From John at ChambersLawWyo.com Wed Oct 1 09:18:26 2008 From: John at ChambersLawWyo.com (John D. Chambers) Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 08:18:26 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Permanency: Authority for preferential placement with family and extended family of origin Message-ID: <00b201c923d0$92e4aec0$b8ae0c40$@com> Greetings, I am sending this out on the Listserve for any of you who might have experienced this issue in juvenile court cases in which the primary goal is reunification with the parent(s) but the concurrent or contingent plan is placement with a relative or adoption or guardianship. Often a reason cited for not going with a family placement is that the child has bonded with the foster family. The following provides a general basis for the preference for placement with the family or extended family of origin: 1. The right to familial associations is a fundamental right guaranteed by both the State and Federal constitutions in which placement with family or extended family must be considered. The Wyoming Supreme Court explained: We agree that, in general, preference should be given to family placements. The Wyoming and United States Constitutions protect the fundamental rights of family members to associate with one another. In addition, federal law requires that, in order to be eligible for financial assistance from the federal government, a state must adopt a plan for foster care and adoption assistance which provides that: the State shall consider giving preference to an adult relative over a non-related caregiver when determining a placement for a child, provided that the relative caregiver meets all relevant State child protection standards. 42 U.S.C. ? 671(a)(19) . This requirement helps avoid the situation where a child becomes overly attached to a foster family which is not biologically related to him. See Smith v. Organization of Foster Families for Equality & Reform, 431 U.S. 816, 844-45, 97 S.Ct. 2094, 53 L.Ed.2d 14 (1977) (discussing the natural tendency of children and foster families to emotionally bond when the child is placed long term in the foster home, especially when the placement is made when the child is very young). In Re Adoption of CF, 2005 WY 118, ? 26, 120 P.3d 992, 1002 (Wyo. 2005) (emphasis added); see also Wyo. Const. art. 1, ?? 2, 6, 7, 36; U.S. Const. amends. 5, 14. 2. According to the DFS Policy and Procedure Manual, ?Placement with relatives must be given priority.? DFS Policy and Procedure Manual, Policy 5.2(B)(e) (current policy enacted June 1998). 3. The DFS Policy and Procedure Manual further explains that: Relative and kinship placements are less restrictive and therefore preferable to other types of out-of-home care. The DFS caseworker is responsible for conducting an ongoing diligent search for relatives and kin for any child in DFS custody until permanency is achieved. DFS shall consider relative/kinship families as both temporary and permanent resources for children who are unable to live safely with a parent. DFS Pol?y & Proc. Manual, Policy No. 5.7(A) (current policy revised September 2007) (emphasis added); see also President?s Initiative on Adoption and Foster Care, Guidelines for Public Policy and State Legislation Governing Permanence for Children, Donald N. Duquette, Dep?t of Health & Human Servs, Admin. for Children & Families, Admin. on Children, Youth & Families, Children's Bureau (1999) (identifying the most preferred permanent placement for a child is safe and permanent reunification with the birth parent or extended family of origin); Child Welfare Law & Practice (2d ed. 2005), (Marvin Ventrell & Donald N. Duquette eds., Nat?l Assoc. of Counsel for Children, Bradford Publishing Co., Denver, CO (same). 4. The Wyoming Supreme Court has stated the following with respect to the DFS agency rules and regulations: ?Rules and regulations have the force and effect of law. Fullmer v. Wyoming Employment Sec. Comm'n, 858 P.2d 1122, 1123-24 (Wyo.1993). An administrative agency, such as DFS, is bound to follow its own rules and regulations. Id.? MB v. Laramie County Dep?t of Family Servs., 933 P.2d 1126, 1130 (Wyo. 1997). 5. The fundamental right to familial association belongs to both the child and the relative. The Wyoming Supreme Court has recognized this right in conjunction with grandparents. See Wyo. Stat. Ann. ?? 20-7-201 et seq. (Westlaw 2008); Michael v. Hertzler, 900 P.2d 1144, 1150-51 (Wyo. 1995) (upholding constitutionality of grandparent visitation rights statute and that ?the state has an equal duty to protect the fundamental rights of the grandparents and the children.?). John D. Chambers 152 N. Durbin Street, Suite 325 Casper, WY 82601 (307) 237-5945 (307) 237-5947 (fax) This E-mail (including attachments) contains privileged and confidential information for the addressee, and is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C.A. Sections 2510-2521. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, you may not read, copy, retain or disseminate this communication. If you receive this e-mail by error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail or by phone at 307-237-5945 (collect if you wish), and delete the email and it's attachments from your computer. Receipt by anyone other than the proper recipient is not a waiver of any attorney-client, work product, or other applicable privilege. