We are pleased to bring you another issue of the Collaborative Connection, the electronic newsletter of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.

Past issues of the Connection are archived on the IACP website at www.collaborativepractice.com [Home > Member Resources > IACP Publications]. If you have comments, questions or any suggestions, please contact info@collaborativepractice.com.

Collaborative Professionals Bake a Bigger Pie

There is a saying I’ve often used: rather than fighting for our piece, we are often better off to get together and bake a bigger pie. It’s a good fit in the Collaborative community, where professionals are used to shifting their perspectives along with their paradigms, and where there are so many who are generous with their time, wisdom, and labor as we work together to build a movement. This is truly an organization built largely on volunteer labor, and there is no way we could accomplish all we do without the efforts of many who give selflessly to make a stronger community, and a bigger pie, for all of us.

 One example of this spirit is our all-volunteer CEU/CLE Subcommittee, part of the Forum’s Local Host Committee. Led by Jessica Malmquist, President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, this team of volunteer IACP members is expanding the CEU/CLE credits we will be able to offer at this year’s Forum. With each volunteer focused on their own state and profession, we now have people working on applications for CLE credits in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and Mental Health CEUs in Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. While we don’t yet have a guarantee that all of these will be secured, we are likely to be able to offer a broader range than in past years. Many of these credits will be transferrable to other jurisdictions, but if you don’t see yours here, there is still time to step up and volunteer. Others in your state will thank you for it! Much gratitude goes out to this committee for assisting IACP and so many of your colleagues.

 Another great example of this grow-the-pie philosophy is a new training series that IACP will be offering in the spring in partnership with trainer Forrest “Woody” Mosten. On February 7-8, 2020, Woody will be leading his popular two-day “Building a Successful Collaborative Practice” training in San Diego, CA. Those who have completed this course (in February or at a different time) will also be welcome to apply for a follow-up “Training for Trainers” course on May 22-23 that will teach them how to teach this course themselves. Taken together, these two courses will be creating a cadre of professionals who can spread the word about CP effectively in their home communities, and who can continue to teach others around the globe to do the same, all while raising funds for IACP. Many thanks to Woody for bringing this offering to us. I’ll be attending, and I hope you will mark your calendar to join us! Attendance will be limited, so keep an eye on your Collaborative Connection for more information when registration opens.

July in Northern California means blackberry season. So, with gratitude in my heart for being a part of this generous and creative community, my thoughts are turning to the blackberry pie I want to bake this weekend.

Wishing you all a month of gratitude, generosity, and pie,

Anne Tamar-Mattis

Roses are red. Violets are blue.
We are proud to announce
We have a new blog for you!

The IACP is excited to, once again, have a blog available for our members’ use and enjoyment! We hope to be rolling out regular blog posts that are of interest both to our members and to the general public.

This is where you come in.  We are putting out a call for our members to submit blog posts. Don’t know what to write about?  Here are some possibilities:  Do you have a story about how Collaborative Practice has helped a family? Are you utilizing a model or technique that is unique and which other professionals should know about? What do you do to keep a life-work balance? 
Has your practice group teamed up with other community organizations?
 
Again, we are accepting blog posts that are geared either to the general public or to IACP members.  We urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to get your name out there, spread some knowledge, and, of course, spread the love. You can submit a blog post by logging into the IACP website and then going to http://collaborativepractice.com/blog.

Submitted by Adam Cordover

Be sure to check out our first blog post today!
Collaborative Divorce: A Simple Idea here by Adam Cordover.

Most Collaborative practitioners can agree that a Collaborative Divorce can do much to support families and the needs of the children through this major life event. But, do you know and use all the tools in your toolbox to best advantage? Do you know when a Child Specialist can be helpful for a family? Join an international panel of Child Specialist practitioners to learn what a Child Specialist does, how they work, and the important impact they can have for families.

Our experts  Yuval Berger, Kristin Little, and Deborah Clemmensen will also address best practices for using Child Specialists and strategically scoping the work for the right mix of effectiveness and cost efficiency. 

Keep it Collegial, Create a POD!

Many of our tips have stressed the importance of welcoming new members, creating a supportive environment for all members, and emphasizing collegiality among our members. As your group grows, however, to a hundred or more members, you may worry that some of that collegiality will be lost in the anonymity of the larger group. The creation of POD (Professional and Organizational Development) subgroups is one way to continue to emphasize the hospitable environment that keeps members excited to attend your large group meetings.

When we first organized our practice group, Next Generation Divorce, met once a month for a social hour, announcements, and then a program. When we reached a certain size, we broke off smaller subgroups organized by where in Tampa the members’ offices or homes are located. Membership in the PODs is by self-nomination, and, even today, we often visit PODs not our own just to see what’s going on there. PODS now meet every other month and the full group meets in alternating months. Every POD is run separately by a collaborative professional who takes charge of it. Some meet in restaurants in the late afternoon. Others meet for breakfast at someone’s office. It’s the POD’s decision when and where to meet and what to include on the agenda.

My POD tends to have a 15-minute speaker with something interesting to report. It might be what she learned at a workshop she attended, at the IACP forum, or at a state-wide meeting she participated in. It might be about a cutting-edge divorce concept. It might be about a new financial planning product.
After the speaker, the agenda usually includes issues that members have sent to the chair ahead of time, topics that they wish to discuss, or perhaps a problem that they may have encountered in a Collaborative case they are handling.

PODs are a great way to support practice group collegiality!

Contributed by Joryn Jenkins

 Do you have questions about practice group management, or tips for other practice groups? 
Write to our Practice Group Development Committee at lgephart@nhpa.com.

In September, IACP President Chris Farish, Executive Director Anne Tamar-Mattis and IACP trainers Yuval Berger, Nancy Cameron, Lisa Alexander will join IACP Global Partner, Practicas Colaborativas in São Paulo for the second annual Brazilian Congress on Collaborative Practice. Click below to learn more or to register for the event.