Services
 

Forensic Psychosocial Mental Health Assessment

A Forensic Psychosocial Mental Health Assessment (FPSMHA) evaluates a person's mental health, social status, and functional capacity within the community.  A Forensic psychosocial Mental health assessment evaluates mental, physical, and emotional health. It considers the client's perception of self and ability to function in the community. A forensic psychosocial mental health assessment is a form of evaluation performed by a mental health professional to provide relevant clinical and scientific data to a legal decision-maker or the litigants involved in family, civil or criminal proceedings.

 

DOORS (Detection of Overall Risk Screen)
Risk assessment, risk identification and safety screening.

The Family Law' Detection of Overall Risk Screen' (known as the DOORS) is a three-part framework that assists separating parents and family law professionals in detecting and respond to wellbeing and safety risks that family members may be experiencing after separation. The DOORS framework screens for risk and supports a cross-disciplinary understanding in the family law system of factors that combine to create a climate of elevated risk for families. As a common screening framework that can be used across multiple services in the family law arena, the DOORS help professionals to detect and respond to safety and wellbeing risks at the client's point of entry into their services. In contrast to specific domestic violence screens, the DOORS broadly defines risk, covering adult, infant and child wellbeing, conflict and communication, parenting stress, and collateral stressors, encouraging the practitioner to evaluate the contribution of all these factors to imminent personal and interpersonal safety risks. The framework facilitates the identification of risk factors and provides pathways towards an effective, coordinated response.

 

Private Family Report

A family assessment is a professional forensic assessment undertaken to assist a court and the parties in deciding on parenting arrangements for children of separated parents or caregivers. It is an independent, professional forensic family appraisal from a social science and non-partisan perspective. A family assessment provides a comprehensive and impartial social science perspective and has the functional value of contributing to informed and child-centred decisions. The assessment includes information about the views and needs of children, their relationships with their parents and other significant adults, and the attitudes and parental capacities of the adults regarding the children's needs. Family assessments should include an assessment of any risk factors identified in a matter.

 

Private Child Impact Report

The purpose of a Child Impact Report is to provide information about the experiences and needs of children in the context of the dispute before the Court. In preparing the report, the Child Expert will consider a range of issues such as the children's development, children's relationships, and the presence of risk factors (such as family violence). Child Impact Reports focus on the impact of these types of issues on children and parenting. Information about their children's experiences can help parents understand how separation and other family changes affect their children. Parents are helped to understand their children's experiences and needs by involving them early in the court process and considering what future arrangements would best meet them. A Child Impact Report also helps the registrar or judge understand what is happening for children and assists them in making decisions with case management.

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Child Consultant Services (Child-participation) in Child-Inclusive Mediation

A Child Consultant is defined as a child-centred, family-focused intervention role that is particularly important to families who are attempting to make decisions that include children post-separation and divorce. The Child Consultant provides a safe and developmentally appropriate way to include children's input so parents and other third-party decision-makers can consider children as part of the process vs. objects of discussion. The Child Consultant is trained in specialised approaches to working with children and views children as part of a broader family system.

Goals of Meeting with Children

• Identify children's developmental needs.

• Understand children's view of their family and relationships with influential people.

• Provide children with basic information about separation and divorce and various professional roles.

• Explore children's perspectives and experiences.

• Identify what is going well for children and what is not.

• Identify any specific needs as represented by the children.

• Provide children with a safe space to express thoughts/feelings they may otherwise be unable to express to a parent in case of hurting a parent's feelings.

• Identify coping skills utilised by children.

 

Most parents are unaware that children have a legal right to be asked about their thoughts and feelings about legal matters affecting their lives. Therefore, parents are adhering to providing their children the right to a voice by using this service. Children have unique perspectives and are an intricate part of the fabric of their families. Gaining children's input is essential in decision-making as children provide a greater context to the issues.

 

Although parents often think they know what their children value and think about, talking to someone outside the family often sheds light on a critical issue for a particular child. It provides the voice of the child. Each child is different, and parents may be able to make minor adjustments/decisions that make a difference to one or more of their children if they hear from their children through a Child Specialist.

