Court Observation Form Webinar

Office of the Child’s RepresentativeNovember 5th, 2013 | Linda Weinerman, Executive Director

Purpose of theCourt Observation Form Webinar

Inform attorneys of the OCR’s court observation process

Share the court observation forms used in D&N and JD cases

Provide data points based on observations from the previous year

Answer questions from OCR attorneys

Why does the OCR conduct court observations?

Court Observations Provide:

Objective and independent information about OCR attorneys

A sense of child welfare practice in individual judicial districts

An opportunity for self-evaluation during the OCR renewal application and evaluation process

OCR’s Considerations OCR recognizes that court observations provide only

a snapshot of an attorney in the courtroom

In evaluating attorneys, OCR considers the following:

Court Observations Writing Sample References CARES Reports Stakeholder Survey Data Self-reporting questions on the actual OCR application

The court observation forms represent an evolving process as we fine-tune the questions and categories in the forms

Dependency & NeglectCourt Observation Form

Data points collected are based on CJD 04-06 requirements and OCR practice expectations for GALs

Form was designed to collect objective data, as the OCR has multiple observers completing the form

OCR reviews dockets and pulls case information prior to court observations, so that forms are pre-populated with case-specific data

Q1) Child present? (including any electronic means)

Basis for data point FY13 Data

Nationally recognized best practice

GAL responsibility to give children voice

Statutory provisions: §19-1-106(5) § 19-3-502(7) § 19-3-702(2), (3.7)

Impact on the proceedings

216 Observations 358 Children

Q2) Was this child given the chance to address the Court?

FY13 Data

216 Observations 358 Children

Q3) Did GAL address efforts to get child to attend?

FY13 Data

216 Observations 358 Children

Q4) Did GAL provide current, independent info about this child?

CJD Provision FY13 Data

04-06(V)(D)(1) 216 Observations 358 Children

Q5) Did GAL state last contact with child? (In FY13, “...when s/he last saw child?”)

CJD Provisions FY13 Data

CJD 04-06(V)(D)(4)(a),(5)(a), 06(V)(D)(5)(b)

CJD 04-06(V)(B)

216 Observations 358 Children

Q6) Did GAL clearly state a position?

CJD Provision FY13 Data

CJD04-06(V)(C) CJD 04-06(V)(D)(1)

216 Observations 358 Children

Q7) Did GAL state child’s position?

CJD Provision FY13 Data

Providing current information to the court includes a statement of the child’s position, when the child’s position is ascertainable based on the child’s developmental level. CJD 04-06(V)(D)(1)

216 Observations 358 Children

Juvenile DelinquencyCourt Observation Form

The JD form is a data collection tool, used to inform practice standards and collect general information about GALs in JD cases

The JD form is one way to investigate anecdotal information about GALs in JD cases

Questions?

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