Institute for Advanced Professional Learning

Kids First was established with the goal of uniting professionals from various fields—especially legal and mental health—to collaborate towards a shared objective: enhancing the lives of children by reducing their exposure to conflict during their parents' divorce and separation. 

The Kids First Center is excited to introduce the Kids First Institute for Professional Learning. Throughout the year, the Institute will explore important topics for professionals supporting families with children raised by separated parents. This initiative includes four 2-hour webinars and a culminating in-person conference in Fall 2025, gathering experts to enhance co-parenting practices across various disciplines.

  2024-2025 Institute: Reimagining Parallel Parenting

The theme for the 2024/2025 Institute is "Reimagining Parallel Parenting." Many professionals are concerned that "Parallel Parenting" contradicts shared parenting principles by limiting parental interaction, leading them to question its benefits for children and its alignment with public policies supporting shared parenting. They wonder if it represents a regression from the legal ideal of shared parenting. However, in certain situations—such as high-conflict cases or those involving abuse—a parallel parenting plan that allocates parental rights may be the most effective approach. In Maine, there is currently no shared definition or standardized framework for "parallel parenting," often resulting in ad hoc solutions by professionals and judicial officers. 

The theme of parallel parenting encourages us to consider whether emphasizing the "best interest of the family" could lead to more favorable outcomes for children experiencing divorce and separation compared to focusing exclusively on the "best interest of the child." Parenting plans are crafted to balance the interests—and, more broadly, the constitutional rights—of parents, aiming to provide structure and stability to family systems. These plans blend legal and emotional health principles to advance the state’s goal of protecting children from conflict and fostering a more harmonious community for everyone.    

We will evaluate the "one-size-fits-all" approach to determine whether it systematically overlooks some children, preventing them from having the best possible environment to thrive. Reevaluating parallel parenting might offer a new path to prioritizing children's needs and keeping kids first. 

  Moderators

     Karen MacDonald, LCSW

Karen MacDonald is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist based in Gorham, Maine. She is dedicated to creating a non-judgmental space for individuals to heal and grow. Her strengths-based practice employs various evidence-based modalities to empower clients, emphasizing that they are the experts of their own lives. 

Karen specializes in two areas: working with adolescents facing co-occurring disorders and co-parenting coaching. She has experience in residential settings with teens and young adults who have experienced trauma, using motivational interviewing and authenticity to build therapeutic relationships. Additionally, as a trained mediator, she employs a directive approach in co-parenting coaching, focusing on communication and conflict resolution to help divorced or separated parents establish respectful new relationships.

Karen earned her MSW from the University of Southern Maine School of Social Work.

Karen facilitates the First Step: Foundations in Co-Parenting, the Next Step, ICOPE, and Kids First for Kids! at the Kids First Center. 

More about Ms. MacDonald is found at Psychology Today. 

   Christopher Leddy, Esq.

Christopher Leddy is an attorney with Ainsworth, Thelin & Raftice in South Portland, Maine.  Having started his Family Law and Criminal Defense practice with ATR in 2010, Chris is a regular speaker at family law and guardian seminars throughout Maine and teaches classes at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to police cadets.  The early years of his legal career were spent in service to the State of Maine as an Assistant District Attorney in Cumberland County, and with the Attorney General’s office in the Child Protective Division.  He became a rostered Guardian Ad Litem in 2004 and was appointed to the initial Guardian Ad Litem Review board by the Law Court in 2015.  

Attorney Leddy earned his JD from the University of Maine School of Law in 1996 and appears in Maine courts from Bangor to York.    

More about Attorney Leddy at the  Ainsworth Thelin & Raftice website.

 Webinar 1: Now Available On Demand, click here.

Insights from Research: A Review of Academic Literature and the Law

  Webinar 2: Thursday, January 30, 2025 • 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

High Conflict and Domestic Abuse: The Case for Parallel Parenting Plans

This webinar is co-presented by Robin Deutsch, Ph.D., and Alexandra Ruden, Esq. It is designed for interdisciplinary professionals and advocates seeking effective strategies for managing co-parenting scenarios, particularly in situations where domestic abuse and high-conflict behaviors are conflated, often resulting in parenting plans that do not adequately meet the needs of the children. Participants will gain valuable insights into parallel parenting plans, which provide an alternative approach that reduces direct contact between parents while prioritizing the well-being of the children. Dr. Deutsch will share her expertise on the psychological aspects of high-conflict situations, while Ms. Ruden will offer legal insights and practical advice for implementing these plans in the context of domestic abuse. This webinar will equip you with tools and strategies to foster a healthier co-parenting dynamic through structured orders that address the unique challenges of each of these cases.

$50.00, 2.0 hours CLE; 2.0 hours CPE (pending)

  Presenters

  Robin Deutsch, Ph.D

Dr. Robin Deutsch is a Diplomate in Couple and Family Psychology and a Professor of Clinical Psychology at William James College, where she founded and directed the Center of Excellence for Children, Families, and the Law. She developed the Certificate in Child and Family Forensic Issues and previously served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School from 1990 to 2012. Dr. Deutsch holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her internship at the Judge Baker Children’s Center and Children’s Hospital Boston. She was the first Clinical Director of the Norfolk County Juvenile Court Clinic and directed forensic services at Massachusetts General Hospital for 20 years. 

Her extensive forensic work includes evaluations and testimony in various courts on issues like divorce, domestic violence, and custody. She offers consultation and expert witness services on complex custody matters and ethical issues. In leadership roles, Dr. Deutsch currently chairs the APA working group on High Conflict Family Relationships and has held positions such as President of AFCC and Chair of the APA Ethics Committee. 

She played critical roles in developing guidelines for handling intimate partner violence and parenting coordination. A fellow of the APA, Dr. Deutsch has received multiple awards for her contributions to psychology, including the Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award for Advocacy. 

She teaches extensively across the US and internationally and continues to consult with family courts. Her research and publications focus on topics like high-conflict divorce, attachment, and co-parenting, including co-authoring "7 Things Your Teenager Won’t Tell You" and co-editing "Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems."

For more about Dr. Deutsch, click here.

  Alexandria Ruden, Esq.

Attorney Alexandria Ruden is a dedicated advocate for domestic violence survivors, providing legal representation and advocacy throughout her impressive 40-year career at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Since the passage of the Domestic Violence Act in Ohio in 1979, Ruden has focused solely on championing the rights and safety of survivors. 

 She began her journey in domestic violence law while working at a free medical clinic, where she encountered many clients facing such situations. In 1984, she joined The Legal Aid Society to establish its domestic violence practice, driven by her passion for helping individuals create holistic solutions for their lives. Over the years, Ruden has provided direct representation to low-income domestic violence survivors seeking divorces and civil protection orders. 

She has become a respected expert in the field, advocating for enhanced protections for survivors and raising awareness of their concerns within the legal process. Ruden played a key role in establishing the Domestic Violence Department at the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court and co-authored the Ohio Domestic Violence Law book with Judge Ronald Adrine. She has served on several committees, including the Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence at the Supreme Court of Ohio, and the Cuyahoga County Domestic Violence Task Force. 

Additionally, Ruden is a national trainer on domestic violence and serves as a mentor to numerous young attorneys and law students.

For more about Attorney Ruden, click here.

  Registration

Click to register.

  Sponsors

The Kids First Institute is underwritten in part by the generous support of: