Life Span’s groundbreaking “Custody Evaluation and Domestic Violence: Toward Best Practices Symposium” on March 12, 2015 was a success! Our Executive Director, Denice Wolf Markham and Domestic Relations Presiding Judge, Grace Dickler, lead the list of the Chicago-area’s most knowledgeable and experienced judges, family law attorneys, forensics psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers who were in attendance and delivered presentations.
Life Span Executive Director, Denice Wolf Markham, JD
Denice Wolf Markham, Executive Director of Life Span, delivers Symposium Welcome Address.
Domestic Relations Presiding Judge Grace Dickler
Judge Dickler discusses Custody Evaluation in the Domestic Relations Division.
Beth Wilner, Phd., licensed clinical psychologist, mediator, and founder of Families In Transition, Inc.
Dr. Beth Wilner’s plenary address, Domestic Violence in the Context of the Custody Evaluation.
Margaret Luft, MSW LCSW, ICDVP, Life Span Director of Counseling.
Margaret Luft, presents The Traumatic Effects of Domestic Violence. This session identifies the effects of long term trauma, and outlook for the parent victim and child witnesses of abuse.
Panelists: Lanetta Haynes Turner JD, Michelle Valiukenas Bikulcs MA, JD, Itedal Shalabi and Hajira Mahdi.
The Immigrant Family: The Role of Culture and Language. Panelists from Arab American Family Services, Apna Ghar, Life Span, and Lanetta Haynes Turner, ED of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council examine the cultural norms and language that may affect the immigrant family’s custody evaluation and share insights on how the evaluator can address these issues.
Amy Fox, JD – Life Span Deputy Executive Director with Lanetta Haynes Turner, JD., Executive Director of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council.
A resounding THANK YOU to Amy Fox, Deputy Executive Director of Life Span and Symposium coordinator for her help in making this a successful event!
Barbara Palmer, MSW and Kathryn Socha, JD
Forensic Evaluator Barbara Palmer, and Legal Assistance Foundation attorney Kathryn Socha led a presentation on Domestic Violence Advocacy with Custody Evaluators.
Stacey Platt, JD – Associate Director of the ChildLaw Clinic at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, with Denice Wolf Markham.
Stacey Platt, panelist on The Interface Between Evaluators and Child’s Reps.
Group picture with Denice Wolf Markham, Executive Director of Life Span.
The Honorable David Haracz (left) participated as panelist for breakout session: The Use of Evaluations in Custody Determinations: What do Judges Want to Know From Evaluators? Judge Haracz is Associate Judge in the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Life Span Director of Legal Services Djuana O’Connor Oshin, JD (rear/right) moderated a panel discussion examining The Interface between Evaluators and Child’s Reps.