1st Annual COAFCC State Conference October 9-11, 2015 Brain and Bias Who Should Attend Professionals who work in and with the family law system: Judges and Magistrates Family and Juvenile Lawyers Family Court Facilitators PREs and CFIs Therapists Parent Educators Mediators/ENAs Parent Coordinators Decision-Makers/Arbitrators Domestic Violence Advocates CASA Volunteers Students Scholars and Researchers Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center 620 Village Road Breckenridge, CO 80424 (970) 453-6000 The Colorado Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (COAFCC) is a statewide interdisciplinary association of professionals dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through the resolution of family conflict.
About this Conference In keeping with our mission, COAFCC is aiming to build a collaborative statewide community of professionals who work in and with the family law system. Our goal is to promote professional education, disseminate knowledge and research, foster innovation, and promote best practices. For the past eight years we have been pleased to offer single day conferences and short programs. We are thrilled to now offer our first multi-day conference. Please join us for this inaugural, interdisciplinary, COAFCC state conference! Our plan is to host a state conference every year in a relaxing central location, drawing professionals from all over Colorado. The COAFCC conference will offer the most up-to-date information and innovative practices for working with families in the throes of separation, divorce and conflict. Our intention is to foster communication and coordination among the various professionals in the family law community, and promote consistent, high quality practices throughout the state. As we have strived with our day conferences over the past eight years, the new state conference format will help maintain Colorado as a national leader in family law system practices. The theme of our first state conference is Brain and Bias. With the explosion of knowledge in the field of brain science, our understanding of how conflict affects parents and children has increased tremendously. Come learn about this new information and what it means for crafting parenting plans for high conflict families and working effectively with these families. Similarly, advances in cognitive psychology has increased our understanding of how professionals are vulnerable to an array of biases in our thinking processes. Come learn about how to identify proneness to biased thinking and ways to ensure fairness in judgments about parents and families. This conference will also include thought-provoking insights from Colorado speakers and judicial officers. In addition to gaining superb education, this conference will offer the opportunity for attendees to engage in interdisciplinary discussion and debate about various issues. Through this critical dialog we will begin to build a statewide community. Toward that end, the conference offers ample opportunity to network and socialize with new and old colleagues. The schedule also includes downtime to relax, rejuvenate, and spend time with your family if you choose to bring them. The COAFCC Board of Directors and Program Committee look forward to welcoming you! COAFCC Mission: To promote a collaborative approach to serving the needs of children among those who work in and with family law systems, encouraging education, research and innovation and identifying best practices.
Conference Presenters Keynote Speakers Jennifer Kresge is a mediator and licensed psychology professional in private practice in St. Helena, California. She mediates family, trustee and business disputes, divorce, custody and visitation, personal injury, as well as school and government conflicts. Her mediation and clinical practice also includes participation as a Special Master/Parent Coordinator, consultant, expert witness, and custody evaluator. Jennifer Kresge, LMFT With a background in neuroscience, she provides training nationally and internationally. She is known for bringing her knowledge in neuroscience and her experience of negotiation and mediation, systems thinking, psychology and human development to provide skill basked workshops and advance training. She is known for her work with high conflict cases and for her specialized trainings in the application of brain research in a variety of settings, involving conflict, negotiation, parenting, communication, alternative dispute resolution and leadership. As an elected trustee on the Board of the Napa County Office of Education, she is their current Legislative Representative. A Past President of the state of California County Boards of Education (CCBE), Ms. Kresge initiated the development of the Strategic Plan for the California County Boards of Education, and is one of three state county board members who were selected to serve on the legislative policy making committee for the State of California. In addition to having been a member of President Obama s regional transition team for healthcare, she serves on a number of sub-committees involved in social, political and economic leadership, and has assisted in the development of programs which have benefited individuals and organizations. She is a Practitioner/Trainer with Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and a member of their Legislative and Public Policy Committee. She is a Past President of the Board of Directors for the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California (ADRNC), and serves on the Napa Valley Leadership Council. For the past fifteen years she has been involved in post-graduate research in neuroscience, is a member of the Learning Omnivores, and the Brainy Bunch. John A. Zervopoulos, a lawyer and a forensic psychologist, received his B.A. from Wheaton College (IL) in 1974, his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of North Texas in 1981, and his J.D. from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. He is board certified in forensic psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. In his psychology practice of 25 years, he specialized in conducting courtappointed psychological evaluations and court-appointed counseling in a broad range of family law cases. Currently, Dr. Zervopoulos directs PsychologyLaw Partners, a consulting service that helps lawyers critique mental health reports and materials, draft examinations of mental health experts, and develop strategies for managing mental health evidence in court. His website is at: www.psychologylawpartners.com. John Zervopoulos, PhD, JD, ABPP Dr. Zervopoulos has written three books published by the American Bar Association. His latest book, Confronting Mental Health Evidence: A Practical PLAN to Examine Reliability and Experts in Family Law Second Edition is recently published in August 2015. His second book, How to Examine Mental Health Experts: A Family Lawyer s Handbook of Issues and Strategies was published in May 2013. In addition, Dr. Zervopoulos publishes PsychologyLaw Brief, a semi-monthly email that offers lawyers concise practice tips focused on psychological expert testimony.
