Advanced ENE Training

MN Board of CLE - approved

MN Board of Psychology - approved

MN Board of MFT - approved

MN Board of Social Work - approved

ADR - approved

This will be a hybrid--both virtual and in-person.   It is a training specifically aimed at current ENE team members with experience in ENE's.  This will assist them in obtaining required continuing education credits under Rule 114 of the General Rules of Practice, which governs ADR practitioners.

The new Rule 114 requires ENE providers to obtain continuing education and ENE advanced trainings.   The upcoming Advanced ENE Training will give team members an in-depth session  on child development issues in the SENE process. We will explore the evolution of FENE over the last decade. ENE Trainers Jim Goetz and Susan Chambers will lead a interactive discussion on what works and doesn't work in ENE sessions and there will be interactive information on domestic violence.  This training is focused on Early Neutral Evaluators and aiding evaluators in their assessments, but anyone is welcome to attend. Seating is limited and a preference will be made for those who are currently serving on Minnesota ENE rosters. (NOTE: Rule 114.12 Sub. 4 (j) requires that SENE members must have 18 hours of  continuing education every 3 years and that this training will qualify.) 

ADVANCED EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION TRAINING

February 1 & 2, 2024

February 1, 2024

8:15 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Registration

8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Welcome & Introduction

8:45 a.m.-9:45 a.m.  The New Rule 114 and ENE Best Practices

     Jim Goetz, Susan Chambers and Jeff Johnson

     SENE:  What’s New, What’s Not

     Jim Goetz

9:45 a.m. -10:00 a.m.  Break

10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Role of Domestic Violence in Early Neutral Evaluation

 Rana Alexander

12:30 – 1:00 p.m. Luncheon

1:00 p.m.- 2:15 p.m.  Interactive Discussion with all Team Members: what works & does not work in your ENE Sessions

     Facilitators: Jim Goetz, Susan Chambers and Jeff Johnson

2:15 pm – 3:00 p.m.  Toolbox for defusing High Conflict

 Jim Goetz

3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 p.m. - 4:15 pm  Continued: Toolbox for defusing High Conflict

 Jim Goetz

4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.  Working with Special Problems in SENE Sessions (translators, cultural differences, multiple parties and more)

     Jim Goetz and Sue Chambers

4:45 p.m.   ADJOURN

ADVANCED EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION TRAINING

February 1 & 2, 2024

February 2, 2024

8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Registration

8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Welcome & Introductions

 Susan Chambers, Jim Goetz and Racheal Howitz

8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. FENE More Than a Decade Older: What's new, What's Not  Tom Tuft and Jeff Johnson

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.   Ethical Conundrums in ENE

 Jim Street, Jim Goetz and Susan Chambers

10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Child Development considerations in SENE’s

 Kent Kodalen

Noon. – 1:00 p.m.  Luncheon

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Technology and Tools for SENE’s and FENE’s

 Racheal Howitz, OurFamilyWizard

     Bridging Conflict classes

 Joe Nobel and Lori Thibodeau

2:30 p.m. -2:45 p.m.  Break

2:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Continued: Technology and Tools for SENE’s and FENE’s

 Racheal Howitz, OurFamilyWizard

     Maximizing Zoom for your sessions

 Joe Bluth, Gail Finley and Jeff Johnson

4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Other Legal Updates Impacting Your ENE Sessions & Wrap Up

 Jim Street, Jim Goetz and Susan Chambers

4:45 p.m.  ADJOURN

SPEAKERS

Susan Stevens Chambers has been a practicing family law attorney for over 44 years. She served as a Family District Court Referee for five years. She has served as an ENE trainer throughout Minnesota for the past 11 years and currently serves on the Minnesota ADR Ethics Board.  Mrs. Chambers is Rule 114 qualified and has completed the required SENE, ENE, and Advanced ENE trainings as required by the MN ADR. She is listed on the Master Training List for Initial SENE and FENE Provider Training. In the past five years, Ms. Chambers has conducted over 60 ENE-s and held over 17 Initial ENE and Advanced ENE trainings. She is also a  practicing attorney in the State of MN.

