Tough Love is Streaming on PBS this Month!

For those of you who may not have been able to join us for the screening of Tough Love in June, you can watch the film for the month of October on PBS.  Here's the LINK.

This a a great film about the struggle parents face in trying to get their kids back after removal.  One attorney who saw this in June said "Every AG, GAL and parental defense attorney should see this film!"  We couldn't agree more, and hope you take the time to watch.

SHORT SYNOPSIS OF FILM

Offering a rare look at the inner workings of the American child welfare system, Tough Love chronicles the lives of two parents—one in Seattle and one in New York City—as each fights to be reunited with children taken out of their custody. Through intimate, verité footage of both families, we witness first-hand the complex and daunting bureaucracy of America’s family courts. Moreover, we come to understand the powerful role poverty and prejudice play in keeping parents and children apart— and the challenges parents must overcome in order to put their families back together.  The film is approximately 85 minutes.

NY Times Article and Video on Shaken Baby Syndrome

The New York Times recently published an interesting article and video called Shaken Baby Syndrome: The Diagnosis that Divides the Medical World, which shows how the diagnosis has changed in the past few decades.

You can find the article HERE.  There are several other shorter videos within the article that are worth checking out as well.

Tough Love Screening with Q&A to Follow

The Parental Defense Alliance of Utah is pleased to be sponsoring a screening of Tough Love from Emmy-nomiated filmmaker Stephanie Wang-Breal about two parents navigating the red tape of America's child welfare system as they fight to regain custody of their children.

WHERE:  The Gateway Megaplex

WHEN: Friday, June 5, 2015 from 1:00pm to 3:30pm

COST: FREE! 

(However you must register for tickets)

Following the screening the filmaker and one of the judges from the film will take questions from the audience.

For more information about the film visit www.toughlovefilm.com.

2.5 hours of CLE pending.

SHORT SYNOPSIS OF FILM

Offering a rare look at the inner workings of the American child welfare system, Tough Love chronicles the lives of two parents—one in Seattle and one in New York City—as each fights to be reunited with children taken out of their custody. Through intimate, verité footage of both families, we witness first-hand the complex and daunting bureaucracy of America’s family courts. Moreover, we come to understand the powerful role poverty and prejudice play in keeping parents and children apart— and the challenges parents must overcome in order to put their families back together.

Did You Miss the Judge's Panel in September? The Video is Now Available!

For those of you who were unable to join us for the Judge's Panel on September 19, 2014, you can now watch a video of the event.

Visit our online training homepage HERE.  The usual cost is $15.00 for 1 hour of CLE, but use the code JUDGEPANEL to get it for free until February 28, 2015.

Don't forget to enter the codes that pop up during the presentation to get your certificate and your CLE credit.

Boot Camp for Parental Defenders is now LIVE! Plus a Discount Code

New Online CLE!  You can now view the training Juvenile Court Boot Camp for Parental Defenders.

In this video Grant Dickinson of the PDA covers the basics of a parental defense case from shelter hearing to termination with lots of tips and tricks along the way.  If you are new to parental defense or just want to brush up on the basics this video is for you.

• Click HERE to view the program
• 1 hour of self-study CLE available
• $15.00 
• Use the discount code BOOTCAMP to view it for FREE until December 31, 2014

Video Introduction to Child Welfare Mediation for Parents

Did you know that there is a video produced by the Utah State Courts that explains the Child Welfare Mediation Program to parents?  Have you used it in your practice?

If not, parent's can easily view it on YouTube below or get a copy on CD from the Mediation Office.  If you want a hard copy let us know and we will help connect you to get one.

VIDEO: Child and Family Law Courts Meet Brain Science

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has produced a video about using brain science and trauma informed practices can improve outcomes for those involved in the juvenile court system.  It's worth watching.

For additional information on brain science and the promising solutions it offers you can visit the following website:  http://www.ncjfcj.org/child-and-family-courts-meet-brain-science.

Do You Have The Structured Decision Making Manual?

Good news!  DCFS has provided the PDA with a digital copy of the Structured Decision Making ("SDM") manual.  They have allowed us to share this with our members for FREE!  The only catch?  You have to take the Structured Decision Making training before we can send you the copy.

Since we want this manual in the hands of every parental defender in the state we are offering the online SDM training for FREE with this code:  SDMMANUAL.  The code will be good until the end of September.  You will get three hours of self-study CLE and will be able to watch it at your convenience.  Use the link below.

