June 2008
Child and Family Investigator Training Program
June 23, 24, 25, June 30, July 1, 2008
Co-sponsored by the CBA Family Law Section, the Metropolitan Denver Interdisciplinary Committee, the Boulder Interdisciplinary Committee, the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the Office of the Child's Representative
This 40-hour child and family investigator training program is designed to meet the training requirements for new CFI's as defined in Chief Justice Directive 04-08. Les Katz and Andrew Loizeaux of Katz & Loizeaux Forensic Services, LLC have developed a skills training program that presents both theoretical and practical information pertinent to the CFI role. Previous training programs have attracted new CFIs, experienced CFIs, and family law attorneys and counselors who work with CFIs.
What is a CFI?
Child and family investigators are Court appointed professionals who "investigate, report, and make recommendations" regarding the best interests of children in domestic relations cases when the children's parents or guardians have been unable to come to agreements themselves. The child and family investigator role is defined in C.R.S. 14-10-116.5 and the professional standards that clarify the role and the accountability of child and family investigators are detailed in Chief Justice Directive 04-08 (the Child and Family Investigator Standards).
Program Highlights
- Attendance is Limited! Register Today!
- Training designed and provided by professionals
- Highly interactive, participatory learning experience
Agenda
Please note: The program will run from 8:30 am until 5:15 pm all five days. There will be 2-3 breaks per day and an hour and fifteen minute lunch on your own each day. Registration on June 23 will begin at 8:00 am. A continental breakfast, mid-morning and mid-afternoon refreshment breaks will be offered each day.
8:00 am – Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:30 am –Program begins
12:00 pm –Lunch on your own
5:15 pm –Program concludes each day
Day One - June 23: Overview of The CFI Role
- Overview of the CFI Role
- Legal foundations
- Best interests of the child
- Moving a case from start to finish
Day Two - June 24: Theory & Research: Families, Children and Divorce
- Attachment and child development
- Divorce research and resources
- Understanding parents and families
- Overnights and relocation
Day Three - June 25: CFI Skill Development
- Assessment of adults
- Assessment of children and parent⁄child relationships
- Assessment of families in family law matters
- Assessment of family diversity
- Becoming a CFI and choosing and using CFIs
Day Four - June 30: High Conflict and Psychopathology
- High conflict and parent alienation
- Child abuse and abuse allegations
- Domestic violence and substance abuse
- Adult psychopathology and parenting
- Use of psychological testing in CFI investigations
Day Five - July 1: Putting it all Together
- Developing parenting plans
- Child and Family Investigator standards
- Courts and expert testimony
- Developing an ethical CFI practice
Faculty
Les Katz, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and a partner with Dr. Andrew Loizeaux in Katz & Loizeaux Forensic Services, LLC. He serves as a parental responsibilities evaluator, child and family investigator (CFI), and consultant to attorneys and other professionals. He has served on the Colorado Supreme Court Standing Committee on Family Issues, and the Colorado Psychological Association's Ethics Committee.
Andrew Loizeaux, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and a partner with Dr. Les Katz in Katz & Loizeaux Forensic Services, LLC. Dr. Loizeaux serves as an evaluator, CFI, consultant to attorneys, and psychotherapist. He serves on the Colorado Psychological Association's Ethics Committee.
Pamela A. Gagel, JD, is the Assistant Director at the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, University of Denver. Ms. Gagel was a District Court Magistrate in both Denver and Arapahoe County hearing domestic relations cases, worked at the State Court Adminstrator's office on implementation of new practices and procedures in domestic relations cases statewide, and has practiced as a mediator and CFI. She previously served on the Colorado Supreme Court Standing Committee on Family Issues.
Laura Hockman, PsyD joined Katz & Loizeaux in 2005 and provides child and family investigator services and collaborates on Parental Responsibility Evaluations. Dr. Hockman also provides psychological assessment services both on Katz & Loizeaux cases and as a consultant to other CFIs. Dr. Hockman is a licensed psychologist who also works in private practice, providing psychotherapy and assessment services. In addition, she is Adjunct Faculty at the University of Denver's School of Professional Psychology, teaching and supervising on psychological testing.
Lee Hockman, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice. He joined Katz & Loizeaux in 2003 and provides child and family investigator services and parental responsibility evaluations. Dr. Hockman has worked on a variety of cases at Katz & Loizeaux with particular skill at assessing family dynamics and parent⁄child relationships. Dr. Hockman is also Adjunct Faculty at the University of Denver's School of Professional Psychology.
Kathryn Kilian, MA, LPC is a licensed professional counselor and psychotherapist in private practice. She joined Katz & Loizeaux in 2007. She serves as a child and family investigator, co-evaluator, and parenting coordinator. She is the specialist at Katz & Loizeaux in alcohol and substance abuse evaluations.
Stacy Nolan, PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice. She joined Katz & Loizeaux in 2006, where she collaborates on Child and Family Investigator services and Parental Responsibility Evaluations, and consults on issues related to young children and parent-child interactions. Dr. Nolan previously served on the faculty of the Irving Harris Program in Child Development and Infant Mental Health at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Diana Powell, JD, is a licensed attorney and Vice President of Gutterman Griffiths PC. She represents parents and acts as a mediator in high conflict cases, in both litigation and collaborative process, involving child and family investigators (“CFI”), collaborative child specialists, co-parenting communications coaches and parenting coordinators⁄domestic decision-makers (“PC⁄DDM”).
Dave Schutzman, MA, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and psychotherapist in private practice working primarily with adolescents. Mr. Schutzman joined Katz & Loizeaux in 2006 and serves as a child & family investigator, co-evaluator, and parenting coordinator⁄decision maker. With 27 years of experience working as a teacher and school counselor, Mr. Schutzman has an in depth knowledge of school systems and how they function, and he often works on CFI cases where school issues have become part of the parental dispute.
Theresa Spahn, JD., is the Executive Director of The Office of the Child's Representative. Ms. Spahn was a District Court Magistrate in Adams County for seven years where she presided over juvenile, domestic relations, and criminal matters. She serves on the Colorado Supreme Court Standing Committee on Family Issues.
Brenda L. Storey, J.D., is a partner in the law firm of McGuane and Hogan, LLP, specializing in family law. She is on the Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association's Family Law Section, as well as on the legislative committee of the Section. She is co-chairing this year's 2008 Family Law Institute, and has authored many publications such as the "Dissolution of Marriage Chapter" of The Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Domestic Relations Law published by Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc.
Gina Weitzenkorn, JD, is a partner in the law firm of Mills & Weitzenkorn, P.C. Her practice includes serving as child and family investigator, child's legal representative, and arbitrator, as well as representing parties is dissolution of marriage matters. She is the current co-chair of the Colorado Women's Bar Association Judicial Committee. She currently serves on the Colorado Supreme Court Standing Committee on Family Issues. She has been an adjunct professor at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver where she taught family law.
