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In this rough year, when good news has been in sorely short supply, I am particularly delighted to be able to share something positive:the Family Court Services team was poised to lose six positions, but instead will be moved to Health and Human Services at current staffing levels sometime in 2021. The word on the street is that the advocacy from AFCC members and other groups made a significant difference in helping to ensure these services remain available and accessible to some of the more vulnerable families in Hennepin County. I also have it on good authority that folks who work at HCFCS are aware of our efforts and morale was buoyed by the outpouring of support for their work. It is a powerful reminder that our efforts can and do make a difference! A warm and hearty thank you to everyone who participated in this effort. And best wishes to everyone for a warm, safe, and relatively low-drama holiday-of-your-choice this season! Jen Joseph President

Greetings Everyone! I hope this finds all of you doing as well as can be expected in these times. As we have stated in the past, Hennepin County Family Court Services (HCFCS) currently finds itself in a precarious position where the County Commissioners are looking at making substantial cuts to their budget. At the organization level, we have already joined on in a letter with other groups to various commissioners and officials with potential influence over this decision expressing the critical loss that would result from such cuts. That being said, there is more we can do! The Legislative and Public Policy Committee has put together a template letter for individual members (YOU…yes, YOU READING THIS) to send out to Commissioners to let them know your position on this. Download Letter Template Obviously this is only a template, and while very well written (tip of the cap to Deb Link), we strongly encourage that you personalize this. All of us that have used HCFCS have some story we can tell about how crucial their help has been to at least one family we have served. Whether it be the family that badly needed ADR services, but wouldn’t have been able to afford them otherwise, or the family with the somewhat precarious cultural situation where someone at HCFCS was able to think outside the box, or just the client that told you how the HCFCS provider was one of the first people that made them feel like they were finally heard. HCFCS has had a massive impact on the families we serve in Hennepin County and our own respective professions as a result of their existence and the phenomenal work that they put in. The final vote on this is December 15, 2020, so let’s get moving on the emails. You can find commissioners here. We would encourage you to write as many as you can! Other folks of some importance are these two fellows, as they are high up in the department in which HCFCS lives: David J. Hough, County Administrator county.admin@hennepin.us Phone: 612-348-7574 Mark S. Thompson, Assistant County Administrator – Public Safety mark.thompson@hennepin.us Phone: 612-348-9050 Again, and I cannot stress this enough, HCFCS does SO MUCH for all of us and the families that we strive to serve. At the risk of sounding like Sally Struthers or Sarah Mclachlan, just 15 minutes of your time could really help them out. Carlo Faccini and Deb Link (co-chairs Legislative and Public Policy Committee) #HCFCS #Hennepinfamilycourtservices

The Chief Justice has issued a new order effective November 30, 2020 which impacts family law practitioners. The order is attached. Essentially effective November 30, 2020, with the exceptions of jury trials proceeding to completion or grand juries that were empaneled and taking evidence which will continue until completion, all other proceedings in the district court shall be conducted remotely. The only exception is crafted if the Chief Judge of District, after consulting with the Chief Justice, authorizes an in person hearing. This is effective until January 31, 2021. Individual courts will remain open for business on a limited basis, with access to the court facilities subject to conditions imposed by county officials. All people entering court facilities must wear masks. At least one public service counter in each county must be accessible to court customers between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on non-holidays M-F. James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District

