![[child custody]](cust.gif)
CHILD CUSTODY:
Practice Standards, Ethical Issues & Legal Safeguards for Mental Health Professionals
Robert Henley Woody, PhD, JD
Essential reading for any mental health professional who is
currently involved in custody cases as well as those who are considering
work in the family law arena. The author uses his unique perspective as both
a psychologist and attorney to delineate standards for practice when providing
services to children and families when there are custody disputes. He describes
the ethical issues, legal risks, and appropriate safeguards for providing
services in child custody cases and defines the core areas for custody
evaluations, including: child development, family relations, parenting skills,
psychopathology, family systems and dysfunction, and the ruling-out of child
abuse. The author stresses the importance of clarifying professional roles
and functions. Specialized intervention and assessment strategies are presented
as well as management issues. legal concerns, and guidelines for testimony.
Includes over 100 valuable summary guidelines and caution. This is also a
valuable resource for judges and attorneys who must evaluate the extent to
which testimony by mental health practitioners is ethical, appropriate, and
consistent with accepted practice standards. Also contains useful information
for divorced and divorcing parents.
"A mini course on child custody for the mental health practitioner
and for those who take graduate courses which involve ethical and legal aspects
of practice within the context of child and family interventions. Woody advocates
an approach to this area which integrates a cognitive social learning approach
with family systems approaches... The book also provides a number of relevant
guidelines that should be instructive for the mental health professional
entering this arena. For example, Woody suggests that practitioners should
explore the topic of child abuse (cautiously but deliberately) in every child
custody case. He also indicates that comprehensive observations, interviewing,
and site visits are the cornerstones of child custody evaluations and these
can be buttressed by psychological assessment (testing). The book provides
very helpful information to the mental health professional with regard to
being in a deposition, being on the witness stand, critiquing the testimony
of colleagues, and becoming prepared for expert testimony. Overall, I found
this to be an exceptionally helpful manual which has both practical, scholarly,
and theorhetical foundations. This book succeeds very well in dealing with
the complex and contentious area of child custody testimony."
-Norman Abeles, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Director, Psychological Clinic, Michigan State University
"This is a well-written 'inspirational' work. It provides the reader with the concerns and pitfalls associated with a managed care practice. More importantly, however, it provides the reader with a needed sense of direction. The sense of empowerment obtained from the book is just the 'shot in the arm' needed by those seeking to start and maintain thriving clinical practices."
-Frank De Piano, PhD, reviewing for Journal of Psychotherapy in Independent Practice