Breaking Barriers, Overcoming Barriers and Family Camp
Beginnings
Dr. Peggie Ward, a Massachusetts based clinical psychologist and leading specialist in the field of parenting coordination, began developing the camp concept when she attempted to reunify a father with his son at Common Ground Center in Vermont. After careful screening for issues of abuse and safety and initial work with the entire family, the father–son intervention was to be the culmination of the family work. This intervention was unsuccessful as the aligned parent did not follow court orders, went to the camp with the children, and the children would not leave the car. Following this initial attempt to use an intensive camp model, a group of forensic psychologists, court personnel, a judge and attorneys met over several months and developed the model for Overcoming Barriers Family Camp (OBFC). This intervention model included all members of the restructured family system (parents, spouses, and stepsiblings).
Pilot Program
The program was piloted in 2008 with five families for three days. Inclusion of all family members added to the challenge, but proved crucial to the camp’s success. Surprisingly, all parents in exit interviews requested a longer camp, more co-parent interventions, and more parent–child interventions. The 2009 OBFC was five days and built on the experience of the pilot program, adding daily co-parent meetings, parent–child or family meetings as often as possible, and psychologist interventions with all camp participants throughout the camp experience.
Refinement
Courtesy of Common Ground Center
2010 Family Camp at Common Ground Center in Vermont included six families from around the United States and Canada. The hard work of putting together the camp for these families in conflict was made worthwhile by the feedback we received from campers during camp and after they left. The clinical team and founders Doctors Peggie Ward, Robbin Deutsch and Matt Sullivan had refined the details of the model to their satisfaction. Finding the financial resources to continue hosting families and running these intensive programs would be the next challenge.
Recent Developments
Common Ground Center was an outstanding sponsor and host for the first three years of OBFC. After three years of family camp, Overcoming Barriers realized that their fundraising and administrative foundation needed to be developed. 2011 has been dedicated to prioritizing goals, pursuing expansion and building a solid foundation on which to develop and continue providing child centered interventions for families in high conflict.
Overcoming Barriers has depended on volunteer hours from both it’s founding clinicians and administrative support staff. Although the work is important and worthwhile, finding adequate financial resources is essential to the continued development of OCB’s programming and advocacy. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to support Overcoming Barriers’ work.