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081001/c15c893f/attachment-0001.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Mon Oct 6 10:09:33 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:09:33 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Timely Terminations References: <48E624EA0200007200006FF2@missc2.state.wy.us> <48E9D5CD0200007200007181@missc2.state.wy.us> Message-ID: <48E9D5CD.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Dear Bob and Listserv, I would like to give my thoughts on this issue, as Bob has requested. First, at this time, the statute does not allow GALs to file terminations. So, it is not an issue of whether or not the Program can pay for this representation, it is not permissible under Wyoming law. I do not think that a Court would interpret the word "guardian" to mean anything other than a custodial guardian as the term is used in the statutes. It would take legislation to allow a GAL to file a termination. I know some people think that is a great statutory change and some do not. What do you all think of this issue? As to the Attorney Generals Office, as Maggie indicated, if there is a delay, it is not intentional and therefore, a Court order would not solve it. Sometimes, the AG's Office does not get the TPR case from the DA/CA or DFS until a substantial amount of time has passed from the Court's order for termination. Sometimes, the AG's Office will have to wait for a file from DFS, which takes them over the 60 day deadline. Sometimes, there are issues with the grounds for termination that need to be solved before filing, such as no diligent search for an absent parent. Yet, most of the time, the AG's Office gets a file and proceeds with the case immediately and it does get done before the 60 day deadline. I would encourage you to call the AG's Office if you are experiencing a delay in your case. There was a period in time last year where the AG's Office stopped taking cases from the DAs/CAs because of receiving over 30 cases at one time from a county that had a substantial backlog of TPRs that needed to be filed. As with everyone who works in this area of law, there are only so many people and so many hours in a day to get the work done and the AGs Office did not have the staff to deal with that load of cases and new incoming cases. That situation has passed, they have caught up with all the cases, and are now beginning new cases as soon as they are sent to their office. The level of expertise and knowledge those attorneys have in this area of law is substantial and can greatly affect the outcome of the case and the outcome of an appeal, if brought. A DA/CA does not always have the expertise and time to handle these cases. Regarding the deadline of having the TPR trial within 90 days of filing, as the GAL, you can petition the Court to stick to that deadline. Although, there is the provision in the statutes, that allows an extension for "good cause." If that finding is made, more time can be given. And, in many instances, more time is needed. Many of these cases stem from many years of juvenile court involvement, include a lot of discovery and some are now being tried as jury trials, instead of bench trials. Due to these issues, all parties, including the GAL, may need more time to prepare for a trial where so much of a child's life rests on the outcome of the TPR proceeding. I do believe that most of you have had positive experiences with the AG's Office and can attest to that. The current supervisor of the Permanency Unit is Jill Kucera. I encourage you to contact her if you have a concern about your case. Her number is 777-6142 and she is always willing to update you on their progress. Maybe as GAL's, we need to take a more active role in ensuring that the AGs Office is alerted of the case as soon as possible. One other thought about this is that most counties do not send every TPR case they have to the AGs Office. Statutorily, it is the DAs/CAs that are responsible for the filing of these cases. The CA/DA usually decides on a case-by-case basis what files to send to the AG, so a conversation with the DA/CA about that process and speeding it up may also help this issue on a local level. Hope this helps. I am glad to see discussions about systematic issues and how we can help to solve them. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081006/c983a673/attachment.htm From arochelle at casperlaw.net Mon Oct 6 11:17:50 2008 From: arochelle at casperlaw.net (Ann Rochelle) Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 10:17:50 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Timely Terminations In-Reply-To: <48E9D5CD.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Message-ID: <28711B164453DA44A8D136FB395E74C615D710@exch01.shivelylaw.local> When I did more of these cases, I found that there are several places that the TPRs were getting stuck: 1. DFS has to get the affidavit to the DA/County Attorney. That should not but does take several months. 