[Title, short-link, background-color, borders and some tags added Sept. 30, 2019 because I’m linking to this older post..//LGH]

Yumm…..  More goodies in the search to solve this problem, including why does the SFTC (That’s SF Trial Courts) have a LIEN on Kids’ Turn, which is constantly seeking more donors so poor kids can consume its services?  (Richer ones, there’s a probably no-cap? sliding scale……)

How many mental health professionals is it possible to squeeze into one court case? And how is it done?

Ideally, as many as possible — one after another, after another.  There is sure to be a need for them, given that the entire concept of mental health in the family law system is an oxymoron (see the word “law”).

Of course the family law system got its jumpstart with mental health professionals in alliance with legal professionals, somewhere shortly after women go the vote (but before all states had ratified it).  The longer the system exists (generation after generation) the more mental health problems there are guaranteed to occur, given the source of them is the practitioner’s cognitive dissonance with state law (for example, against child abuse, child stealing, or valiant statements that there is a rebuttable presumption against custody going to batterers.  Or, for that matter, child abusers.  It’s a few steps away from fingerpainting — with the paint jars being the jargon used by various fields, which end up generally speaking in one big sticky mess.

Of course, you’re not supposed to see them at play behind closed doors, but since the advent of the Internet (which helps the conferences occur, obviously — and the curricula get disseminated — I’ll show how in a bit here) it’s also fun to track ’em down and catch’em in the act.  Like my last post did with AB 2263, an attempt to legislate Kids’ Turn (ONLY) for a Judicial Council sponsored (public payments, I’m sure) analysis of how effective Kids’ Turn — excuse me, “programs that provide services to children undergoing divorce” (or whatever they called it to cover up that the original meaning intended was simply a nonprofit group brainstormed by — you guessed it — family law judges, etc.– this one in particular).

Well Gray Davis vetoed even the sanitized version of let’s build a LEGISLATIVE pipeline from this group to the entire divorcing population (Parental) of California — and the world, but we can start it here — and stick someone else, like taxpayers — with the bill.      That was back in 2002.

Did that stop the idea?  Heck no!  I found the 48th Annual AFCC conference (Kids’ Turn is self-identified as an AFCC member.  I guess a nonprofit can be a member of an association of court professionals (judges, commissioners and so forth) with mental health professionals with attorneys, etc.)

So, how IS it done? (other than out of the ready earshot of a court litigant, namely, parent in a custody battle). 

(1)

FIRST OF ALL:  FORM RAPID DEPLOYMENT UNITS — OF ONE JD, ONE Ph.D. (mental health, what else?) and one MSW or LCSW, or LMFT.  Each has a specific purpose.  Right now, we find this combo in pre-game a coaching session complete with powerpoint slides and diagrams:

….Understanding the Roles of Mental Health Professionals in Collaborative Practice

Conference : 48th Annual Conference

A major strength of collaborative practice is the work done by the family with mental health professionals. Collaborative professionals frequently work in interdisciplinary teams to facilitate peaceful resolution. The collaborative process may include one “neutral” mental health professional, or two “aligned” mental health professionals. Both of these approaches may include a child specialist to help understand and facilitate focusing on the needs of the children. In some areas, mental health professionals work as neutral facilitators and as case managers. The program will provide an overview of each role and the strengths and advantages of each.

Diane S. Diel, J.D., ** President, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Milwaukee, WI Barbara E. Kelly, Ph.D., Maitland, FL Mary M. Stengel, M.S.W., LCSW, Towson, MD  [PARTNER in COLLABORATION LLC:  Alice Dansker Doyle] [**notice (Mandatory) Parent Education link on Ms. Diel’s site.  This is a critical component.  Unless such classes were indeed MANDATORY (even if parents have no custody dispute!) who would attend?][More on this below, @ “Children in the Middle”]

Ms. Doyle is dedicated to the concept of assisting families to civilly resolve issues involved in custody, divorce and related disputes and training dedicated professionals to join the Collaborative community. Toward that result, she and Mary McNeish Stengel, LCSW, established Collaborative Training Solutions, Inc., (CTS) a company completely separate from her law and mediation practice ….

