On the heels of Kayden’s Law, California and other states are proposing or have enacted legislation that restricts the Court ordering legal and mental health interventions to address a range of Parent-Child Contact problems. Though it’s intent- to better protect victims of family violence are laudable – the impact of these bills are much broader and problematic for families and children. Given the changing laws, what are the obstacles to addressing the needs of a family where a child is resisting or refusing contact with a parent? To what extent are family justice professionals still able to provide appropriate and safe clinical and legal interventions in compliance with this law? In this workshop we will discuss a format for assessment of a parent-child contact problem, using a systemic perspective. We will describe elements of evidence-informed, family-based intervention models that build resilience and provide resources for each family member and their relationships.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to identify three impacts of new legislation that restricts interventions on responding to needs of families.
- Participants will understand and be able to use two variables to consider when faced with a parent-child contact problem.
- Participants will be able to differentiate three elements of interventions that can address parent-child contact problems in compliance with new legislation.