From leaders of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, groups that deal with families in crisis: Susan Myres, President, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) Larry Fong, President, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) Mindy Mitnick, AFCC President Elect Matt Sullivan, AFCC Past President Laura Belleau, AAML Second Vice President Kim Bonuomo, AAML committee co-chair for AAML/AFCC program Nancy Kellman, AAML committee co-chair for AAML/AFCC program Jill Peña, AAML Executive Director Peter Salem, AFCC Executive Director The following are useful tools to help divorced/separated parents sharing custody get through the upcoming holidays in the midst of a continuing pandemic with a minimum of conflict and stress. PLAN EARLY: If there is one piece of advice you take away from these guidelines, it has to be this one. If there was ever a holiday season that could not be successfully navigated by the seat of your pants at the last minute, it is this season. Consider travel logistics, your holiday traditions, events with family and friends and the parenting time schedule, as usual. Include an accurate assessment of applicable guidelines and possible tracing requirements and quarantine times based on protections needed in each household. FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD: Stick to your parenting plan or schedule as much as you can, if there is one. If not, start working out a plan. Communicate with your co-parent as soon as possible if you think your customary schedule, family gatherings or travel arrangements will have to change because of the virus. AGREE ON A DESTINATION: Be straightforward with each other about your goals for the holidays. Discuss how to have a holiday that is both happy and safe for everyone. Look carefully at the level of disease at any location where you might plan to go and also where you live. You have to consider if you could be carrying the risk from your home to another part of the country, as well as the infection and positivity rates present in the community you will be visiting. Will you be among people who are carefully observing the recommendations and rules (masks, social distancing, hand washing)? PLAN YOUR ROUTE TOGETHER: Talk about the where, when and how. Agree on how to proceed if you disagree. Find ways to resolve disputes with each other, a trusted advisor, a mediator or a parenting coordinator— always a preferable alternative to going to court. If the dispute continues, consider reaching out to a mediator, with or without an attorney, to resolve the issues before seeking court intervention. DON’T BE AFRAID TO STOP AND ASK FOR DIRECTIONS: Your particular situation may benefit from a consultation with an expert, who might be the family pediatrician (if the point of dispute involves health risks), a family therapist, or your lawyer. YIELD TO HAZARD SIGNS: Be prepared to abide by local, state and national instructions regarding health and safety as they are updated. SLOW DOWN IF THERE IS CONSTRUCTION OR AN ACCIDENT AHEAD: Be willing to take a step back, slow down and communicate about any new concerns that may arise related to health and safety. BE OPEN TO ALTERNATIVE ROUTES: This year is going to be an exception for everyone, not just coparents. Everybody is concerned about doing the right thing, which will lead inevitably to finding new ways to gather and celebrate. For some it will mean get-togethers only on Zoom; for others, there will be gatherings of limited size and limited time, with masks and social distancing. Consider holding any gathering outside, if the weather permits. If you must be indoors, good ventilation with doors and windows open is a must. Social and family connections will have to be balanced by safe behaviors and mitigating risk. Above all and despite the extra complications of the circumstances, we wish everyone a healthy, happy and peaceful holiday season

I write to you in my capacity as the Chair of the ADR Ethics Board. We have two openings for the Board: one for a judicial officer and another where we are hoping to get a mental health provider, as our non-judicial membership is mostly comprised of attorneys. The overwhelming number of complaints we receive are regarding family law, so we are also focusing on providers who are experienced in family law. Finally, we are hoping to increase our presence on the Board from Greater Minnesota. I encourage you to consider applying even if you do not fit within one of these categories. If you know of someone you think might be interested and a good addition to the Board who does fit in one of those categories, please encourage that person to apply. Click here for the application link to apply. If you want more information about the ADR Ethics Board, you can find it on this link. The deadline to apply is 4:30 Monday November 30, 2020. James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District