 Ms. Doyle sees spreading the Collaborative word as a mission. There are many professionals and communities that have not been educated in the Collaborative model of dispute resolution. Some don’t have training available within a reasonable distance because of population and geographical challenges. In addition to reaching larger populations, Ms. Doyle enjoys traveling to communities to provide trainings where local professionals are excited and want to be trained, yet may otherwise have to travel great distances for training because their community is too small to attract a large trainee group”

Session Handouts for AFCC’s 48th Conference

….NOTE — this is an UPCOMING Conference (June, 2011) called ‘What’s Gender Got To Do With It?”  See my posts of January, 2011 — when I talk about are you speaking mother, father, or mediator?  Pick a conference — there’s something for everyone (but the house wins when the coins are finally tossed.. that’s “mediator” rhetoric)…

The powerpoint slides (available on-line at above link) show few photos, but there’s one — of a father with a kid on his shoulders — next to “Maintain Focus on What is In the Best Interests of the Child,” which is under “Elements of Coaching” slide.  But let’s go to the diagram, the playbook:

The slide “WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?” shows two clients in the center, surrounded by larger circles, each one inhabited by a professor.  This reminds me of a child’s game, such as “Ring Around the Rosy” or “Duck-Duck-Goose”.  Either way the clients (litigants, most likely, parents….) are indeed surrounded by spheres of influence with lines between them; it does remind me of a corral:

“The Suggested Playahs”:

Two per client:  Coach & Lawyer

At top and bottom:  “Child Specialist“** (at the top — this category reigns supreme, obviously) and bottom, “Financial Specialist” which of course has to undergird the program, or who would fund he other specialists?  How can you have a family law case without ferreting who’s got the assets that are going to be soaked in this process?  So, FInancial Specialists are very, very important, especially for moneyed divorcing (or separating) parents.

Alternately, if one parent is Title IV-D (welfare), then the “Financial Specialists” are the program managers, and child support administrators, etc.  After all, with $4 billion enforcement fees (per year, nationally speaking) surely some of these employees can figure out who’s got the money in each case.  It’s in the public’s best interest for the courts to know….

**Child Specialist:  (slide) is a NEUTRAL third party who focuses exclusively on the children’s concerns and/or their interests, advocates for the children and consults to the parents and their team.  (Why GALs wont work is ….)

MOST professionals like to get paid for their work.  Given that this includes child specialists, I say that it’s a rare person holding demi-god (i.e., neutral and not in the least subject to temptation to skew the scale) status.  (“Mea culpa, mea culpa” for bringing this up)

When any judge takes payments from any County (in addition to state salary, whether this is in the form of benefits, or anything else) that’s a conflict of interest — the County has a vested interest in certain types of cases, and LOTS of these cases involve children, and child support, sometimes foster care and adoptions as well.

One attorney (non-aligned) noticed this and wrote about it in January, 2009.  (I don’t think he was an AFCC member….):

LA County Payments to LA Superior Court Judges Cost Taxpayers Almost 1 Billion Dollars and Denied Constitutional Rights to the People of LA CountyJanuary 07, 2009 By Richard I. Fine (View author info)

Los Angeles, California – The commencement of the of unconstitutional payments by LA County to LA Superior Court judges was “unnoticeable” to the people of LA County in the late 1980s. Yet, its effect began to permeate the Los Angeles political and judicial systems to the extent that fundamental constitutional rights were compromised.Twenty years after the commencement of the payments, the political and judicial systems of LA County are rife with conflicts of interest, lack of disclosure and the failure to enforce constitutional rights and laws.A well traveled “money trail” exists from LA County who makes payments to LA Superior Court judges [present and past] who decide cases in favor of LA County.

Seems to me it took only a few months for a Superior Court Judge to throw in in Jail and the California Bar to disbar him.    After all, his emphasis was constitutional issues (California State), and individual legal rights to fair and unbiased judicial hearings — not exactly your basic mental health, custody-coaching, professional-referral-basis expanding scheme.

So, he got tossed (well, led from the courtroom in handcuffs, and it seems the arrest record also fudged somewhat) into solitary coervcie confinement, as we now know, in an attempt to break his spirit (Note:  it failed.  18 months later, he was finally released, and is still at it).  This is an interim report from some groups / individuals that took up this banner — about no danged conflicts of interests in our courts, dammit!  You will note, Mr. Fine’s comments were from his jail cell (and he has also been disbarred).

Los Angeles, CA Full Disclosure Network® presents a 3 min video report on the November 23, 2009 remarks made by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich at a meeting of the Los Angeles County Lincoln Club in North Hollywood. The Supervisor provided an update regarding the controversy over long-time practice of the County making payments to Los Angeles Superior Court Judges. Civic leader David R. Hernandez provides his account of the presentation in the video.

