MO-AFCC Fall 2021 Conference
The Missouri Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (MO-AFCC)
November 19, 2021 9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. via Zoom
With Expert Presenters Professor Nick Bala and Barbara Jo Fidler
Scroll down to register now! CEU's Pending
Conference Schedule
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About the Presenters
Professor Nicholas (Nick) Bala has law degrees from Queen’s University in Canada (JD, 1977) and Harvard Law School (LL.M., 1980). He has been a law professor at Queen’s since 1980, and has also been a Visiting Professor at a number of other law schools, including Duke.
Nick is a leading Canadian expert on legal issues related to children, youth and families in the justice system. Much of his research work is interdisciplinary. He has been involved in collaborative projects with psychologists, social workers, and health professionals to better understand the effects of involvement in the justice system on children, youth and families. He has published or co-authored 23 books and over 300 book chapters and articles in journals of law, psychology, social work and medicine, including articles and a book with Dr. Fidler on parental alienation and children resisting contact with a parent. His work has been cited by all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court, and has also been cited by courts in the USA, England, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. His contributions to family law research and professional education were recognized in awards from Ontario’s Law Society, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Court in 2008 and 2020.
Nick is a leading Canadian expert on legal issues related to children, youth and families in the justice system. Much of his research work is interdisciplinary. He has been involved in collaborative projects with psychologists, social workers, and health professionals to better understand the effects of involvement in the justice system on children, youth and families. He has published or co-authored 23 books and over 300 book chapters and articles in journals of law, psychology, social work and medicine, including articles and a book with Dr. Fidler on parental alienation and children resisting contact with a parent. His work has been cited by all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court, and has also been cited by courts in the USA, England, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. His contributions to family law research and professional education were recognized in awards from Ontario’s Law Society, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Court in 2008 and 2020.
Barbara Jo Fidler, Ph.D., C.Psych., Acc.FM., FDRP PC. is a clinical developmental psychologist, accredited mediator (Ontario) and certified parenting coordination (FDRIO) in independent practice, in Toronto, Canada. Her work with separating and divorcing families includes providing mediation, arbitration, parenting coordination, clinical consultations, legal-litigation expert services and therapy with adults, children, couples and families. Dr. Fidler is a trainer and author of many articles and chapters (including two chapters in Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems: Family-Based Interventions for Resistance, Rejection and Alienation (Oxford University Press, 2016). She has authored four books (two on child custody evaluations and special topics and two on parent-child contact problems) and is the guest co-editor of two special issues of the Family Court Review (FCR) on parent-child contact problems (January 2010 and April 2020). Dr. Fidler was on the College of Psychologists of Ontario Task Force that developed guidance for those engaged in custody/access and child protection work and on the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) task force that developed Guidelines for Parenting Coordinators (2019). Dr. Fidler is Past President of AFCC Ontario (2011-2012). Her contributions to the field have been recognized by the AFCC Ontario (2015 and 2018), FDRIO (2017), and AFCC (2019 and 2020).
Learning Objectives
Session 1: We would like for participants to understand why language matters and what resources have developed over the years. What are the best resources for people to look to at this point?
Session 2: What do therapists and Family Law Practitioners, GALs, etc., need to do with clients at the front end to reduce the refuse/resist dynamics that develop throughout a divorce proceeding, and as they begin to live into their parenting plans?
- How did we get from Alienation Syndrome to Resist/Refuse?
- How does changing the language change how we think about it?
- How does it change how we work with our clients?
- What are the useful resources for therapists and attorneys, GALs, and Family Law Practitioners?
Session 2: What do therapists and Family Law Practitioners, GALs, etc., need to do with clients at the front end to reduce the refuse/resist dynamics that develop throughout a divorce proceeding, and as they begin to live into their parenting plans?
- Again, is language important?
- Are there things we should have our clients read?
- Are there ways that we can set up court orders that will help?
- What? What? What?