2. The DA then has to review it and get back to DFS for more info or forward it on. 3. Then it finally gets to the Attorney General. When I was doing these, the AG was pretty prompt in getting to them. 4. Having said that, these were taking a year to get filed and that is too long. ________________________________ From: wyogal-bounces at lists.washlaw.edu [mailto:wyogal-bounces at lists.washlaw.edu] On Behalf Of Stacey Obrecht Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 9:10 AM To: WyoGAL at lists.washlaw.edu Cc: Jill Kucera Subject: [WyoGAL] Timely Terminations Dear Bob and Listserv, I would like to give my thoughts on this issue, as Bob has requested. First, at this time, the statute does not allow GALs to file terminations. So, it is not an issue of whether or not the Program can pay for this representation, it is not permissible under Wyoming law. I do not think that a Court would interpret the word "guardian" to mean anything other than a custodial guardian as the term is used in the statutes. It would take legislation to allow a GAL to file a termination. I know some people think that is a great statutory change and some do not. What do you all think of this issue? As to the Attorney Generals Office, as Maggie indicated, if there is a delay, it is not intentional and therefore, a Court order would not solve it. Sometimes, the AG's Office does not get the TPR case from the DA/CA or DFS until a substantial amount of time has passed from the Court's order for termination. Sometimes, the AG's Office will have to wait for a file from DFS, which takes them over the 60 day deadline. Sometimes, there are issues with the grounds for termination that need to be solved before filing, such as no diligent search for an absent parent. Yet, most of the time, the AG's Office gets a file and proceeds with the case immediately and it does get done before the 60 day deadline. I would encourage you to call the AG's Office if you are experiencing a delay in your case. There was a period in time last year where the AG's Office stopped taking cases from the DAs/CAs because of receiving over 30 cases at one time from a county that had a substantial backlog of TPRs that needed to be filed. As with everyone who works in this area of law, there are only so many people and so many hours in a day to get the work done and the AGs Office did not have the staff to deal with that load of cases and new incoming cases. That situation has passed, they have caught up with all the cases, and are now beginning new cases as soon as they are sent to their office. The level of expertise and knowledge those attorneys have in this area of law is substantial and can greatly affect the outcome of the case and the outcome of an appeal, if brought. A DA/CA does not always have the expertise and time to handle these cases. Regarding the deadline of having the TPR trial within 90 days of filing, as the GAL, you can petition the Court to stick to that deadline. Although, there is the provision in the statutes, that allows an extension for "good cause." If that finding is made, more time can be given. And, in many instances, more time is needed. Many of these cases stem from many years of juvenile court involvement, include a lot of discovery and some are now being tried as jury trials, instead of bench trials. Due to these issues, all parties, including the GAL, may need more time to prepare for a trial where so much of a child's life rests on the outcome of the TPR proceeding. I do believe that most of you have had positive experiences with the AG's Office and can attest to that. The current supervisor of the Permanency Unit is Jill Kucera. I encourage you to contact her if you have a concern about your case. Her number is 777-6142 and she is always willing to update you on their progress. Maybe as GAL's, we need to take a more active role in ensuring that the AGs Office is alerted of the case as soon as possible. One other thought about this is that most counties do not send every TPR case they have to the AGs Office. Statutorily, it is the DAs/CAs that are responsible for the filing of these cases. The CA/DA usually decides on a case-by-case basis what files to send to the AG, so a conversation with the DA/CA about that process and speeding it up may also help this issue on a local level. Hope this helps. I am glad to see discussions about systematic issues and how we can help to solve them. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081006/87baf693/attachment-0001.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Mon Oct 6 11:27:26 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:27:26 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Colorado Court of Appeals Message-ID: <48E9E80E.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> The Colorado Court of Appeals issued an opinion last month that an attorney guardian ad litem for a child in an abuse and neglect case is in a normal attorney-client relationship with that child, is bound by the attorney client privilege, and cannot be compelled to testify about attorney-client privileged information in another proceeding without the client's consent. The GAL was subpoenaed as a witness in a criminal case that arose from the same incident as the abuse/neglect case. Here is the opinion: http://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Court_of_Appeals/opinion/2008/2008q4/07ca1016.pdf Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081006/2d0d04a7/attachment.