The Family Assistance and Parent Support Program
Support Persons and Their Roles
The Family Assistance and Parent Support Program takes into account that a family experiencing the transition of separation/divorce will require the support of individuals with various levels of training and experience during the period of the program. The program involves professionals that are currently involved with assisting families in conflict. To provide specific assistance quickly to families, whenever they may require it, the program pairs families with various professional support persons at the initial stages of the program, even though they may never be required. Pre-arranging support persons will ensure that response to a family’s need will be prompt.
A significant advantage to the family participating in the program is the wholly non-adversarial attitude displayed by all involved persons. This positive approach will provide greater overall benefits to both the family and community.
The following persons cooperatively form the team that will assist the family throughout their participation in the program. To clarify each support-team members’ role, a brief description is provided below.
Judges
The significant role of judges will be to provide endorsement in finalizing the family’s separation/parenting arrangement. Their endorsement will ensure that the families support team will have the support of the court while the program is implemented. Additionally, Judges will benefit by having a reduced level of responsibility in decisions affecting the family’s future which will drastically cut the time needed to process a family through the court. More importantly, the judge’s responsibility will be to acknowledge the efforts of parents and community in assuming a greater degree of responsibility in creating and implementing solutions
Lawyers
The primary role of lawyers will be to complete all necessary legal work required as part the program and to deal with any legal concerns that may arise. Ensuring that each party receives bona fide, independent legal advice in a constructive and competent manner, replacing their traditional adversarial style, will also embody a significant component of their role.
Family health care professionals (M.D.’s, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, etc.)
The role of the family health-care professional will be to oversee the program and/or to direct the family to appropriate professional help if required. These professionals usually will deal with the physical and psychological matters affecting family members.
Social Workers/Mediators, etc.
The role of social workers will be to offer beneficial services such as mediation, counseling and conflict-resolution services as may be required by the family.
Family coordinators
Family Coordinators are key persons who are trained to fulfill a number of duties. Some of these duties would include:
To help family members deal with the less serious day-to-day difficulties that may arise such as disputes over parenting schedules, returning of children’s clothing, arranging phone calls, etc. Family Coordinators will help the parties find reasonable solutions and then monitor the situation to ensure that parties are following what was agreed to Family Coordinators serve as the first contact for both parents and provide a friendly, cost-effective means of resolving a variety of minor problems.
To provide published information to family members about issues of parenting, relationships and any issue affecting the family and also to refer family members to appropriate support professionals in the community such as psychologists, counsellors, etc.
To gather information from children relative to their wishes, preferences and well-being. Children often find family coordinators easier to speak to because children often get to know a family coordinator quite well and can talk to a family coordinator in a more friendly environment such as their home. Most information gathering by family coordinators is done outside of the office environment. Family members usually have access to the appointed Family Coordinator at almost any time as calls are usually accepted on a 7 day, 24 hour basis.
To assist social workers, health-care professionals and lawyers by providing them with the information gathered in an accurate and reliable manner. Family Coordinators act like a second set of ears and eyes to any health care or legal professional who may be involved with the family. The additional information gathered by a family coordinator can be of significant importance in helping a health care professional more accurately determine the most appropriate care for the family.
To make recommendations as to the best interest of the children from the perspective of the community, based on the guidelines outlined in the program
Due to their important role in this program, the procedures and guidelines for family coordinators are discussed more thoroughly in the Family Coordinators manual.
Family support person
The purpose of a family support person is to provide additional moral backing for the parent. This support person could be a friend or neighbour of the parent, but not someone directly involved with the family or living in the family home. Each parent will have the option of choosing their own family support person(s) with whom they feel most comfortable. The support person will interact with the Family Coordinators and assist in resolving any day-to-day problems that may arise. The presence of family support persons will help to moderate the behavior of any parent who may be highly emotional.
Family support persons may also provide their formal support to the party they are supporting by acknowledging their participation to be part of the support team to monitor that the person to whom they are providing their support is complying to documents such as the best interests of the child and the right of the child.
Accountants, Financial advisors, Tax accountants
The role of the accountant will be to ensure that financial arrangements between the parents provide the maximum overall savings to the family while promoting fairness between the parents. Accountants will also be involved should there be any conflict over finances, such as may be the case if one parent earns more or has greater personal wealth than the other.
Police enforcement agencies
The role of police will be limited to dealing only with the most serious of family-conflict matters involving criminal Code violations such as; enforcement of court Orders where there is verified denial of access, child abduction, use of weapons and physical/sexual abuse. Police would not be involved in the minor day-to-day conflicts that tend to arise between family members such as early stages of access denial or other minor disagreements. Most conflict with the family will be dealt with by members of the family’s assigned support team and members of the community who are familiar with all the parties involved.
Oct 13, 2000
This page is reprinted from "The Family Assistance and Parent Support Program" manual published by Family Conflict Resolution Services. For the latest version of the program manual contact the authors