Beyond the Collabobabble

Melissa Thompson, Executive Director, Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel: Representation of Parents in Dependency and Neglect Cases

Episode Summary

Melissa Thompson, Executive Director of the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC), joins the podcast to talk about the work of the ORPC and the attorneys they contract with and oversee. The ORPC took on oversight of respondent parent attorneys from the State Court Administrator’s Office on July 1, 2016.

Episode Notes

0:00                        Opening

13:00                     Starting the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel

21:00                     Fairness for Families

29:00                     Social Workers for Parents and Multi-Disciplinary Models

31:00                     Story of Collaboration with Social Worker Model

35:00                     Important Relationships and Support for ORPC and Fairness for Families

37:30                     What ORPC is Looking for in Contract Attorneys

40:45                     3 Take Away’s for Taking Action

41:55                     Getting to Know the Guest