Schedule

All times Central Standard Time (CST)

May 27

6:00PM - 8:00PM Registration

May 28

7:30AM - 6:00PM Registration
8:00AM - 9:00AM Coffee and Rolls for Institute Registrants
8:00AM - 5:00PM Exhibit Forum
9:00AM - 5:00PM Pre-Conference Institutes
1. Judicial Officers Institute: Strategies for Domestic Violence and PCCP Allegations in Parenting Disputes
2. Guiding Families Through the Storm: The Shepherd’s Role in Parenting Coordination
3. Mediating with IPV Concerns: Legal, Ethical, and Intersectional Considerations
4. Resolving Parent-Child Contact Problems: An Integrative Single-Therapist Framework
5. Advanced Topics and Innovative Ideas in Child Custody Assessment
6. Mock Trial: Testimony and Examination Issues with Mental Health Professionals
10:30AM - 10:45AM Break
12:00PM - 1:30PM Lunch (On Your Own)
12:00PM - 5:00PM AFCC Board of Directors Meeting
2:45PM - 3:00PM Break
5:00PM - 6:00PM New Member, First-Time Attendee & Professional Development Orientation
6:00PM - 7:00PM Welcome Reception
9:00PM - 12:00AM AFCC Hospitality Suite

May 29

6:15AM - 7:15AM Meditation & Yoga
7:30AM - 8:30AM Chapter Council Meeting
7:30AM - 5:00PM Registration
7:30AM - 5:00PM Exhibit Forum
7:45AM - 8:45AM Coffee and Rolls
8:45AM - 10:00AM Opening Keynote
From Refugee to Diplomat: Pioneering Solutions Through Transformative Leadership Welcome: Michael A. Saini, PhD, MSW, RSW, AFCC President
10:00AM - 10:30AM Break
10:30AM - 12:00PM Workshops 1-10
1. Truth and Consequence—Assessing Truth, Credibility and Reliability in Family Law
2. The Intersection of Emerging Technologies and Coercive Family Violence
3. Pancakes from a Mix: The Voice of the Child in Resist-Refuse Dynamics
4. No--Managing Youth’s Consent to Therapy in Parent-Child Contact Problem Cases
5. A Lawyer, a Therapist, and a Judge: Solving Complex Cases Involving Adolescents
6. Let the Questions Define the Scope: Assisting Courts to Ask Meaningful Questions
7. When the Battle Hits Home: Coping with the Emotional Toll of Custody Cases
8. The Need to Empower Early Career Professionals to Join Forensic Family Law
9. Words to Conquer Conflict: A Coach’s Playbook
10. From Conflict to Connection: Transforming Parenting Coordination Through the Use of AI
12:00PM - 1:30PM AFCC Luncheon & Awards Ceremony
1:45PM - 3:15PM Workshops 11-20
11. Optimizing Online Family Mediation: Balancing Automation and the Human Touch
12. Child Custody Disputes in the Movies: From Kramer vs. Kramer to Marriage Story
13. Who Do You Think You Are? Avoiding “Role Creep” in Family Law Matters
14. Co-Parent Coaching: A First Look at Standards
15. Safeguarding Childhoods: Co-Parenting with BeH2O's Transformative Framework
16. Missing Pieces: Different Angles and Approaches in Reunification Cases
17. A Sneak Peek into a Family Systems Intensive Intervention
18. Reframing the Paradigm: Parenting Plans in the Context of Domestic Violence
19. Bringing the Voice of the Child into Court Proceedings
20. User-Engaged Research to Develop Effective Psychosocial Family Law Programs
3:15PM - 3:30PM Break
3:30PM - 5:00PM Workshops 21-30
21. The Dangerous Paradox
22. Point C and Bridging Perspectives on the Child’s “Best Interests”
23. Improving Parent-Child Relationships with Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
24. Conflict, Communication, Courtesy, and Culture: Establishing Fluency
25. IPV Common Factors: Legislative and Empirical Considerations
26. Trauma Informed ADR Practices that Address Diverse Backgrounds and Identities
27. Don’t Burn Your Bridges: Skill Building to Reduce Multigenerational Conflict
28. A Review of Private Arbitration Panels Handling Custody Matters
29. We Hear You: Balancing Research with the Real World in Family Law Interventions
30. The AFCC Parent Education Task Force: Open Forum
5:00PM - 6:00PM International Attendee Reception
5:00PM - 6:30PM DE&I Open Forum
6:30PM - 9:00PM Taste of New Orleans
9:00PM - 12:00AM AFCC Hospitality Suite

