Welcome to the Alberta Family Mediation Society

SAVE THE DATE! Friday, April 20, 2012 - Edmonton
Posted December 22, 2011 12:36PM

AFMS would like to wish all members the very best in 2012!

The annual conference will be at the Matrix Hotel, Edmonton, on Friday, April 20, 2012. Information is listed below and online registration is up and running. A hard copy brochure will be mailed to you in the first weeks of January.

AFMS - LEARNING TOGETHER
Posted December 22, 2011 12:06PM

Alberta family Mediation Society 2012 Annual Conference

Mediators, Lawyers, Psychologists, Social Workers, Coaches, Parenting Coordinators, Judges and other professionals who provide services to families will find these workshops invaluable.

Thursday, April 19, 2012
6:30pm - 9:00pm Cocktail Reception - for registered Conference attendees, Matrix Hotel, Edmonton

Friday, April 20, 2012
8:00am Registration and breakfast, Matrix Hotel, Edmonton

9:00 - 10:15am ETHICAL PRACTICE IN PRIVATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Part One: Special Challenges for Mediators and Advocates
Part Two: Cultural Competency in Private Dispute Resolution: The Case of the Islamic Divorce
Part Three: Some Practical Tools for Working through Ethical Challenges
DR. JULIE MACFARLANE, University of Windsor

10:15 - 10:30am Break

10:30am - 12:00pm DR. JULIE MACFARLANE, cont'd

12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 - 1:30pm AFMS Annual General Meeting

1:30 - 3:00pm THOSE QUESTIONS WE HAVE... Exploring Challenges in our Craft
DR. ARNOLD SHIENVOLD, Psychologist

3:00 - 3:30pm Break

3:30 - 4:30pm DR. ARNOLD SHIENVOLD, cont'd

Dr. Julie Macfarlane is a Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor. Dr. Macfarlane has researched and written extensively on dispute resolution and, in particular, the role of lawyers in that process. Her bestselling 2008 book The New Lawyer: How Settlement is Transforming the Practice of Law (University of British Columbia Press) is based on hundreds of personal interviews with lawyers and their clients. It has been the focus of dozens of workshops conducted by Dr. Macfarlane in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. In 2005, she was the first Canadian recipient of the International Academy of Mediators’ Award of Excellence, presented annually to an individual mediation practitioner.
Dr. Macfarlane is the editor of Dispute Resolution: Readings and Case Studies (Emond Montgomery) a student text used widely in ADR courses in Canadian law schools which has now been published in its 3rd edition. Dr. Macfarlane has just completed a four year empirical research project examining the use of Islamic family law principles and values in divorce processes conducted by third parties in North American mosques. Islamic Divorce in North America: Choosing a Shari’a Path in a Secular Society will be published by Oxford University Press in April, 2012.

Dr. Arnold Shienvold has a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Alabama. He specialized in child clinical psychology and completed his internship at the Ohio State University Hospital.
Dr. Shienvold is a practicing Psychologist in Pennsylvania. His practice has an emphasis on families and juveniles, mediations, parenting coordination, psychotherapy and teaching/training. Dr. Shienvold is the former President of the Academy of Family Mediators and the Association for Conflict Resolution. He is the incoming President of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.
Dr. Shienvold has conducted workshops and seminars throughout North America for judges, lawyers, psychologists, social workers, and mediators. He is in demand to give instruction in the areas of forensic evaluative processes, personality disorders, attachment theory and alienated children.

Registration online LINK to left of this page

Fall 2011 Newsletter
Posted September 7, 2011 3:28PM

Hello to everyone.


We are all, in one way or another, adjusting back into our work and school routines after the wrap up of our Labour Day weekend. While the majority of summer-like weather for 2011 may be behind us, if this fall is anything like 2010, we have a lot of great days ahead!


Looking back at our 2011 AFMS conference, held in Calgary on March 31/April 01, it was indeed an overall success. The number of AFMS members that could attend were somewhat reduced this year as the conference occurred during the March/Spring school break but those that did attend enjoyed the presenters, the venue, the food and the fellowship.


As an AFMS Board, we asked for your feedback on our conferences for future planning. In particular we asked you which city should host our 2012 conference and whether the majority of members prefer a 1-day or 2-day conference. The majority of members have a preference for a 1-day format for our conferences and voted for Edmonton to host our 2012 conference (meaning continuation with alternating host cities). With that feedback from you, the 2012 AFMS conference will be a 1-day format in Edmonton and will not be held during the school break. Stay tuned for more details in the near future.


Since the spring conference we have been busy. AFMS participated in Law Day this year in April; we had a booth in Edmonton that was graciously hosted by Michelle Garneau. Many AFMS members took in the training opportunity that was hosted by the Psychologists Association of Alberta held in both Calgary and Edmonton in early June by the Honourable Madam Justice Moen and Dr Stephen Carter on Understanding QB Practice Note 7 and the Use of Independent Parenting Experts.


Many AFMS members are looking forward to the Domestic Violence training hosted by AFMS upcoming on Friday September 23 from 1:00 to 4:30 pm in Calgary and we are pleased to have the Honourable Judge Nancy Flatters as a presenter for that afternoon. If you require further information to the e-mail sent to you about this on September 01, please contact Ms. Sue Bedier at info@afms.ca.


On October 26 the Calgary Library Legal Resources Fair will take place and if you are interested in helping host the AFMS booth for part of the day of that event, please contact Sue Bedier at info@afms.ca.


Further afield, there is a two day workshop on Elder Mediation and Elder Family Conferencing held in Toronto on October 13 and 14, 2011. For further information check www.marathonmediation.ca.


Family Mediation New Brunswick is hosting a 1 day workshop on October 17, 2011 in St. John New Brunswick featuring Dr. Howard Irving on Mediation: Best for Children workshop. For further information check www.fmc.ca.


Much further afield, the Asia Pacific Mediation Summit is being hosted in Bangkok Thailand on December 02 to 04, 2011. For further information check www.mediation-leadership.com.


Enjoy your Fall season.


Alasdair MacKinnon
President, AFMS