Announcement for Fall 2011

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:43:30 +0000

Overcoming Barriers worked through the Summer developing programming and administration. We have filed for our federal tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status and are now accepting tax deductible donations (see Support OCB page). We hope to raise enough seed money to meet our program delivery goals and we will be hosting programs in the Spring/Summer, 2012, according to demand and available resources.

Commissioner Marjorie Slabach is the most recent addition to the Overcoming Barriers’ Board of Directors. We feel privileged and excited to have her share her fourteen years of Family Court judicial experience and her commitment to children and families. During her tenure in the Superior Court of San Francisco, Commissioner Slabach was a highly regarded judicial officer, receiving numerous awards from family law organizations. She now serves as a private judge and is an active member in the family law community. Sherrol Cassedy, a long time family lawyer and mediator in Palo Alto, also joined the Overcoming Barriers’ Board of Directors this Fall. Ms. Cassedy will lend her immense talents and thirty years experience in family law to the organization as we expand into California. Both Commissioner Slabach and Ms. Cassedy are very welcome additions and will be instrumental in shaping the organization as we continue to grow. Learn more about our Board of Directors and find links to their home pages here.

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Do your part to support Overcoming Barriers. Learn how to make your tax deductible donation to California or Massachusetts programming here.

Announcement for Spring 2011

admin — Wed, 18 May 2011 04:58:05 +0000

Peggie Ward, Matt Sullivan and Robin Deutsch are pleased to announce that we are expanding opportunities for families where a child has rejected a parent. We will spend this Summer developing a range of programming including psycho-educational workshops, weekend interventions and camps on both the east and west coasts.

As you know we have run the Overcoming Barriers Camp at Common Ground Center in Starksboro, Vermont for three years. In many ways it has been an extraordinarily successful program. Some of the children have developed a meaningful relationship with both of their parents after up to two years without contact with one parent. We have found that structured judicial and clinical follow up after camp is a crucial element and one that none of the families can be without. We have also found that without funding from other sources, families cannot afford the cost of the camp. The families we worked with taught us a lot about their wide ranging needs.

With that information and the three years of experience of Overcoming Barriers Family Camp we have decided to devote our energy and the lessons we have learned from the families and staff at Common Ground Center to expand our services. While there will be no camp offerings this Summer our future plans include a camp in California, developing family workshops and videos, refining the weekend intervention, and providing services to families earlier in the legal process.

These families need our support. Overcoming Barriers is on the cutting edge of new interventions and ways to help the serious issues that high conflict shared custody situations can present. We want to thank you for your support to date and let you know that we will be back to you with our expanded programming options.