May 30

6:15AM - 7:15AM Meditation & Yoga
7:15AM - 8:15AM AFCC Committee Meetings
7:30AM - 5:00PM Registration
7:30AM - 5:00PM Exhibit Forum
7:30AM - 8:30AM Coffee and Rolls
8:30AM - 10:00AM Workshops 31-40
31. Domestic Violence and the Grave Risk of Harm under the Hague Convention
32. Neuroaffirming Perspectives from a Judge, Lawyer, and Psychologist
33. Working Together: Interdisciplinarity in Action
34. Triage Tool Usability and Usefulness: Right Services, Right Families, Right Time
35. Parenting Is a Job — Post-Separation Parenting Is a Job Share
36. Beyond the Mighty CCE: Preserving the Benefits While Mitigating the Challenges
37. Applying Family Systems in Conflicted Families
38. Unmasking Identity Bias: Stereotyping, Discrimination, and Family Law Outcomes
39. Understanding Child Sexual Abuse Forensic Interviews and Evaluations
40. Updating the Model Standards for Divorce and Family Mediators for the 21st Century
10:00AM - 10:30AM Break
10:30AM - 12:00PM Plenary Session
Shrooms, Science, and Custody Battles: Psychedelics in the Family Court Spotlight Welcome: Hon. Dolores Bomrad (Ret.), AFCC President Elect
12:00PM - 1:30PM Lunch (On Your Own)
12:00PM - 1:30PM FCR Editorial Board Meeting
12:00PM - 1:30PM Chapter Presidents’ Lunch
1:45PM - 3:15PM Workshops 41-50
41. Domestic Violence in Louisiana: A View from the Bench
42. Draining the Swamp—Preventing and Responding to “Stuck” Child Custody Cases
43. When to Lawyer Up: Effective Use of the Legal Team in Resist-Refuse Cases
44. Teens, Tech, and AI—What you Need to Know
45. Preflight Checklist: Positioning Parties to Succeed After Our Involvement is Done
46. Children and Parents Comment on Transitions: Objects, Locations, and Routines
47. Gender-Affirming Care 101
48. Family Dispute Resolution: Process and Practice
49. Disruptive Innovation in Family Law: Is a Netflix/Airbnb Approach Possible?
50. Language Matters—How the Words We Use Impact Possibilities for Families
3:15PM - 3:30PM Break
3:30PM - 5:00PM Workshops 51-60
51. Mediating High-Conflict Cases: 10 Paradigm Shifts
52. Dibling-Dumpling Donuts: Mind Your Language When Talking about Donor Conception
53. Personality Trait Research, Parenting, & CCEs: The Science We Have Been Ignoring
54. The CARE Program: Background, Innovation, & Efficacy Relative to Duration & Dose
55. Ontario’s Novel (and Easily Exportable!) Family Court Processes
56. Addressing the Shortage of Qualified Supervised Visitation Providers
57. Uncharted Waters: Research Findings of Therapists in High-Conflict Divorces
58. Coparent Training for Front-Line Personnel in Child- and Family-Serving Agencies
59. How Conflict Can Keep Us Together: The “Normal Chaos” of Child Custody Cases
60. Military as a Minority: Veterans and the Family Court System
6:30PM - 11:00PM AFCC Evening Celebration

May 31

7:30AM - 12:30PM Registration
7:30AM - 12:30PM Exhibit Forum
8:00AM - 9:00AM Coffee and Rolls
8:00AM - 9:00AM AFCC Membership Meeting
9:15AM - 10:45AM Workshops 61-70
61. It’s a New Ball Game Out There! The Impact of Misinformation and How to Respond
62. The Adoption and Safe Families Act: Historical Insights and Modern Implications
63. Clinical and Evidential Perspectives on Unacceptable Risk to Children
64. The Eye of the Storm: Uncovering Domestic Violence in American Homes
65. Navigating Cross-Border Family Disputes: Family Mediation Perspectives
66. Trauma-Informed Family Therapy Planning
67. Navigating Child Custody in the Context of Gender Diversity
68. “Urgent Care” for RRD Cases: Attorneys as First Responders to Families in Crisis
69. Does One Size Fit All? Individualized Plans for Multiple Siblings
70. Speech is Free, But Words Have a Cost: Communicating in Family Conflicts
10:45AM - 11:00AM Break
11:00AM - 12:30PM Workshops 71-80
71. High-Conflict Parents in Custody Assessments: The Role of Educational Programs
72. A Comprehensive Psychoeducational Intervention for High-Conflict Coparents
73. The Blessing/Curse of Writing Reports: How to Effectively Overcome the Obstacles
74. Hearing Adolescent Voices in Custody Arrangement Decisions
75. Making the Case for Client-Directed Child Representation in Family Court
76. Seven Strategies When Meeting Children for Child Lawyers and Advocates
77. Parental Relationships and Children's Coping Behaviors
78. Neurodevelopmental Conditions and Family Law Considerations
79. Tough Choices: A Systemic Response to DV and Its Pervasive Impact on Families
80. Neuroregulatory Perspective on Family Reunification Therapy