Families involved with the court often need far more than a legal decision. Coaches, counselors, mediators, attorneys, parenting coordinators, evaluators and judges each play different roles, and understanding how those roles fit together is essential to working effectively with court-involved families.
This interactive workshop takes participants inside the family-court ecosystem to explore what courts can and cannot accomplish, how professionals can engage effectively with the court system, and how to identify interventions that match a family’s actual needs. Participants will examine mediation, co-parent coaching, parenting coordination, counseling, evaluation and other dispute-resolution services while considering role clarity, professional boundaries, family dynamics and appropriate referrals. Through practical examples and case scenarios, participants will practice moving beyond simply managing conflict toward building parental capacity, improving family functioning and protecting children from the burden of adult disputes.
Learning Objectives What You'll Learn At a Glance
1. Identify and differentiate at least four court-connected interventions, including their purpose, professional role and appropriate use.
2. Identify at least three practices for working effectively with courts and court professionals, including role clarity, appropriate communication and responding to court orders.
3. Develop two concrete, child-centered strategies that build parental capacity or reduce children’s exposure to adult conflict.
Approvals
This training is approved for 3 continuing education clock hours for counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers as well as for substance use counselors in domain C5 - Family Dynamics (3) in the state of Ohio.
Agenda
9 a.m.: Moderator Introduction
9:05 a.m.: Welcome to the Court-Involved Family
9:35 a.m.: What Keeps Families Stuck
10 a.m.: Know Your Interventions
10:45 a.m.: Break
11 a.m.: Working Smart with the Court
11:30 a.m.: From Referral to Real Change
11:50 a.m.: Put it to Work – what would you do?
12:10 p.m.: Evaluation and wrap up
12:15 p.m.: Close
Presenter
Amy Armstrong
Amy Armstrong is a conflict resolution specialist who has spent decades protecting childhoods as she helps families navigate high-conflict separation and divorce. After earning her MSW at The Ohio State University in 2011, she launched a business, The Center for Family Resolution, where Armstong and her team provide co-parent coaching, parenting coordination, mediation and brief family assessments, privately and as court-connected services. Armstrong trains judges, magistrates, attorneys, mental health professionals and other family court professionals in practical approaches to addressing complex co-parenting, reducing conflict and protecting children. Armstrong helps professionals move beyond managing disputes toward building parental capacity, strengthening boundaries, improving decision-making and meeting the real developmental needs of the family. When she is not working, Armstrong enjoys paddle boarding, hiking and magical moments with her seven grandchildren.
Training Completion Requirements
- Participants must complete all components of the training content, pass the posttest with an 80% having unlimited attempts, and complete the training evaluation survey.
- CE certificates will be available for download in your learner portal within 1 business day after submitting the evaluation survey.
- Hours for those with Ohio licenses that are submitted with the evaluation survey will be reported to CE Broker every 14 days (twice per month).
- You may only complete this training once for CE credit. You may revisit the content, but only one certificate will be issued and credit will only be reported to CE Broker one time.
Accessibility
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. You may request accommodation or inquire about accessibility as part of the Zoom registration process or by emailing our Office of Continuing Education at cswce@osu.edu.
Please contact us at 988trainings@osu.edu should you need further assistance.
Accreditation
The Ohio State University College of Social Work provides approvals for continuing education for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists that are accepted by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Work, and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board.
The Ohio State University College of Social Work has been approved by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals (CDP) Board as a provider of Continuing Education, approval number: 50-24068.