A Fourth District CA Court of Appeals decision in November of 2008 ruled the county’s payments were illegal in theSturgeon v. County of Los Angeles lawsuit that revealed Judges, who are all elected officials, were not disclosing the extra payments they received from the County to litigants in the courtroom in cases involving the county nor on the Form 700 Economic Interest statements as required by the California Fair Political Practices Act.

Antonovich responded to a question about the continuing public concern that county payments created a “conflict” for judges and if this conflict was going to be resolved?
Here are some of the points made by Supervisor Antonovich:

• Recent [FEB 11, 2009] legislation, Senate Bill SBX2 11 has now made the payments legal.
• All new judges (appointed or elected) will not be receiving payments from the county.
• Most other California counties have been paying (illegal) benefits to the judges
• This was not just a Los Angeles County practice
• L A Judges have not always ruled in favor of the County (payments started in 1988)
• Several court rulings have been in against the County and in favor of illegal aliens

Featured in the video: are two prominent critics of the illegal payments made to Judges by the County and below are comments from Richard I Fine from his L.A. County Jail cell.

Richard Fine Fires back, in an L.A. Op Ed, as to Ron George. I’m enclosing here, for contrast with the profession-mongering family law field, via AFCC, to see a contrasting view of “in the best interests” of — one based on stop wasting our tax dollars, and concealing how this is done, not to mention, undermining the US Bill of Rights, labeled:

“The Deception of California Supreme Court Justice Ron George”

REBUTTAL TO L A TIMES OP-ED

By Richard I. Fine

 

In his September 14, 2009 Los Angeles Times Op-Ed article California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George stated that the Judicial Council of California decided to close the California Courts one day a month until June 2010. He acknowledged the hardship on Californian’s and praised the Superior Court Judges who volunteered to take a one day pay cut.

FAILED TO DISCLOSE AUTHORSHIP

However, he did not disclose that the same Judicial Council of California of which he admitted he is the Chairman, also wrote Senate Bill SBX2 11. This bill was introduced by Senate President Pro-Tem Daryl Steinberg on February 11, 2009 passed by the State Senate on February on 14th , 2009 and passed by the State Assembly on February 15, 2009 signed by the Governor on February 20, 2009 and became effective on May 21, 2009.EXTRA JUDICIAL BENEFITS & CRIMINAL IMMUNITY
Such bill reinstated “supplemental county benefits” to Superior Court Judges in addition to their State Salary and compensation. Such supplemental County benefits have been held to be “unconstitutional” in the case ofSturgeon vs County of Los Angeles 167 Cal Ap 4th 630 (2008) review denied 12/23/08. Such bill also gave retroactive immunity to the Judges and others from criminal prosecution, civil liability and disciplinary action.$30 MILLION MORE DURING FISCAL CRISIS?
By omitting to disclose Senate Bill SBX2 11 and it’s retroactive immunity,Chief Justice George did not inform the people that the loss to the taxpayers in L.A.County alone of these supplement payments to the Superior Court Judges in fiscal year 2009-2010 is estimated at $30 million dollars this loss is greater than the contributions of all of the Judges of one day’s pay per month over a year. In effect, under Senate Bill SBX2 11 the judges are making more money during this financial crisis while the citizens of California suffer.DUE PROCESS DENIED
Worse yet, because of the retroactive immunity the decisions of the judges receiving county payments before 05-21-09 violated the due process clauses of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution and the California Constitution.

(end of commercial break from AFCC/Family Court Fantasia. back to our regularly scheduled post subject matter, here….)

OK Gray Davis in 2002 scotched (Vetoed) the concept of legislating Kids’ Turn, the whole Kids’ Turn and basically nothing BUT Kids’ Turn** (or — OK, maybe a look-alike or spinoff, such as Kids First, or Kids in the Middle, or Children in the Middle, or . .. or . . . . . anything that would require lots of people, some of who would recommend that parents be ordered to consume social-service product of, for example, a single AFCC acolyte (or, fully fledged priest) from Tarrant County, Texas . . . . .  ).

Since the Governor (not the terminator) said NO! although the legislature (with its sanitized version) clearly said “YES” and wanted him to sign it  . . . .  did these zealots take “No!” for a final answer?  Heck, No — they are salespeople first of foremost, and educators at heart.

[[**more commonly known as:

“The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth! So Help Me God!“and you gotta visit the website, there….  unlike these AFCC people, the author has a sense of humor in presenting reality…..]]

All true educators need to get continual access to people who need training after all, ambulance chasers chase ambulances, right?  But what’s a psychologist and M.Ed.D. to do without some governmental subsidies? (“incentives”) — compete in the free market base don the quality of the product?    NO! — back to the gameboard.

