Navigating High-Conflict Relationships in Child Protection: Balancing Empathy and Authority

This session will delve deep into managing resistance, denial, and confrontation in child protection. Conflict is unavoidable when parents are afraid or resistant, yet building relationships is essential. Rich Devine will explore advanced relational skills for navigating these high-stakes interactions, moving beyond basic conflict resolution. Participants will engage in case studies, role-playing, and analysis of different social work approaches to balancing empathy and authority. Learning Outcomes: • Understand the deeper psychological and emotional triggers behind parental resistance. • Learn advanced conflict management techniques tailored to the child protection context. • Explore strategies to de-escalate high-conflict situations while maintaining professional boundaries. • Build confidence in shifting resistant or defensive parents toward constructive engagement. • Understand when and how to assert authority while maintaining empathy and building collaborative relationships.