AFCC Task Force on Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy

In 2008 AFCC President Robin Deutsch appointed the AFCC Task Force on Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy.  The Guidelines have been formulated to assist members of AFCC and others who provide treatment to court-involved children and families. The Guidelines are also intended to assist those who rely on mental health services or on the opinions of mental health professionals in promoting effective treatment and assessing the quality of treatment services. The Guidelines are also intended to assist the courts to develop clear and effective court orders and parenting plans that may be necessary for treatment to be effective.   The Guidelines are intended as a best practice guide for therapists, attorneys, other professionals and judicial officers when there is a need for therapeutic interventions with court-involved children or parents. While available resources and local jurisdictional expectations may influence the types of therapeutic services provided by a court-involved therapist, the purpose of these Guidelines is to educate, highlight common concerns, and to apply relevant ethical and professional guidelines, standards, and research in handling court-involved families.

Resources

AFCC Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy (PDF)

Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy: A Best Practice Approach for Mental Health Professionals (PDF)
Hon. Linda S. Fidnick, Kelly A. Koch, Lyn R. Greenberg, and Matthew Sullivan, Family Court Review July 2011

Task Force Members

  • Hon. Linda S. Fidnick, Co-chair
  • Matthew Sullivan, PhD, Co-chair
  • Lyn R. Greenberg, PhD, Reporter
  • Paul Berman, PhD
  • Christopher Barrows, JD
  • Hon. R. John Harper
  • Hon. Anita Josey-Herring
  • Mindy Mitnick, EdM, MA
  • Hon. Gail Perlman

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