MO-AFCC Spring Conference
The Missouri Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (MO-AFCC)
An Essential Reframing of Family Systems:
Two Innovative Approaches for Diverse, Conflicted Families
Thursday, April 4, 2024 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
The Split Outreach Project
https://www.splitfilm.org/
A free screening of the powerful 2-part film series that gives voice to children and teens of divorcing parents and
needed perspective to the family court professionals supporting them:
"SPLIT: The EARLY Years" and "SPLIT UP: The TEEN Years"
Followed by Q&A with Ellen Bruno, its producer & director, moderated by Nicole Pace, LCSW
and
Friday, April 5, 2024 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Joe Noble, MA, LMFT & Lori Thibodeau, MA, LMFT
from The Bridging Center
https://thebridgingcenter.com/
A day-long conference to introduce their innovative reframing of family dynamics, the impact of court professionals and practical takeaways for resist-and-refuse cases:
"Understanding and Experiencing the Complexity of Relationship Movement in Conflicted Family Systems"
This year's spring conference is an in-person, two-day conference for the price of a one-day event!
Enjoy informative sessions on the most pressing issues of the day, offered by leading experts in the field.
View the full agenda below and scroll down to register for this event.
Enjoy informative sessions on the most pressing issues of the day, offered by leading experts in the field.
View the full agenda below and scroll down to register for this event.
Agenda
April 4
April 5
- 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | “SPLIT: The EARLY YEARS” and “SPLIT UP: The TEEN Years” Film Screening; Introduction and Q&A with Ellen Bruno, Director and Producer, moderated by Nicole Pace, LCSW
- 6:30 p.m. | Social Hour – Dinner - Shakespeare's Pizza, 225 S. Ninth Street, Columbia, MO
April 5
- 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Registration; Coffee & Pastries
- 9:00 a.m. – Noon | "Understanding and Experiencing the Complexity of Relationship Movement in Conflicted Family Systems," Part I - with Joe Noble, MA, LMFT and Lori Thibodeau, MA, LMFT, moderated by Kevin Chafin, LPC
- Noon – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch
- 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | MO-AFCC Annual Membership Meeting; Ellen Cowell Award Presentation
- 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | "Understanding and Experiencing the Complexity of Relationship Movement in Conflicted Family Systems," Part II - with Joe Noble, MA, LMFT and Lori Thibodeau, MA, LMFT, moderated by Kevin Chafin, LPC
Location and Accommodations
- In-person conference – Columbia, Missouri (no virtual option offered)
- Both days’ sessions – University of Missouri School of Law, Hulston Hall Rm 7
- Parking – Turner Avenue Parking Garage (parking permits included with registration)
- Hampton Inn – Blocked rooms available (under "MOAFCC"), $107 per night, (573) 214-2222, 1225 Fellows Pl, Columbia, MO 65201 (Booking link available upon registration, numbers are limited)
- Non-registrants may still attend the April 4 (Thursday) Film Screening and Discussion for free - limited seating priority for registrants
Continuing Education Credit
Thursday's session has been approved for 3.0 CLE (+ GAL and Mediation), 2.5 CEU and 1.8 Kansas CDRE credits.
Friday's Sessions have been approved for 6.0 APA, 7.2 CLE (+ GAL and Mediation), 6.0 CEU, and 6.6 Kansas CDRE credits.
AFCC maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
Friday's Sessions have been approved for 6.0 APA, 7.2 CLE (+ GAL and Mediation), 6.0 CEU, and 6.6 Kansas CDRE credits.
AFCC maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
About the Sessions
The film, SPLIT: The EARLY Years, gives us the children's perspective on divorce... no adults, no experts… just kids speaking the powerful truth of what is on their minds and in their hearts as their families change. Their wisdom, candor, and humor give courage to other children and encourage parents to make better choices as they move through divorce. SPLIT: The EARLY Years has been presented at several mental health and law conferences to standing ovations. Since its debut, this profound and touching film has been enthusiastically embraced by professionals as a resource for parents and a tool for practitioners.
That is followed by the film, SPLIT UP: The TEEN Years. Moving and deeply insightful, it offers an up-close and personal look at how those families and their lives have changed and to understand what, in retrospect, most profoundly influenced their experiences as kids of divorce. These teens provide valuable insight into what worked, what could have been better, and what they still need from parents.
The screenings will be followed by an interactive discussion of the material, the short-term effects of divorce, and the initial challenges families face. Presenters will address important themes for family court professionals to highlight in their work. Practical strategies will be offered for those working to support families in transition. The session will then turn to practical ways these children’s experiences can be of use to professionals to help parents bypass or better manage litigation, raise awareness regarding the implications of their decisions, develop effective co-parenting strategies, and stay focused on their teens’ long-term needs.