Conference Presenters Edward C. Budd, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in full-time private practice in Centennial, Colorado. A Colorado native, he is a graduate of Colorado College. Ed earned his doctorate from Texas Tech University and completed his internship at Case Western Reserve University (University Hospitals) in Cleveland. Presently, he works almost exclusively in the area of high-conflict divorce, as a court-appointed evaluator and in parent education. Edward C. Budd, Ph.D. Daryl James is a Colorado attorney and mediator who for nearly 30 years has practiced in the area of family law. He has trained extensively in collaborative law and mediation. This presentation is rooted in his individual study of negotiation theory and research. A current member of the board of the Colorado chapter of the AFCC, he is past president of the Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee and the Colorado Collaborative Law Professionals. Daryl K. James, JD Mark Otis, PhD Mark R. Otis, Ph,D. has practiced clinical psychology for 35 years, previously in Dallas, Texas and since 2012 in Denver, Colorado. In addition to providing general outpatient services to adolescents, adults and families, he is frequently called upon by lawyers and courts to provide therapy and consultation services to high conflict parents and their children. As part of his clinical work, Dr. Otis develops multimedia training and educational materials for divorced parents and children in the areas of negotiation, communication, post-divorce co-parenting, parent-child alienation, and conflict management. Trained in negotiation and mediation, he chaired the committee that wrote the practice protocols for collaborative divorce mental health professionals in Texas. He also co-wrote and co-produced Welcome Back, Pluto, the only DVD of its kind about parent-child alienation that has now been sold in 26 countries. Colorado Judicial Panel Mag. Elizabeth Brodsky, 20 th Judicial District Judge Robert McGahey, 2 nd Judicial District Judge Jill-Ellyn Straus, 17 th Judicial District Judge Mark Thompson, 5 th Judicial District
Conference Schedule Friday, October 9, 2015 Come early and enjoy the morning in the mountains! Registration opens at 12 Noon at the Imperial Ballroom Foyer 1:00-1:15 Welcome and Introductions: COAFCC President, Barbara Pevny, MA, LPC 1:15-2:45 Jennifer Kresge, LMFT From Research to Practice: Brain Sensitive Parenting Plans 2:45-3:00 Break 3:00-5:00 Jennifer Kresge, LMFT From Research to Practice: Brain Sensitive Parenting Plans (Cont.) 5:00-7:00 Coppertop III Ballroom: Welcome Reception and Silent Auction Join us for drinks, hors-d oeuvres, socializing and shopping! Bid early! Bid often! Reception is sponsored by: Beck Jonson and Nolan, PC Fontana and Associates, PC Gutterman Griffiths, PC Kathleen McNamara, PhD, PLLC Katz & Loizeaux Forensic Services, LLC Saturday, October 10, 2015 Morning Sessions 8:00-8:45 Continental Breakfast 8:45-9:00 Announcements and Introductions: COAFCC President, Barbara Pevny, MA, LPC (Peak 5 Room) 9:00-10:30 John Zervopoulos, PhD, JD, ABPP Do You Have a PLAN? A Practical Model to Recognize Bias, Develop Reliable Opinions, and Examine Expert Testimony 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-12:00 John Zervopoulos, PhD, JD, ABPP Do You Have a PLAN? A Practical Model to Recognize Bias, Develop Reliable Opinions, and Examine Expert Testimony (cont.) 12:00-1:00 Buffet Luncheon- Announcements, Awards, Auction Winners (Peak 4 Room) Presentation by Edward Budd, PhD Random Musings
Conference Schedule Saturday, October 10, 2015 Afternoon Sessions 1:00-2:30 Jennifer Kresge, LMFT and John Zervopoulos, PhD, JD, ABPP Brain and Bias: A continuing conversation 2:30-3:30 Mark Otis, PhD Divorce professionals as educators: Teaching family law clients to negotiate and overcome barriers to agreement 3:30-3:45 Break 3:45-5:00 Daryl K. James, JD and Judges Panel Unconscious Persuasion and Bias: How to Influence, How to Resist Sunday, October 11, 2015 8:30-9:00 Continental Breakfast (Peak 5 Ballroom Foyer) 9:00-10:45 John Zervopoulos, PhD, JD, ABPP on Ethics Experts On and Off the Stand: Ethical Issues for Lawyers and Mental Health Experts 10:45-11:00 Closing Remarks: COAFCC President, Barbara Pevny, MA, LPC Enjoy the rest of your stay in Breckenridge. Safe travels home! Please remember to turn in your evaluation form.