All that was just (long) introduction and setting the stage.  This is the juicy center of the dialogue, and why I started this post  — after the last two Kids’ Turn Posts.  They’re just UNbelievable….  Anyone wnat to go to Florida and take notes at this upcoming conference?  Lookee here:

Here’s some “Kids in the Middle” presenters.  I’ll be back tomorrow — not done yet here…

Session : AFCC1111 5. Working with High Conflict Parents: How Conflict, Personality Disorders and Gender Influence Outcomes for Children Conference : 48th Annual Conference Speaker(s) : High conflict parents are the most difficult to work with in divorce proceedings. They utilize an inordinate amount of time and patience for professionals working with them. In addition, enduring conflict between parents, both pre- and post-divorce, has the greatest negative impact on children of divorce. Attorneys, mediators and guardians are in a position to recognize and minimize parental conflict when they possess knowledge about how gender and personality disorders play a role. This workshop focuses on recognizing the key elements at play and providing strategies for ensuring positive outcomes for the entire family system. Judy Berkowitz, M.Ed., Executive Director, Kids In The Middle, St. Louis, MO Carol Love, M.A., SMFT, Kids In The Middle, St. Louis, MO CLICK THE pdf ICON FOR SESSION HANDOUTS DOWNLOAD

Kids in the Middle profits from the Court-referrals and Schools-referral clientele, and says so on its 2009 Annual Report:

Workshops at the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, Family Court ␣ 330 parents attended mandated parent education workshops.

Yes it is a Nonprofit, and in 2009, despite over $2,000 in interest income (how many people would this house for a month?), and over $1 mil in income, it operated $55K in the hole, which seems to be a standard in some of these groups.  Probably because there are simply so many young and old, and middle-aged people that need this help, a little overeager promotional spending?

Ms. Berkowitz’s KIDS IN THE MIDDLE.org site has a book list.  I always find these informative, for example, a few choice ones:

• The Boys’ and Girls’ Book About Divorce, by Richard Gardner

THE MAN’s DEAD (a vicious death involving knives.  Some say suicide, some disagree….), BUT HIS SELF-PUBLISHED IDEAS LIVE ON AMONG CONVERTS…..

• Good Parenting Through Your Divorce, by Mary Ellen Hannibal and Judge Ina Gyemant

• Parenting After Divorce: A Guide to Resolving Conflicts and Meeting your Childrens’ Needs, by Philip Michael Stahl

PHILIP STAHL ~ highly under-reported by women’s groups protesting PAS theory — they simply don’t pay attention to the distribution systems like I started to  ~ ~ CARRIES THE GARDNER TORCH, AND HE’S GOOD AT IT.  HE’S PART OF THE JUICY CENTER OF MY POST HERE TODAY — ABOUT HOW HIS BOOKS (AND OTHERS) ARE PROMOTED..  THROUGH COURT-MANDATED PARENTING PROGRAMS DIRECTING EVERYONE TO CONSUME JUDGE-ORIGINATED LITERATURE PUSHED THROUGH JUDGE-ORIGINATED (OR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL-ORIGINATED) NON-PROFIT, AND SOMEONE HAS TO SAY THIS — FRONT GROUPS.  OR STRAIGHT OUT FOR-PROFIT COLLABORATIONS AMONG THE VARIOUS PROFESSIONALS ALL OBSESSED WITH “helping” OPK (other people’s kids) with the problems THEY perceive, from THEIR perspective (only) and with OUR (public) money, like as not…

While the parents they are coaching, already under huge financial stress often enough, are (if taxpayers and wage-earners) picking up, collectively, the slack which nonprofits — because of their wonderful public benefits to all of us, and the universe — get out of paying, i.e., funds for themselves and services like libraries, police, schools, public transportation infrastructure, and far less urgent public priorities than indoctrinating kids and parents in the right way to think about their own children, and their own situations, and of course how not to use criminal terminology in one’s thought processes, even if convictions show that it’s occurred.  After all, let’s just “focus on the family” and forget about those other unpleasant matters — eech!

Let’s take a look at a slide, so we know what to expect from this “What’s GENDER Got to Do With It?” AFCC upcoming conference among mental health professionals, attorneys and judges in the family law system:

Workshop Objectives

 Know how to recognize a client who may have a personality disorder.

 Understand how the traits of a client with a personality disorder can lead to chronic conflict and therefore poor outcomes for their children.

 Understand how gender issues can combine with some personality disorders, resulting in extreme dysfunction and poor outcomes for children.

