IN THIS ISSUE

• Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Mediation Skills
• AFCC 61st Annual Conference
• 16th Symposium on Child Custody
• Upcoming Webinars
• Member News
• Chapter News

Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Mediation Skills

John Lande, JD, PhD

Traditional mediation theories (such as facilitative, evaluative, and transformative mediation) are incomplete at best and misleading at worst, providing mystifying descriptions of what mediators actually do. They focus on only a few behaviors during mediation sessions. They don’t recognize the many variations of mediators, parties, and cases. Many mediators ignore these models because they are confusing or unhelpful. Continue reading.

AFCC 61st Annual Conference

Coping with Transition: Individual, Family and Beyond

Sheraton Boston Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts

June 5-8, 2024

AFCC's 61st Annual Conference begins in less than a month! Join AFCC in Boston as we explore coping with transitions!

The work of family law, mental health, and dispute resolution professionals is endlessly impacted by transition. Whether it be from transitioning from an intact family to one that lives in two homes; children’s transition between developmental stages; transitioning gender; or transitioning to new statutes, processes, and professional roles.

Pre-Conference Institutes

Interested in a more in-depth learning experience? Join AFCC on June 5th, for one of our six pre-conference institutes. These full day institutes allow presenters to more comprehensively present on these topics and are eligible for up to six hours of continuing education credit.

See the conference portal for a complete list of conference sessions!

1) Protecting Yourself and Your Practice in the Cyber World

This institute focuses on providing mental health professionals with a framework for proactive protection of themselves and their businesses from cyber-harassment and licensure complaints.

Presenters:

• Reneau C. Kennedy, EdD
• Robert Kinscherff, PhD, JD

2) Advanced Challenges in Family Mediation

This institute will address four critical issues for practicing mediators: (1) use of technology and artificial intelligence; (2) cases involving intimate partner violence; (3) managing emotional dynamics in the mediation process; and (4) involving children in the process.

Presenters:

• Kelly Browe Olson, JD, LLM
• Robert E. Emery, PhD
• Susan E. Guthrie, JD
• Donald T. Saposnek, PhD

3) Should Children Participate in Family Law Processes? Consider the Brain

This program will examine current research on child and adolescent brain development and its impact on decision making, and the effects of substance use on adolescent brains, to improve participants’ understanding of when and how a child can express their views for consideration in juvenile and family law matters.

Presenters:

• Hon. Amy Lyn Blake
• Robin M. Deutsch, PhD, ABPP
• Robert Kinscherff, PhD, JD
• Stephanie Tabashneck, PsyD, JD

4) Trans Children and Youth in the Family Court System

Participants in this institute will learn about the legal, social, spiritual-religious, medical, and psychological challenges faced by transgender children and youth, and their family members, and how more affirming and supportive experiences can be fostered. 

Presenters:

• Allan E. Barsky, PhD, JD
• Lavanya Regunathan Fischer, LLM, LSE
• John McKendrick, KC
• Hon. Dianna J. Gould-Saltman (Ret.)
• Brandy Brown, DSW, LCSW

5) Child Sexual Abuse in Custody Cases

This institute will focus on the considerable challenges of addressing allegations of child sexual abuse in the context of child custody litigation. The program will explore cutting-edge research, law, policy, and practice from the bench to the bar, and for mental health practitioners involved in various forensic capacities. 

Presenters:

• Seth L. Goldstein, JD
• Mindy F. Mitnick, MEd, MA
• Commissioner JoAnne Brown (Ret.)

6) Judicial Officer’s Institute: Strategies for Domestic Violence and Alienation Allegations in Parenting Disputes in Family Court

This institute will provide a review of the current research as well as emerging assessment and intervention strategies. Part 1 will focus on critical questions and potential evidence to gather in exploring multiple hypotheses about the dynamics in the family to address what happened and what impact it is having on the parents and children. Part 2 will move from potential court findings to differentiated court remedies including counselling support for the parents and children. Registration for this institute is limited to judicial officers only.

Presenters:

• Peter Jaffe, PhD
• Matthew J. Sullivan, PhD
• Barbara Jo Fidler, PhD
• Hon. Anne Hirsch (Ret)
• Katreena Scott, PhD

See more details on this year's pre-conference institutes.

Plenary Session

Depolarizing by Example: AFCC Peace Talks on Parent-Child Contact Problems

This plenary focuses on an innovative peace talk strategy to break down polarization of issues related to parent-child contact problems (PCCP) by emphasizing collaborative dialogue. This transformative approach will be showcased among experts across the continuum of perspectives, who will examine the many factors to consider in assessing and intervening in PCCP.

Presenters:

• William Bernet, MD
• April Harris-Britt, PhD
• Peter Jaffe, PhD
• Hon. Denise McColley (Ret.)
• Stacey E. Platt, JD
• Michael A. Saini, PhD

Opening Keynote

In the spirit of this year’s conference theme, Coping with Transitions, attendees will be invited into the personal and profound story of a transgender woman, detailing her journey of transition. Transgender activist, author, and speaker, Tina Madison White will share her inspiring personal and familial evolution and the barriers and successes along the way.