Practice Note 7 Interventions in Airdrie & Canmore

What a Practice Note 7 Intervention is​

There are several evaluations and interventions considered under a Practice Note 7 Order. Under Practice Note 7, a Psychologist can provide written feedback to parents, lawyers, and the Court to help resolve the family conflict.

A Practice Note 7 Intervention can be evaluative or therapeutic in nature.

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What this process is not

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This process is not an assessment of the parents, and no opinion is given regarding parenting time or the suitability of the children being in the care of either parent.

Under Practice Note 7, a Parenting Expert conducting an Intervention will not provide an opinion or recommendation on parenting time, parenting responsibilities, decision making, or relocation. The Parenting Expert can describe what is happening with the children and within the family dynamic

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How the process works​

The process generally begins with a conference between Dr. Michelle and your legal counsel. If everyone agrees to move forward with a Practice Note 7 intervention or evaluation, a Court Order is drafted by one of the lawyers, signed by Dr. Michelle and the lawyers, and then sent to the Court for review by a Justice. We also draft a service agreement setting out the terms for your review.

Once the service agreements are reviewed, signed, and returned, the retainer is paid, and we have a copy of the filed Order, we schedule sessions for your family.

Parents each attend an individual intake session. Children attend two to three sessions, alternating which parent brings them. Depending on the intervention, joint parent-child sessions may also take place.

Once everyone has attended their appointments, a written report is provided to the Justice who ordered the intervention, with copies to your legal counsel. Parents are invited to review the report with their lawyer, and self-represented parties can arrange to see the report with a Court clerk.
 

Preparing for your intake session​​

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Please ensure you have a quiet and secure space with good internet connectivity. We meet on OWL, our secure practice management portal.

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In this initial session, you can expect to discuss the history of your relationship with the other parent, including your parenting schedule, and your hopes for your family and, in particular, your children. You will also be asked to share any cultural values or traditions that are important for us to know. Screening for family violence, including coercive control, is completed at this time.

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Child sessions involve a semi-structured interview as well as play-based activities.

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What we ask of parents

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• Make appointments a priority. Appointments are held during regular business hours. If an appointment needs to be cancelled, the parent who cannot attend notifies Dr. Michelle and the other parent, and reschedules in a timely manner.
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• Attend appointments on time and prepared. Please do not arrive early.
   

• Abide by all Court Orders in place, where applicable.
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• Actively support your child by attending appointments, giving your child positive messages, engaging in self-care, seeking individual counselling when needed, and following our communication protocols.
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• Dr. Michelle will follow the agreed process, use professional knowledge to guide the family towards the goals, and report to the Court in a timely manner.

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Services available under a Practice Note 7 Order

A Practice Note 7 Intervention can be evaluative or therapeutic. The services below are available under a Practice Note 7 Order.

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Evaluative interventions

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Triage: 15 to 20 hours. An evaluation of the family dynamics to provide recommendations to the Court concerning the type of intervention that may best meet the needs of the family.

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Voice of the Child: 12 to 20 hours, depending on the number of children. An objective report of a child's views, prepared for the parents, their counsel and the Court. Described in full below.

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Therapeutic interventions 

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Co-Parent Counselling: 12 to 25 hours.

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Parent-Child Reunification: 20 to 40 hours. Also known as parent-child contact problems. 

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Therapeutic Intervention with One Parent: 6 to 8 hours. Counselling for an individual parent who is seen as creating difficulty for the children, or who is impeding the ability to reach resolution on parenting issues. The parent may also be seen to address their own issues which are impeding cooperation and progress. This includes an education component, as well as assisting the parent to develop coping skills, process grief, and hold a more realistic view of the impact their behavior has on the child.

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Therapeutic Intervention with Child: 8 hours, comprising two sessions, one with each parent, four sessions with the child, and two hours of report writing. The focus is on helping the child with adjustment related to the separation or divorce, grief and loss, and the development of coping strategies.

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Therapeutic Intervention with Parents and Child: 20 hours. The focus is on assisting the family in improving communication and cooperation to facilitate a change in the relationships that meets the emotional needs of the family members. The development of a parenting plan may also result from this intervention.

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Voice of the Child in detail 

Hearing a child's views may result in early resolution for families, as parents are given information that allows them to refocus on the needs of the child. A Voice of the Child evaluation can be completed within six to eight weeks, depending on parenting schedules and the number of children involved, compared with a custody assessment, which can take six to twelve months from the date of referral.

