12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Hearing from Children in Dispute Resolution Processes

This 2-hour webinar is proposed as a joint collaboration of the Family and Child & Youth Section for a long-discussed webinar about child inclusive dispute resolution and ensuring children's voices and experiences are prioritized in and out of Court.  Given the wealth of subject matter content on this broad topic we are proposing this webinar as part of a Law Series with a focus on how children's voices and experience are being included in various out-of-court dispute resolution processes, the evolving research and learning about best practices across Canada.   This covers child-inclusive mediation, child inclusive parenting coordination, family group conferencing, the use of child specialists in these processes, including lawyers for children, etc. 

For this Webinar on Hearing from Children in Family Dispute Resolution Processes we are proposing Dr. Rachel Birnbaum out of the U. of Western Ontario School of Social Work who has been doing national research on "Child Inclusive Mediation" and she has a wealth of research and policy contributions on many related topics (Child Counsel, Child Inclusive Parenting Coordination), and is a well known academic and policy advocate in relation to Family Law, often contracted by DOJ, a speaker at many national Family Law Conferences, etc. Dr. Birnbaum has tentatively indicated interest / willingness to participate. 

Dr. Lorri Yasenik is a Calgary-based Play Therapist and Director of the Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute, Parenting Expert and now internationally well known trainer on  "Meeting with Children", among many other areas of expertise in relation to children in Family Law matters.  She is a total pro  when it comes to training and virtual training and this is what she mostly does now.  Her work on "meeting" with children as very different from interviewing children and the "readiness" scales for ascertaining when parents are ready to hear what their children have to say have become very important contributions to best practices.   Dr. Yasenik has tentatively indicated a willingness to participate.

And a third speaker is proposed as Michael Zimmerman, Vancouver based lawyer  with experience representing children in ADR processes, on the Executive of the BC Gear the Child Society, and past Chair of hte CBA Child & Youth Section.

Speakers

Rachel Birnbaum, University of Western (Toronto, ON)
Lorri Yasenik, Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute (Calgary, AB)
Michael Zimmerman, Lindsay Kenney LLP (Vancouver, BC)

Moderator:

TBC