THI RD DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, D OYLE, P. J.

, and HODGES, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

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H I S
C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN

TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S

.

A ugust 27, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A0 85 1 . IN THE INTEREST OF L. B., a ch il d

.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

Th i s ap p eal ari s es fro m a ju v en i l e co u rt ord er t erm i n at i ng p aren t al ri g h t s an d

ch al l en g es t h e s u ffi c ien cy of th e ev i d en ce s u p p o rt i n g t he co urt ’ s fi nd i ng t h at t h e

ch i l d ’ s d ep en d en cy was li k el y to co n t i n u e. Becau se t h ere was su ffi ci en t ev i d en ce to

s u p p ort t h e fi n d in g , we affi rm

.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

On ap p eal fro m a ju v en i l e co u rt ’ s d eci s i o n t o t erm i n at e p aren t al

ri gh ts

, we rev i ew th e ev i d en ce i n t h e l i gh t m o st fav o rab le to th e co u rt ’ s d eci si o n an d d et erm i n e wh et her an y rat i o n a l t r i er o f fact co u l d h av e fo u n d b y cl ear an d co n v i n ci n g ev i d en ce t h at t he p aren t al ri g ht s s h o u l d

b e t e r m i n at ed

. In d o i n g s o , we d o n o t wei g h t h e ev id en ce o r res o l v e cred ib i l i t y i s s u e s , b u t m erel y d et erm i n e wh et h er a rat io n al t ri er o f fact

co u l d h av e fo u nd b y cl ear an d co nv i n c i n g ev i d en ce th at t h e n at u ral

p aren t ’ s ri g h t t o cu s t o d y

s h o u l d b e t erm i nat ed

.In t h e In t er es t o f C. S

. , 3 54 Ga. Ap p

. 1 3 3

, 1 36 (8 4 0 SE2 d 4 7 5 ) (2 0 2 0 ) (ci t at i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ).

So v i ewed

, t h e reco rd s ho ws t h at in A u g u s t 2 0 1 4

, th e m o t h er ex p eri en ced a

m en t al heal t h cri si s an d req u es t ed t hat t he D e p art m en t o f Fam i l y an d Ch i l d ren

Serv i ces t ak e care o f h er s i x -m o n t h o ld ch il d, L. B. At an ad ju di cat o ry h eari n g , t h e

m o th er s t i p u l at ed t hat t h e ch i l d was d ep en d en t d ue t o h er m en t al i l l n es s an d d o m es t i c

v i o l en ce b et ween h er an d t h e ch i l d ’ s fat her, an d t h e ju v en i l e co u rt award ed t em p o rary

cu s t o d y t o t h e d ep art m en t

. A cas e p l an t o reu n i fy t h e m o t h er w i t h t h e ch i l d was

i m p l e m en t ed

, wh i ch i n cl u d ed p s y ch o l og i cal ev al u at i o n s , co u n s el i n g , paren t i n g

ed u cat i o n , an g er m an ag em en t cl as s es , an d t ak i n g p r es cri b ed m en t al h eal th

m ed i cat i o n s

. Aft er m o re t h an t h ree y ears o f t h e m o th er fai li n g t o co m p l et e t h e cas e

p l an , t h e d ep art m en t fi led a p et i t i o n t o t erm i nat e t h e p aren tal ri g h t s o f L. B.’ s m o t h er

an d fat h er.

At t h e o ut s et of t h e t erm i n at i o n h eari n g , t h e ch il d ’ s fat h er v o l u n t ari l y

s u rren d ered h i s paren t al ri ghts. T he r e a f te r , e viden ce i n t ro d u ced at t he h eari n g s h o wed

t h at t h e m o t h er h as b een d iag n o s ed wi t h bi p o l ar d is o rd er, m ajo r d ep res s i v e d i s o rd er,

an d bo rd erl i n e p ers o nal i t y d i s o rd er, an d t h at sh e h as b een h o sp i t al i zed o n nu m ero u s

o ccas i o n s d u e t o her m en t al i ll n es s es

. Vari o u s wi t n es s es tes t i fi ed ab o ut t h e m o t h er’ s

2v i o l en t an d errat ic b eh av i o r an d h ow s h e h ad term i n at ed her rel at i o n s h i p s wi th

t h erap i s ts an d o t h er s erv i ce p ro v i d ers ab ru p t l y an d wi th o u t ex p l an at i o n

