1 Becoming a Collaborative DivorceMental Health Professional: Theory and Practice A Certificate Training Program for Clinicians Kate Scharff, LCSW-C, LICSW, Course Director The Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington 1630 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 400, WDC 20009 Course Description Even for experienced clinicians, becoming a Collaborative Divorce professional is a major undertaking. Learning to apply concepts and techniques from the world of psychotherapy to a new multi-disciplinary, legal, outcome-focused process requires a profound and often destabilizing paradigm shift.It also requires us to expand our knowledge base and skill set in ways we might not have imagined.Multi-disciplinary Collaborative team trainings are crucial introductions to the practical and philosophical underpinnings of Collaborative Practice, but they are just the beginning.Becoming a valued contributor at the Collaborative table requires an ongoing commitment to learning-- on both the cognitive and emotional levels. This series of eighteen classes is designed specifically for mental health professionals who have expanded their clinical practices to include Collaborative Divorce. But since Collaborative Practice is fundamentally is a state of mind, participants will acquire knowledge, skills, and enhanced self-awareness that will apply across all areas of their life and work.In recognition of the fact that participants practices will likely include non-Collaborative divorce-related cases, we will dedicate some of our case consultation time to discussing relevant material from other modalities (e.g. mediation, divorce coaching, parenting coordination/crafting parenting plans, and psychotherapy with individuals and families in transition). The program will be held in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, DC, but any clinician able to be with us one morning per month is welcome! Course Objectives (Brief Description) The first nine classes of the course will provide students with a solid grounding in the foundations of Collaborative Divorce from a both practical and a psychological perspective. 2 The second nine classes will help students to raise their level of practice through more nuanced understanding and mastery of advanced interventions. Course Design The program will span two academic years of nine monthly classes each, with individual classes lasting three and one-quarter hours.Classes will be held on the first Monday of each month (except when holidays or inclement weather require an adjustment to the schedule). Each three-hour class will be divided into two teaching segments of one and one-half hours each, separated by a fifteen-minute break.The first teaching half of each class will be a didactic presentation (lecture, discussion).The second half will be a clinical consultation centering on student-presented cases, and will serve to integrate the didactic material into students ongoing work. Faculty The course faculty will be composed of seasoned Collaborative Professionals from the Greater Washington Area.In order to maintain continuity, the Course Director will be present at every class (whether or not she is the appointed instructor or co-instructor for that class).She will facilitate the clinical case consultation during the second half of every class. Confidentiality The student group will be a closed working group for the entirety of the program.No new students will be admitted during the two-year period.Because self-exploration is a crucial part of our learning, it is inevitable that our discussions will contain some material of a personal nature.In order to create and maintain a safe space, all students and faculty will be asked to commit to maintaining confidentiality with respect to such material. Individual Supervision Individual supervision is not a course requirement.However, the Course Director will maintain a list of experienced Collaborative professionals who are available to provide individual supervision by separate agreement. 3 Assigned Reading Relevant reading material will be distributed in advance of any class at the discretion of the instructor. Evaluations of Students and Students Experience of the Program Course participants will be expected to make every reasonable effort to attend every class.However, any student who attends at least seven out of nine sessions in each year will be eligible to receive a certificate of completion.Students who miss more than two sessions in a given year will not receive a certificate, but may continue in the course at the directors discretion.The Course Director retains the option to make exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis at her own discretion for a student who misses classes due to unanticipated extraordinary circumstances. In the final months of each academic year each student will have an individual meeting with the Course Director to discuss the students experience of the course, to review progress, and to set ongoing learning goals. Students are encouraged to bring any learning-related suggestions or concerns to the Course Director at any time, or to raise them during class discussions. Admission Requirements Participants must have completed at least one two- or three-day multidisciplinary training in Collaborative Practice and be a member in good standing of a Collaborative practice group (or plan join one shortly after enrolling in the program).In addition, they must hold a valid license in their field of practice, carry malpractice insurance, and have accumulated a minimum of two years post-graduate work experience prior to enrollment in the course. A