Parenting Coordination in Postseparation Disputes: A Comprehensive Guide for Practitioners

Parenting coordination is a sophisticated, collaborative effort among psychologists, counselors, social workers, mediators, and legal professionals that helps divorcing parents avoid further litigation while working together in the best interests of their child. This one-stop text contains all the information legal and mental health providers need to manage and resolve high-conflict custody disputes outside of the courts. Initial chapters describe the history of the field and the basic competencies needed to undertake parenting coordination work as well as the practical necessities for running a parenting coordination practice. The authors guide readers through the often difficult push-pull of parenting coordination sessions and describe empirically validated behavioral change techniques that bring results with even the most high-conflict parents. Suggestions for dealing with domestic violence are also provided. Additional resources include practice guidelines from APA and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Table of Contents:
Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction  Shirley Ann Higuchi and Stephen J. Lally Part I. Background to Parenting Coordination Chapter : Origins and Development of Parenting Coordination  Joan B. Kelly Chapter 2: Legal Standards and Issues Associated With Parenting Coordination  Margaret J. McKinney, Linda A. Delaney, and Alan Nessman Chapter 3: Competencies Required for Conducting Parenting Coordination  Stephen J. Lally and Robin M. Deutsch Chapter 4: Parenting Coordination: Basic Approaches and Strategies  Robin M. Deutsch Part II. The Practice of Parenting Coordination Chapter 5: Creation, Development, and Management of a Parenting Coordination Practice  Matthew J. Sullivan Chapter : Ethical Issues and Risk Management in Parenting Coordination  Robin M. Deutsch and Stephen J. Lally Chapter 7: Strategies for Working With Difficult Clients  Matthew J. Sullivan Chapter 8: Setting Up a Parenting Coordination Project in the Courts: The District of Columbia Program  Stephen J. Lally, Shirley Ann Higuchi, and Jennifer Joyner-Hall Part III. Special Issues and Populations Chapter 9: Including Children in the Parenting Coordination Process: A Specialized Role  Joan B. Kelly Chapter : Parenting Coordination and Diversity Issues  Giselle A. Hass Chapter : Parenting Coordination and Domestic Violence  Giselle A. Hass Chapter 2: Collaboration With Attorneys  Margaret J. McKinney, Linda A. Delaney, and Alan Nessman Part IV. The Future of Parenting Coordination Chapter 3: Charting the Challenging Path Toward Establishment of Parenting Coordination's Efficacy  Debra K. Carter and Stephen J. Lally Chapter 4: The Future of Parenting Coordination  Joan B. Kelly and Shirley Ann Higuchi Index About the Editors

About the Author :
Shirley Ann Higuchi, Esq., is the associate executive director of legal and regulatory affairs for APA. In this role, Ms. Higuchi manages all aspects of a complex agenda focused on developing and implementing legal and regulatory strategies to achieve optimal psychologist participation in the health care field. Topics covered include managed care, class action litigation, state health care reform, Medicaid, professional licensing, scope of practice, confidentiality, telehealth, and parenting coordination. Through her work at APA, Ms. Higuchi has contributed to the field of parenting coordination by offering training workshops, developing practice guidelines, supporting research, and helping launch the Office of the Parenting Coordinator in the District of Columbia Superior Court. Ms. Higuchi is active in the DC Bar, having served on the Board of Governors from 994 to 2 , as chair of the Bar's Nominations Committee in 2 , and as president in 2 3. She recently completed a -year term on the Judicial Tenure and Disabilities Commission for the DC Courts. Ms. Higuchi has received several prestigious awards, including the Lever Award, the Honorable Annice M. Wagner Pioneer Award, and the United Planning Organization Community Service Award. In addition to her service to the legal and psychological communities, Ms. Higuchi is chair of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, which provides education, policy, and research on the experiences of the Japanese Americans wrongly incarcerated during World War II. Prior to joining APA, Ms. Higuchi was in private practice with the law firm of Epstein Becker amp amp Green, PC. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Georgetown University.   Stephen J. Lally, PhD, ABPP, is a professor in the clinical psychology program at American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Washington, DC. He is the past president of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology. He received his diplomate in forensic psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Lally is the past president of the District of Columbia Psychology Association, a former APA Council Representative for DC, and a past member of APA's Committee for Professional Practice and Standards. He has presented and published in the areas of assessment, ethics, and forensic psychology. Dr. Lally has a part-time forensic and clinical practice in the Washington, DC, area.