5/25/2016 T he Gua rdia n a d L ite m Wo rking with the Yo ung - - PDF document

5/25/2016 1

T he Gua rdia n a d L ite m

Wo rking with the Yo ung Child

Ne b ra ska Yo ung Child Institute June 27-28, 2016

Gua rdia n a d L ite m Autho rity

 Sta tute Ove rvie w  43-272.01 GAL

; a ppo intme nt; po we rs a nd dutie s; c o nsulta tio n; pa yme nt o f c o nsulta tio n; pa yme nt o f c o sts; c o mpe nsa tio n

 Appo intme nt Orde rs  Diffe re nc e s b e twe e n c o untie s  Supre me Co urt pra c tic e sta nda rds

Supre me Co urt Rule 6-1705(D)(1)(d

L e g a l Pra c tic e s

 Mo tio ns

 Mo tio n fo r In Cha mb e rs  Mo tio n to Qua sh De po sitio n/ Subpo e na  Mo tio n fo r Cha ng e o f Pla c e me nt  Mo tio n fo r Bo nding Asse ssme nt  Mo tio n fo r T

he ra pe utic Visita tio n

 Mo tio n to Suspe nd Visits  Mo tio n fo r Out o f Sta te T

ra ve l

 Mo tio n fo r Pro te c tive Orde r o f Disc o ve ra b le Info rma tio n  Mo tio n to T

e rmina te Pa re nta l Rig hts

 Mo tio n fo r E

duc a tio na l Surro g a te

 Mo tio n fo r Se pa ra te Co unse l  Mo tio n fo r a CASA

5/25/2016 2 L e g a l Pra c tic e s

 Ob je c tio ns  Cha ng e o f Pla c e me nt a nd Sta y  Rule 34(A) Sub po e na  Co mpla int fo r L

e a ve to Inte rve ne

 ICWA Mo tio n to T

ra nsfe r

 Writte n v. Ora l

L e g a l Pra c tic e s

 Disc o ve ry  Mutua l a nd Re c ipro c a l  De po sitio ns  Re q ue st fo r Pro duc tio n  Inte rro g a to rie s  Rule 34A sub po e na  Mo tio n to Co mpe l  Po lic e / Pro je c t Ha rmo ny vide o s a nd re po rts

L e g a l Pra c tic e s

 GAL

a s a witne ss

 Whe n& Why  Cro ss-e xa minatio n o f GAL

re po rt

 I

nve stig a to ry func tio n o f GAL

 No t ne c e ssa rily a n E

xpe rt in Child We lfa re

 Ca n a GAL

b e b o th le g a l a dvo c a te a nd witne ss in the sa me pro c e e ding

 Ob je c tio n to b e ing c a lle d  Re q ue st fo r c o urt a ppo inte d re pre se nta tio n b y

le g a l c o unse l

 Po st c a se c lo sure / po st a ppo intme nt te rmina tio n

5/25/2016 3 Re po rts

 Gua rdia n a d L

ite m Re po rts

 Supre me Co urt F

• rma t

 I

nfo rma tio n to inc lude o r a tta c h

 Re la xe d Rule s o f E

vide nc e

 Whe n a re GAL

re po rts re q uire d?

 Who g e ts a c o py?  Ob je c tio ns to GAL

re po rt

Re po rts

 NDHHS Re po rts  Re la xe d Rule s o f E

vide nc e

 Pro vide r re po rts vs. c a se wo rke r summa ry  Disse mina tio n to o the rs  Othe r re po rts  Yo ung Child c o urt re po rt fo rms  Ca re g ive r re po rts  F

• ste r Ca re Re vie w Offic e

Me dic a ting Yo ung Childre n

 ADHD ve rsus tra uma sympto ms  Wha t do yo u ne e d to a sk?  Who do yo u ne e d to ta lk to ?  Sta tistic s

5/25/2016 4

Re la tio nship with yo ur c hild c lie nt

 GAL

visits a nd c o nta c ts

 Sta tuto ry re q uire me nts  I

nitia l a ppo intme nt

 Minimum c o nta c ts  Na ture o f c o nta c t  Whe re sho uld yo u/ c a n yo u visit  E

xpla ining yo ur ro le to the c hild

 Wha t kind o f info rma tio n a re yo u se e king

Re la tio nship with yo ur c hild c lie nt

 Ne b . Re v. Sta t. §43-272.01(2)(g ).  Re q ue sting info rma tio n  Sc ho o ls  Da yc a re  Me dic a l Re c o rds  Ca re g ive rs  E

va lua tio ns

 T

re a tme nt pro vide rs

 *Pa re nts

Re la tio nship with yo ur c hild c lie nt

 Ve ry yo ung c hild o r diminishe d c a pa c ity c hild?  Unde rsta nd the ir de ve lo pme nta l sta g e s a nd