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The process for meeting with children includes a semi-structured interview and play-based activities.

We engage children in a calm and supportive environment, allowing the child's narrative to unfold naturally. Most children really enjoy coming to the office, and many are prepared to provide their story and share their experiences in the home. A Voice of the Child focuses on children sharing their views and thoughts regarding their parents, stepparents, siblings, school, friends, and concerns regarding the parenting arrangements. Parents are also asked to attend a session aimed at gathering information to provide context to the children's views.

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It is important to know that Psychologists do not make recommendations about parenting time, but rather provide information to allow the parents, with their lawyers and mediators, or the Court Justice, to make decisions based on the views of the children and other information related to the family.

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The process includes:

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• Consultation between legal counsel, parents, and the Psychologist to determine and agree upon the scope of practice.
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• A Court Order that clearly outlines the intervention and terms.
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• A service agreement created by the Psychologist outlining the process. Parents are encouraged to ask questions at any time and seek clarification before providing consent.
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• Each parent meets separately with the Psychologist for a session of one and a half to two hours, covering the history of the marriage, the impact on the children and the nature of conflict with the other parent. Screening for domestic violence, interpersonal violence or coercive control is completed at this time. Parents are encouraged to send any relevant additional information by email.
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• The Psychologist meets with each of the children, brought to the office once by the mother and once by the father. Parents join the session at the beginning to review the reason for the session and to ensure the children are comfortable with the process. Each child typically has their own session. Where there is more than one child, the children may be seen together to observe the dynamics between siblings.
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• Sessions are one to two hours. The first session focuses on building rapport and gathering information from the child. At the second session, the Psychologist reviews the information from the initial session and confirms whether the child's views remain the same.
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• The Psychologist prepares a written report to be shared with the lawyers and sent to the Court. Parents do not receive copies of the report but may review it in the presence of their legal counsel or a Court clerk.
   

Often, after hearing their child's views, parents resolve issues related to parenting time by mutual consent without going to court. The hope is that once the child is heard, parents make adjustments in their behaviour and begin to focus on what is best for the children.

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The intervention report will address, among other things:

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• what the parents identify as issues regarding the child;
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• what the child says about the parents and family situation, and their needs;
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• whether the statements made by the child are consistent, in vocabulary and perspective, with what a child of that age is expected to say, or whether the child appears to be influenced, coached, or exposed to negative influences regarding the family;
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• an adolescent's understanding of the pros and cons of a decision, and their appreciation of the implications, which may be explored; and
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• the needs of the family and what processes could assist in meeting those needs.

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This process describes what is happening in the family and with the children. While children under the age of 18 may have opinions as to what they would like, it is the responsibility of the parents to make the difficult parenting decisions to avoid placing developmentally inappropriate pressures on the child.

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Fees and how to begin 

Dr. Michelle's forensic rate is $425 per hour. A retainer of between $4,250 and $7,500 is required in advance.

This work cannot be booked online. The process begins with a conference between Dr. Michelle and your legal counsel. Please call the office at 403-448-0048 to arrange this.

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Why families and counsel choose Child Inspired 

- Led by Dr. Michelle Soucy Dahl, Ph.D., Registered Psychologist with over 25 years of experience, and a Parenting Expert for the Court.

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- Maintains professional registrations with the Psychological Association of Alberta and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).

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- A collaborative team of therapists, from our doctoral-level Registered Psychologist to our Certified Counsellors.

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- Two offices, one in Airdrie and one in Canmore.

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Speak to us about whether a Practice Note 7 Intervention is appropriate

Whether you are a parent or a lawyer considering an intervention for a family, we are glad to discuss the process and the options available under Practice Note 7.

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Read more about our separation and divorce services.

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Airdrie office: Suite 240, 52 Gateway Dr. NE, Airdrie, AB T4B 0J6 | Canmore office: Canmore Health and Wellness Centre, 705 9th Street, Canmore, AB T1W 3L8 | 403-448-0048

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Land Acknowledgement

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Our office is located on Treaty 7 territory. We acknowlege this land as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, including the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai, the Tsuut'ina Nation and Stoney-Nakoda Nations, including the Goodstoney, Chiniki, and Bearspaw. The City of Airdrie is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.