 

Family Mediation and Dispute Resolution

The Court expects that people involved in family law disputes will only make an application to the Court when there is no other readily available means of resolving their dispute. There is an expectation that people in dispute will attempt to resolve conflicts by compromise, discussion, and dispute resolution if it is safe. Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is mandatory in parenting matters, with limited exceptions, before any application can be filed. Dispute resolution is a broad term that includes negotiation through lawyers, collaborative practice, conciliation, mediation or FDR and arbitration. The expectation to continue seeking opportunities to resolve disputes applies before and during proceedings. Mediation is a way of resolving disputes between people in conflict, usually facilitated by a neutral person. Separated families are encouraged to use family mediation to help resolve their disputes about children instead of using the family law courts. When a family disagrees about arrangements for children after separation, an FDR practitioner provides facilitative family mediation. An FDR practitioner is an independent person trained in mediation and negotiation and specialising in family disputes. They are neutral and do not take sides with any people involved in the mediation. They will facilitate the process by encouraging people to discuss issues in dispute. They are trained in working in a family law environment and in responding to domestic and family violence. They are also trained in creating a supportive environment, particularly for the safety of vulnerable people. They should provide a safe environment for people to discuss and clarify issues and feel safe to disagree openly. An FDR practitioner is accredited under the standards set out in the Family Law (Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners) Regulations 2008. FDR is a form of mediation facilitated by an independent and registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP). FDR is a practical way for separating families to resolve disagreements and make arrangements for the future without going to Court. If you reach an agreement with the assistance of an FDRP, you can enter into a parenting plan or file an Application for Consent Orders so that the agreement is made into binding court orders. If you cannot agree, you can request that the FDRP issue a certificate.

 

60I Certificate Service

In Australia, it is broadly accepted that parents should try to resolve their dispute using an accredited family mediation service before starting an application with the Family Court. Accredited family mediators (or Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) practitioners) can issue Section 60I certificates to parents in a specific set of circumstances outlined below. Once a parent has a Section 60I certificate, they can initiate Family Court proceedings or use a family lawyer. Except in limited circumstances, the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (the Act) requires you to obtain a certificate from a registered FDRP before you file an application for an order concerning a child under Part VII of the Act. Part VII of the Act covers applications for several different types of orders relating to children. The most common are applications for parenting orders, which ask a court to make orders about which parent a child lives with, spends time with, or communicates with.

The certificates, known as section 60I certificates, can be issued only on the basis that:

1. one party refused to attend the FDR;

2. the FDRP was of the view the matter was not appropriate to conduct FDR;

3. both parties attended and made a genuine effort to resolve the dispute;

4. both parties attended, but one did not make a genuine effort or;

5. FDR began, but the FDRP determined it was not appropriate to continue.

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New Ways Counselling, Coaching, And Mediation ("New Ways")

People with high conflict personalities exhibit blaming, all-or-nothing thinking, high levels of emotion and extreme behaviour that make it hard to help them with ordinary conflict resolution techniques. They get stuck in the systems and processes and need something new. New Ways methods are advanced training designed for professionals with their stakeholders– clients, employees, coaches, or young people. New Ways focuses on teaching or using four simple skills that help people learn to manage their emotions, use flexible thinking, take responsibility for their actions, and have moderate behaviours so they can move forward. You can't undo a high-conflict personality. However, many can learn the necessary skills to use at work, at home, in life, in school, and meditation.

New Ways for Families® Counselling: A structured method for family law counsellors to help divorcing or separating parents learn the 4 Big Skills to turn down the conflict flame and improve co-parenting skills.

 

New Ways for Mediation℠

A structured method specifically for high-conflict cases, focusing on teaching clients four simple skills to use within a simple structure, keeping the focus on problem-solving and away from venting about the past and making rigid, extreme demands.

 

New Ways for Life™

A unique method for counsellors, youth leaders, parents, or others to teach the 4 Big Skills to young people between 12 and 17.

