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Published in 2010, the AFCC Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy set out a clear analysis of how court-involved therapy differs from “traditional” or “community” therapy. Many of us have worked on cases in which a child’s therapist, not only does not invite both parents’ participation in the process, but refuses to include a parent who requests to be involved. It is important to separate situations in which a parent asks to have the opportunity to provide their view of the child’s development and psychological status and to be informed about the treatment plan versus a therapist needing to have the parent attend the child’s sessions. There are a variety of cases in which the latter might not be appropriate, such as a case that is still under investigation regarding allegations of abuse by the parent. The AFCC Guidelines state: The CIT must, whenever possible, obtain each parent’s perspective in the treatment process and maintain professional objectivity when interpreting statements and behaviors of children. A CIT should respect each parent’s rights, as defined by relevant orders or law, regarding knowledge of, consenting to, and/or participating in a child’s treatment. (e)A CIT should be knowledgeable about appropriate expect. When children are involved in treatment, a CIT has an enhanced obligation to consider multiple hypotheses, seek information and involvement from both parents and avoid the biasing effects of one-sided or limited information. A recent Consent Decree from the Minnesota Board of Psychology has affirmed these principles. A licensee agreed to surrender her license due, in part, to: Licensee failed to involve Father in the therapy she provided to Clients, despite repeated requests. Licensee accepted the information provided to her by Mother without attempting to obtain Father’s version, or to independently corroborate the information Mother provided. This Consent Decree provides solid guidance to professionals on the need to allow both parents to participate as appropriate to the circumstances of the case. Mindy Mitnick, EdM., MA

Our Chapter issued a public statement, which is posted on our website, on June 4 following the death of Mr. George Floyd describing his death as an example of a “devastating failure of society.” We stated, “The result of inaction on the part of our broader culture is not only the senseless loss of lives such as Mr. Floyd, but also the tragic loss of potential from the millions of other lives that are marginalized by these same forces.” The link to the statement is here On July 31, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. we will hold an additional community chat to discuss how we as a Chapter will implement the statement made June 4, 2020, but it will also be an opportunity to hear from members. We hope you can join us. To encourage as much participation as possible, this chat will be free to all who want to participate. Jennifer Joseph and James Street will share the Chapter Leadership’s plans to implement this statement. Joe Reid, LMFT, PhD., will be facilitating the chat. The full description of the community chat is on the website where you can register. In order to help participants start from the same framework, we encourage participants to read White Fragility beforehand. Links to independent book stores are on the registration website also. Register Here James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District

DATE: July 15, 2020 TIME: Noon LOCATION: Virtual Call to Order: Jim Street Financial Report: Financial Report – Perry Long New/On-going Business: Review of Candidate Slate President Elect: Kent Kodalen Vice President – Jordan Hart (2019-2022) Secretary – Carlo Faccini (2019-2022) Board – Jean Hariman 2nd term Emilee Rodriguez 2nd term Lee Novelli 2nd term Racheal Howitz 1st term Attorney – Jack DeWalt (non-voting member) Out-going President’s Report – Jim Street In-coming President’s Comments – Jen Joseph President’s Award – Announced by Jim Street Adjournment Printable Agenda REGISTER HERE

Thanks to Mindy Mitnick for sharing this resource with me. There is a series of three movies which will be available for 24 hours, one movie per week for a three week period. There will be a virtual discussion on Monday June 8 at 7 p.m. The first movie is I Am Not Your Negro. Here is the trailer/registration site: https://prod3.agileticketing.net/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=296906~163a5c15-c3ae-4635-ba12-bbe995cbeb29. Here is the full announcement. MSP Film Society is honored to participate in a special 24-hour FREE virtual screening starting June 7 at 1:00pm! Zoom Discussion with MSP Film Society Programmer Craig Laurence Rice and distinguished scholar and activist Dr. John Wright on Monday, June 8 at 7:00pm. Starting June 7th, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and O Cinema will work with Magnolia Pictures to make documentaries I Am Not Your Negro (June 7th), Whose Streets? (June 14th) and Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (June 21st) available for free across eight of the Knight Foundation’s communities. These three films speak powerfully to systemic inequality and serve as blueprints for effecting change. Community partners in each city, which include Akron, Charlotte, Detroit, Macon, Miami, Philadelphia, San Jose, and St. Paul will host virtual discussions about ways to support social justice and anti-racism in their communities. The films are being made possible thanks to the support of Knight Foundation, which has generously agreed to cover the rental fees for viewers. In his incendiary new documentary, master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic James Baldwin’s unfinished book Remember This House. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. I intend to participate. I hope you can too. James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District

