She is only taking court appointments for child custody evaluations, guardian ad litem appointments, parental alienation assessments and reunification case manager. She is accepting expert consulting roles and providing seminars to mental health and legal professionals.

Coach / Individual Counselor

Reunification Specialist

Co - Parent Counselor

Guardian Ad Litem

Parental Alienation Assessments

Family Therapist

Child Custody Evaluator

Parent Coordinator

Marriage Counselor

Parent Facilitator

Dr. Baker has served in the following therapeutic and court appointed roles:

Reunification Case

Management Specialist

Reunification services are provided in cases where a parent and a child have not seen each other or had contact for a significant span of time.

The reasons for this vary:

Parent and child experienced a significant event that caused the child to feel fearful or angry at the parent resulting in the child's refusal to see the parent.

The parent has been absent in the child's life to the extent that the child and parent do not know each other.

(2)

(3)

The parent suffered from a substance abuse disorder which caused a prolonged absence and/or abandonment of the child.

(4)

The parent was incarcerated and therefore absent in the child's life for a significant span of time.

(1)

"Good parents don't have to live in the same house. They just have to be willing to put their children's needs before their own need to be angry at each other."

Parenting Coordinator/
Co-Parenting Counselor

Co-Parenting Information

A parenting coordinator (PC) can be appointed during a court hearing or

by agreement in court orders.

Benefits

• Less costly than legal fees and court action

• Reduces the negative affects of divorce on the children

• Teaches skills that enhance personal and professional relationships

Works with Parents to:

• Improve communication

• Prevent the escalation of conflict

• Teach cooperative parenting skills

• Resolve disagreements

• Monitor compliance with court orders

• Uphold the Children's Bill of Rights

Services Provided Include:

• Interviewing the parents

• Reading legal documents

• Consulting with other professionals who have worked with the family

• Speaking with the children (optional)

Goals of Parent Coordination:

• To decrease the likelihood that parental conflict will negatively affect children

• To decrease the likelihood that parental conflict will lead to additional and/or chronic legal action

• To provide a non-threatening forum where parents can release resentments and learn to parent cooperatively

(PCs do not testify in court). Parent Facilitators do.

Other Services Included :

• Mediate conflict

• Teach appropriate communication skills

• Set up required protocol for communication

• Establish/maintain healthy parental boundaries

• Make recommendations for mental health services

• Create or follow parenting plans

• Make decisions for parents when they reach an impasse in negation (refers to non-legal matters)

Parent Coordinator is NOT:

• Counselor

• Lawyer

• Expert Witness

• Guardian Ad Litem

Guardian Ad Litem
(GAL)

Serves as an arm of the court to help determine the best interest of the child(ren).

Duties of an Ad Litem are defined by the Texas Family Code, Section 107.

Attorneys and/or the Judge may identify specific issues to be addressed by the GAL. These duties are outlined in the order appointing the guardian.

Common recommendations include custody, parenting time, and co-parenting therapy and individual or family therapy.

In cases where a child and a parent have not had contact, a Guardian may over see the reunification process; recommending incremental changes to the parenting time schedule as the comfort of the child increases.

In cases where parental alienation has occurred the GAL may provide a report to the court regarding the severity of parental alienation, recommend a treatment intervention, and over see the treatment team.

Each case is closely evaluated.

Even in cases of Parental Alienation, each family is treated based on their own needs.