title: Visitation arrangements for impaired parents.
abstract: Forensic mental health professionals are frequently asked to evaluate the parenting skills of divorcing parents because the court seeks help in determining the custody, visitation, and parenting time arrangements for the children. When one of the parents is impaired, the court wants to know the way to help the children have a good relationship with that parent and keep the children safe. There is little empirical research to answer such questions. In this article, the authors describe their methodology for providing useful clinical information to the court to help guide their decisions regarding visitation with impaired parents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37212, USA. stephen.a.montgomery@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Street
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002655:Child Custody / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D033222:Judicial Role; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult