Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Regional Training Workshop
Reno, Nevada
November 5-7, 2009
Proposed 3-Hour Workshop (Judges’ Track)
Teaming up for Effective intervention: Making Court-Involved Therapy Work
Lyn R. Greenberg, Ph.D.
Matthew Sullivan, Ph.D.
The honorable Linda Fidnick,
High-conflict families are often ordered/directed to generic counseling interventions, in the hope that this will lead to improved parenting, better support of the child, or less exposure of the child to parental conflict. Often, however, there is little specificity in the treatment orders, the structure of therapy, or the criteria by which the court will eventually assess progress or improvement.
Parents needing these services often have severe problems that have been resistant to less formalized intervention. While parents may need long-term treatment to effect core changes, children’s development is a time sensitive process that will not wait for parents to resolve their own problems. Children may face serious emotional risks from long-term exposure to parental conflict. Treatment models are needed that focus on the specific, behavioral changes needed to shield children from the parental conflict and allow them to develop healthy coping skills and relationships. The authority of the court may be needed to ensure compliance with treatment and provide motivation for necessary changes.
This workshop will focus on specific elements of effective intervention with high conflict families. Our multidisciplinary panel will provide practical strategies for court-related treatment, including: (1) Criteria for effective treatment orders; (2) informed consent issues; (3) criteria for determining the amount and type of treatment information that should be shared with other professionals or the court; (4) defining criteria for measuring progress; (5) realistic expectations with high-conflict populations; (6) applying relevant research; (7) recognizing and promoting effective treatment; (8) recognizing problem treatment; and (8) responding to requests that a child’s treatment be stopped or that a therapist be removed. We will present strategies for effective treatment in a variety of settings, ranging from individual treatment of children to conjoint/reunification and coparenting therapy. Participants will have an opportunity to apply content material through case vignettes and discussion.
Outline
I. Adjusting expectations and models
A. Historical assumptions and models
B. Adjusting definitions of therapy, adjusting our models
C. Adjusting to our population
II. Constructing effective orders
A. Authority/criteria for ordering treatment
B. Specifying goals, necessary behavioral changes
C. Importance of detail
D. Essential elements to include
E. Balancing privacy and accountability
III. Matching interventions to families
A. Characteristics of our populations
B. Progress as behavioral change
C. Integrating and applying relevant research
D. Options and models
IV. Structuring children’s treatment
A. Establishing structure
B. Containing potential for bias
C. Progress in a developmental frame
D. Coping focus
E. Appropriate responses to children’s statements
F. Parental involvement
V. Family and conjoint/reunification therapy
A. Risks and contra-indications
B. Structure and rules
C. Providing for safety
D. Paths for accepting responsibility
VI. Recognizing and addressing problems
A. When is the therapist part of the problem?
B. Has the therapy gone off track, or is the parent just angry?
C. Supporting quality treatment, even if someone is angry
D. Recognizing and ending problematic treatment
E. Responding to motions to remove a therapist
VII. Dealing with treatment information/statements
A. Crticial evaluation of declarations/affidavits
B. Considerations in requesting treatment information
C. Respecting the therapist’s ethical obligations
Intended track: Judges
Learning Objectives
1. Participants will increase their ability to adapt traditional therapy models to high conflict families
2. Participants will increase their ability to construct effective treatment orders
3. Participants will increase their knowledge of effective therapy methods for children at the center of conflict, and their families
Presenters
Lyn R. Greenberg Ph.D.
Private Practice, Forensic and Clinical Psychology
12401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 303
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310/399-3684 * fax 310/988-2706
www.lyngreenbergphd.com
Robin M. Deutsch, Ph.D.
One Washington Street, Suite 211
Wellesley, MA 02481
617-527-2173
fax 617-585-7454
Director of Forensic Services
Children and the Law Program
Massachusetts General Hospital
www.childforensic.com
MATTHEW J. SULLIVAN, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology
411 Kipling Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 493-6282
Fax # (650) 813-9771
(Judicial officer)
Coordinating Presenter: Lyn R. Greenberg, Ph.D.
(Who do you want as references?) - anyone?