 Understand why personality disorder traits make it difficult for parents to meet their children’s needs.

 Understand the increased risk for alienation when a parent has a personality disorder.

 Learn strategies to manage and support the client with a personality disorder.

I don’t suppose any “personality disorders” might result from abuse, virtual POW situations in the home, or years of trying to avoid provoking a violent incident — or seeking outside protection (and not getting it) from someone molesting one’s own kids on unsupervised weekend visitations….    Or having suddenly lost one’s kids’ after trying to do something about that and having been unprepared for the impact of federal incentives to switch custody and eliminate child support arrears through access visitation funding….

But, as it’s said, Cobblers see shoes, and Mental Health professionals see Personality Disorders and not what might have CAUSED them….  To People selling hammers, the problem is a nail… To people obsessed with unmonitored contact with distressed minor children — and these often show up in M.Ed.D. forms, i.e., as educators — the problem with divorce is the parents…. both of them — and the solution is to separate the kids and coach them on how to think about their parents and themselves….This also pertains if the source of conflict may entail, say, poverty — it’s still more critical that the problemsolving money goes to nonprofits coaching Kids and Parents…..

Here’s another slide.  Given the scope of the problem (neurotic divorcing parents), Kids in the Middle, Inc. and it’s 23 paid staff (some of who are, obviously getting some frequent flyer miles in, too) stand ready to stand in the gap against the bad parents, and provide services to fix their viewpoints:

About Kids In The Middle ®

Our Services: Consultation Assessments Group Therapy for Children Individual Therapy for Children Family Therapies Treatment Reviews Individual Therapy for Parents Co-Parenting Counseling Parent Groups

Diagnostic Supervised Visitation Mandated Co-Parenting Education Classes

(at least 3 of these categories come under the federal access visitation (incentive) grants to increase noncustodial parenting time.  We know in practice, this rarely occurs with a mother, even though more and more mothers are being completely eliminated from contact with their children through these and similar programs.  Moreover, to keep the professional straights, AFCC  around the country & state chapters are  also heavily promoting (supposedly to meet the grassroots demand from the general public) “Parent Coordination” as a new field.  Wait til you see my post on THAT one….)

Here’s another.  Notice that being “wounded” disqualifies one’s ability to co-parent (which might result in recommendation of sole custody to the other parent, logically speaking….).  There is no mention of who is inflicting which wounds.  THe total oblivion to the blood on the streets of women and children (and sometimes men, by suicide after killing the women, or just the children) around divorce.  Those aren’t their concern, I guess.  After all, dead people don’t consume mental health services….at least court-mandated; I imagine it could seriously screw up surviving relatives and witnesses….

Assessing Parental Ability to Co-Parent

What we look for:

 Level of cooperation as parents in the marriage  Is conflict pervasive or focused on a few issues? Level of trust  Level of “woundedness” of one or both parents Level of acceptance of the separation

Ability or inability to let go of issues from the marriage Level of animosity Ability to recognize and express the other parent’s

strengths Mental Health Issues

DastardlyDads.blogspot.com reports some of these (I’m glad someone else does, I couldn’t do this consistently — too close to home!)  Here’s one from May, 2011 — this month.

Dad charged with 1st-degree murder; 17-year-old daughter found in dumpster (Washington, DC)

After much public display of grief and gnashing of teeth, dad RODNEY JAMES MCINTYRE has been arrested in the stabbing murder of his 17-year-old daughter. Her body was found in a dumpster. Seems that Daddy was sexually abusing her. Not one word here about this girl’s mother….INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT. http://dcist.com/2011/05/father_of_ebony_franklin_charged_wi.phpFather of Ebony Franklin Charged with First Degree MurderNearly 6 months ago, MPD made the gruesome discovery of the body of 17-year-old Ebony Franklin in a dumpster in the ally of the 1000 block of Fairmont Street NW. Now, they have arrested Rodney James McIntyre, Ebony Franklin’s father, for her murder. Ebony was stabbed 17 times.Sources say McIntyre was linked both by DNA and cell phone records to Franklin’s death.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier indicated in her press conference announcing McIntyre’s arrest that there was also evidence of a sexual relationship between Ebony Franklin and her father.

McIntyre had been quoted in the press saying that “The way my baby was found in the trash, it’s unacceptable. What I want to know as her father, what really took place with my child?”

