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Co-parenting Online Class

Co-parenting Case Management

Co-parenting Case Management is a problem-solving service offered to parents raising children between homes who seek professional assistance in working together to keep their children free from the parents’ conflicts. Co-parenting Case Management is a child-centered dispute resolution service that assists parents in developing and implementing workable parenting plans when they are unable to do so on their own.

In order to begin services with families, the following must be on file for each adult:
• a fully completed data form
• a completed intake form
• a copy of the court order
• a consent form
• a signed copy of the contract with initials on each page
• $450.00 deposit from each parent

For some parents, conflict continues to create distress for them and their children beyond the divorce. Problems may arise over issues that are not specifically addressed in their parenting plan. For example, the parenting plan may say that parents decide together on extra-curricular activities for their children but may not indicate how to deal with disagreements about these activities. When a conflict arises, children often feel caught in the middle. This situation may put them at greater risk for emotional and behavioral problems—e.g., poor school performance, anxiety, uncontrollable anger, and depression.

While divorce itself places children at risk for various psychological difficulties, research has shown that the strongest predictor of child maladjustment after divorce is exposure to high levels of inter-parental conflict, particularly when the conflict is hostile, aggressive, poorly resolved, and focused on issues pertaining to the children. In approximately 10% to 15% of families of divorce, such conflict continues at a high level for several years following the formal divorce decree, and it typically causes the children and the parents to suffer significant and prolonged psychological distress.

Intense and prolonged inter-parental conflict can also cause problems for children indirectly. It can impair the ability of each parent to deal effectively with the children. It can draw the children into the conflict and disrupt the children’s relationships with one or both parents. In addition, it can lead to a reduction in financial support of the children by one or both parents, due to the financial costs of repeated litigation and one or both parents becoming less willing to contribute financially.

Even parents who have been able to protect their children from divorce-related conflict may encounter problems when new situations arise—e.g., remarriage.

Co-parenting Case Managers help parents by:
-raising parents’ skill level in collaborative planning and decision making for their children
-educating parents on co-parenting techniques and issues related to children growing up between two homes.
-identifying sources of conflict between them and consider ways to address them
-facilitating communication between the parents and between parents and others who relate to the children—e.g., grandparents, school personnel, and therapists
-reducing chronic litigation (and preserve family resources)
-using mediation techniques to deal with specific issues
-applying arbitration procedures in certain defined areas when parents are otherwise unable to resolve a dispute
-assisting the parents in compliance with court orders

The Co-parenting Case Manager may do this by reviewing written evaluations and reports, and talking with other significant individuals involved with the family (doctors, therapists, school personnel, lawyers, etc.) The Co-parenting Case Manager will meet with the parents jointly, and communicate by fax and email. Home visits may be made to both parents homes. The Co-parenting Case Manager can write status reports to the court as needed and defined in the order, testify in court and be contacted by other professionals, and will be present during hearings. The Co-parenting Case Manager may arbitrate co-parenting disagreements between the parents.

Costs and payment:
The rate for Co-parenting Case Management services is $150 per hour rounded up to the nearest 15 minute increment. This includes all services of the Co-parenting Case Manager including reviewing documentation, deliberation and issuance of decisions when parents are unable to resolve issues themselves, meetings, correspondences, phone contact, email, court time, legal expenses, and consultation with other family service providers.

Completion of the Children in the Middle class is required within the first month of service.