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Mon Oct 6 16:39:59 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:39:59 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] October Newsletter Message-ID: <48EA314F.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Please see attached newsletter. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081006/ba8dad05/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Newsletter - October 2008.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1125158 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081006/ba8dad05/attachment-0001.pdf From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Wed Oct 8 19:12:58 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:12:58 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] 2009 Conference - Save the Date Message-ID: <48ECF82A.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Attached is the Save the Date card for the 2009 Conference. More details will come your way as we get closer to next summer. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081008/8553b12f/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Conference 2009 - Save the Date.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 434909 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081008/8553b12f/attachment-0001.pdf From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Wed Oct 8 20:44:21 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:44:21 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] October Child Chat Message-ID: <48ED0D95.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Don't forget to call in for Child Chat on Thursday, October 16th a few minutes before 11:00 a.m. Brenda Lyttle, an attorney at the Department of Family Services, Child Support Enforcement, will be presenting on "What Child Support Enforcement Can Do For You." Her training materials will be on our website (http://gal.state.wy.us) under the "Child Chat" tab in a few days, so be sure and remember to pull them up during the call or print them out beforehand. One hour of approved State Bar and GAL Program CLE. TELECONFERENCE Attend from home, office or on the road! Just dial 1-800-270-1153 a few minutes before 11:00 a.m. and enter Participant Code 169128#. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081008/4c1595f5/attachment.htm From DPlayton at uwyo.edu Thu Oct 9 16:15:36 2008 From: DPlayton at uwyo.edu (Dona Playton) Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 15:15:36 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] FW: Facts, Characteristics on Poor & Low-Income Children Message-ID: Dona Playton UW DV Legal Assistance Project 1000 East University Avenue, Dept. 3010 Laramie, WY 82071 (307) 766-3664 Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations ... can never effect a reform. -Susan B. Anthony From: National Center for Children in Poverty [mailto:mailings at nccp.org] Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 12:41 PM To: Dona Playton Subject: Facts, Characteristics on Poor & Low-Income Children Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. UPDATE National Center for Children in Poverty * Basic Facts about Low-Income Children * Who are America's Poor Children? * The Benefits Dilemma FORWARD this message to a colleague October 9, 2008 Basic Facts about Low-Income Children The data for 2007 are in and the numbers tell a troubling story: nearly four out of every 10 American children are growing up in families that face serious struggles to make ends meet. Parental employment, parental education, family structure and other variables each play an important role in predicting the likelihood that a child will endure economic hardship. We break down the facts and figures into three age groups of children: Birth to Age 3 , Birth to Age 6 and Birth to Age 18 . Who are America's Poor Children? America's official poverty measure needs to be updated and improved, but it is still used by researchers, policymakers, and the media to define economic disadvantage. This fact sheet details some of the characteristics of children who are considered poor by the official standard - including their race/ethnicity, parental nativity, and the hardships they face. Read Who are America's Poor Children? The Official Story . The Benefits Dilemma Making Work Pay for Iowa's Families analyzes the effectiveness of Iowa's "work supports" - such as earned income tax credits, public health insurance, child care assistance and food stamps. Work supports can close the gap between low earnings and basic expenses, but working more does not always pay as families lose eligibility for critical supports. NCCP found that small increases in family income can trigger sharp reductions in benefits, leaving some families no better off - or even worse off. Read Making Work Pay for Iowa's Families . National Center for Children in Poverty | 215 W. 125th Street | New York, NY 10027 www.nccp.org Click here to unsubscribe . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081009/c5d89d65/attachment.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Thu Oct 9 16:27:36 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:27:36 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] 2009 GAL Contracts Message-ID: <48EE22E8.