Now why must parents who may have gone through some serious, criminal hell spots be exposed, unilaterally, to consume classes by professionals who blame both parents for failure to get along with each other in situations where there is a clear perpetrator?  . . . . . . . .   I’ll let you figure out your own answer, I have also….  The entire forced shared-parenting/ joint-parenting field ignores situations like this, and that if separation HAD been allowed by the family law system, how many children would be alive now, that aren’t?  And their mothers?  and their fathers?  What kind of sick obsession is it to change the language of criminal law into the language of, “my mental illness — and she alienated my children — made me do it”?  This IS the language of AFCC; their main site acknowledges this, and it has now become the norm….

The real motivation is greed and fear of no professional niche for people raised on education theories and psychology. .. back to this particular group:

I’m so re-assured that these mandated classes will keep us on the right track.  However, if they don’t, these same ladies are also training Advanced GAL classes (from a 2010 Missouri Bar agenda):

Child-Focused Divorce Therapy & How Attorneys Can Keep Kids Out of the Middle of Divorce Disputes

Speakers: Judy Berkowitz and Carol Love, Kids In The Middle, Inc., Kirkwood [MO]*

[GEE:  I wonder if the punch-line is to recommend classes/services from groups like, say, “Kids in the Middle”…]

(*Kirkwood is an affluent suburb of St. Louis)

NOW LET’S SEE ANOTHER SET OF AFCC WORKSHOPS/ MP3s on HOW TO THINK RIGHT (a.k.a., marketing seminars for court professionals)….

• A little more “Parenting Coordination” promo, a little more “Alienation Theory” promo never hurts:

ession : AFCC1101 2. Advanced Challenges in Parenting Coordination Conference : Pre-Conference Sessions from the 48th Annual Conference Speaker(s) :

Successful parenting coordination is dependent on a research-based understanding about what works and what doesn’t. This institute will help participants optimize outcomes with difficult parenting coordination cases by constructing a framework for success. Presenters will address parenting coordination from the mental health {{1st things first — Mental Health First, Legal  — 2nd}} and legal {{legal rights?  legal ethics?  or how to expand the legal profession(and further undermine civil rights) by engaging mental health professionals?}} perspectives offering a multidimensional understanding of the process. Participants will be better prepared to address complex parent coordination cases.  {{PARENTING COORDINATION EXISTS to handle the Complexity Groups like AFCC have already introduced.  Apparently, this has gotten out of hand, and not parenting coordination itself has (already) gotten “complex” and needs coaches to tell coordinators how to keep it together…}}

Debra K. Carter, Ph.D., National Cooperative Parenting Center, Bradenton, FL Hon. Hugh Starnes (ret.), Ft. Myers, FL Denise L. Baier, M.A., Ft. Myers, FL B. Kerry Brown, M.S.W., Temple Terrace, FL

---

Session : AFCC1102 3. Differential Responses to Alienation: Risk Factors, Indicators and AssessmentConference : Pre-Conference Sessions from the 48th Annual Conference Speaker(s) :

Alienation has serious consequences for children and families. Based on a differential response model, the presenters advocate for early identification of parent-child contact problems and risk factors for the occurrence of alienation, and the implementation of appropriate, targeted responses. **  This institute (“INSTITUTE”???) provides a framework (indoctrination model) for assessing and intervening with families to resolve parent child contact problems before behaviors become entrenched; and help judges, lawyers and mental health workers to effectively respond to cases of alienation.** The analytical framework presented is based on a review of literature and case law, interviews with practitioners and scholars, and clinical experiences.

Nicholas Bala, LL.B., LL.M., Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada Barbara Jo Fidler, Ph.D., Toronto, ON, Canada Michael Saini, Ph.D., M.S.W., University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

***”Alienation” is like the headless horseman.  It’s been proved scientifically unsound and rejected by the American Prosecutors (etc., etc.) — but it rides on, in places like this.

A group taking Violence Against Women funds is now in bed with the “let’s not talk about it!” AFCC, lending a false legitimacy to the discussion.  I have tracked funding from this one (BWJP) and am presently p*ssed off at the alliance — although hardly surprised by it.  FOr the record, attempts were made to contact Ms. Frederick about AFCC regarding mis-use of the federal program funds to pay off custody switching to batterers/molesters (as I recall Liz Richards relating this — I was the person who alerted her to BWJP hooking up with AFCC).   For a number of years, HHS grants of $1.78 Million went to this organization.  The mutual blindness is probably not accidental — it’s a symbiotic relationship to keep the grants coming and support the published professionals — while parents, I must say, perish, or just about….

