Dr. Karen Irvin joins Tom to discuss the challenges our mental health and ADR service providers face in providing services in an era of social distancing. Karen is a retired ADR provider, educator, coach, custody evaluator, and consult group leader who has trained a whole generation of family law service providers. From custody evaluators, to therapists, to ADR providers they have had to learn new ways. For example, she identifies the challenges to therapists of conducting diagnostic assessments and offering therapy to clients who are in their home with all of the distractions that may include. At the same time, she identifies the positives of clients perhaps being more comfortable talking in their own homes. She discusses the importance of the professionals screening for domestic violence especially with the parties still residing together. Custody evaluators are unable to conduct home visits and have confidential interviews with children. And this creates the problem of further delay for families. She identifies the personal challenge therapists are having in offering therapy at the same pace as before while staring at a screen for many hours Finally, She acknowledges the very real challenges for professionals, who are highly competent in their work, but are now having to provide services via technology with which they may not be as competent.
