Updated 4/19/10

Collaborative Evaluation and Mediation  (CEM)

For custody and parenting plan disputes

OFI  does not offer any direct services -

Please check below to see the list of practitioners we have trained 

Oregon Family Institute has implemented an innovative child custody and parenting time evaluation process to serve the unmet needs of parents with lower to middle incomes who do not have services available to them.

The evaluations make the parents and their attorneys the first users of the information by focusing on the needs of the children, the parents' capacities to parent, and a detailed parenting plan matching children's needs with parental capacities.


Evaluations will include interviews with home visits with each parent, interviews with minor children and contact with appropriate collaterals.


Oregon Laws ORS 107.137 establishes the standards to be considered when determining child custody:

• The emotional ties between the child and other family members
• The interest of the parties and their attitude towards the child
• The desirability of continuing an existing relationship
• The abuse of one parent by the other
• The parents' willingness to share

After the report is completed and reviewed by the parents and attorneys, the evaluator then presents their findings and recommendations at a settlement conference with the parents, their attorneys, and an OFI mediator. If the case does not settle, the evaluator will testify. Of the over sixty evaluations initiated, only a few have gone to trial requiring the evaluator to testify.

Evaluators trained in the OFI-sponsored collaborative evaluation model must meet the requirements of the Association of Family Conciliation Courts, have a minimum of a masters degree in behavioral science and have participated in training by OFI. Please see the website section called Training for more information.

OFI's child-focused, collaborative evaluations are designed to be objective, impartial, and thorough assessments of the parenting abilities of each of the parties, and result in a detailed parenting plan based on Oregon-specific requirements.   The goal is to provide to the parents and the court reliable information for determining a parenting plan in the best interest of the child.

Both parents and their attorneys must agree to use the collaborative parenting plan evaluation and mediation process. The parties or the attorneys may then contact OFI for a referral to a private practitioner in their geographic area who is doing the OFI-sponsored Collaborative Parenting Plan Evaluation and Mediation process.  Some jurisdictions have already specified panels of evaluators trained in our model that they will refer to. The attorneys must then contract directly with the selected practitioner.

The Collaborative Evaluation and Mediation Process -

Step by Step

There are two major parts of the Collaborative Parenting Plan Evaluation and Mediation process -

• Evaluation - with home visits, collateral contacts, a written report, that includes a parenting plan based on the forms available through the Oregon Judicial Department's formats, and a final report meeting of the parties and their attorneys, where the written report is discussed and questions answered, and

• Mediation - within 3-14 days of the final report, the mediator selected will hold a mediation session with the parties and their attorneys to see if they want to further elaborate on the recommendations of the evaluator.
  

If these two parts are not sufficient to help the parties make mutually acceptable arrangements, the evaluator may be requested to provide testimony in court regarding the evaluation process and their written report. The cost for this testimony is charged separately, in addition to the evaluation/mediation fee.




1. Parents and their advising attorneys decide that they want a more complete, less adversarial process, and agree to use the OFI-sponsored collaborative evaluation process.

2. Parents or their attorneys select one or more practitioners from the website listing, or contact the OFI Executive Director for referral to the collaborative evaluators in their area. Some jurisdictions have set up panels of evaluators, some of whom practice using the OFI-sponsored model of collaborative evaluation, and attorneys can get the listing of panel members from their court adminsitrator.

3. Parents or attorneys then contact those practitioners directly, to request information on the evaluator's background and experience, specific charges, mediators used, and specific availability.

4. Both parties and the attorneys agree upon an evaluator, then contact that practitioner to request the necessary forms. The practitioner you select will send the parties the necessary forms to contract for a collaborative evaluation. These forms should identify the evaluator, not OFI.

5. Each party pays their share of the required fees and submits the completed forms to the practitioner to start the collaborative evaluation process. Payment and forms are sent directly to the selected evaluator, not OFI.

