Understanding the Intersection of Divorce, Mental Health, & Substance Abuse

OVERVIEW:

This year's family law symposium will center on gaining a deeper understanding of the intersection of divorce, mental health, and substance abuse with respect to the child, as well as to the representation of one or both parents in these cases. This interdisciplinary event will address:

• How to work with clients struggling with their mental health and/or substance use;
• Testing for substance abuse in cases;
• Counseling for mental health concerns;
• How to navigate cases when substance abuse allegations are made;
• What can be done to protect the best interests of a child when their parents have mental health or substance abuse concerns; and
• Practical tools to help parties address these concerns and work to ensure the safety of a child.

The symposium will be presented online and in person, and registration must be completed no later than Friday, November 15th.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

1 0:00am-10:15am | Check In & Welcome

Coffee is generously sponsored by OurFamilyWizard.

10:15am-10:45am | Keynote Speaker: Substance Use and Abuse in Divorce Litigation

Learn the impact of parties' substance use on children and discuss monitoring options to address the best interests of children.

• Professor Carol J. Weiss, M.D., Weill Cornell Medical College

11:00am-11:45am | Mental Health of Divorcing Parties and its Impact on Litigation

This discussion will examine the topic of mental health and how to work with parties struggling with mental health concerns while in the midst of a divorce.

• Lindsay Nathan, Ascend Justice
• Virginia Torres Ryan, LCSW, JD, Family Horizons PLLC
• Nicole Scott (Moderator), NMS Family Law Firm

1 1:45am-12:30pm | Lunch Break & Soberlink Presentation

Lunch is generously sponsored Soberlink.

12:30pm-1:30pm | A Party is Abusing Drugs or Alcohol, Now What Happens?

Substance abuse by a parent have lasting ramifications in a divorce, especially on a parent-child relationship. This panel will examine how to address this serious issue and provide insight and practical tools to help parties navigate a divorce to protect all involved parties.

• Mike Gammel, True Test Labs
• Wendy Pawelski, LCPC, CADC, EMDR, Ivy Land Counseling
• Hilary Rosenberg, LCPC, Millenium Counseling Center
• Marly Tristano, Tristano & Tristano

• Helena Trachtenberg (Moderator), Cooper Trachtenberg Law Group

1:30pm-2:30pm | Best Practices for Cases Involving Mental Health and Substance Abuse Concerns

This panel will address the best practices when a party's mental health or substance abuse impacts their case, how to address these concerns in litigation, what to look out for when working with clients when these concerns arise, and the right questions to ask your client.

• Hon. Karen J. Bowes, Cook County Circuit Court, Domestic Relations Division
• Hon. Edward A. Arce, Cook County Circuit Court, Domestic Relations Division
• Nicole Onorato, Beattie | Onorato
• Emily Ruwe (Moderator), The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson LLC

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Up to 3.5 general Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits pending. DePaul University College of Law is an accredited CLE Provider.

CLE credit is extended to Illinois attorneys only. Attorneys who need CLE from other states are welcome to apply to their jurisdictions on their own. Extension of CLE credit is subject to each states approval.

In-person attendance will be taken November 19th and on-line attendance will be taken through an online login system. Attendees who do not attend the full conference will receive credit only for the parts they attend.

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Consent For Video Recording and Transcription:

This event will be recorded and may be later made publicly available via the Internet. Participation in the event constitutes consent to be recorded, including without limitation by audio, video, and still images. Participants understand that such recordings may be distributed by means of a variety of media, formats, and contexts, and that this may occur during the event and thereafter. Participants waive all claims for any compensation and for any damages or other remedies in connection with such recordings and the use thereof.

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Please contact Katie Liss at [email protected] regarding sponsorship opportunities for this event and with any inquiries about this event or to apply for a needs-based scholarship.

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Thank you to Soberlink for sponsoring our Symposium Lunch and to OurFamilyWizard for sponsoring our Symposium Coffee Station!

Host or Publisher Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center