Jim Goetz has Master’s Degree in Social Work, Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Psychology, and Law Degree from William Mitchell College of Law. Jim was a long term employee of Hennepin County Family Court Services, where he conducted custody and parenting time mediations and evaluations. He was part of a group at Court Services that created an Early Neutral Evaluation program and has served as ENE trainer since its inception throughout Minnesota and in various part of the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Goetz is Rule 114 qualified and has completed the required SENE, ENE, and Advanced ENE trainings as required by the MN ADR. He is listed on the Master Training List for Initial SENE and FENE Provider Training.  In the past five years, Jim has conducted over 60 ENE-s and held over 15 Initial ENE and Advanced ENE trainings. He is also a practicing attorney in the State of MN.

Jeff Johnson has a B.A. Degree in Psychology and Finance from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. Jeff has been a mediator in the public and private sector for over 30 years with the last 15 years in Family Law.  Jeff is a Rule 114 qualified neutral and is trained as a Parenting Consultant and a Parenting Time Expeditor.  Jeff is listed on the Master Training List for SENE and FENE Provider Training.  In the past 5 years, Jeff has conducted over 150 ENEs and held over 8 Initial ENE and Advanced ENE training courses.  Jeff has a mediation practice in Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

Rana S. Alexander, Esq. has worked in the domestic and sexual violence field since 1997. Ms. Alexander joined Standpoint, formerly known as Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project (BWLAP), in 2005. Ms. Alexander served as the Executive Director from 2016-2023. In 2023, Rana transitioned to the Director of Finance for the organization. As an attorney for the statewide organization, she provides legal advice and consultation to domestic and sexual violence victims, advocates and attorneys on legal issues that affect domestic and sexual violence victims. Ms. Alexander also provides training and outreach to attorneys involving issues of domestic and sexual violence and the law. Ms. Alexander is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, and received, with distinction, her Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology and a minor in Women’s Studies from Iowa State University.  

Thomas Tuft, a native of the East Side of Saint Paul, is a shareholder at Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O’Connell, PLLC practicing in all areas of family law, including complex divorce, child support, paternity, and child custody. He is a Rule 114 Qualified Neutral, a Social Early Neutral Evaluator (SENE) and Financial Early Neutral Evaluator (FENE). Thomas Tuft has been named to the list of SuperLawyers® since 2002 and has been named to the list of the Top 40 Family Law SuperLawyers in Minnesota since 2004. He has been named to the list of Top 100 Superlawyers in Minnesota each year since 2006 and named to the list of Best Lawyers in America®.  He is rated AV (the highest possible rating in both ethics and legal skills) by Martindale-Hubbell®, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected attorney listings. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, and Ramsey County Bar Association.  Mr. Tuft is a Fellow and past President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers — Minnesota Chapter, and is a past chair of the Second District Ethics Committee. He frequently lectures on various family law matters, including divorce, custody, child support, as well as legal ethics and law practice management and law office technology.

Dr.  Kirsten Lysne is a licensed psychologist and the founder of Moxie  Incorporated, a firm of mental health professionals that provides a wide  range of coaching, clinical and dispute resolution services,  particularly in the context of Family Law.  She has over 30 years of  experience working with children and families, and 20+ years of  specialization in work with divorcing families. Dr. Lysne specializes in  working with parents through Coaching, Mediation, and Consulting Expert  roles; and consults widely with attorneys and judges about managing  conflict, stress and complex cases.

She  earned her Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the California  Institute of Integral Studies, which specializes in cross-cultural and  interdisciplinary practice.

Joseph Bluth is a qualified neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota  Supreme Court and conducts Family Law and Custody Mediations, Social and  Financial Early Neutral Evaluations (SENE/FENE) and Moderated  Settlement Conferences. He is also certified by the American Academy of  Matrimonial Lawyers to perform arbitraitions and is ALI-ABA Trained as  Federal and State Special Master and Consensual Special Magistrate. He  provides ENE & ADR Services throughout southern and southwestern  Minnesota & the Lake Minnetonka metro area.

Jim Street

Joe Noble

Lori Thibeodeau

Racheal Howitz