You should have received the following statement in the email as a member.  This came from the National Office.  Yesterday our Chapter sent out a similar statement which was unanimously adopted by the Board.  At our next Board meeting we will be discussing how to put the words that are in the statement into action.  Our incoming president, Jennifer Joseph is fully supportive of this plan.  I particularly like the last paragraph of the AFCC Leadership’s statement, “We simply urge you to do something”. James Street AFCC-MN Chapter President A STATEMENT FROM AFCC LEADERSHIP Friday, June 5, 2020 A Statement from Members of Leadership of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts If we lived in a pandemic-free world, AFCC members from across the globe would have gathered in New Orleans last week. They would have heard from keynote speaker Grande Lum, former director of the US Department of Justice Community Relations Service. Grande is a leading expert on the very type of conflict that is ravaging so many US cities in the aftermath of the unjustified killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. The keynote address was to have focused on the parallels between conflict in the community and within families. In the wake of last week’s events, it is quite clear the discussion would have unfolded very differently than originally planned.  AFCC condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the actions of the police officers that killed George Floyd, along with the underlying racist attitudes and beliefs that all too often contribute to the inequitable treatment of people of color, especially by those in authority. It must be acknowledged that as an organization largely composed of white, affluent members, few of us can claim a true understanding of being subject to ongoing systemic discrimination and oppression. What we can do, however, is better recognize how family law, dispute resolution, and mental health professionals can use their skills, beliefs, and attitudes to promote greater understanding and compassion in order to contribute to the change our society so desperately needs.  Although our focus is family conflict, we believe there are important parallels to consider and that members of AFCC are particularly well-suited to promoting positive change.  AFCC members place an emphasis on providing a meaningful voice to the disenfranchised, whether they are children, intimate partner violence survivors, or unrepresented parents.  AFCC members understand that in order to truly resolve conflict and promote change, we must dig well beneath the surface level to issues that may be longstanding and deeply, historically, and systematically rooted. AFCC members understand that conflicts are not only systemic, but individual within relationships, and that problems do not get resolved without an understanding of specific people and their perspectives, and, importantly, empathy.  AFCC members understand that conflict is complex and nuanced. Among the many actors, including fathers, mothers, children, stepparents, police officers, protesters, and rioters, no group is monolithic, and there are no one-size-fits-all solutions.  AFCC members understand that crisis is an opportunity for change. This moment is one such opportunity. This moment may be a tipping point in our history, but that will not happen as a result of a few days, or even a few weeks, of protests. The progress made in this country since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act is wholly insufficient. Racial profiling, mass incarceration, voter suppression, white supremacist movements, and other vestiges of the Jim Crow era have no place in 21st century societies.  AFCC members are poised to make a difference and help create much needed change. Just as there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges we face, there is no single action for us all to take. Everyone seems to have an opinion on who should take action and how. We simply urge you to do something. Volunteer your time. Donate money. Protest peacefully, wearing a mask and at a safe social distance. Engage in efforts in your community. We are in all in this together.  ‌  ‌  ‌

AFCC-Minnesota wishes to express our sincere condolences and grief to the family and friends of Mr. George Floyd, and all those who have been affected by his brutal and horrific murder by Minneapolis Police officers.  Tragically, Mr. Floyd’s death is simply one of the most recent, and visible, examples of a devastating failure of our society. It is unfortunate that the efforts of many generations of our fellow citizens to address systemic racism and inequality have been ignored by those who wield power in our society.  The result of inaction on the part of our broader culture is not only the senseless loss of lives such as Mr. Floyd, but also the tragic loss of potential from the millions of other lives that are marginalized by these same forces. Through our mission, AFCC-Minnesota is committed to improving outcomes for all children and families involved in the family law system. We also strive to provide a community for our members that celebrates and embraces our differences and diversity; a community that allows us to learn from our different perspectives and experiences, and enrich one another’s personal and professional lives. We will continue to seek partnerships with individuals and organizations who share these values, with the intent of creating a better, richer, and more vibrant community. We join other organizations in our professional community in the pledge to support healing and reform that must occur if we are to make liberty and justice truly available to all people. And we will strive to hold ourselves accountable to these values, so that we are not simply issuing a statement to make ourselves feel better in this difficult moment. We must seize this opportunity to do the difficult work of systems change. Anything less would be a dishonor to Mr. Floyd, and the many lives that have been lost or diminished before him.

