Harhut (see “Commission for Justice Initiatives” “Changing the Culture of Custody Committee”) DID by court order (not contract bid out, not competitive process, that we can see) appoint GAL Danielle M. Ross for this county, in approximately 2008.   When Joe Pilchesky discovered this information, he filed the civil suit against those who hired her improperly — it’s a good filing — and after the FBI came in and said, “We’ll investigate!” that apparently removed his standing to sue!

From the payment vouchers, for example, January 2011 (link = image), “Services to Lackawanna Family Court,” part was “consulting specialist” ($20/hour) and part, parenting coordinator ($60.00/hour) for  total of $7,050 (hours for the month — 163.50).   I’d sure like to see the county payroll disbursing this.

Which just goes to show that if the right people say “parent coordinator” often enough, they will be well-rewarded for the repetitious talk by the creation of a new income stream, at taxpayer/parent cost.

Year, 2008:

Reconceptualizing Child Custody:

Past, Present, and Future—Lawyers

and Psychologists Working Together

A Continuing Education Conference

[Exploring this during my updates, I made it also into a separate post, after discovering a “Division 41” of the APA claiming there is an APA-LS association, and something called the “Committee on Legal Issues” (COLI) to the APA. From the latter, year 2010:

http://www.apa.org/about/offices/ogc/2010-coli.aspx (which I discovered only in 2017)

[THIS BACKGROUND-COLOR INDICATES AN EXTENDED 2012 UPDATE FOR THIS POST]…

Committee on Legal Issues 2010 Annual Report

Mission

The Committee on Legal Issues (COLI) is an ad hoc Committee that reports through the APA Board of Directors while maintaining a close working relationship with APA’s General Counsel and related staff. The overarching mission of COLI is to provide and promote expertise on psycho-legal issues and trends.

Members

COLI consists of nine APA members with broad expertise and interests in psycho-legal issues. Membership on COLI is on a rotating basis, with members appointed for three-year terms. Eve M. Brank, JD, PhD and Lori C. Thomas, JD, PhD served as COLI’s Co-Chairs for 2010. The members of COLI for 2010 included:

3rd Year Class: Eve M. Brank, JD, PhD; Sharon G. Portwood, JD, PhD; Lori C. Thomas, JD, PhD 2nd Year Class: Mary Alice Conroy, PhD; David S. DeMatteo, JD, PhD; Eugene F. Griffin, JD, PhD 1st Year Class: Michael J. Jenuwine, JD, PhD; Charlotte J. Patterson, PhD; Lisa Drago Piechowski, PhD

Meetings

COLI convened two meetings in 2010 on March 19-20 and October 22-23, in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the APA Consolidated Meetings.

Summary of COLI Activities [2010, obviously]

COLI Amicus Review

COLI reviewed and issued recommendations to the Board of Directors concerning APA involvement as amicus curiae in cases, as follows:  (see link to read details)….

---

COLI Projective/Initiatives:

I’m showing the two Activities and Initiatives of most interest through one heavily and colorfully annotated screenprint, with associated “pdf” so you can read them full-size.  Please do so! It is a big deal when the APA goes courting the NCJFCJ which is having a conference reflecting AFCC jargon on “high-conflict difficult clients” 2010 and publishing and disseminating material bound to affect future custody and divorcing parents, and people attempting to stay alive and intact after abuse, with their kids, when IMPORTANT information about just how incestuous/inbred and privately publicized is the relationship betweenthe powerful APA, the powerful ABA (both associations started in the late 1800s!), and the NCJFCJ (which claims 1939 origin, but earliest I can find corporate filings  in Nevada is the 1970s, which also makes sense as to the timeline of some federal legislation directed specifically at juvenile delinquency prevention in 1974 (See USDOJ [justice.gov] website on the OJJDP for more info), and the AFCC, which claims origins  back to 1963, may have operated at any time out of the conciliation courts without filing, but whose first known INCORPORATION legally in California is by now generally known to be 1975). While the ABA and ABA (and their statewide associations) are far more than “flush” with funds, the NCJFCJ (with its related entities) doing OK but much less, and the AFCC, routinely showing only maximum maybe $5M revenues, and activities, primarily membership/conference-related — ALL of the organizations are individually powerful because ALL of them are dealing with the courts, and at least three of them have membership who are judges.

Click to read annotations full-sized; the originating URL is shown also on the screenprint:  apa_s-coli-committeeonlegalissues-2010-ar-showing-2008-e2809creconceptualzngchildcustodye2809d-conf-further-dissemntn-of-its-info-judicial-ambassadrsncjfcj-outreach-thru-coli-membr

So please do read, for general awareness, the screen print on the COLI here, listing that 2008 conference and publication (afterwards) of expanded info from selected presenters at that conference into a journal you probably do NOT subscribe to, shown there.  Thanks//LGH 2017.  ALSO, my annotations are © myself — don’t quote without acknowledgement and let me know by a link when/if you do Thanks! (comments are received within 24 hours by email if I don’t notice them immediately on this blog!).

