The Child Specialist is a licensed mental health professional with a background in working with children and families who is trained in the Collaborative Process and who serves on the Collaborative team as a neutral representative of the child/children’s needs and interests in the separation/divorce process of the parents. The Child Specialist will work with the child(ren) and the parents to:
1) Provide the child(ren) with an opportunity to voice his/her concerns regarding the divorce.
2) Provide parents with information and guidance to help their child(ren) through this process.
3) Give information to the parties and the collaborative team that will help the parties in developing an effective co-parenting plan for their child(ren).
The Child Specialist provides insight into how the child(ren) is coping with the divorce and offers options for the time-share and other logistics in their best interest. The Child Specialist can act as a spokesperson for younger children or help older children articulate their feelings/wishes directly to their parents, coaches, and/or attorneys.