Nancy Ver Steegh, a family law professor at Mitchell Hamline Law School, former National President of the AFCC and strong Minnesota Chapter supporter was awarded the Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award yesterday for her decades of scholarship in the area of family law. Congratulations Nancy! Ver Steegh is an expert on addressing intimate family violence in family court. She co-authored with Clare Dalton the Wingspread Conference on Domestic Violence and Family Courts in 2008 which advanced our understanding the differentiation of the types of domestic abuse which occurs in families, and how each type affects decisions including impact on children and safety to family members. On a personal note, this article was a paradigm shift for me about how I analyze domestic violence in families. Ver Steegh’s work often involves collaboration with others, including Gabrielle Davis whom she publicly acknowledged while accepting the award. Those articles have included topics such as triaging and screening cases involving intimate violence, assessing risks to victims, creating frameworks for when to use mediation in such cases and determining child support where intimate violence is involved in parenting time initiatives. Ver Steegh’s work is not limited to intimate family violence. She has written about family court processes, informed decision making about divorce, and use of mediation in family court. I have had the privilege of working with Nancy on issues over the years. She is a veritable encyclopedia: if I ask her a question, along with her answer I get copies of various law review articles supporting her position. When I have worked with her to try and attack a problem in family court, I recall time and time again how she contributed due to her understanding of the family court processes and the need for a party’s autonomy to be preserved in those processes. Nancy is a treasure for us in Minnesota, and we have shared her with the rest of the world. This award is well-deserved. James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District

Like every other agency, Hennepin County Family Court Services regular routine and structure were altered considerably with the onset of COVID-19. Within a matter of days, calendars for both staff and families which had been set, sometimes months in advance, were suddenly wiped clear. In person services across the board were suspended, and serious questions arose about how HCFCS would function. With determination and creativity, HCFCS has been able to adapt quickly to meet the needs of both families and the Court. During this Community Chat session, three Custody and Parenting Time Mediators/Evaluators will share how the Department has utilized the Microsoft Teams platform to provide Mediations, Social Early Neutral Evaluations, and Facilitated Settlement Conferences. The discussion will also address how evaluative services are being conducted without the benefit of in person contact. Attorneys and mental health providers will gain insight into the process that has been implemented that they can share with their clients to prepare them for the various services that are offered. While challenges continue to exist, HCFCS has shown the ability to meet them as they come. Register here

We know all too well how parents’ communications go poorly when the parties are in conflict and litigation, especially when kids must stay home from school while parents are either working from home or not working at all. But what about when professionals’ communications go poorly as well? We are going to look at how attorneys/professionals communicate with each other in front of parents and each other in order to identify how the content of a message gets bogged down by the process by which it’s communicated. We are also going to share strategies to help professionals model the good communication we encourage parents to have with each other. Please join us this Friday the 22nd for another Community Chat to look at how quickly communication can digress and negatively impact everyone involved. But, with suggestions and strategies from a family therapist and a practicing family law attorney, you will see how to lower your clients’ stress as well as yours while under the pressures of working from home, dealing with COVID-19 uncertainty, court deadlines, and maintaining advocacy for your clients. Click Here to register for Friday Community Chat

The need for neutral support in families seems to be increasing during these challenging times. Providers must rapidly shift to delivering this work in a remote setting. Join us for this remote session to learn how to ethically and effectively conduct your neutral work virtually. Presenters will discuss best practices on a broad range of essential topics for delivering the best online experience, including remotely establishing trust and authority, managing participants and process, addressing confidentiality, collecting fees, and memorializing agreements. Register Here for Thursday’s Conference

Chief Justice’s May 15, 2020 and the Statewide Court COVID Preparedness plans have been posted on the resource page under COVID-19 resources.  The Preparedness Plan is the nuts and bolts of what you can expect as you return to courthouses for in person hearings. Justice Gildea’s May 15, 2020 order COVID-19 Preparedness Plan James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District

Join us for a special screening of the highly acclaimed documentary Angst June 2, 2020 from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Virtual Reception, Networking and Facilitated discussion of the film is included. Angst – This IndieFlix Original documentary is designed to raise awareness around anxiety and includes interview with kids, teens, educators, experts and a special appearance with Michael Phelps. The film’s goal is to help people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encourage them to reach out for help. Angst has had over 2000 screenings in 23 countries. Click here for the trailer: http://angstmovie.com/trailer/. In this event we will have a special virtual reception to allow for some virtual networking. Our President-Elect and Mixologist extraordinaire, Jennifer Joseph will create a recipe for a cocktail and a mocktail which will be sent out with the invite to everyone who signs up. We will have a virtual toast to recognize all the heroes and heroines who have gone through extraordinary measures to help us through these difficult times. The goal is to have some fun as we gather together. Please join us! Click here to register James Street Referee of District Court Second Judicial District