Session : AFCC1122 16. Examining the Family Court Response to Cases Involving Domestic Violence: Findings of the Henry County Ohio Safety Audit Conference : 48th Annual Conference Speaker(s) :

This workshop describes the methodology and outcomes of a recent study of the legal and social service systems used to resolve child custody matters involving allegations of domestic violence. The Safety Audit, an institutional ethnography process, generated practical recommendations for strengthening the responses of various family court practitioners to custody cases involving domestic violence. Local and national audit team members will share the findings and recommendations of this audit and discuss the challenges of the process.

Loretta Frederick, J.D., Battered Women’s Justice Project, Winona, MN Hon. Denise McColley, Henry County Family Court, Napoleon, OH Richard L. Altman, J.D., Magistrate, Napoleon, OH PamWeaner, J.D., Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Defiance, OH

CLICK THE pdf ICON FOR SESSION HANDOUTS DOWNLOAD

These people truly do not know what time of day it is.  What they do know, however, is where their next plane ticket is coming from.  The difference in perspective comes from a consciousness and quasi-religious (in some cases, less than quasi-) belief that the world is fair, and that certain types of professionals are essential to keep it balanced — if only those danged parents would be more docile when ordered to sit still and be taught at!

Here, Ms. Frederick is on a Domestic Violence Task Force (“Wingspread Conference”) with a bunch of AFCC-ers, giving their concerns about the matter a veneer of respectability.

http://www.afccnet.org/pdfs/AFCC%20Five-Year%20Report%20Web.pdf

(hover/click to see summary text on link.  Looks like AFCC, bored with the US, is providing social science libraries to developing nations, to make sure they develop right — Philistines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Mongolia.  I don’t suppose any of these materials might take into account cultural differences or, for example, address family problems caused by — shari’a law, and   honor        killings?   ???  Are we still into co-parenting issues there, too?  Or is it just the ol’ bread and butter parental alienation, plus bring on the court-referred mental health professionals?  Do we think that these countries are going to need fatherhood commissions to balance out the destructive feminists in developing nations who — for example — attempt to marry out of their faith, or are guilty of having been gang-raped without 4 male witnesses to testify it wasn’t consensual adultery — punishable by death, to the woman at least..?)

I really have to question AFCC’s motives in all this — what “world” do they live in? Where are their heads at?

And we are letting this PRIVATE, JUDGE~MENTAL HEALTHPROFESSIONAL-ORIGINATED, NONPROFIT(and originally, tax-dodging) PRIVATE organization basically run the family law system, which receives PUBLIC funds, from the top (California Judicial Council, Texas Supreme Court, at least, and plenty of superior court judges are members) to bottom and even let them train paraprofessionals who don’t even belong there to start with  ?   ???  And we then fund domestic violence organizations who don’t fess up to they’re going along with the program, pretty much, by failing to report the grants angle (i.e., how it plays into custody decisions….)

???

So, YEAH, I’m disturbed by this.  Why shouldn’t I be?  Did Ms. Frederick or BWJP report on, say, in 1999, how Ohio Legislature voted a Fatherhood Commission in to law, and did they warn single mothers, including single battered mothers, how this might impact their custody cases?  See “5101.34 Ohio Commission on Fatherhood”

or how its membership was specifically targeted to single females? ….  Or how this then, a mere 2 years later (2001) apparently, led to supreme-court appointed a TASK FORCE ON FATHERHOOD (you always need a task force, right?)  I hope blog readers scan through THIS document, and search for “Philip Stahl” (an expert who testified, what else), learn how people were flown out to Maricopa County, Arizona home of Dawn Axsom – oh, I forgot — she was murdered, along with her mother, on a court-ordered visitation after pleading with a family law judges to leave, as there had been death threats — to hear AFCC presentations.

Ohio Task Force on Family Law and Children

Family Law Reform: Minimizing Conflict, Maximizing Families*

*if that sounds like your basic AFCC presentation, it is….   Experts giving testimony:

Experts and Stakeholders

Individuals who testified before the Task Force

Nancy Neylon Executive Director Ohio Domestic Violence Network

The Hon. Judith Nicely President Ohio Domestic Relations Judges Association

Kevin O’Brien President of the Board Parents And Children for Equality

Eileen Pruett, J.D. Director of the Office of Dispute Resolution Supreme Court of the State of Ohio

Nancy Rodgers, J.D. Vice Provost, Academic Administration The Ohio State University

Jeff Sherrill, Ph.D. Meers, Inc. Ohio Psychological Association

Michael Smalz, J.D. Statewide Attorney Ohio State Legal Services Association

The Hon. Leslie H. Spillane Judge, Butler County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations Division