. On e m en t al

h eal t h pr o f

e ssiona l te s tif

ie d t h at t h e m o t h er s h o wed li t tl e i m p ro v em en t d es p i t e h av i n g

recei v ed s i g n i fi can t s ervic es an d t hat an y i m p ro v em en t wo u l d o n l y b e tem po rary

. Th e

m o t h er was al so co g ni t i v el y i m p ai red

, wi t h an in it i al IQ ev al u at i o n in t h e av erag e

ran g e, b u t s u b s eq u en t t es t s sh o wi n g s i g n i fi can t co g n i t iv e d et eri o rat i o n

. M u l t i p l e

wi t n es s es t es t i fi ed t h at L. B. wo u l d n o t b e s afe i n t h e m o t h er’ s care s in ce s h e h ad n ot

m ad e an y s i g n i fi can t im

p ro v em en t i n th e m an ag em en t o f h er m en t al h eal t h

. Th e

m o th er h ers el f t es ti fi ed t h at sh e u n d ers t oo d t h at s he wo ul d h av e t o m an ag e her m en t al

i l ln es s fo r t h e res t o f h er l ife.

Ot h er ev i den ce sh o wed th at L. B. h as a heal t h y at t ach m en t t o h is fo st er fam i l y

.

He h as t h ri v ed i n t h ei r care an d t hey wo u l d l i k e t o ad op t h i m

. Th e ch i l d ’ s g u ard i an

a d l i t em fu rt h er reco m

m en d ed t h at t erm i n at io n o f paren t al ri g h t s was i n t h e ch i l d ’ s

b es t i n t eres t s

.

Aft er t h e t h ree-d ay heari n g , t h e ju ven i l e co u rt en t ered i t s o rd er t erm i n at i n g t h e

m o th er’ s p aren tal ri g h t s , fi n d i n g L. B. t o b e a d ep en d en t ch il d d u e t o t h e l ack o f

p r o p e r p aren t al care b ecau s e o f t h e m o t h er’ s m en t al h eal t h co n d i t i o n s

. Th e m o t h er

fi led a m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al , wh i ch t h e co u rt d en ied . Th i s ap p eal fo l l o w ed

.

32

. Dep en d en cy l i kel y t o co n t i nu e.

“ OCGA § 1 5 -1 1 -3 1 0 (a) p ro v i d es t h at i n co n s i d eri n g t h e t erm i n at i o n o f

p aren t al ri g h t s , t h e co u rt s h al l fi rs t det erm i n e wh et h er o ne of [fi v e] s t at u t o ry g ro u nd s

fo r t erm in at i o n

. . . h as b een m et .” In t h e In t er es t of C. S.

, s u p ra at 1 3 6 (1 ) (ci t at i o n

an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t ted ). In t h e i n s t an t cas e, t he j u v en i l e co urt t e r m i n a t e d t h e

m o th er’ s p aren t al ri g ht s

u n d er OCGA § 1 5 -1 1 -3 1 0 (a) (5 ), wh ich p ro v i d es t h at a g ro u n d fo r

t erm i n at io n ex is t s wh en [ a] ch il d i s a d e p en d en t ch il d du e to lack o f

p ro p er p aren tal care o r co n t ro l b y h i s o r h er p aren t

, reas o nab l e effo rt s t o

rem ed y t h e ci rcu m s t an ces h av e b een un s ucces s fu l o r were no t req ui red

,

s u ch cau s e o f d ep en d en c y i s l i k el y t o co n t i n u e o r wi ll n o t li k el y be

rem ed i ed

, an d [ret u rn i n g t h e ch i l d t o h i s or h er p aren t ] i s l i k el y t o cau s e

s eri o u s p h y s ical , m en t al , em o t i on al , o r m o ral h arm t o s u ch ch i l d.

In t h e In t er es t

o f L. P. , 3 3 9 Ga. Ap p

. 6 5 1

, 6 5 4 (7 9 4 SE2 d 2 5 2) (2 01 6 ).

