The family law doors program - Helping families manage separation

At your first point of contact with your family law professional, you may now be asked to complete what is referred to as a parent self-report form. At your first point of contact with your family law professional, you may now be asked to complete what is referred to as a parent self-report form.

The DOORS program is design to assist separating parents and family law professionals to detect and respond to wellbeing and safety risks that family members may be experiencing after separation and specifically in parenting matters.

DOORS = “Detection of Overall Risk Screen.”

The standardised screening process is designed to help professionals detect and respond to safety and wellbeing risks. The screening is not limited to domestic violence but takes a broad approach to include adult, infant and child well-being, conflict and communication as well as parenting stress. This will enable the practitioner to evaluate the contribution of these factors to imminent personal and interpersonal safety risks and to provide advice as to an effective response including referrals to other professionals if required. This program aims to protect the safety of the parties to a family law matter, which can ultimately lead to healthier management of difficult times.

The Family Law DOORS

The DOORS helps family law professionals and separating parents to identify and react to both safety and well-being risks that families may after separation be experiencing. The DOORS is designed for families whose previous intimate partners have an ongoing relationship with their children or would like such a relationship. It uses self reporting by clients and reports made by professionals about the situation of the client in question. It outlines ten areas of risk after separation, which include safety concerns, child development and wellbeing and the wellbeing of the parents. The person responsible for assessing a client’s situation can use any or all of the ten areas when observing and compiling a report.

There are ten domains of risk within the DOORS, exploring individual and dyadic functioning after separation, risks to safety, parents’ well-being and infant and child well-being and development. According to the needs of the case, the practitioner can choose to screen all domains of risk, or only some. Three connected DOORS enable different levels of exploration of these ten domains.