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> All, The 2009 GAL Contracts have some changes from the 2008 Contracts you signed. Many of the changes are ones explained in the executive memorandum sent out in July, such as only needed prior approval for out-of-state travel and giving you 45 days instead of 15 to get your billing to us. We have also changed the language in the billing and payment section. I have attached a contract with that change in strike and underline format. Please review this change and let us know if you do not want a 2009 Contract. As Diane's e-mail indicated, you will be paid for e-mails, phone messages, etc., but we do want you to aggregate your time. Please let me know by the end of next week if you do not want a contract. The new contracts will run from January 1, 2009 until June 30, 2010; and will be sent out for your signature in the next few weeks. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081009/cd42a636/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Individual Contract.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 35285 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081009/cd42a636/attachment-0001.bin From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Thu Oct 9 17:43:26 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:43:26 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Revised Contract in PDF Message-ID: <48EE34AE.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> It seems some of you don't have Word, so I am sending the 2009 revised contract in PDF format as well. Sorry about that. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081009/1b6af039/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Individual Contract.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 383143 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081009/1b6af039/attachment-0001.pdf From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Sat Oct 11 16:25:47 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:25:47 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Breakout Sessions at 2009 Conference Message-ID: <48F0C57B.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> All, We are beginning to look at training sessions for the conference next year and I thought I would see if any of you have some suggestions about what training you want or need at the conference. You can reply to me on or off the listserv if you have any ideas or requests. Here are some of the ideas so far (most of these came from all of you at the meetings I had with everyone in July): Trial Skills Representing sibling groups MDTs Jury Instruction Worksession Training specific to TPRs GAL Ethics Legal Side of Out-of-Home Placements "Best Interests" Effective Representation of a new client at Shelter Care Hearing Healthy Attachment and Bonding in Infancy Representing Teens Thanks for your input! Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081011/7b0a1963/attachment.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Tue Oct 14 12:05:40 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:05:40 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] WOLFS 103 Voucher Message-ID: <48F47D04.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> All, In an attempt to lessen the paperwork and simplify the process of billing the GAL Program, we are no longer going to require the WOLFS 103 Voucher to be attached to your monthly bills. All we need you to send us is your monthly bills for each case. We will fill out the other paperwork for you and get your bills submitted for payment. Hopefully this will speed up the process! Let me know if you have any questions. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081014/e442b50e/attachment.htm From bobbimesjuro at rtconnect.net Wed Oct 15 11:04:50 2008 From: bobbimesjuro at rtconnect.net (Bobbi Overfield) Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:04:50 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] seminar In-Reply-To: <48F47D04.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Message-ID: <20081015160450.27B2B17E96B5@smtp-cuda1.gwtc.net> I just received information about a seminar on "Living and Working with the Challenging Child" It is sponsored by Hot Springs County Counseling in Thermopolis. Presenters are Katharine Leslie, PhD and Tracey Turner-Keyser, MA, LPC. The seminar is October 21-24, 2008 in Thermopolis. Costs are $100 per day or $300 for four days. Deadline to register is today, although the packets were just delivered to me today, so they may be giving some leeway on that. It was also free to participants from Washakie, Hot Springs, Park and Big Horn County if registered before October 10th, I don't know if they'll give a break on that deadline. Topics are "The Brain, Attachment, and Trauma Connection"; "Successful Living with the Attachment Challenged Child"; "Treatment Interventions for Trauma and Mal-Attachment"; and Day 4 is "Practicum and Open Discussion". For further information please contact Hot Springs County Counseling at 307-864-3138 or by email at hsccsi at rtconnect.net. They may be able to email you a more detailed program. Please forward this information to anyone who may be interested. The program is open to foster families, parents, teachers, adoptive parents, dfs workers, clinicians, professionals and I think anyone who may be interested. Bobbi Overfield Messenger and Jurovich, PC PO Box 111 Thermopolis, WY 82443 (307) 864-5541 bobbimesjuro at rtconnect.