Socializing, Networking and Relaxing Welcome Reception and Silent Auction The Welcome Reception will take place Friday, October 9 at 5:00 pm, following the afternoon program. Please join us for drinks, hors-d oeuvres and socializing. While you re mingling, be sure to bid early and often at the 1 st Annual COAFCC Silent Auction! Proceeds will be used to keep fees to attend future COAFCC conferences down, help support scholarships to attend AFCC and COAFCC events, and support COAFCC Outreach programs. Contributions to the auction will be recognized in the silent auction catalog and COAFCC newsletter. If you would like to donate an item, please contact Kate McNamara at kathleenmcnamaraphd@gmail.com or 970-207-0278. We express our deepest gratitude to our Sponsors! Beck Jonson @ Nolan, PC Gutterman Griffiths, PC Fontana & Associates, PC Katheleen McNamara, PhD, PLLC Katz & Loizeaux Forensic Services, LLC Buffet Luncheon Your registration fee includes a buffet luncheon on Saturday. Silent Auction winners will be posted, contributors acknowledged, and awards presented. There will be ample opportunity to network and chat with colleagues. Guests of attendees are welcome to join for the cost of the lunch. Free Time Free time is built into the schedule to enable attendees to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery and the quaint town of Breckenridge. October is low season so enjoy the discounts at restaurants and shops with no crowds! Bring your family for a relaxing weekend or enjoy the company of colleagues.
Conference Information COAFCC Members Can Save up to $100.00 on Conference Registration Rates! Register and pay by August 14, 2015 to receive the lowest rate! This extra early bird rate is only available to COAFCC members (To all others: Join AFCC and COAFCC today and get the same low rate!!) Regular early bird rates are available for all. Discounts are available for eligible individuals. See registration details. Register online at www.coafcc.org or use the mail-in form. Hotel Accommodations The conference will be held at the beautiful and recently renovated Beaver Run Resort and Conference center, located at 620 Village Rd., Breckenridge, CO 80424, just a 3 block walk to historic Main Street in the Town of Breckenridge. There are a wide range of accommodation options, including traditional hotel rooms, studio, one and two bedroom condominiums, as well as large executive and specialty suites. Amenities include: On site spa, tennis court, mini golf, arcade room, pool, sauna, exercise room, Jeep rentals, six hot tubs, Spencer s Restaurant & Lounge, CopperTop Bar, business center, and complimentary shuttle within Breckenridge town limits. Reserve your room at: https://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupid=1434801&hotelid=97052, or call 800-525-2253. COAFCC attendees are offered special rates ranging from $105 to $189 per night depending on the type of room reserved. Reservations received after September 9, 2015 will provided on a space available basis. A one night s deposit is required at the time of booking. Reservations must be cancelled at least 72 hours prior to arrival to receive a refund less a $35.00 processing fee. Cancellations fewer than 72 hours from arrival date are subject to one night s cancellation fee. Reduction in length of stay or room type within the 72 hour penalty period, no shows, late arrivals, and early departures are considered cancellations, and therefore nonrefundable. Check in time is 4:00 pm and check out time is 11:00 am. Based on occupancy levels, the Resort cannot guarantee early check in or late check out. However, in the event accommodations are not immediately available, changing facilities and baggage storage will be provided. Beaver Run is a non-smoking and cannabis free property, with all non-smoking units. Wireless internet access is complimentary in the guest rooms, resort common areas and conference rooms. Parking at the Beaver Run parking garage or surface parking will be available at no charge.
