I earned my JD from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, graduating cum laude. I am licensed in California (inactive) and Oregon. As an attorney, I worked in the dependency arena, defending parents whose children were removed from the home by DHS. I also prosecuted domestic violence crimes. Prior to attending law school, I obtained a BS from Penn State in Individual and Family Studies, with an emphasis in Family Relationships. I worked with families in crisis in the adoption arena, counseling women considering adoption for an unexpected pregnancy. The disruption in family systems was prevalent requiring significant conflict management. In November 2014, I attended the 2 day Oregon Family Institute’s Parenting Coordination training and have been mentored by Wendy Bourg, Ph.D. I have taken numerous continuing education seminars sponsored by AFCC including an all-day institute in June 2018, taught by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq., on Mediating with the Personality Disordered Client. In April, 2019 a 2 day Parenting Coordination training with Matt Sullivan, Ph.D, and in January and February, 2020, I took a 40 hour Conflict Resolution and Mediation Course with the Clackamas County Dispute Resolution Services. My approach involves active problem solving and boundary setting to reduce chaos and uncertainty for the children of divorce. The combination of my legal background as well as the counseling and family relationships background are a perfect combination for the role of Parenting Coordinator.
Michael Alter, LCSW Reunification Specialist
I am a licensed clinical social worker with a Masters of Social Services degree from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I received my Oregon licensure (#OR-2201) in 1995. My professional experience encompasses a specialty in court appointed Reunification Therapy. I’ve done extensive training through William James College and continuing education seminars and workshops through the Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts (AFCC). I am a member of the AFCC Oregon Chapter and have pending membership with the Oregon Association of Collaborative Professionals (OACP). I am committed to assisting children and families embroiled in high conflict post-separation / divorce, and struggling with resist-refuse contact dynamics with a parent. After completing training through Oregon Family Institute (OFI) in 2009 I worked as a Parent Coordinator on court appointed cases for five years between 2010-2015. In addition to family law cases, I maintain a private practice with couples, adults, children, adolescents and their families. My Social Work training and experience working in psychiatric residential settings, hospital level care for emotionally disturbed youth, and with families involved in the Department of Human Services (DHS) informs my non-adversarial approach to enlist multiple perspectives to assess problems within a family, and between families and community systems. I serve many treatment populations including couples, blended families, parent-child challenges, trauma and stress reactions, sexual and emotional abuse, divorce adjustment, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, grief/loss, attentional problems, children of alcoholics, chemical dependency and recovery issues, and anger management.