Price: $195

(Includes Buffet Lunch)
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 Continuing Education Credits: 
  • 6 CLE Credits, includes 1 Ethics Credit
  • 6 Guardian ad litem Credits, includes 1 Ethics Credit 
  • 6 CE hours Board of Psychology ​ (PENDING)
Suggested Audience:
Attorneys, mediators, clinicians, educators, guardians ad litem, judges, school counselors, and interested professionals in the community. 
Harraseeket Inn
162 Main Street, Freeport, ME
(207) 865-9377

Directions:
From I-295 North or South, take exit 22.  If coming from North, take right off exit.  If coming from South, take left off exit.  Follow 1/2 mile to stop light; the Harraseeket Inn will be directly in front of you.
​FREE Parking around the back of Inn.

KIDS FIRST CENTER PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE:
Anxiety in Children:
​From Diagnoses to Evidence-Informed Interventions in Parental Rights Determinations​

Harraseeket Inn, Freeport, Maine
Friday, October 18, 2019​
8:00AM - 4:00PM
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
SESSIONS 1 & 2: 

The Modern Child: Anxiety and Stress in Children

Session 1 Welcomes: Helen Hemminger, Maura Sullivan and Ben Strick. The panel is moderated by Kids First facilitator, Susan Wiggin, LCSW. Ms. Hemminger is a researcher and KIDS COUNT Associate at the Maine Children’s Alliance. Dr. Sullivan is a psychologist with nearly 30 years of clinical experience and frequent consultant in family law cases. Ben Strick, LCSW, is the Director of Adult Behavioral Health at Spurwink.
Session 1 Introduces:  The problem, a discussion of Maine’s anxious children. Among the topics covered, the panel will look at the data associated with childhood anxiety in the state. The session will explore how parents are contributing to or exacerbating anxiety in their children, and conclude with presentations on the methods of diagnosing anxiety and depression in children as well as a discussion of the long-term effects of failing to treat anxiety and depression.
 
 
Fixing What’s Wrong with the Child: Is it Really the Child’s Issue?
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​Session 2:  Sylvie Demers, DSW, LCSW joins Dr. Sullivan and Mr. Strick and will explore various treatments and discuss the types of evidence-based intervention options available to children and parents, and the limitations to each. Dr. Demers is a clinician at Touchstone Associates and approaches therapy holistically. The panel will explore whether intervention is more appropriate for the caregivers rather than the child. Experts will delve into looking at childhood anxiety from situational (divorce and separation), biological, and environmental perspectives and how parents’ engagement in conflict impacts the treatment of children experiencing anxiety and depression. 

SESSIONS 3 & 4:

Therapy with Families in Conflict 101: Where are the Ethical Boundaries in Law and Practice?

Session 3 Features:  Attorney Kenneth W. Lehman, a shareholder at Bernstein Shur and chair of the firm’s Health Care Group; and Attorney Thomas Marczak, corporate counsel at MaineHealth for a presentation on the ethical boundaries that are encountered when mental health and legal professionals meet in family court. The panel is moderated by Kids First facilitator, Christopher Leddy, Esq. This session explores licensure issues and the limits on various mental health licenses in Maine. The confidentiality of records will be discussed, as well as the duties of both mental health and legal professionals to their respective clients when therapy and court collide. Panelists will provide suggestions on the best practices when drafting court orders.
 
 
Court and Counselor: Should the Two Meet?

​Session 4: Concludes the day with a view from the bench. Mr. Leddy will be joined by Judge Daniel Driscoll and Family Law Magistrate Andrea Najarian, both of the Maine District Court. Kids First Facilitators Attorney Lisa Chmelecki and Steve Young, LCSW, both experienced in the courtroom, will round out the panel. This session will feature an open discussion about counseling provisions in court orders and what judges hope to achieve when included. Panelists will explore the inherent tension between therapy and the adversarial litigation model. Hear from those experienced in the courtroom about how things work, and perhaps how they can work better for both attorneys and mental health professionals.

Thank you to our 2019 Conference Sponsors

ADVOCATE
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​​PARTNERS​
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SUPPORTERS
Child Centered Solutions
Shankman & Associates Legal Center
Maine Community Law Center
Town and Country FCU
Law Office of Gregory W. Files, LLC
Peter W. Evans, Attorney at Law
Holmes Legal Group, LLC

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FRIENDS
 
Moncure & Barnicle, Attorneys at Law
The Law and Mediation Office of David C. Webb, Esq.

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