As you may have heard by now, Hennepin County has proposed cutting 3-6 positions from Hennepin County Family Court Services. AFCC discussed this at our last board meeting, and we resolved to join with other professional organizations to strongly oppose any cuts in staffing. On September 22, 2020, AFCC signed a Position Statement, along with AAML, and the family law sections of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the Hennepin County Bar Association. You can view the entire statement here. Hennepin County Family Court Services (“HCFCS”) helps families resolve custody and parenting time issues in Minnesota’s most populous, and most diverse county. Nearly 25% of all people who live in Minnesota live in Hennepin County. Of those families in Hennepin County, approximately one in four speak a language other than English at home, and approximately one in ten live in poverty. In addition, the vast majority of cases in family court (80-90%) involve a parent who is representing himself or herself. These families rely on HCFCS to help them through mediation, early neutral evaluations, brief focused assessments, custody evaluations, and facilitated settlement conferences, among other services. Any reduction in staffing at HCFCS will limit access to these services. The most vulnerable families, families of color, families living in poverty, and families who speak languages other than English, are the least likely to have access to private services, and are the most likely to suffer harm as a result. As an organization, AFCC adamantly opposes these proposed cuts. As an individual, you can help! What can you do? I thought you’d never ask! Attend Hennepin County Board Meetings to monitor activity on this issue, and when possible, to voice your support Hennepin County Family Court Services, as well as your opposition to the proposed staffing cuts. There is a budget committee meeting on October 2, 2020, which is an open meeting, but is not set up to accept public comment. Opportunities to voice your opinions are likely to occur at the meetings on Monday, November 16, Wednesday, December 2, and Thursday, December 3 (if needed), all 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The County Commissioners intend to finalize the 2021 budget at the meeting on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. Use this website to track meetings and agendas:   https://www.hennepin.us/your-government/leadership/county-board-meetings (Note, AFCC will be tracking these meetings and alerting members of opportunities to attend, but no reason you can’t play along at home.) Record a message for the County Board by calling 612-348-3100 Contact the County Administrator and the Asst. County Administrator in charge of public safety (the department where Family Court Services resides, for some reason): David J. Hough, County Administrator county.admin@hennepin.us Phone: 612-348-7574 Mark S. Thompson, Assistant County Administrator – Public Safety mark.thompson@hennepin.us Phone: 612-348-9050 Contact other members of the County Administration. Contact information is here: https://www.hennepin.us/your-government/leadership/county-administrator Here are some other tips from Carlo Faccini, the co-chair of our Legislation and Policy Committee: I would encourage everyone to read the Position Statement issued on behalf of the AFCC and our sibling organizations, as it provides some very helpful statistics that members should certainly feel free to use in any discussions or correspondence with these individuals. However, I cannot stress enough the importance of STORY!!! We are all family law professionals who are living and breathing this subject matter pretty much every day. For those of us who often find ourselves in Hennepin County, especially on the regular, we know and love HCFCS. As a product of this we undoubtedly have thousands of stories between us of how HCFCS helped usher a difficult case into a tenable, or even amicable, resolution. Whether it was the time you used HCFCS when you had a pro se on the other side who was being extremely difficult but HCFCS was able to get that pro se some much needed perspective or perhaps the time that a HCFCS service provided some much needed perspective for the case, your own client, or maybe how you were thinking of approaching the matter. On that note, I would also encourage you all to think about reaching out to those past clients of yours that were aided by HCFCS and approaching them to see if they would be willing to attend the hearing and possibly speak, telling some portion of their own story. It is our understanding that there will first be a meeting on October 2nd of the committee that deals with budgets, at this time we do not have the information on how to join that virtual meeting but we will provide it once it is released. At that point, this measure may then move forward to a final vote on December 15th. In the event that it does move forward, we will continue to update membership on the progress of this measure, ways to engage and advocate, and additional talking points that may be useful if you engage with the commissioners and their respective staffs. I am reminded of what we were told by Justice Thiesen when he presented at last year’s half day conference, which was something to the extent of it is stories that change the minds of policy makers and legislators, there is power in story. This is a great opportunity for AFCC members to get involved, and make a difference. In this incomprehensively awful year (I have started referring to 2020 as a “s**t-buffet“) so much of what is happening feels out of control or beyond our reach. I appreciate the opportunity to actually do something that can have a positive impact close to home. I hope our members find that to be the case as well. Jennifer Joseph AFCC-MN President

From time to time I hear about resources offered by other agencies that I think AFCC-MN members might be interested in. Today, perusing my inbox over morning coffee, I saw that Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health is offering a webinar on Talking to Kids about Race & Racism: Moving beyond “I Don’t See Color” in an Era of a Racial Pandemic, featuring Katherine Lingras, PhD, LP. This certainly seems timely and relevant! You can find more information about this training, as well as their fall training series, here. If you know of an event or opportunity that may be of interest to our members, please let us know about it so we can get the word out. Jennifer Joseph AFCC-MN President

Hi folks, Just want to send a more personal note inviting all AFCC-MN members to join us for our fall half-day VIRTUAL conference next Friday, September 11, 2020, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. This year’s half-day conference focuses on mental health – specifically, mental health crises and how they can manifest in family court matters. Speakers will discuss cases in which a parent or child becomes suicidal or threatens violence. Sadly, this is something I am seeing more and more frequently in my cases. I am looking forward to hearing about strategies to employ to help everyone stay safe, and what I can do to help ensure professionals working with these families are making informed decisions. Presenters: Linda Flanders: crisis intervention and de-escalation instructor; author of Crisis Intervention 101. Deb Link: family therapist specializing in cases with high conflict dynamics, domestic abuse, and trauma. Amanda Maenner: family law attorney who has handled cases that involved murder and suicide. The Honorable Timothy Mulroony: Second Judicial District, a former Referee of Family Court (in the Fourth Judicial District), and who currently presides over cases in Commitment Court. Cost: $70 AFCC-MN Members/$140 non-members. I hope you can join us for this timely and important conference. While this is a virtual conference, we are also building in opportunities for networking and socializing, as we know these are important to our members. I hope to see you there! Click here for MORE INFORMATION Click here to REGISTER Sincerely, AFCC-MN President Jennifer E. Joseph