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081015/5c0ce021/attachment.htm From bobbimesjuro at rtconnect.net Wed Oct 15 11:12:17 2008 From: bobbimesjuro at rtconnect.net (Bobbi Overfield) Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:12:17 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Seminar-deadlines In-Reply-To: <48F47D04.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Message-ID: <20081015161218.59A4317E9812@smtp-cuda1.gwtc.net> All deadlines have been waived in regards to the seminar on Living and Working with the Challenging Child. Take advantage of the opportunity to enroll if you are interested, if you live in the 5th Judicial District, it is free! Thanks, Bobbi Overfield _____ From: wyogal-bounces at lists.washlaw.edu [mailto:wyogal-bounces at lists.washlaw.edu] On Behalf Of Stacey Obrecht Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 11:06 AM To: WyoGAL at lists.washlaw.edu Subject: [WyoGAL] WOLFS 103 Voucher All, In an attempt to lessen the paperwork and simplify the process of billing the GAL Program, we are no longer going to require the WOLFS 103 Voucher to be attached to your monthly bills. All we need you to send us is your monthly bills for each case. We will fill out the other paperwork for you and get your bills submitted for payment. Hopefully this will speed up the process! Let me know if you have any questions. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081015/0b9c5183/attachment.htm From loeper at directairnet.com Wed Oct 15 11:22:42 2008 From: loeper at directairnet.com (Jessica Loeper) Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:22:42 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Seminar-deadlines In-Reply-To: <20081015161218.59A4317E9812@smtp-cuda1.gwtc.net> References: <20081015161218.59A4317E9812@smtp-cuda1.gwtc.net> Message-ID: Bobbi - thank you so much for passing on this info! ----- Original Message ----- From: Bobbi Overfield To: 'Stacey Obrecht' ; WyoGAL at lists.washlaw.edu Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 10:12 AM Subject: [WyoGAL] Seminar-deadlines All deadlines have been waived in regards to the seminar on Living and Working with the Challenging Child. Take advantage of the opportunity to enroll if you are interested, if you live in the 5th Judicial District, it is free! Thanks, Bobbi Overfield ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: wyogal-bounces at lists.washlaw.edu [mailto:wyogal-bounces at lists.washlaw.edu] On Behalf Of Stacey Obrecht Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 11:06 AM To: WyoGAL at lists.washlaw.edu Subject: [WyoGAL] WOLFS 103 Voucher All, In an attempt to lessen the paperwork and simplify the process of billing the GAL Program, we are no longer going to require the WOLFS 103 Voucher to be attached to your monthly bills. All we need you to send us is your monthly bills for each case. We will fill out the other paperwork for you and get your bills submitted for payment. Hopefully this will speed up the process! Let me know if you have any questions. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ WyoGAL mailing list WyoGAL at lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/wyogal -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081015/b82bc4ab/attachment-0001.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Thu Oct 16 21:51:14 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:51:14 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Few Things Message-ID: <48F7A942.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> All, Just a few reminders regarding billing: 1. You must send in a separate invoice for each month of work on each case. So, please do not combine months. 2. Please only send in one bill per case per month. 3. If you have to pay for a transcript from a state employed court reporter, the court reporter bills the Program directly, you do not pay them and then seek reimbursement from the Program. This is how they do it on the Public Defender side, so they should be used to it. We will also send them a letter so they are aware. Let me know if you have any questions. Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081016/15a58812/attachment.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Tue Oct 21 11:08:40 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:08:40 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Guardianships and Adoptions Message-ID: <48FDAA28.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> All, I have received quite a few questions lately regarding GALs doing guardianships, adoptions and other proceedings for their juvenile court clients and wanted to clear up the confusion. The Legislature only authorized the Program to pay for legal services in abuse/neglect, CHINS, delinquency and TPRs (although as before, we are not paying for TPRs yet). Therefore, we cannot pay you to represent your clients in any other types of cases. Please remember that the AGs Office does guardianships for DFS and DFS pays private attorneys to finalize adoptions, so these are not actions that GALs need to be doing. Let me know if you have any questions. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081021/4e83f95f/attachment.