Seminar topics include, but are not limited to: • Representation of children’s interests in matters of disputed custody

• Admissibility of expert testimony • Parent coordination • Effective interventions with high-conflict families • Considering allegations of abuse and neglect in contested cases • Crafting visitation, access, and parenting time • Alternatives to the adversarial process (Other planned activities include a mock trial involving expert psychological testimony . . .. )

This was in Chicago and Cosponsored by:  American Psychological Association (APA) & American Bar Association Section of Family Law (ABA)

This was big news — if you knew enough to frequent parenting coordination sites, or had picked up the phrase among colleagues.  Here’s Matthew Sullivan, Ph.D., Parent Coordinator (etc.) advertising on his site, right opposite the link to “Child Alienation” and an ad for the AFCC conference 2012:

Reconceptualizing Child Custody:Past Present and Future- Lawyers and Psychologists Working Together, co-sponsored by the American Psychological Association and the Family Law section of the American Bar Association. Dr Sullivan will be one of numerous presenters at this amazing collaborative effort of Legal and Psychological professionals. The conference will take place in Chicago. Please see the preliminary brochure below:

And, prior to this:

Year, 2002

Batterers As Fathers:

Rethinking and Reconceptualizing Policy and Practice

2012 text on David Mandel Associates, or “& Associates,” LLC, cont’d.

Believe it or not, this is an idea posted at “VAWNet”

by David Mandel for the Non-Violence Alliance (2002)

This paper describes an approach to intervention and prevention with children exposed to domestic violence that enforces the concepts of batterer accountability and change. The author asks and addresses a series of questions about holding batterers accountable for their behavior by utilizing existing legal and social work processes, making recommendations about systems change that may best enhance the safety of battered women and their children.

Clicking on the “Non-Violence Alliance” (“endingviolence.com”) one sees “DMA (David Mandel Associates, LLC), which, a nice 2011 link to the left, leads to:

Newsletter: January 2011

Launch of the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative

READ MORE »

I am pleased to announce the launch of new DMA Responsible Fatherhood Initiative (RFI).** The RFI will provide training and consultation focused on improving the capacity of systems to understand and respond to the role of all fathers, particularly fathers who are perpetrators of domestic violence, in the lives of their families. The RFI will be directed by Mark Larson, who brings to the position an extensive background working with men who batter, fatherhood, the Safe and Together model and providing training and consultation to intervention systems.

As part of the Safe and Together model, we routinely highlight the critical importance of intervening with domestic violence perpetrators who are social or biological fathers. We believe there is a direct connection between the safety and well being of families and the capacity of communities and organizations to implement effective interventions with abusive fathers. Developing these interventions requires an increase in the capacity to work with all fathers, not just fathers who have been violent.

AHA Home page banners have some human elements, but focus exclusively on animals, obscuring their long-standing relationship with Federal Security Agency (FSA), HEW (predecessor of HHS) and HHS and with that, involvement starting as far back as the 1960s, 1970s, in initiatives and issues that have proved to be gender-specific, and driven towards favoring fathers over mothers..

AHA “position statements” in 2 columns. NOT ONE references children.

 

This is their history page, and all the red represent years. It’s been around since the last quarter of the 1800… Only people who click on most of them or scroll through most of them would, looking to AHA website for information on it, realize how heavily interspersed its history has been with professionalizing the child protect services field… Recommended browsing, although it’s still self-reporting. Better yet, go view as many recent tax returns as possible of the entity. (I already did, years back)

AHA History — 2006 (Click for Fullsized) showing established the “Fatherhood Initiative.” “Coincidentally” HHS had just (re?) authorized $150M/year of HMRF funding that fall.

(See history page 1973) AHA takes credit for formation of the CAPTA. THis has come under fire since for adoption incentives leading to aggressive ripping of children out of their parents care — and a Georgia Senator? and her husband campaigning AGAINST this actively (and fearlessly), Nancy Schaefer and her husband mysteriously, suddenly die in an alleged murder/suicide, which many followers question — although GBI and FBI didn’t particularly. Blogs are put up on the situation.

And on the same, main page website, here’s their fatherhood initiative  with the highly “original” concept:

Link is above. Recommended read and consider significance.

QIC-NRF National Advisory Board Members

The national advisory board brings together representatives from numerous disciplines, including law, fatherhood, child welfare and child protection services, courts, front-line practice, research, policy and academia. Ten members were selected for the board and approved by the U.S. Children’s Bureau. Board members assist the quality improvement center in identifying issues and barriers to involving non-resident fathers in child welfare cases; guide the selection of research focus, requests for proposal and site selection; and act as a resource regarding multidisciplinary issues and methods that may contribute to comprehensive assessment and experimentation.

The board members are:

Scott E. Cade
Deputy Commissioner
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance[Note 2017 update :  the OTDA also handles fatherhood initiative funding, which I have posted on, referring to NYS]

John Chacon
Independent Community Programming Consultant  (FOR WHAT?)

Richard T. Cozzola
Supervisory Attorney of the Children’s Law Project
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago

Susan N. Dreyfus
Secretary
Washington Department of Social and Health Services

http://www.modelsforchange.net/reform-progress/96

Michael Hayes
Director of Family Strengthening Initiative = handles access/visitation grants.
Office of Attorney General, State of Texas

Mark Kiselica
Fellow and Former President
Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, American Psychological Association
Professor, Department of Counselor Education
College of New Jersey

Erwin McEwen
Director
Illinois Department of Child and Family Services

Fernando Mederos
Director of Special Projects, Fatherhood
Massachusetts Department of Social Services

Maurice Moore
Program Associate
Annie E. Casey Foundation (has its fingers in almost every fatherhood or children’s project around)

Stephen M. Rubin
Judge Pro Tempore
Pima County Superior Court (Arizona)

Victim of domestic violence detained because she was late
by Bobbie Kerlick, today (1/21/2012)
Read more: Victim of domestic violence detained because she was late – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review