Learning Objectives:
The screenings will be followed by an interactive discussion of the material, the short-term effects of divorce, and the initial challenges families face. Presenters will address important themes for family court professionals to highlight in their work. Practical strategies will be offered for those working to support families in transition. The session will then turn to practical ways these children’s experiences can be of use to professionals to help parents bypass or better manage litigation, raise awareness regarding the implications of their decisions, develop effective co-parenting strategies, and stay focused on their teens’ long-term needs.
Learning Objectives:
- Engage in discussions of how divorce affects children as they become teens and launch into adulthood
- Identify issues that are often overlooked by parents and learn how family court professionals can offer supportive guidance to these families
- Gain insight into the practical ways SPLIT can be used by family court professionals
- Learn strategies for shifting parents’ perspectives and guiding them toward meeting their children’s needs
Part I - Movement of Relationships in Conflicted Family Systems:
- Introduction to systemic relational models and how their unique systemic dynamics make it so difficult for conflicted families to change.
- Family systems overview: Understanding the movement of families and how they get stuck in the court system including conflicts; behaviors of children; and resist-refuse dynamics (this will include discussion; role plays; illustrations).
- Utilizing psycho-education to help conflicted families understand their contribution to the conflict and their roles in lessening the conflict.
- Like their family clients, professionals also are at risk for joining the family systemic dynamics and actually inhibit family change, and in some cases make the situation worse.
- Understand our role as professionals and our impact on the greater family system including our beliefs; biases; ways we are a part of the problem or solution; family law problems vs. family problems
- This will include facilitated discussion; illustrations
- Knowing the professional role: Identify and discuss family problems contrasted with family law problems.
- Learn to conceptualize conflict families from a systemic relational approach (family systems)
- Learn systemic roles of parents in conflict
- Understand roles of each parent in a systemic approach to Parent Child Resist Refuse dynamics
- Learn about effective psycho-education techniques for working with conflicted family systems
- Understand our role as professionals and our impact on the greater family system
- Learn ways and behaviors that join with and affect the system
- Understand the difference between family law problems and family problems
About the Presenters
Ellen Bruno - Ellen Bruno is an award-winning documentary filmmaker based in San Francisco. With a background in international relief work, Ellen’s films have focused on issues at the forefront of human rights. She began her relief efforts in remote Mayan villages in Tabasco, Mexico. She has worked in refugee camps on the Thai-Cambodian border with the International Rescue Committee, in Vietnamese boat camps with The Refugee Section of the American Embassy in Thailand, and as director of the Cambodian Women's Project for the American Friends Service Committee. She has also been a hospice worker for the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. Ellen completed a master's degree in documentary film at Stanford University. She is a recipient of Guggenheim and Rockefeller Fellowships, a Goldie Award for Outstanding Artist, an Alpert Award for the Anonymous Was A Woman Award for the Arts, a Shenkin Fellowship from Yale University School of Art, and was an Artist-in-Residence at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Ellen serves on the Board of the Buddhist Film Festival, the Pacific Pioneer Fund, and Ethical Traveler.Org. She is a strategic planning consultant with the Creative Capital Foundation’s Professional Development Workshops, working throughout the country to provide artists a cohesive structure to organize, plan and sustain creative careers.
Kevin Chafin, LPC - Kevin Chafin is a Licensed Professional Counselor and mediator in private practice. Co-parenting counseling is a large part of Kevin’s practice, often with high conflict families. He is a presenter on topics related to mediation as well as court involved counseling with parents and children. Kevin lives and practices in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a past president of the board of the Missouri Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (moafcc.org)
Joe Noble, MA, LMFT - Joe Noble is a Minnesota board licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT). He works with individuals and families to support movement toward counseling objectives. His expertise is in systemic family conflict and healthy blending families. Joe is a family mediator, a qualified neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice, and is certified in Child Inclusive Mediation.
Nicole Pace, LCSW - Nicole Pace is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Mediator. She completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Denver in 1999 and received her mediation training from Northwestern University in 2008. Her work has focused on families and children, with an emphasis on peace and justice. In 2014 she founded Pace Mediation, supporting couples through divorce / separation mediation, family mediation, divorce coaching, and co-parent mediation. She is also trained as a Collaborative Divorce Coach and Parenting Coordinator. She currently serves as a Board Member for MO-AFCC and CFLA St. Louis, she is a MARCH Mediator and a member of the St. Louis County Mediation & Parenting Coordination Oversight Committee.
Lori Thibodeau, MA, LMFT - Lori Thibodeau is a Minnesota board licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT). Lori specializes in complex family systems experiencing divorce, family conflict, and co-parenting issues. Lori's focus is promoting individual and systemic health in families.
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Registration
All are welcome to the free Thursday film session, but registrants for the Friday session receive priority seating
Cancellations
No refunds will be issued.