6. The evaluator will contact one of several mediators that they use, and may provide the parties a choice of mediators, depending upon price and availability. (In some areas, there may not be as many qualified mediators and choice may be limited). To ensure that there are sufficient funds for this vital part of the model, most practitioners will require pre-payment of both the evaluation fee and the mediation fee before the evaluation process can start. Both payments should be sent to the selected evaluator, who will keep the mediation portion in escrow until the session is held. All financial arrangements and fees will be handled through the evaluator -

Any questions or concerns regarding the selection, payment or services provided by evaluators or mediators using the OFI-sponsored model of collaborative evaluation should be directed to the specific practitioner, or to OFI's Executive Director.

While OFI does not certify, supervise, or maintain on-going oversight of practitioners who are using our model, we do want to know that the collaborative evaluation process is being provided according to the precepts and model we support.

Updated  4/22/10

PRACTITIONERS USING THE COLLABORATIVE EVALUATION & MEDIATION MODEL

Some jurisdictions have created panels of evaluators who have been approved by a committee and the Presiding Judge.  In other jurisdictions, individuals and their attorneys agree on a private practitioner who has been trained in and uses our model.

The following listings are practitioners who have attended OFI training and state that they are using our model.  They have given their consent to be listed here.




PORTLAND AREA, NORTH COAST, VALLEY

  
Mark Harwood, MS, NCC, CADC      503-369-1022            PDX area, Valley, Coast, other
mhconsult1@msn.com

Nancy Ross Bakker, LCSW              503-452-0125            Tri-counties, Clatsop
nrb@ourdivorcecoach.com                                                www.ourdivorcecoach.com

Lori Bonnevier, MSW                        503-768-9127            Tri-counties, Coast, Marion
lbonnevier@childfocused.net                                            www.childfocused.net
   
Larry Lawson, LMFT, LCSW             503-391-2363             Marion & Polk, tri-counties,
llawson@connectionscc.com                                             Linn/Benton, Lane, Lincoln,
       
Alison Taylor,  MA,  LPC                   503-539-0581            Washington County, PDX area
alisontaylor@nfine.net                                                        www.alisontaylor.nfine.net

Gary W. MacKendrick, LPC, LMFT  503-310-7704             Washington Co. & Salem area
GWK1515@Verizon.net

Rob Phillips, MA, LPC                      503-238-9755               PDX area
robp@connectionclinic.com

Luz Martha Callum, Ed.D                 503-881-0349             PDX and tri-county area
OR Licensed Psychologist                                                    Team with Josette Luvmour
drcallum@yahoo.com                                                         Spanish and multilingual

Josette Luvmour, Ph.D.                   503-890-5076             PDX and tri-county area
josetteluvmour@comcast.net                                            team with Martha Callum
                                                                                              www.LuvmourConsulting.com

BEND, CENTRAL, LOWER VALLEY, LOWER COAST

None listed at this time
 


PROVIDING MEDIATION COMPONENT ONLY

Cynthia Mohiuddin, J.D.                503-620-8618                         Tri-co, Polk, Marion, Yamhill
cynthia@westsidefamilylaw.com     www.westsidefamilylaw.com

Meg Goldberg, M.S., J.D                503-236-2892                         Portland, others
meg@goldbergmediation.com
   
Linda Scher, J.D.                             503-232-8550                         Portland, others
linda@schermediate.com             www.Schermediate.com
   
Joshua Kadish, J.D.                        503-228-8448                         Tri-counties
jdk@meyerwyse.com                      www.mediate.com/kadish
   
Jane Parisi-Mosher, LMFT             503-472-0210                          Yamhill, Washington, others
jane.mosher1@verizon.net
   
   
JURISDICTIONS WITH PANELS

Clatsop County                          Contact the Court Administrator
   
Columbia County                      Contact the Court Administrator
   
Clackamas County                    Contact Lauren MacNeill, Director, Family Court Service
                                                        laurenmac@co.clackamas.or.us (503) 655-8415

Deschutes County                    Suzanne Donovan, Coordinator,Deschutes Co. Mental Health
                                                        suzanne_donovan@co.deschutes.or.us (541) 322-7583

Klamath County                        Contact the Presiding Judge
                                                        Has Klamath County Protocols
   
Tillamook County                      Contact the Court Administrator
   
Umatilla/ Union-Wallowa          Contact Joan Howard, Umatilla      
                                                        jhoward@co.umatilla.or.us (541) 278-5486