I just received an advance copy of the new publication, “Overcoming the Alienation Crisis: 33 Coparenting Solutions,” by John A Moran, PhD, Shawn McCall, PsyD, Esq., and Matthew Sullivan, PhD. It’s a practical resource for professionals as well as families who are dealing with situations in which a child is resisting or refusing to have contact with a parent. Part I explains what happens in these families, and how multiple circumstances come together to result in “resist-refuse dynamics” or “parent-child contact problems.” Part II is super pragmatic. As the title promises, it offers 33 solutions to common coparenting issues, such as: How to respond to really long emails from your coparent that include lots of inaccurate statements. Your child complains about the chores they have to do at your coparent’s home – how to respond? Your child refuses to get in the car to go to the resisted parent’s home, what should you do? Examples of questions parents should avoid asking children about their time at their other parent’s home. I anticipate this may be a helpful resource for families in the throes of conflict, as well as for professionals working with these families. More information at www.overcomingbarriers.com if you are interested. Disclaimer: I serve on the Board of Directors for Overcoming Barriers. I do not receive any compensation from book sales, but they do help support the organization. Jennifer E. Joseph President – AFCC-MN

The Second Judicial District has created some remote access opportunities for litigants lacking technological capacity to appear at zoom hearings. To participate in remote hearings, parties must have access to a device with internet, a video camera, and speakers. Parties can participate from their phone or personal computer. If they do not have access to technology they can contact Court Administration at (651) 266-1999 to explore in-person hearing options or you can connect with one of the community resources noted below. These community resources can provide them with the technology necessary to participate in a remote hearing. Ujamaa Place Contact: 651-528-8006 or Trace Polzin, trace_polzin@ujamaaplace.org Scheduling: Need to make arrangements at least 2 days prior to hearing Ramsey County Law Library Contact: 651-266-8391or https://www.ramseycounty.us/contact-us?nid=2081 Scheduling: Need to make arrangements at least 2 days prior to hearing, appointments available between 8:30am and 3pm Monday through Friday. Second Judicial District Contact: 651-266-1999 or http://www.mncourts.gov/Find-Courts/Ramsey/Scheduling-Contact.aspx Scheduling: Need to make arrangements at least 1 day prior to hearing, day-of accommodations may be made as well, resource permitting. Please share this with other stakeholders who may benefit from this information. The Second Judicial District’s initial appearance calendars for orders for protection and harassment restraining orders are completely through zoom. There is an option to call in and not appear by video but I believe it is better if parties can see and hear what is going on as everyone else. James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District

AFCC-MN Member Joseph Reid, PhD, LMFT, is working in partnership with the African American Leadership Forum and the Cultural Wellness Center to create a directory of culturally identified healers and culturally competent providers.  The directory will be available to community members to help ensure potential clients can identify and select providers based upon their cultural needs.  If you are a BIPOC provider, please see the invitation below, and please feel free to share this information with healers and mental health providers who may be interested. INVITATION: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and POC) Healers wanted to Promote Self-care Practices and Wellness in Communities of Color. Are you a BIPOC healer with a passion for supporting the health and wellness of communities of color? If so, you’re who we’re looking for. APPLY HERE: https://bit.ly/2WSZpoh The African American Leadership Forum’s (AALF) 2020 Collective Impact Workstreams, the Cultural Wellness Center and Relationships LLC have partnered to create an online directory of BIPOC healers working across different methodologies that support the health & well-being of people of color! The directory is part of our commitment to supporting a vibrant ecosystem of thriving African American and IPOC families in Minnesota. Complete the form and share it among your network. By creating this directory and filling it with healers of color, we’re providing a valuable resource needed to provide restorative healing in communities that are often impacted by injustice and historical marginalization. Healers and mental health providers of color help to de-stigmatize mental health by supporting emotional and mental wellness even in the absence of a chronic illness, they also foster a community in which access to mental healthcare and wellness tools are a priority in social justice movements and calls for change. This directory is a tool for supporting self-love, liberation, and the re-claiming of our whole selves as BIPOC people by utilizing the wisdom and expertise of healers of color. Culturally competent healers and mental health practitioners are crucial for helping our communities navigate the impacts of systemic racism and oppression in Minnesota and across the country. If you’re a BIPOC healer, complete the form and share it among your networks. If you’re a BIPOC healer (culturally competent healers are encouraged to apply) complete the form and share it among your networks. APPLY HERE: ttps://bit.ly/2WSZpoh

As part of the court’s transition to more in person hearings, on July 7, 2020, the Chief Justice issued an order which requires any court staff or persons entering the courts to wear masks. This applies to litigants, judicial officers, court staff, attorneys and anyone entering the court. The order is attached. This will be placed on our resource page. Administrative Order