Much has been written about the direct effects of parental conflict, including long-term exposure to toxic stress and other traumatic effects. Less has been written on the devastating effect that these dynamics can have on normal child development and the child’s ability to learn the critical coping abilities needed for the rest of the child’s life. Parents’ concerns tend to be louder and attract the most professional attention, which may lead to the child’s needs being overlooked. This plenary will focus on these critical coping skills and the paths through which children can attain them. Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Gillett will address the challenges and obstacles faced by decision-makers and parenting coordinators, as well as other legal and mental health professionals, in recognizing children in trouble and creating the circumstances that will give them a better chance at healthy development. The role of children’s engagement in other systems, appropriate selection of services, role boundaries and effective collaboration will be addressed.
This program is expanded and updated from the “coping skills” webinar originally presented for AFCC International.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to identify three special considerations for working with court-involved families.
- Participants will be able to identify three areas of research relevant to treating children at the center of conflict and their families.
- Participants will be able to identify three therapeutic methods for promoting adaptive coping abilities and resolving relationship issues.
- Participants will be able to identify 2 methods for adhering to role boundaries and the limits of professional competence when intervening on behalf of children.