Once you complete the training (Don't forget to enter the codes that show up in the video) just email me for a copy of your manual.  For those of you who have already taking the training and would like a copy, just email me!  kate@parentaldefense.org

VIDEO: I Hope My Judge Sees the Good In Me - Experiences of Parents with Infants in Foster Care

Rise Infant Parent from Planning and Cooperation on Vimeo.


Above is a video produced by Rise Magazine which is a resource for parents and by parents with children in the child welfare system.  The video was also produced in partnership with the Center for the Study of Social Policy and the Harvard Center on the Developing Child.  It is intended to sensitize child welfare staff, lawyers, judges and policymakers on the experience of parents with infants in foster care.

A Video on the Importance of Visitation

This video from the Legal Services of New Jersey examines how the right kind of visitation can help families reunify.  It was originally presented as part of the 2013 celebration for National Reunification Month.

Save the Date! Judges Panel in August

On August 26, 2014, the Parental Defense Alliance will be hosting a CLE lunch and a panel of Juvenile Court Judges to discuss mistakes attorneys make in juvenile court.  The Honorable Sharon S. Sipes and the Honorable James R. Michie, Jr. are two of the confirmed panel members.  This is one event  you won't want to miss!

We will also be broadcasting this event live over the internet!  Those of you who are unable to make it in person will be able to watch from the comforts of your own computer monitor.

Stay tuned for more details!

WHAT	Panel of Judges: Mistakes Attorneys Make in Juvenile Court
DATE	August 26, 2014
LOCATION	TBA in Salt Lake City OR Live Webcast
TIME	12:00pm Lunch 12:30-1:30pm Panel Discussion and Live Webcast
CLE	1 Hour of CLE will be requested from the Bar

How DCFS Makes Removal Decisions

Last week I attended a Court Improvement Program meeting whereat the DCFS gave an update on the implementation of the Structured Decision Making (SDM) Program.  There are 5 assessments that the SDM Programs covers:

• Intake Assessment.  This assessment has not yet been implemented because the referral system is being overhauled to become web-based.
• Safety Assessment.  This assessment is made at the time a case worker first encounters a family.  It is essentially a decision regarding whether a child can remain at home or needs to be removed.  You can see above a diagram of the three categories families will fall into.  For those who are safe, no services are needed, for those who are conditionally safe in home services are appropriate, for those who are unsafe foster care services are necessary.
• Risk Assessment.  This is an assessment to determine whether services can continue.  The chart below shows how the safety and risk assessments work together.  
• Risk Reassessment.  This assessment is a continuation of the Risk Assessment and made sometime after the initial risk assessment.
• Reunification Assessment.  This assessment has not yet be implemented.

The Safety Assessment, Risk Assessment and Risk Reassessment have all been implemented statewide as of December 2012.  DCFS is continuing to work on fidelity to the model with their case workers.  The SDM Program has been successfully implemented in other jurisdictions and has resulted in lower removal rates and allowed states to focus their services on the families who really need them.  The goal is to have a removal rate in 4% of cases.  As of January 2014, Utah had a removal rate of 4.12%.

The SDM Program is good for parents and their attorneys because it provides the underlying reasoning of DCFS caseworkers decisions.  If you are not asking for the SDM assessments mentioned above in your cases we hope you will continue to push for them.

If you are interested in a CLE training on how the safety and risk assessments work, you can sign up for a 3 hour online training below.  It's $35.00 for 3 hours of CLE.  Use the discount code: annualconf for $10 off.

What You Do Is Important

This is a wonderful video about the importance of legal representation for indigent parents in child welfare cases.  It even features Utah's Judge William A. Thorne of the Utah Court of Appeals.

The Online Structured Decision Making Training Is Finally Ready

Last fall the DCFS trained some of our attorneys on the new structured decision making process that is being used statewide to make safety and risk assessments by DCFS caseworkers.

The PDA feels that this is an important training for all parental defense attorneys and provides vital information that can help you better advocate for your clients.

To that end we have made the training available online.  The cost of the training is $35.00 and includes 3 hours of self-study CLE for the state of Utah.  Click below to register.

DISCOUNT CODE: For those of you who attended the annual conference you can use the code "annualconf" and get $10.00 off!

Check Out Our New Website!

If you haven't had a chance to explore the new website, this video highlights some of the features.

We hope that you enjoy the new design and that the resources are of benefit to you in your practice.