 

New Ways for Families® Coaching

A structured method for family law coaches to help divorcing or separating parents learn the 4 Big Skills through the online class to turn down the conflict flame and improve co-parenting skills.

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New Ways for Work®

A structured coaching method for HR and EAP professionals, coaches, and others to teach the 4 Big Skills to employees or anyone in the workplace to resolve conflicts before they lead to grievances and lawsuits.

 

Pre-sentencing reports (PSR)

A pre-sentence report may be required after the defendant is found guilty and the Court is considering the appropriate sentence. The report provides background information on the defendant including personal history and circumstances such as living arrangements, education and employment status, future plans, health and mental condition, finances and commitments. It allows the Court to make an informed decision on the sentence.

 

Behaviour Change Program (BCP)

A Behaviour Change Program is a strategy designed to help individuals adopt positive and healthy habits and behaviours when in trouble or facing implications due to crimes committed. The Behaviour Change Program is focussed on clients where offences have taken place and where there is a desire or need for behaviour change. A Certificate of Completion is provided for Educational Institutes or for the purpose of Court. The Behavioural change program is embedded in dialectical behaviour change theory. It focuses on thoughts – behaviour choice– and how to change. The Behaviour Change Program can help with: Impulsive, reckless, and disruptive behaviours. Mood swings and anger outbursts. Emotional dysregulation. Depression and anxiety. Dark thoughts. Relationship conflict. Self-harm. Violent and harmful thoughts towards others. Feelings of rage, anger, annoyance. Disordered and Impulsive behaviour. Substance use. Offending behaviour. Bad habits. The focus of the program is on: Strengthen relationships. Cope with difficult emotions and learn how to emotionally regulate. Overcome restlessness. Soothe oneself. Work through conflict. Learn self-respect and self-compassion. Learn to respect yourself and others and the environment. Recognise emotions. Reach regulations and emotional management of the self. 

 

Therapy Services for Legal Problems

Legal matters can be emotionally taxing, often causing individuals to grapple with stress, anxiety, and a host of other emotional challenges. Legal matters can be a labyrinth of complexities, emotional turmoil, and uncertainty.  Legal issues are not only about courtrooms, contracts, and statutes; they are deeply entwined with human emotions and personal wellbeing. Whether you're dealing with a divorce, facing criminal charges, or navigating a contractual dispute, the toll on your mental health can be profound. The emotional toll of legal matters can be overwhelming, leading to stress, anxiety, depression, and a range of other mental health challenges plus impaired decision making. In such challenging times, the synergy between legal support and counselling can be a powerful force, offering individuals a holistic approach to cope with the intricacies of their legal battles. Therapy equips clients with coping strategies to manage their emotional roller coaster. When people have a better grasp of their own needs and emotions, they are more likely to engage constructively in negotiations and settlements, potentially leading to quicker and more satisfactory resolutions. Therapy can be a valuable resource in addressing the emotional and psychological aspects of legal matters.

 

Trauma-informed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma therapy developed by psychologist Dr Francine Shapiro. EMDR therapy involves recalling a stressful past event and "reprogramming" the memory in the light of a new, positive belief, using rapid eye movements to facilitate the process. Using rapid eye movements seems to relieve the anxiety associated with the trauma so that the original event can be viewed from a more detached perspective, like watching a movie of what happened. This enables you to access positive ways of reframing the original trauma (reprocessing), and to release the body's stored negative emotional charges around it (desensitisation). Some experts have noted that the eye movements involved in EMDR might be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. It allows you to see experiences in a new and less distressing way.

 

Psychoanalytical Therapy

Psychoanalytic therapy is a form of in-depth talk therapy that aims to bring unconscious or deeply buried thoughts and feelings to the conscious mind so that repressed experiences and emotions, often from childhood, can be brought to the surface and examined. Working together, the therapist and client look at how these early hidden and stifled memories have affected the client's thinking, behaviour, and relationships in adulthood. This therapy is based on Sigmund Freud's theories about psychoanalysis.