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  • Counsellor's report?

    In your experience how much weight will the court or children's lawyer put into the opinions of the counsellor involved with child?

    My daughter see's a counsellor. This counsellor is over seen by a child psychologist who has reviewed my child's file and will be meeting with her but has not done so yet.

    The counsellor has written a letter for the courts but the psychologist actually wanted more details put in. Regarding food issues, parenting, and custody position, and aboriginal cultural importance.

    This is the only "professional" involved with our daughter. So I am wondering how much weight will be placed on this report?

  • #2
    Wasnt there also a request for an updated OCL report for your next court date? Would OCL use the assessment/report provided?

    Im not helpful or knowledgable on this, just throwing in that perhaps OCL may use it in their updated report?

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    • #3
      yes OCL request has gone in. OCL was not supportive of me last time, I ended up with substantially more access then they recommended. Will OCL take the counsellor report more strongly in account?

      Also OCL won't have a report for a while, last time it took 4 months to get the report, and we are back in court on March 30th, wondering if judge will look at recommendations from the counsellor?

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      • #4
        It is strange for a counselor to write a letter for the courts.

        An OCL should be involving the counselor though in their investigation.

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        • #5
          The counsellor already wrote one, and provided it to the courts. This counsellor is not just a regular counsellor she is an aboriginal youth worker, so she does all our families programs, and helps with a lot of the cultural teachings.

          Originally she wrote to the courts that it was important for child to attend a specific programs on a certain night and the judge did award me that on a temporary basis.

          I am really hoping to get some permanent resolution even semi permanent. One recommendation is that she feels child should attend a few weeks of camp this summer. She feels child needs to be away from the stress, and needs the social interaction with children her age. I am in agreement and willing to pay the whole cost. Mom is not in agreement and since we have no summer schedule worked out I would like something arranged. Child has special needs so there is a limited number of available camps for her.

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          • #6
            Might depend upon the qualifications of the "counsellor" and what their specific role is within the organization. An example comes to mind - in a prison often there are behavioural counsellors (BC's). BC's report to the prison psychiatrist and are mandated to write reports on inmates. Reports are entered into federal security records and can be accessed by inmate and their respective lawyers.

            Perhaps the same applies to this situation? Counsellors record data and generate reports on observations, however, do not clinically diagnose?

            -------

            Okay I see it is an aboriginal social worker. That makes sense to me.
            Last edited by arabian; 02-25-2015, 07:39 PM.

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            • #7
              The issue is a counselor cannot make recommendations with all the parts.... talking to the kid or just the kid and dad, isn't all the parts.

              But given the Aboriginal component I suspect that a judge would include some of the counselors info. Especially if the OCL isn't well versed with the ethnic/cultural norms and values.

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              • #8
                I think it would be great to bring the counsellor - have her write a report and recommendation and then come to court to testify. Every "neutral" party in your favour gives the judge one more reason to go for you.

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                • #9
                  The counsellor is part of an aboriginal team. So she is overseen by an aboriginal child psychologist. She does assessments, and meetings but the child psychologist oversee's all the notes, and treatment plans, He will be meeting with child in a few weeks to do a more assessments of needs.

                  She meets with mom alone, dad alone, child alone, and the other children in my home alone as well. This was not someone that I just hired for my part. It was part of a court order well before the custody stuff started back up, so both mom and myself are involved. She also takes reports from school, and has all the court orders.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    This is a good source of information for anyone wanting info on Aboriginal issues - I believe it was put together by the Ontario Government:

                    http://www.oacas.org/pubs/oacas/fn_eng_guide.pdf

                    "Subsection 2(2), paragraph 5 of the CFSA
                    provides that one of the purposes of the
                    Act, in addition to the paramount purposes,
                    and so long as it is consistent with the
                    paramount purposes, is: to recognize that
                    Aboriginal peoples should be entitled to
                    provide, wherever possible, their own child
                    and family services and that all services to
                    Aboriginal children and families should be
                    provided in a manner that recognizes their
                    culture, heritage and traditions and the
                    concept of the extended family" (page 132)
                    Last edited by arabian; 02-25-2015, 08:15 PM.

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                    • #11
                      Mom is not aboriginal and she fights my child's involvement. The OCL made no reference to its importance in any of the report they did. However the judge did feel it was important, at least this judge did.

                      Thanks Arabian that is good information for me to have.

                      Comment

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