Authorization To Contact Other Significant CaregiverWhen providing counselling services to children it is usually therapeutically beneficial to have both parents, or all significant caregivers involved. It is also ethically inappropriate to exclude a parent, or provide services without that parent's knowledge. Canadian Co-Parenting Centres use the Child Treatment Declaration form to ensure that both parents, and any other significant caregivers*, are aware of the services being considered and that all are in favour of proceeding. *In some situations, such as longer term common-law relationships, the child or children may have significant relationships with adults who are not a biological or adoptive parent. If someone has been a significant caregiver, and in practical terms been like a parent, then we believe it is appropriate to treat them as such. In some circumstances, one or more significant caregivers or parents is not available to sign the Child Treatment Declaration for one reason or another. In those situations, we will have the attending guardian (parent) sign an Authorization to Contact Other Significant Caregiver. Note that this form will also be requested if there is a significant caregiver who is not participating in the child's treatment. This form, shown below, simply authorizes us to contact the person in question. Parents who have been embroiled in conflict, and professionals who have experience dealing with such families, will know that people sometimes have mixed intentions, and will at times deliberately exclude someone from the process. The professionals at Canadian Co-Parenting Centres are very mindful that well intentioned people, including trained professionals, can sometimes inadvertently exacerbate the situation when they are missing an important perspective and source of information and insight.
CnCPC_Authorization_To_Contact.doc
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