Course Description
Part 1 "The Impact of Divorce on Children: What Does the Research Actually Tell Us?"
Part 2 "Gatekeeping: A Part of Every Evaluation"
Part 3 "AA: Dealing with Allegations of Addictions (drug and internet/porn) and Alienation in Custody Disputes"
Part 4 "Hypothesis Testing/Report Writing and Cross-examination. Let's Practice: The Use of Technology and Doing Remote Evaluations"
The seminar is divided into four sections covering a wide range of topics related to conducting child custody evaluations.
The first section covers the impact of divorce on children. When custody evaluators make recommendations regarding parenting time it is critical that they understand what factors are likely to contribute to a child having a difficult adjustment to the divorce and a parenting schedule and what factors can reduce the likelihood of harm.
The second section will focus on Gatekeeping. Gatekeeping is increasingly becoming a critical aspect of all child custody evaluations. Given statutes regarding the need to address how parents support or do not support children’s relationship with their other parent, it is critical that this be assessed in all child custody evaluations. A model for the assessment of gatekeeping will be addressed.
The third section will cover “hot topics” in child custody evaluations including issues of addiction, such as alcohol and drug addiction. It will also cover issues regarding internet and pornography behavior and discuss how these are similar and different to substance use addictions. Another “hot topic” in child custody evaluations is regarding alienation. Professionals still debate on whether it is a syndrome or disorder as some professionals continue to support the belief it should be in the DSM. Others disagree. Up to date information on how various professionals formulate the concept of alienation will be discussed and why it should not be considered a disorder. A focus will be on defining terms and describing behavior rather than using labels.
The fourth section will cover the importance of hypothesis testing in child custody evaluations. Examples of how to use hypothesis testing will be presented as well as a discussion of how and when to document it. The importance of hypothesis testing will be addressed as a major component of every aspect of the child custody evaluation. This section will also cover report writing and how to include hypothesis testing in the child custody evaluation report. How to present the results of the evaluation in court will also be addressed. Finally, given the rapid change in the field of child custody evaluations due to COVID, the use of technology and its impact on child custody evaluations will be addressed.
Course Goal and Objectives
At the conclusion of this program:
- Participants will identify 5 main factors that impact children’s adjustment to divorce
- Participants will be able to define types of gatekeeping
- Participants will be able to describe a model for the assessment of gatekeeping
- Attendees will identify similarities and differences between substance use addictions and internet/porn addictions
- Participants will be able to describe the different formulations of alienation
- Attendees will be able to describe how to integrate hypothesis testing into their evaluations and reports
- Attendees will learn how to write an Integrative report
- Participants will be able to describe how to use technology in remote evaluations while providing protection to clients and the evaluation.
Registration Information
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CE Approval Information
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for Psychologists. This course is also approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for its licentiates' CE license renewal requirements.
- Pursuant toCalifornia Rules of Court, rules 5.225(d)(1)-(3)(5)-(21), the outline or agenda submitted satisfies the requirements of the rule for 8 hours toward initial 40 hours evaluator training, and annual 8 hours of evaluator continuing education
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Your access to the course material extends for 1-year from the date of purchase. This includes after passing the post-test, so you may continue to review its contents.
Course Description
Intimate Partner Violence and Child Custody: Forensic Model, Social Science & Practical Application
A comprehensive overview and guide of how to approach the Intimate Partner Violence – Child Custody Case (IPV-CC) is presented. IPV is one of the complex and special issues that often confront custody evaluators. Professional guidelines (AFCC) call on evaluators to take a systematic approach to the complex problems in their implementation of forensic procedures for data collection, analysis, and offering expert opinions and recommendations. Forensic models and frameworks are described to assist in the systematic approach to IPV cases. Larger issues involved in child custody evaluations are discussed that pose challenges. Evaluators are encouraged to follow a mindful and outside thinking gestalt as they face dilemmas that require creativity in the implementation of their Forensic Trade Craft. Development of forensic IPV typologies are discussed. Advances in the development of IPV conceptualization have occurred in the context of family law-child custody. The Austin IPV models on IPV patterns and assessment of credibility are presented in the context of enhancing forensic investigation. The Austin & Drozd comprehensive forensic model is present as a social science-based framework to guide evaluators. The “Bench Book” version of the model for judges is discussed, including a rating checklist for considering the evaluator’s custody report. Principles of violence risk assessment are part of the integrated framework. The problem of IPV victims’ failure to disclose abuse is addressed. The quandary of conducting a parental gatekeeping analysis in IPV-CC cases is discussed with a description of the Austin et al forensic gatekeeping model. The need to modify the gatekeeping analysis for the IPV context is discussed. Inadequate and superficial IPV assessment is identified as a widespread problem that gave rise to creating the AFCC Guidelines. The severe form of IPV, Coercive Control, Intrusive-Authoritarian IPV (CCIA) is described along with coercive coparenting that often follows separation. Guidelines strongly suggest screening for IPV in every child custody evaluation. The Worst Case Scenario (WCS) issue is discussed with the “red flag” analysis that comes from the targeted violence literature. Implications of the IPV assessment for creating parenting plans and managing coercive coparenting is discussed. Case vignettes will be intermixed. Considering the implications of considering past IPV in Relocation cases will be discussed in the context of Austin’s relocation risk assessment model.
Course Goal and Objectives
At the conclusion of this program:
- Describe Alternative Forensic Frameworks that take a systematic approach to investigating & assessing IPV in a custody dispute.
- Discuss the Complexities for assessing Credibility of IPV allegations
- Analyze the issues in considering IPV in making parenting plan recommendations.