Philip Stahl, Ph.D. Psychologist Author “Conducting Child Custody Evaluations: A Comprehensive Guide” and “Complex Issues in Child Custody Evaluations”

Tracy Ulstad, J.D. Ohio State Legal Services-NAPIL Equal Justice Fellow

Sanford Braver, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Arizona State University Author “Divorced Dads: Shattering the Myths”

Gerard Clouse, J.D. Attorney, Sowald, Sowald and Clouse

Christine Coates, M.Ed., J.D. Mediator and Parent Coordinator Past President, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Robert Emery, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Director of Clinical Training Director of the Center for Children Families and the Law University of Virginia Author: “ Marriage, Divorce and Children’s Adjustment”

Judy Greenberger School Psychologist, Shaker Heights City Schools Ohio School Psychologists

Don Hubin, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy The Ohio State University

Magistrate Eva Kessler, J.D. Chair, Domestic Relations Practice Area Ohio Association of Magistrates

Deborah Kline Association for Child Support Enforcement

Michael Lamb, Ph.D. Head of Section on Social and Emotional Development National Institute Of Child Health and Human Development

The Hon. Charles Loman III Judge, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division Kids Turn Program

(Did someone say there is a Kids Turn Program right on a court website?  Well that simplifies matters…CN find record of this one easily, or much on the judge….)

(This link is FYI amusement — although the mother in the case is not amused.  She did get the expense reports, however, and out one of Judge Loman’s associates for billing taxpayers on Thanksgiving Day, after having hand-delivered a final decision.  This is a PAS/Sexual abuse allegations, custody went to Daddy case, might be interesting reading….)

{2011, it looks like a ‘Parent Education Department:

“The court is led by Administrative Judge Denise L. Cross and Judge Timothy D. Wood.  The Judges are assisted in performing the duties of the court by nine Magistrates, the Legal Services Department, the Court Operations Department, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, the Legal Secretary Department, the Assignment Office, the Compliance Office, the Family Relations Department, the Mediation Services Department, the Management of Information Systems Department, the Finance Department, and the Parent Education Department.”

The required seminar (3 hrs) is “Helping Children Succeed After Divorce” as a link to this 5-yr divorce case shows, interesting docket, too.

OHIO 2001 Task Force Experts — Anyone want to bet how many of the above are members of AFCC, besides those who actually admitted it?

Here (remember — back in 2001) is the preface to the final report of this task force, showing what they did:

However, given the scope and importance of the project, the General Assembly extended this deadline, to allow this research effort to be advanced more fully.

More than two dozen experts from around the state and across the country presented testimony to the Task Force over a six-month period. Representatives from a variety of parents’ organizations,** as well as a panel of teens who had experienced their parents’ divorces, brought their unique concerns to the Task Force. Staff members obtained research articles and statutes from around the nation and the globe to find the latest policies and practices. Members of the Task Force traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, to meet with staff at the Maricopa County Court system, a nationally recognized leader in court services and pro se programs, and to conferences sponsored by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, an internationally acclaimed organization which provides research and programs for professionals dealing with families in conflict.**

{**and has an official policy to change the “old” language of criminal law to the “new” language of (psychology, essentially…..) –}

{**anyone see a feminist flavor within range of the task force?  Or someone willing to talk about domestic violence?    . .. Note — contents highlight the access visitation conferences.  I attended the BMCC (Battered mothers Custody Conferenc) in NY state this past January (2011) — and practically no one had HEARD of “access visitation” nor — naturally — was it even discussed.  One reason, among others, I left there in disgust.  They are no better than the fatherhood groups that don’t help fathers — it’s just about the dole, the $dollar….}

At the end of the information gathering process, the Task Force examined all of the information obtained with one goal in mind, enhancing the well being of Ohio’s children and families in a fiscally efficient and responsible way. Ideas were discussed and debated, and suggested statutory language created. The Task Force focused on the idea that Ohio’s legal and social service institutions should minimize conflict between parents and protect children from the effects of their parents’ conflicts, while providing opportunities and support to parents as they continue to be parents to their children, regardless of family structure. The following report and recommendations are the result of this extensive research effort and debate and have been unanimously approved, without any abstentions or dissents, by official action of the 17 members of the Task Force present at the final meeting on June 1, 2001.

So, given all this lead-in, I really ought to show you the Philip Stahl Promotion in the 48th annual conference (guess AFCC was only in its 30s way back then…..):

TO BE CONTINUED ON MY NEXT, HYPER-LINKED POST …