Parenting Coordination
PARENTING COORDINATION is an ongoing therapeutic mediation model for Coparenting. It aims to facilitate better communication and collaborative decision making to best support your children by reducing high conflict. The process prioritizes the well-being of the children while combining the best of both legal and clinical worlds by teaching Coparenting skills and mediating compromises all with the input of a specialist in child development. Common issues addressed include: discipline differences, household boundaries, communication regarding scheduling, decision making as parents, and parenting time calendar.
In Parenting Coordination there is accountability through the courts for following recommendations, meaning progress can be shared with lawyers and the courts as needed. However, the goal of most parents going through this process get OUT of the incredibly stressful and expensive court cycle.
Recommendations come in the form of guidelines for standards of good Coparenting, such as speaking respectfully to and about a Coparent, and sharing data regarding children such as doctors appointment and grades, or suggestions for changes to the parenting plan. However, no custody recommendations are made by parenting coordinator. Parents decide to what extent they want to establish particular agreements. Recommendations by parenting coordinator are not "forced" upon either parent. Again, the PC is NOT a custody evaluator. They are to help parents improve individually and as Coparents.
Some parents decide that they also want the Parent Coordinator to have minor decision making power on issues not addressed in the parenting plan (such as pick up from summer camp). However, most of Parent Coordination sessions are parents working through their concerns and coming to their own agreements with the support and suggestions of the PC. Minimum amount of sessions to expect will be 6-8 within a 3-6 month period. After that, sessions can be scheduled as needed. Sometimes parents agree to meet monthly or quarterly for a set period of time. The PC remains available to Coparents throughout the parenting process if requested.
Most people find this to be a very helpful process in working through differences, providing accountability to both parties, and accessing the expertise of a child psychologist in making parenting decisions.
PROCESS & SESSIONS
In Parenting Coordination there is accountability through the courts for following recommendations, meaning progress can be shared with lawyers and the courts as needed. However, the goal of most parents going through this process get OUT of the incredibly stressful and expensive court cycle.
Recommendations come in the form of guidelines for standards of good Coparenting, such as speaking respectfully to and about a Coparent, and sharing data regarding children such as doctors appointment and grades, or suggestions for changes to the parenting plan. However, no custody recommendations are made by parenting coordinator. Parents decide to what extent they want to establish particular agreements. Recommendations by parenting coordinator are not "forced" upon either parent. Again, the PC is NOT a custody evaluator. They are to help parents improve individually and as Coparents.
Some parents decide that they also want the Parent Coordinator to have minor decision making power on issues not addressed in the parenting plan (such as pick up from summer camp). However, most of Parent Coordination sessions are parents working through their concerns and coming to their own agreements with the support and suggestions of the PC. Minimum amount of sessions to expect will be 6-8 within a 3-6 month period. After that, sessions can be scheduled as needed. Sometimes parents agree to meet monthly or quarterly for a set period of time. The PC remains available to Coparents throughout the parenting process if requested.
Most people find this to be a very helpful process in working through differences, providing accountability to both parties, and accessing the expertise of a child psychologist in making parenting decisions.
PROCESS & SESSIONS
- Complete court order/stipulation/joint agreement/referral from GAL
- Intake, each parent meets individually to explain their understanding of issues and concerns, begin identifying constructive Coparenting goals
- Joint session 1 - Establish mutual Coparenting goals and concerns
- Parents are expected to purchase and work through “Effective Coparenting” Workbook
- Joint session 2 - Establish communication needs, boundaries; begin Addressing goals
- Joint sessions 3-8+ (occurring as needed) - Work on goals: Parenting decision making, parenting plans, resolving discipline issues, healthy communication, parent-child relationship issues, forming parent to parent respectful behaviors
- Individual coaching sessions as needed to address anger management, communication, and conflict resolution skills
- Significant Other coaching sessions as needed
- Joint sessions with all significant others plus biological parents as needed
- Ongoing support sessions scheduled as needed, throughout childhood
- Parent Coordinator is available by email or phone as needed between sessions