Here, t h e m o t her co nced es th at t here i s cl ear an d co nv i n ci n g ev id en ce t h at

L. B. i s dep en d en t du e t o t he l ack o f p ro p er paren t al care o r co nt ro l b ecau s e o f h er

o v erwh el m i ng m en t al heal th n eed s

. Sh e cl ai m s , h o w ev er, t h at t h ere w as in su ffi ci en t

ev i d en ce t h at t h e d e p e n den cy i s l i kel y to co n t i n u e b ecau s e t h e d ep art m en t d i d n ot

m ak e reas o n ab l e effo rt s t o ad dres s t h e m o t h er’ s m en t al h eal t h d i ag n o s i s an d h er

d ecreas ed m en t al cap aci t y . Th e cl ai m s are wi t h o u t m eri t

.

4W i t h reg ard t o her m en t al heal t h d i ag no s is

, t h e m o th er co n t en d s t h at t h ere i s

n o ev i d en ce t h at s h e recei v ed di al ec t i cal beh av i oral t h erap y to t reat h er b o rd erl i n e

p ers o n al i t y d i s o rd er. Ho we v e r , t h e m o t h er’ s t h erap is t ex p res s l y t es t i fi ed t h at s h e

u t i l i zed d i al ect i cal b eh av i o ral t h erap y w it h t h e m o t h er. As t h e tri al co u rt fo u n d i n

d en y i n g t h e m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al , “ t h ere was am p l e t es t i m on y

p res en ted at t ri al t h at

[t he m o t h er’ s ] p ri m ary t herap i s t m ad e t he d i ag n o s i s o f B o r d erl i n e Pers o n al i t y

Di s o rd er, an d th at s he m ad e ap p ro pri at e referral s an d ad d res s ed t hi s d i ag no s i s i n h er

d i rect i n t eract i on s wi t h [t h e m o t h er’ s ] t reat m en t .”

As fo r her decreas ed m en t al cap aci ty

, th e m o t h er arg u es t h at t he d ep art m en t d id

n o t en s ure t h at s h e u n ders t o o d wh at w as req u i red o f h er t o r e g a i n c u s t o d y o f L. B.

Bu t as t h e t ri al co u rt ex p lai n ed

, t h e reco rd sh o w s th at th e m o t h er act u al l y “ co m p l et ed

m an y o f th e s t ep s i n h er cas e p l an o v er a p eri o d o f y ears , s h o wi n g t h at s h e d id

, i n fact

,

u n d ers t an d wh at wa s ex p ect ed o f h er.” M o reo v er, sev eral o f h er s erv i ce pro v i d ers

t es t i fi ed t h at s h e ap peared t o u n d ers t an d wh at w as req u i red of h er u n der t h e cas e p l an

.

As n o t ed ab ov e, o n ap p eal fro m a t erm i nat i on o rd er we d o n o t w e i g h t h e

ev i d en ce o r res o l v e cred i b i li t y i s s u es

. In t he In t er es t of C. S

. , s u p ra. In t h i s cas e, t h e

t ri al co u rt was au t h o ri zed t o res o l v e an y co nfl i ct s i n t h e ev i d en ce an d , “ [i ] n as m u ch

as t h e [m o t her’ s ] u n res o l v ed [m en t al h eal t h] i s s u es were a p ri m ary cau se o f [L. B.’ s ]

5d ep en d en cy , th e ju v en il e co u rt d i d n o t err i n co n cl u d i n g th at th e cau se o f t h e [ch i ld ’ s ]

d ep en d en cy w as li k el y t o co n t i nu e[.] ” In t h e In t er es t o f E.G.M.

, 3 4 1 Ga. Ap p

. 3 3

, 5 0

(2 ) (b ) (7 9 8 SE2 d 6 3 9 ) (2 01 7 ). See al s o In th e In t er es t o f J

. J

. J

. , 2 8 9 Ga. Ap p

. 4 6 6,

4 6 9 -7 0 (6 5 7 SE 2 d 5 8 8 ) (2 0 0 8 ) (d ep en d en cy l i k el y t o co n t i nu e wh en ap p el l an t h as

m ed i cal l y veri fi ab l e d e fi ci en cy o f m en t al or em o t i on al heal t h an d h as fai l ed to

co m p l y wi t h reu n i fi cat i o n p l an ).

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Do yl e, P. J., a n d

Ho d g es , J., co n cu r

.

6