Conference Information (cont.) Climate Temperatures in mid-october in Breckenridge range from an average high of 56 F to an average low of 20 F. Meeting rooms may be cool, so bring a light jacket or sweater. Air Travel Beaver Run Resort is located approximately 90 miles west of Denver International Airport (DIA) and approximately 70 miles east of the Eagle-Vail airport. Ground Transportation There are shuttle services from both airports to Beaver Run. You may book a reservation through Summit Express at: http://www.summitexpress.com or call 855-686-8267, or through Colorado Mountain Express at http://coloradomountainexpress.com or call 800-525-6363. The shuttles drop off and pick up at the hotel lobby. It is best to make an advance reservation due to the less frequent shuttle runs in the fall. Major rental companies are also available at the airports. Conference Materials Materials for this conference will be delivered to you electronically a few days before the event at no additional charge. If you wish a hard copy of the slides in front of you during the program, please print them before you come. Continuing Education Credits COAFCC will provide a certificate of attendance, including 10 hours of educational contact, at no charge. Mental health professionals will need to verify approval with their licensing or credentialing boards to meet any continuing education requirements. 14 General Continuing Legal Education (CLEs) Credits and 2.1 Ethics Credits for Colorado attorneys have been granted. The conference is eligible for up to 11.75 hours of Continuing Education (CE) for psychologists. The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) parent organization is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AFCC maintains responsibility for the program and its content. Cancellation Policy Transfer of registration to another person may be done once, at any time, without a fee. All requests for refunds must be made in writing or by email notification. Those who provide written notice of cancellation by email or postmarked by September 11, 2015 will be issued a full refund minus a $25.00 service fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received after September 11, 2015. COAFCC reserves the right to cancel any training or substitute any presenter should circumstances arise that are beyond our control.
Conference Registration Form Register and pay online at: http://www.coafcc.org or mail this registration form and your check to: April Freier, 4307 W 6 th Street, Greeley, CO 80634. Make checks payable to COAFCC. Check the box that applies to you: EXTRA Early Bird!! Early Bird Regular Rate Pay (postmark) Pay (postmark) Pay (postmark) by 8/14/15 by 9/11/15 after 9/11/15 COAFCC Member $275.00 $300.00 $350.00 Nonmember Go to afccnet.org $325.00 $375.00 and join AFCC/COAFCC to get member rates! Registration rates are discounted 25% for graduate student, law students, CASA volunteers, SCAO employees & judicial officers, and legal and mental health professionals in practice three years or less. COAFCC Members $206.25 $225.00 $262.50 Eligible for Discount Non-member Go to afccnet.org $243.75 $281.25 Eligible for Discount and join AFCC/COAFCC to get member rates! Lunch Guest Ticket: $35.00 Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Email (please print clearly): Phone: Total Amount Paid: $ Please check no more than two boxes that best describe you: Judicial Officer Lawyer Court Personnel Mediator CFI/PRE Mental Health Professional Student Therapist Parent Educator Name of Lunch Guest: Please indicate if you require a Vegetarian Vegan or gluten-free lunch. Please indicate if your guest requires a Vegetarian Vegan or gluten-free lunch. Questions? Contact April Freier, COAFCC Administrative Assistant at aprilfreier@hotmail.com
COAFCC 2015-2016 Board of Directors President Barbara Pevny, MA, LPC Ignacio, CO Vice President/President-Elect Beth Lieberman, LCSW Colorado Springs, CO Conference Planning Committee Jennifer Moné, PhD, LMFT and Sarah Quinlan, JD, Co-chairs Frances Fontana, JD Armand, Lebovits, LCSW, CAC III Beth Lieberman, LCSW Kathleen McNamara, PhD Barbara Pevny, MA, LPC Robert Smith, JD Past President Sarah Quinlan, JD Littleton, CO Secretary Frances Fontana, JD Denver, CO Treasurer Jack Gardner, PsyD Greeley, CO Hon. Angela Arkin 18 th Judicial District Shelley Bresnick, PsyD Golden, CO Bill Fyfe, EdD Lakewood, CO Daryl James, JD Boulder, CO Laurie MacTavish, MS Family Court Facilitator, 5 th Judicial District Jennifer Moné, PhD, LMFT Denver, CO Elizabeth Seaboch, MA, LPC Loveland, CO www.coafcc.org Leonard Tanis, JD Broomfield, CO