- Identify the dynamics of coercive coparenting and its relevance for developing parenting plans.
Registration Information
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CE Approval Information
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for Psychologists. This course is also approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for its licentiates' CE license renewal requirements.
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 4.0 hours of CE credit for Psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs.
- The courses outlined in the agenda have been approved as corresponding to subject areas specified in California Rules of Court, rules 5.225, and 5.215/5.230. The views expressed in this training are those of the trainers and do not necessarily represent the official positions or policies of the Judicial Council of California.
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Your access to the course material extends for 1-year from the date of purchase. This includes after passing the post-test, so you may continue to review its contents.
Course: Assessing Couple Distress: The Four Session Evaluation
Instructor: Anthony L. Chambers, Ph.D., ABPP
Approved for 3.0 Hours of CE Credit
Fulfills License Requirements
High Resolution Video
Course: Critical Issues in Relocation Cases
Instructor: Philip M. Stahl, Ph.D., ABPP
Approved for 2.0 Hours of CE Credit
Fulfills License Requirements
High Resolution Video
Course: Ethical Challenges in Couple and Family Psychology
Instructor: Gerald P. Koocher, Ph.D., ABPP
Approved for 3.0 Hours of CE Credit
Fulfills License Requirements
High Resolution Video
Course: Parenting Plan Evaluations: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (CCE-185)
Instructor: Philip M. Stahl, Ph.D., ABPPPhilip M. Stahl, Ph.D., ABPP
Approved for 2.0 Hours of CE Credit
Fulfills Requirements for Psycholgists, MFTs, LCSWs, and Licensed Professional Counselors.
This course is designed for Full and Part-Time Private Practitioners, and Full and Part-Time Agency Employees
High Resolution Online Streaming Video
Program Description:
Despite more than 40 years workshops and trainings, Guidelines, and journal articles related to Parenting Plan Evaluations, many evaluators still have considerable challenges understanding this challenging work. In this workshop, the presenter, who has more than 40 years of experience with these cases, will identify good forensic evaluation practice, as well as provide examples of defective work, biased evaluations, and fatal flaws to help participants use the new AFCC Guidelines and understand ways to improve the quality of their work.
Goals & Objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Identify three challenges to best practice in parenting plan evaluations.
- Apply the principles learned from the Boy Scout Oath to best practices of a parenting plan evaluator.
- Integrate the AFCC Parenting Plan Evaluation Guidelines, CA Rules of Court, CA Family Code, CA Appellate cases, and Board of Psychology decisions into an evaluator’s best practices toolbox.
Registration Information
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CE Approval Information
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for Psychologists. This course is also approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for its licentiates' CE license renewal requirements.
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 2.0 hours of CE credit for Psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs.
- SFG is an approved EMDRIA International CE Credit Provider, #15002 and maintains responsibility for its EMDR courses’ programs and contents in accordance with EMDRIA Standards.
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Course: Quality Evaluations in the Context of Coercive Control (CCE-188)
Instructor: Philip M. Stahl, Ph.D., ABPP
Approved for 2.0 Hours of CE Credit
Fulfills Requirements for Psycholgists, MFTs, LCSWs, and Licensed Professional Counselors.
This course is designed for Full and Part-Time Private Practitioners, and Full and Part-Time Agency Employees
High Resolution Online Streaming Video
Program Description:
AFCC published their Guidelines for Examining Intimate Partner Violence in 2016. In 2020, California amended Section 6320 of the Family Code to include critical dynamics of coercive control, specifying a pattern of behaviors that “unreasonably interferes with a person’s free will and personal liberty”. This workshop will highlight examples from the legislation and, using the AFCC Guidelines related to IPV, outline suggestions for assessing this critical issue.
Goals & Objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Describe the content of CA’s coercive control statute and applications in case law.
- Integrate the AFCC Guidelines in cases with allegations of IPV in parenting plan evaluation practice.
- Describe the importance of Implementing multiple hypotheses when appointed in such cases.
Registration Information
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CE Approval Information
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for Psychologists. This course is also approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for its licentiates' CE license renewal requirements.
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 2.0 hours of CE credit for Psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs.
- SFG is an approved EMDRIA International CE Credit Provider, #15002 and maintains responsibility for its EMDR courses’ programs and contents in accordance with EMDRIA Standards.
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Course: Treating Stepfamilies
Instructor: Scott Browning, Ph.D., ABPP
Approved for 3.0 Hours of CE Credit
Fulfills License Requirements
High Resolution Video
Course: Why the heck aren’t we doing this already? Advance orientation (AO) can improve satisfaction, efficiency, and efficacy in PPEs
Instructor: Benjamin D. Garber, Ph.D.
Approved for 1.0 Hours of CE Credit
Fulfills License Requirements
Complimentary free course!
Program Description:
More than fifty years of research in varied fields has demonstrated that when consumers are oriented to a professional service in advance of participating in that service, consumers are more satisfied, are less likely to complain, and the service is more efficient and more effective. This brief overview introduces the concept of advance orientation (AO) to the family law community. Programming now available at DefuseDivorce.com is described emphasizing the terrific value of AO programming for parents who are court-ordered to complete parenting plan (i.e., custody) evaluations.
Goals & Objectives:
At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:
- Recognize the value of advance orientation in family law processes.
- Distinguish advance orientation from informed consent and from coaching.
Registration Information
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CE Approval Information
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for Psychologists. This course is also approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for its licentiates' CE license renewal requirements.
- The Steve Frankel Group, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 1.0 hours of CE credit for Psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs.
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