BCACC Debuts New Practice Standard of Family Law and Educational Training

VICTORIA, BC, March 23, 2022 /CNW/ -  As part of a strategic and multi-phased plan to enhance public protection, the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) has published a new practice standard for family law and a complementary two-day training entitled Families, Family Breakdown and the Law. This training will serve to deepen counsellors understanding of the new standard and assist them in understanding the intricacies of working in the family law arena.

Authored by award-winning family arbitrator and family law expert John-Paul E. Boyd, QC, AOCA MA LLB, BCACC's Standard for Family Law: A practice standard for Registered Clinical Counsellors on the preparation of family law reports provides a comprehensive look at the different types of family law reports that counsellors may be called upon to provide and establishes standards of professional practice.

"The highest number of public complaints relate to high-conflict family matters, which indicates this is an area in which counsellors need support in service of the public. The new standards set out the Association's guidance and expectations for counsellors in preparing critical reports, as well as explores the potential roles counsellors may have in family law disputes," said Michael Radano, Executive Director.

"BCACC is enhancing its protection of the public by setting high standards of practice and deploying wraparound educational opportunities. Families, Family Breakdown and the Law, a new competency training offered by BCACC, will serve to further educate and support counsellors in understanding the nuance and complexity of providing assessment and reporting for family disputes."

Families, Family Breakdown and the Law provides hands-on training by the author of the standard, John-Paul E. Boyd. Taking place in Victoria (April), Burnaby (May), Nelson (June) and Kelowna (October).  Allied professionals in mental health and legal professionals are also invited to this training which qualifies for 14 hours of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) maintenance through the Law Society of BC.

The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) is a non-profit provincial professional association founded in 1988 with more than 5500 members. BCACC advocates for the Counselling profession and for public access to mental health services. Its members (Registered Clinical Counsellors – RCCs) are held to the highest standards of practice and a strict code of ethics in service and protection of the public. 

SOURCE BC Association of Clinical Counsellors

Elana Ilott, Communications Coordinator, 250-595-4448, [email protected]