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Wed Oct 22 10:25:10 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:25:10 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] CLE Affidavit Message-ID: <48FEF176.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> All, We have gotten a couple of questions regarding the affidavit and CLE requirements, so I wanted to clear it up. The year that you put into the Affidavit is 2009. You are certifying that you have completed, and have on record with the State Bar, 5 hours of GAL Program approved CLE in 2008 (from January 1, 2008 until present). The 5 hours you complete in 2008 certify you to be employed as a GAL in 2009, which is why 2009 is the year on the Affidavit. Let me know if you need anything else. Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081022/be3e34b0/attachment.htm From JSIMEN at state.wy.us Tue Oct 21 17:30:22 2008 From: JSIMEN at state.wy.us (Juana Simental) Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:30:22 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Closure Memo Message-ID: <48FE039E.0AA6.00D8.0@state.wy.us> We have had a couple of requests to post the Closure Memo on the Listserv. So here you go! Juana -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: CASE CLOSURE MEMO.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 191353 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081021/41d1cb92/attachment-0001.pdf From asitz at wavecom.net Thu Oct 23 09:19:19 2008 From: asitz at wavecom.net (Alex Sitz) Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:19:19 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Termination of contract Message-ID: <003501c9351a$571fe660$3400a8c0@meineckesitz.local> Has anyone on the list serve had their contract with the GAL program terminated since it was taken over by the public defender's office? If you are hesitant to say anything over the list serve, please respond privately. Thanks! Alex H. Sitz III Meinecke & Sitz, LLC P.O. Box 3129 1513 Beck Avenue Cody, Wyoming (307) 587-1300 (307) 587-1301 (fax) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081023/c2452a68/attachment.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Fri Oct 24 16:23:36 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:23:36 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] From Brenda Lyttle - Correction from Presentation References: <4901E1E0.4F4B.00E4.0@state.wy.us> Message-ID: <4901E878.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "Brenda Lyttle" Subject: Correction from Presentation Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:55:30 -0600 Size: 1133 Url: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081024/3f821204/attachment.eml From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Mon Oct 27 14:42:17 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:42:17 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Governor's Round Table on Children's Mental Health Message-ID: <4905C539.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> A quick note that the Governor's Round Table on Children's Mental Health, on November 5th and 6th, 2008 in Cheyenne at Little America has been approved for 10.25 hours of CLE. Those hours are also approved for GAL credits. The brochure and registration can be found at: http://www.upliftwy.org/conferences/GRT%20Brochure.pdf -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081027/43017306/attachment.htm From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Mon Oct 27 15:58:46 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:58:46 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] From Beth Evans - Scared Straight Message-ID: <4905D726.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> It's come to my attention that some youth are being court-ordered to a jail tour program (aka "Scared Straight") at the Wyoming State Penitentiary. I don't know if this is happening at other DOC institutions. I've written letters to DOC, DFS, some county atty.s, and some judges regarding the violation of JJDP Act's Separation core requirement. Also sent them some literature (see attached)regarding the lack of such programs to deter crime while actually increasing offending behavior. Just passing along the info in case you run into this problem. Beth Beth Evans, Ph.D. Juvenile Justice Project Coordinator Wyoming County Commissioners Association P. O. Box 86 Cheyenne, WY 82003 307-632-5409 Fax: 307-632-6533 Cell: 307-631-5242 bethevans3 at bresnan.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081027/fedfa949/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Scared_Straight_Booklet_Version.