Opinion ID: 4057169
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Mother’s parenting abilities

Text: As required by her family service plan, Mother completed an eight-week course called “Nurturing Program Parenting Class.” She also underwent a psychological evaluation and engaged in individual therapy and family therapy with David and Jason. The therapy sessions are best considered in three groups: sessions in early 2014 (the First Therapy Sessions); sessions later in 2014, which occurred after trial began (the Second Therapy Sessions); and sessions in early 2015, which occurred between the second and third days of trial (the Third Therapy Sessions). Denise Jones7 conducted the evaluation, the First Therapy Sessions, and the Second Therapy Sessions. Her supervisor, Uche Chibueze, conferred with Jones weekly about the case. Gabriella Morgan conducted the Third Therapy Sessions. First Therapy Sessions. According to Chibueze, Mother attended and was an active participant in all the First Therapy Sessions. She met all her treatment goals, including improving her parenting abilities and being able to modulate her 7 Jones is alternately referred to in the record as Angela and Denise. 12 emotions when parenting her children. Still, there was work to be done, specifically with how Mother dealt with David’s behavior outbursts. At the time she testified, in August 2014, Chibueze did not recommend termination of Mother’s parental rights. Instead, she recommended Mother continue to get services and the case be reevaluated in the future. Jones testified in January 2015. She confirmed Mother attended all the First Therapy Sessions, actively engaged in the process, was open to suggestions, and welcomed Jones’ input on how to be a better parent. Throughout the First Therapy Sessions, Mother improved in interacting with David and Jason, showing them affection and responding appropriately when they acted out or were upset. Mother admitted she made a mistake by leaving her children alone, and over time she grew to understand the gravity of her choice. However, she did not disclose that she had been charged with child endangerment. Jones said her failure to disclose that fact “was a concern.” Mother was discharged from therapy once she completed the First Therapy Sessions. Jones recommended in her closure report that Mother be able to spend more time with her children in a community setting more casual than the Department’s office, such as McDonald’s or a park. Problematic visits with David. Following her discharge, Mother had community visits with David and Jason for about three months. According to caseworker Nicole Franco, however, the visits did not go well. Franco testified about a two-hour visit at McDonald’s in October 2014: [The visit] was particularly disturbing to me because it was very similar to the very first visitation that I had ever, ever observed with this family in regards to the way mom interacted with the children. [David] had an emotional breakdown the entire — just about the entire visitation. Mom was not able to console him. She regressed 13 back to the same behaviors that I observed in that very first visit when I was first assigned the case. She would call him a baby, compare him to a sibling and tell him there was nothing wrong. That was the visit where she had grabbed his wrist and pulled him face to face with her. She wasn’t consistent and put him in time out telling him he had to sit there for not an appropriate amount of time. And then she would come back and start talking to him again. She got frustrated and left the visitation area. Went out to her car and then she had kept going out to purchase food. She went out and got her cell phone and plugged it into the wall in her cell phone [sic] and [David] was clinging to her legs crying. The other child [Jason] was crawling up into a chair behind her and, finally, I had to tell her to turn around and supervise him. It was just that it was really disturbing in the sense that I didn’t see the application of any of the skills that I know has [sic] been taught during the parenting classes or that were noted to be reinforced during therapy sessions. Franco then sent Mother back to therapy for the Second Therapy Sessions. Second Therapy Sessions. Jones saw Mother and David together only once in the Second Therapy Sessions. She said the visit took place at the Department’s office and Mother’s interaction with David was “fine that day.” David and Mother had a bond, and David liked the interaction with her. Jones said it “might be beneficial for both of them to continue to have a relationship.” However, when asked if Mother seemed to have learned the skills Jones taught her, Jones answered, “Not at this time.” (“This time” was January 2015.) She recommended that David not be returned to Mother at that point, though she was not foreclosing the possibility that it would be appropriate to return him to her in the future. Jones said as long as Mother could “make the needed changes and get some help,” she did not recommend termination of Mother’s rights. Third Therapy Sessions. Gabriella Morgan testified on the third day of trial, in April 2015. She had met with Mother twice, once individually and once with 14 David, about a month earlier. She was aware Mother and David had been in therapy in 2014, but she did not have access to Chibueze’s and Jones’ reports. The Third Therapy Sessions seem to have been similar to the First Therapy Sessions in terms of Mother’s good attitude and progress. Mother was open to educational comments, was willing to accept Morgan’s help, and seemed sincere about wanting to become a better mother. Mother had learned in a previous session (the record is not clear which therapist conducted that session) that she should get on the floor and play with the children. For her family session with David, Mother wore comfortable clothes, rather than a dress, so she could crawl around the floor and play. David began to cry and became very clingy with Mother during that visit. Morgan encouraged Mother to “use positive body language and firm words to decrease his level of anxiety.” David responded well. However, Morgan said Mother denied leaving her children alone. Morgan implied her denial was troublesome: The first thing I look for is acknowledgement, taking responsibility, accountability, and that tells me that is the first sign there is a potential for change. . . . And I did not hear that. Morgan concluded by agreeing Mother would benefit from continuing to work on the behavior techniques she was learning.