20 Hours | 20 CEs

This on-demand professional training program on Mental Disability Issues in Juvenile and Family Law is presented by Michael L. Perlin, JD, and Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD, in partnership with Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates.

This program focuses on four critical topics. First, learning why these issues are so essential for mental health professionals, advocates, lawyers and mediators whose work touches on any aspect of the family law system; Second, considering the full range of issues related to custody (including issues specifically related to children with special needs), adoption, marriage dissolution, foster care, and domestic abuse and guardianships as they relate to persons with mental disabilities, including the unique issues related to the role and scope of expert testimony; Third, considering the full range of special topics related to juvenile commitments to psychiatric institutions, matters related to the criminal trials of juveniles with mental disabilities (including, but not limited to questions of competency and waiver), correctional facilities in which juveniles are housed, the role of problem-solving courts, and the application of international human rights principles to this area of the law; and Forth, understand why it is vital to consider the role of sanism and pretextuality in all aspects of this system, and the application of therapeutic jurisprudence to all questions.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program you will be able to:

  • Describe issues related to juvenile commitments to psychiatric institutions

  • Describe issues related to the criminal trials of juveniles with mental disabilities

  • Describe issues related to questions of competency and waiver in juveniles with mental disabilities

  • Describe the role of problem-solving courts

  • Describe the application of international human rights principles to this area of the law

  • Describe why mental disability issues are so critical to mental health professionals, advocates, lawyers and mediators whose work touches on any aspect of the family law system

  • Describe issues related to custody in adoption, marriage dissolution, foster care, and domestic abuse and guardianships as they relate to persons with mental disabilities

  • Describe why it is important to consider the role of sanism and pretextuality in all aspects of this system

  • Describe the application of therapeutic jurisprudence to all questions

  • Describe special issues related to the role and scope of expert testimony

Presented By

Michael L. Perlin, JD

Michael L. Perlin is Professor of Law Emeritus at New York Law School (NYLS), founding director of NYLS’s Online Mental Disability Law Program, and founding director of NYLS’s International Mental Disability Law Reform Project in its Justice Action Center. He is also the co-founder of Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates. He has written 31 books and nearly 300 articles on all aspects of mental disability law, many of which deal with the overlap between mental disability law and criminal law and procedure.

Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD

Heather Ellis Cucolo is an adjunct professor in New York Law School’s online mental disability law program, has served as Acting Director of that program, and has contributed to the development of courses within the program as well as assisted in collaboration with Asia-Pacific partners to foster international distance learning. Professor Cucolo currently teaches the Americans with Disabilities Act, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Mental Disability Law and Sex Offenders to both law students, clinicians and other professionals.

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  • Intended Audience

    This self-paced program is intended for mental health and other allied professionals.

  • Experience Level

    This self-paced program is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.

  • CE / CPD Credit

    APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC Click here for state and other regional board approvals.

Course Preview

Curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome

    • Review Before Proceeding

  • 2

    Mental Disability Issues

    • Lesson 1 Video

    • Reevaluating Where We Stand

    • The Liberal Transformation of Spousal Law

    • Fifty Years of Family Law Practice

    • Lesson Quiz

  • 3

    Custody Evaluations: Competence And Domestic Relations

    • Lesson 2 Video

    • Utah's Annulment Statute

    • But I Love What's-His-Name

    • Rules, Responsibility and Commitment to Children

    • Dissolution Of Marriage Litigation

    • Lesson Quiz

  • 4

    Child Custody Determinations

    • Lesson 3 Video

    • Behavioral Sciences and the Law

    • Psychological Science in the Public Interest

    • Child Custody and the Developmentally Disabled Parent

    • Lesson Quiz

  • 5

    Perceptual Mechanisms

    • Lesson 4 Video

    • Disabled Parent in Contested Child Custody Cases

    • Best Interests of the Special Needs Child

    • Child Custody When the Parent is Mentally Ill

    • The Rights of Mentally Disabled Parents

    • Family Attorneys Representing Clients with Mental Health Challenges

    • Lesson Quiz

  • 6

    Domestic Violence

    • Lesson 5 Video

    • Expert Testimony

    • Expansive Model for Responding to Family Violence

    • Lesson Quiz

  • 7

    Juvenile Civil Commitment

    • Lesson 6 Video

    • Juveniles Facing Civil Commitment

    • Protecting Children

    • Time-Consuming Procedural Minuets

    • Parham v. J.R.

    • Lesson Quiz

  • 8

    Children's Competence

    • Lesson 7 Video

    • Competency Presumption

    • Usurping Juvenile Client Autonomy

    • Assessment of Competence

    • Adjudicative Competence

    • Lesson Quiz

  • 9

    Juvenile Waiver Issues

    • Lesson 8 Video

    • “Yonder Stands Your Orphan with His Gun”

    • Juveniles’ Capacities to Waive Miranda Rights

    • Unconstitutional Juvenile Waiver Policies

    • Graham v. Florida

    • Lesson Quiz
  • 10

    The Juvenile Court System

    • Lesson 9 Video

    • In re Gault

    • Kids Are Different

    • Juvenile Delinquency Defense

    • Keeping the Promise of Gault

    • Juvenile Problem-Solving Courts

    • Lesson Quiz
  • 11

    International Human Rights Issues

    • Lesson 10 Video

    • “A Change Is Gonna Come”

    • “Striking for the Guardians and Protectors of the Mind”

    • Mining the Intersections

    • Matter of Peggy

    • Lesson Quiz
  • 12

    Evaluation

    • Instructions

    • Evaluation

    • Submission Verification

Develop a Specialty Area of Practice

Transforming mental health professionals into experts

  • Expert Instructors

    Professional training developed and delivered by the field's leading experts

  • CE Credit

    Earn CE credit for meaningful professional training that will elevate your practice

  • Convenience & Flexibility

    Learn at your own pace, from wherever you might be!

Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates

We are proud to partner with Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates, LLC for this training. MDLPA is a boutique educational training company that offers specialized mental disability law consulting, the creation or enhancement of distance learning programs, in-house or online courses, and day or weekend training seminars to reputable organizations, educational institutions, professional groups and advocacy groups focused on providing advanced knowledge and skills to persons working with marginalized populations.NYSAP professionals have played a key role for 25 years in research on juveniles’ competence to stand trial and in developing juvenile competence standards for forensic clinical practice, law, and policy. In response to the growing demand for juvenile competence evaluations nationally, we provide consultation to assist agencies in developing or refining their juvenile competence service delivery system, as well as creating and conducting quality assurance procedures. We train clinicians and juvenile justice stakeholders (e.g., judges, attorneys, and community partners) in practice standards for conducting high quality juvenile competence evaluations.
Partner Website

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