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 69628 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081027/fedfa949/attachment-0001.pdf From DPlayton at uwyo.edu Fri Oct 24 10:19:10 2008 From: DPlayton at uwyo.edu (Dona Playton) Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:19:10 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Attorney and Paralegal Position Wyoming Coalition Against DV and SA Message-ID: Sorry for any cross postings! There are currently two positions open at the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault's Legal Project in Laramie, Wyoming. Please feel free to pass on. Thanks, Dona Playton UW DV Legal Assistance Project 1000 East University Avenue, Dept. 3010 Laramie, WY 82071 (307) 766-3664 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081024/0113e6fc/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: WCADVSA Paralegal Job Description, 10-08.doc Type: application/msword Size: 43520 bytes Desc: WCADVSA Paralegal Job Description, 10-08.doc Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081024/0113e6fc/attachment-0002.doc -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: WCADVSA_Staff Attorney Job Description, 10-08.doc Type: application/msword Size: 49664 bytes Desc: WCADVSA_Staff Attorney Job Description, 10-08.doc Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081024/0113e6fc/attachment-0003.doc From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Wed Oct 29 11:39:43 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:39:43 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Wraparound Training Message-ID: <49083D6F.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Here is an invitation to attend training on wraparound services, offered in Cheyenne on November 6th and 7th. Please see attached document for details. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081029/ff13abef/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Wraparound invitation.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 275544 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081029/ff13abef/attachment-0001.pdf From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Thu Oct 30 12:06:51 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:06:51 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] Billing Message-ID: <4909954B.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> All, Since our last listserv communications on billing the GAL Program, we have spent a lot of time figuring out an easier way for you to bill and for us to review your bills. We have reduced it to one page! Starting now, with your bills for October, you only need to send us one invoice a month. It is attached in both Word and PDF format. You no longer need to send your bills with the detail, only this form. You can only submit one form per month, so be sure that it has all your time for the month and you cannot put more than one month on a form. Your vendor name and vendor code are the same name and number from the WOLFS voucher form you filled out previously. If you do not have your contract number, please call or e-mail Juana at 777-7480 or jsimen at state.wy.us to get this number. If you have lost your vendor code, let Juana know as well. She has all these numbers. The invoice holds 10 cases and some of you have more cases than that, so you would fill out more than one invoice and indicate how many total pages in the top right hand corner. You will also need to put an invoice number in that upper right-hand box. For each case, you must have the client's name, docket number and county. Then, all we need on the second line is your total number of hours you worked in that month (for example .3, 1.25, or 6.) and the amount of money those hours translate to. If you work in more than one county, then at the bottom of the page, you will need to total the amounts by county and then a grand total. If you only work in one county, you can skip the totals by county and just give us a grand total. Then, please sign the invoice and send it to us in the mail within the 45 day deadline. Please remember you can only submit one invoice per month. Let us know if you have any questions. We hope this will streamline the process for you and for us! Stacey Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081030/2a72d1a4/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Monthly Invoice.doc Type: application/msword Size: 49152 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081030/2a72d1a4/attachment-0001.doc -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Monthly Invoice.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 244811 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081030/2a72d1a4/attachment-0001.pdf From SOBREC1 at state.wy.us Thu Oct 30 13:18:39 2008 From: SOBREC1 at state.wy.us (Stacey Obrecht) Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:18:39 -0600 Subject: [WyoGAL] November's Newsletter Message-ID: <4909A61F.F311.0072.0@state.wy.us> Please see attached newsletter. I have also attached the Dependency Docket, referred to within the Newsletter, as it has not been posted to our website yet. Stacey L. Obrecht Attorney Director Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program 2020 Carey Avenue, Suite 201 Cheyenne, WY 82002 Phone: 307-777-3650 Fax: 307-777-5331 Website: http://gal.state.wy.us ( http://gal.state.wy.us/ ) E-mail: sobrec1 at state.wy.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081030/3ad43e43/attachment-0001.htm -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Newsletter - November 2008.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1675409 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081030/3ad43e43/attachment-0002.pdf -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Wyoming Dependency Docket 2008 (by Rachel Ryckman).pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 450706 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.washlaw.edu/pipermail/wyogal/attachments/20081030/3ad43e43/attachment-0003.pdf