maximum of 10 students will be admitted into the program (on a first come first served basis). Class Dates Year One: October 2015-June 2016, first Monday of every month:10/5/15, 11/2/15, 12/7/15, 1/4/16, 2/1/16, 3/7/16, 4/4/16, 5/2/16, 6/6/15 Year Two: September 2016-May 2017, first Monday of every month: 9/12/16 (second Monday), 10/3/16, 11/7/16, 12/5/16, 1/9/17 (second Monday), 2/6/17, 3/6/17, 4/3/17, 5/1/1 Time: 8:30AM-10:00AM: Didactic Presentation10:00AM-10:15AM: Break 10:15AM-11:45AM: Clinical Case Consultation 4 Tuition The cost of the program is $150 per class ($1500 per academic year).Tuition may be paid in up of eighteen installments of at least $150, with the final payment for Year One due by July 31, 2016 and the final payment for Year Two due by April 30, 2017 (students requiring a specialized payment plan should contact the Course Director). Payments may be made by check, cash or credit card (a 3% surcharge will be applied to credit card payments to cover processing fees). A non-refundable deposit of $150 is required to hold a space in the course. Refunds/Cancellations Any student who withdraws from the program between the time of acceptance in fall 2015 through September 1, 2015 will receive a full refund for any tuition they have paid toward any classes in future months. After that, any student who withdraws from the program will be responsible for 50% of all remaining tuition through the remainder of the two-year program. Curriculum Year One(Tentative schedule: a finalized curriculum with faculty assignments will be distributed in September, 2015) 10/5/15: The Complex Dynamics of Multi-Disciplinary Teamwork: The Paradigm Shift for MHPs, the Complexity of Our Role, The Balancing Act Between Tending and Moving 11/2/15: When Couples Come Apart: Toxic Projections in the Collaborative Context, Working with Transference and Countertransference 12/7/15: The Rigidity/Flexibility Continuum: Techniques for Assessing and Working with Transformative Capacity in Our Clients and Our Colleagues 1/4/16: Establishing and Maintaining The Two-Part Collaborative Container: Holding and Containment in the Collaborative Context 2/1/16:The Complex Dynamics of Multi-Disciplinary Divorce Work: Team Function and Dysfunction 5 3/7/16: The Voice of the Child in Collaborative Practice: Understanding the Childs Experience, Exploring Parental Dynamics, The Role of Parent Guidance, Challenges to Neutrality, the Role of the Child Specialist, Overview of the Latest Research on Access Schedules 4/4/16: Conflict and Impasse in Crafting Parenting Plans: Working with Marital Dynamics, Team Dynamics, and Inconvenient Truths 5/2/16: Family Law and the its Dynamic Interplay with Our Work as MHPs 6/6/15: Departures from Standard Protocol: Creative Adjustments vs. Enactments Year Two (A finalized curriculum with faculty assignments will be distributed in September, 2016) 9/12/16 (second Monday), 10/3/16, 11/7/16, 12/5/16, 1/9/17 (second Monday), 2/6/17, 3/6/17, 4/3/17, 5/1/17 Among the topics to be covered: Divorce as a Developmental ChallengeThe Human Relationship to Change and its Relevance to Divorce Work Creating Psychological Conditions for Change: A Good Parenting Paradigm for Our Work (The Frame, Holding, Containment, Empathy) Tuning our Collaborative Instrument: Countertransference, Bias, Mindfulness Understanding Our Clients: Divorce as Re-Traumatization Anatomy of a Moment: The Factorial Assessment Techniques Under the Microscope Managing Impasse and Landmine Moments Collaborative as Jazz: Empathic Attunement QUESTIONS? Please contact Kate Scharff: katescharff@katescharff.com; 301-641-3211 1 Applicant Information Name Street Address City, State ZIP Code Cell Phone Office and/or Home Phone E-Mail Address Training/Qualification Degree/s Date Attained Certifications Areas of Specialization Collaborative Training to Date (Trainer/s, Dates Attended) Collaborative Practice Group/s Malpractice Carrier/Policy Number/Expiration Date A Bit About You Please briefly describe your professional background, your current practice, the reason/s for your interest in Collaborative, what you hope to get from this program, and any other information about yourself youd like to share (attach additional paper as necessary): BECOMING A COLLABORATIVE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OCTOBER 2016- MAY 2017 Kate Scharff, LCSW-C, LICSW, Course Director REGISTRATION FORM

2 Tuition Please include a check for $150 made out to Kate Scharff as a deposit to hold your space in the program (your deposit is non-refundable but applicable to your final months tuition). Credit cards will be accepted as payment for either the deposit or for tuition, with the addition of a 3% surcharge. Below please circle the number associated with your preferred payment plan:1. Payment of $1500 at the beginning of each year 2. Year 1: Up to 9 monthly payment of at least $150 each; Year 2 : Up to 8 monthly payments of at least $150 each (deposit will be applied to finalmonth) 3. Other payment plan (please describe):If paying by credit card:Card Number: ________________________________________________________ Expiration date:___________ Security Code___________ Billing Zip__________ Please mail payment to Kate Scharff: Collaborative Practice Center, 1630 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20009, or be email to katescharff@katescharff.com. You will receive confirmation of registration once we have received both your deposit and registration form. By submitting this application, I affirm that I have read, understand and will comply with the terms of the Course Description (separate document). Name (printed) Signature Date