Clinical Issues in Family Court Evaluations (1.5 CEs)

This symposium will discuss a wide range of issues that confront evaluators in various Family Court contexts. Our series of presentations will range from broad topics that are encountered in all family court situations to more narrow and specialized issues. As such, we hope to be informative to attendees at all experience levels, who are interested in family court work or already seasoned in this area. James Loving will introduce the session, then discuss the pervasive and multi-layered issue of evaluator bias, especially as it presents itself in work with court-involved parents and children. Ksera Dyette will focus more specifically on unique issues that arise when assessing competency in juvenile litigants. Brian Eig and Janet Eig will discuss their ongoing work on a Structured Professional Judgment tool for use in parenting capacity evaluations, with an eye toward validating the tool and applying it to various family court situations. Alan Lee and Brian Eig will remain on the topic of parenting capacity evaluations, discussing the role of the Rorschach Inkblot Method within an assessment battery. Their presentation will include a consideration of both Comprehensive System and R-PAS, which are routinely used by Drs. Lee and Eig respectively in these evaluations. Nicole Paolillo will take on the complex issues associated with sibling sexual abuse, with a particular emphasis on assessing parents in the context of reunification planning. Dr. Lee will serve as discussant.

Chair

James Loving | Loving Psychological Services, LLC

Discussant

Alan Lee | Alan J. Lee & Associates, LLC

Goals & Objectives

1. Identify various sources of evaluator bias, as well as methods that can be employed to manage bias. 
2. Discuss some of the key issues that impact juvenile competency to stand trial evaluations. 
3. Name the best-validated factors that should be taken into consideration when assessing capacity to parent safely and effectively. 
4. Discuss the clinical roles the Rorschach Inkblot Method can play within a parenting capacity evaluation, including the individualized benefits of Comprehensive System and R-PAS. 
5. Identify some of the particular issues that a rise in family court evaluations that involve sibling incest.