limita tio ns

 Ge t do wn o n the ir le ve l a nd inte ra c t with the c hild  Pe rso na l o b se rva tio n o f de ve lo pme nt ma rke rs  Ca re g ive r o b se rva tio ns  No n-ve rb a l c lie nts/ infa nts  Ca re g ive r o b se rva tio ns  Ha ve yo u he ld the b a b y?  Assumptio n tha t the c hild wa nts a re la tio nship with

the pa re nt if it c a n b e sa fe a nd he a lthy

5/25/2016 5

Re la tio nship with yo ur c hild c lie nt

 Child Witne ss  Who se witne ss is it?  Is the c hild a ne c e ssa ry witne ss?  Co mpe te nc y  T

he ra pe utic pre pa ra tio n/ c o ping skills

 Mo tio n fo r In-Cha mb e rs  F

a milia rizing c hild with c o urt ro o m

 Ag e a ppro pria te la ng ua g e  Ag e a ppro pria te q ue stio ning

Re la tio nship with yo ur c hild c lie nt

 Child Witne ss  Ag e a ppro pria te la ng ua g e .

 T

ruth, lie s, rig ht, wro ng

 One tho ug ht pe r simple se nte nc e q ue stio n  F

ra me q ue stio ns in te rms o f the c hild’ s e xpe rie nc e

 Avo id le g a l wo rds a nd phra se s  Do n’ t a ssume c hild unde rsta nds me a ning o f a

wo rd just b e c a use the y use the wo rd

 Use spe c ific na me s a nd pla c e s  Avo id “do yo u re me mb e r” in yo ur q ue stio ns  Avo id using ne g a tive s in q ue stio ns

E thic s

 NE

Sta tute s

 Ne b . Re v. Sta t. §27-503 do e s no t dire c tly a ddre ss ho w

the a tto rne y-c lie nt privile g e a pplie s to mino rs

 Rule s o f Pro fe ssio na l Co nduc t  Co mmunic a tio ns

 Rule 1.14(a ) – c lie nt c a pa c ity to ma ke a de q ua te ly

c o nside re d de c isio ns ma y b e diminishe d b y mino rity

 Rule 1.14(c ) – implie d a utho rity, b ut o nly to e xte nt

re a so na b ly ne c e ssa ry to pro te c t c lie nt’ s inte re sts

 Co nfide ntia lity  Rule 1.6(a ) – re ve a l c o nfide ntia l info rma tio n whe n a c lie nt

g ive s info rme d c o nse nt

 Rule 1.6(b )(1) – to e xte nt la wye r b e lie ve s re a so na b ly

ne c e ssa ry to pre ve nt c lie nt fro m c o mmitting c rime o r to pre ve nt re a so na b le c e rta in de a th o r sub sta ntia l b o dily injury

 Rule 1.6(b )(4) – to e xte nt la wye r re a so na b ly b e lie ve s

ne c e ssa ry c o mply with la w o r o the r c o urt o rde r  ABA Sta nda rds o f Pra c tic e fo r L

a wye rs Who Re pre se nt Childre n in Ab use a nd Ne g le c t Ca se s

5/25/2016 6 E thic s

 F

a mily T e a m Me e ting s/ Gro up Co nfe re nc e s

 No n-disc lo sure fo rms

 Priva c y/ Pro te c te d I

nfo rma tio n

 E

xhib its

 Me dic a l Re c o rds, E

va lua tio ns, Sc ho o l Re c o rds,

• the rs

 Sha ring with ne c e ssa ry pa rtie s in pursua nc e o f

c hild’ s b e st inte re sts.

E thic s

 Child disc lo sure s  Assuming the Atto rne y-Clie nt privile g e o f Ne b .

Re v. Sta t. §27-503 a pplie s…..Ho we ve r, if the juve nile did no t inte nd the info rma tio n to b e disc lo se d to third pa rtie s, the GAL must c o nside r whe the r the disc lo sure sho uld b e ma de b e c a use it is ne c e ssa ry to pro te c t the juve nile fro m e xpo sure to a hig h risk o f ha rm.

In re Christina W. 219 W. Va . 678, S.E .2d 770 (2006)

 While a c hild’ s wishe s sho uld b e pre se nte d to

the Co urt, the ma in c o nc e rn is the c hild’ s b e st inte re sts

Que stio ns a nd Answe rs

 I

t c a n b e fun a nd fulfilling to b e a GAL ! Childre n a re the e ntire re a so n fo r the Juve nile Co urt. Gua rdia n a d L ite ms ha ve a uniq ue o ppo rtunity to pla y a n impo rta nt ro le in the ir sa fe ty, he a lth, a nd g e ne ra l we ll-b e ing .