Family Court Orientation & Training – In Person
Family Court Orientation & Training – Virtual Access
TRAINING AGENDA
9:00 AM -10:15 AM | UPDATE: VIEW FROM THE BENCH
This session features a panel of Judges discussing current issues in family court, and current legislative issues, rule modifications, and recent statutory changes of interest. The panel includes:
- Judge Randi Burnett, the Presiding Judge of the family bench for the Pima County Superior Court;
- Judge Michael D. Peterson, Presiding Judge of the Graham County Superior Court; and
- Judge Greg Sakall, Pima County Superior Court Judge
You can read more and the bios of the Judges here.
10:15 AM-10:30 AM | Break
10:30-Noon | THE INTERSECTION OF HI-TECH STALKING IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FAMILY LAW CASES
-Steven Bradley – Expert on Cybersecurity and Domestic Violence Prevention
As our dependency and use of technology increases, we rely on electronic devices to complete many daily activities. Unfortunately, these same technologies are being seen more and more in family law cases where offenders have identified ways to exploit them in order to facilitate harm towards their victims and co-parents alike. In this interactive workshop, Steven Bradley will explore the risks and benefits of technology, not only for the clients we serve, but also for you in your personal and professional lives. Attendees will learn safety planning and evidence collection strategies for phone technology, location apps, social media, and more. Non-technical language will be used throughout the presentation on how to safely navigate the world of technology.
Noon-1:00 PM | LUNCH
1:00-2:30 | THE HEALING BENCH: TRANSFORMING FAMILY COURT THROUGH TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACHES
-Robert Rhoton, Psy.D. – Founder of Arizona Trauma Institute
Family and juvenile courts serve among the most vulnerable in our society, children and families affected by acute and chronic trauma and toxic stress. However, traditional court precedents are frequently bound to conservative procedural concepts, which may:
*Re-harm the children and the caretakers by adversarial, cold procedures
*Delegitimize those who have experienced trauma because of common but still misunderstood responses and brain failures
*Delay recovery, perpetuate dispute and lead to unsafe or unsustainable family outcomes
*Undermine confidence in the courts, eroding sustainable adherence and settlement
*That time can be a source of re-traumatization unless the justice system is trauma-informed.
This evidence-based training offers a step-by-step transformation roadmap through 10 Actionable Changes designed to humanize, stabilize, and professionalize the court experience:
- Trauma-Informed Training for Judges and Court Staff – Equip all personnel with knowledge of trauma’s effects on brain, behavior, and credibility.
- Child-Focused, Age-Appropriate Practice -Adapt communication and questioning to reduce fear and confusion for children.
- Calm, Safe Physical Environments – Create spaces that reduce anxiety and promote emotional regulation.
- Trauma-Informed Language and Practice – Use language that validates lived experience and promotes dignity.
- On-Site Mental Health Supports – Provide trauma-informed counseling and service referrals for children and adults.
- Judicial Discretion Informed by Trauma Histories – Make decisions with a full view of a family’s trauma exposure, especially in abuse cases.
- Restorative and Therapeutic Justice Methods – Implement non-adversarial processes that focus on healing over punishment.
- Reliable, Trauma-Informed Scheduling – Prevent stress through consistent, predictable hearing timelines.
- Trauma-Informed Testimony Protocols – Respect alternative forms of testimony and recognize the nature of trauma-affected memory.
- Interagency Collaboration for Wraparound Services – Build strong partnerships with schools, therapists, and community services to ensure long-term support.
2:30 PM -2:45 PM | BREAK
2:45 PM -4:15 PM | RESEARCH TO REFORM
-Sydney Parker, M.S., Colleen Sullivan, Ph.D. and Disha Kotecha, M.Sc.
The YFaCS Lab will showcase four innovative programs at different stages of development, each designed to improve youth mental health and ease the pressures on family courts through evidence-based digital and in-person interventions. Participants will explore FAMILY COMPASS, a multi-session parent training program focused on emotion regulation and conflict management, alongside PEACE—three digital modules offering strategies to help parents repair relationships in the face of high-conflict separation/divorce. The session also highlights Project Brain Team, which is undergoing a randomized controlled trial to refine digital tools that bolster coping skills in children aged 9–12, and the internationally recognized New Beginnings Program that provides a self-paced, research-based course for parents navigating divorce or separation. Attendees will engage in interactive discussions, review emerging data and research methods, and discuss how these interventions can be refined and scaled to better support families and streamline legal processes in evolving family law contexts.
Sydney M. Parker, is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Law & Psychology program at Arizona State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from West Virginia University and master’s degree in law and psychology from Arizona State University. Her research centers on developing and evaluating interventions for children and parents in family courts, as well as examining risk and protective factors for children involved in the legal system.
Colleen Sullivan, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California. She earned a Ph.D. in Law and Psychology from Arizona State University in 2024 and a M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Arizona State University in2020. Her research generally uses developmental psychology to improve investigations and outcomes when children are involved in criminal or family court proceedings. Her postdoctoral position is funded by a SBE Postdoctoral Fellowship SPRF from the National Science Foundation, and examines children’s developmental understanding of contact.
Disha Kotecha, M.Sc. is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Law & Psychology program at Arizona State University. She has an M.Sc. in Psychology (conversion) from the University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating interventions to support family well-being during parental divorce/separation. Additionally, she is interested in tailored coping interventions for children and families in contact with the legal system.
LOCATION
Beus Center for Law and Society | 111 East Taylor Street | Phoenix 85004
$125 for members and non-members of AFCC
$75 for students*
5.75 Hours of Continuing Education
*This registration level is available to a person enrolled in a post-secondary educational institution and is considered full time as defined by the enrolled institution. The attendee may be required to provide confirmation of matriculation and enrollment status.
THANK YOU TO OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS
