Opinion ID: 2382556
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Barbara's progress on her case plan since Gary's birth

Text: In May 2008 Barbara began participating in the Women's Residential Reunification and Action Program (WRRAP), which offers domestic violence classes, life skills classes, and shelter. Her updated case plan required that she successfully complete this program. While in the program, Barbara continued to see Leo. Barbara requested that Leo be added to her weekly visitation with the children in July 2008, but she changed her mind after several weeks because Leo had gone back to his old ways of being controlling. In August 2008 Barbara sought medical attention after her ex-boyfriend had pull[ed] on a pierced nipple when [he] got angry. The superior court found that she was referring to Leo. In September 2008 Barbara was with Leo when he was arrested for a parole violation and was still using a picture of her and Leo as the profile picture on her MySpace page. Although Barbara finished the WRRAP program in November 2008, staff noted that her level of participation was minimal and had the sense that she was not fully committed to the program because she diminished the seriousness of her domestic violence issues and refused to terminate her relationship with Leo. Barbara visited Leo several times while he was in prison and continued to have conversations with him to update him on their children until March 2009. At that time, Barbara sent a letter to Leo stating that their relationship was over; according to the superior court, this letter was sent at the advice of counsel. Barbara completed her substance abuse treatment with Ascent in September 2008 and began to participate in after-care. Barbara went to AA meetings several times per month, and after the question whether she had a sobriety sponsor was discussed at trial, she obtained a sobriety sponsor. Despite Barbara missing drug tests in 2009, the superior court credited her testimony that she was sober and found that she had been sober since at least Gary's birth in April 2008. Barbara's case plan also required that she follow up with Megha Hammaker for all of her mental health needs and recommendations. As noted above, despite her testimony to the contrary, Barbara did not follow Hammaker's recommendation in early June 2008 that Barbara have weekly appointments to work through issues related to domestic violence, and Barbara went long periods without visits. At trial, Hammaker expressed her opinion that Barbara was presently... not experiencing any major depressive symptoms or mood disorder symptoms, and that it was appropriate for her not to take any medication or see a professional for her mental health issues. Barbara was neither taking any medications nor regularly seeing Hammaker or any other mental health professional. Barbara's case plan established regular supervised visits with her children through AFS. Barbara consistently attended her scheduled visits, and the social worker agreed that her interactions with her children were loving and appropriate. Barbara moved to Anchorage in January 2009 and rented her own apartment.