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Assistant Professor
Office:
TETC 254-K
Phone:
410-543-6513 or ext. 3-6513
Email:
makushner@salisbury.edu
Web page:
www.margokushnertherapist.com
Scholarship and Creative Works:
Dr.
Kushner has published numerous journal articles
pertaining to children, families and the Canadian legal
system. She is currently writing a book pertaining
to "Family Assessments". She has numerous
other professional publications.
Scholarly Activities Summary:
Books
1 (seeking contract)
Referred Journal Articles
8
Professional Publications
7
Technical & Research Reports
6
Referred Papers & Workshops 11
Referred Journal Articles:
Kushner,
M. (2009) Judges & child custody evaluators beware:
Methodological limitations
inherent in the research about children & divorce.
Canadian Family Law Quarterly 28 (1),
pp. 33-49.
Kushner, M. (2009) A dual model for completing parenting
plans post separation.
Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 50(7).
Kushner, M. (2009) A review of the empirical literature
about child development and
adjustment post separation. Journal of Divorce &
Remarriage (in press).
Kushner, M. (2008) Courtextual
Slippage: A Detriment to
Child Custody Planning? Journal
of Child Custody, 5(3/4), 276-298.
Kushner,
M. (2006) Is best interests a solution to filling
potholes in child custody planning?
Journal of Child
Custody, 3(2), 71-89
Kushner,
M. (2006) Best interests and child custody planning.
Journal of Divorce &
Remarriage, 44(3/4), 17-29
Kushner,
M. (2005) The child custody expert: Legitimizing one's
moral and legal self.
Canadian Family Law
Quarterly, 23(1), 94-99
Kushner,
M. (2005) Child custody experts: An identity crisis.
Canadian Family Law Quarterly,
22(3), 297-317
Professional Publications:
Kushner,
M. (2008, Feb.) Mapping text. Institutional
Ethnography Newsletter. 5(1).
Kushner,
M. (2007, June) Tips for divorcing parents regarding
their children.
NASW web-site
www.helpstartshere.org.
Kushner,
M. (2006) Child custody planning in a textually
structured court system.
Published doctoral dissertation, University of Calgary,
Calgary, AB.
Kushner,
M. (2005) The relationship between children of divorce
and the legal system,
revisited. Psymposium, 14(4), 22-25.
Kushner,
M. (204) The relationship between children of divorce
and the legal system.
Women in Psychology, 15(3), 3-6.
Kushner,
M. (1995) Principles of prosperity and social work.
The Advocate, 20(1), 16-17.
Kushner,
M. (1994) Excelling in private practice. The Adovcate,
19(4), 17-18.
Specialties:
Clinical Work pertaining to Individuals, Couples and
Families
Provides
Expert Court Testimony involving Child Custody and
Guardianship
Appointment Year:
2006
Institutions Attended:
BA Cultural Anthropology The
University of Toronto, Toronto, CA
BSW
York University, Tornoto, CA
MSW University of Calgary, Calgary, CA
Ph.D.
University of Calgary, Calgary, CA
Recent
Experience:
Dr.
Kushner's career involves 30 years of experience as a
social worker. Her employment experiences include numerous
child welfare programs including, investigations,
adoptions, daycare licensing and probation. Her 10
years experience in the child welfare system ranged from
direct practice to management positions. Dr.
Kushner was involved in writing the Adoptions
regulations in Alberta, CA, pertaining to the family
assessment portion of the current Adoptions Act.
She was also instrumental in designing and implementing
the first aboriginal child welfare office in Canada.
Her experiences range from working in remote Canadian
locations with Aboriginal peoples to large urban
centers. For the last 20 years, Dr. Kushner owned
and operated a private practice in Calgary, Alberta.
As a clinical social worker and marriage and family
therapist, she provided marriage and family therapy,
divorce mediation, as well as individual counseling to
both the private and public sectors. Her clinical
expertise is in the area of completing child custody evaluations as a
court-appointed expert. To date, she has completed
over 300 expert opinions in numerous Canadian jurisdictions.
Dr. Kushner
has also been appointed by the Canadian Court system as
an expert pertaining to adoption and child sexual abuse.
Dr. Kushner has a private practice specializing in the
area of divorce, marital and family therapy.
Research/Practice Interests:
Family
Law
Children's Rights
Mediation
Child Custody
Access Matters
Dr.
Kushner's Ph.D. dissertation pertained to the
"helpfulness" of child custody experts. Her
participants were Canadian judges and child custody
evaluators. Prior to this study, Canadian judges
had not engaged in scholarly research.
Dr. Kushner is continuing to research her interest in
procedural justice with judges in the State of Maryland.
She has recently been appointed to a Custody
Subcommittee of the Maryland Judicial Committee on
Family Law. Her responsibilities include reviewing
proposed Family law legislation that are being prepared
as legislative bills. For example, Child Custody
and Military Duty, and Domestic Violence bills.
Teaching Experience:
Dr.
Kushner has taught in the Canadian college and
university systems since 1990.
Courses taught include field, practice methods at the BSW and MSW levels, substance abuse, advanced family
practice, family assessment, and group work. She
teaches traditional face-to-face classes as well as
blended classes in the SU Satellite Program.
Awards/Scholarships:
*
Nominated for excellence in teaching award at the
University of Calgary 2003
* Recipient of the Women Helping Women Scholarship
provided by the Psychology Association in Alberta, CA
2002, 2003
* Centennial Year Scholarship, Gilbey, CA 1973.
Full tuition scholarship towards an undergraduate
university degree
Professional Affiliations:
* Clinical registration with the Canadian Social
Work Association
* Clinical license with the State of Maryland Social
Work Association
* AAMFT - American Association of Marriage and Family
Therapists - Clinical membership since 1991.
Reviewer for AAMFT scholarly works/workshop submissions.
* AFCC - Association of Family and Conciliation Courts -
Original membership 1990.
* SSPS - Society for the Study of Social Problems -
Membership since 2004.
Service:
* Salisbury University Sailing Advisor
* Library Liaison for Social Work
* Maryland Judiciary Sub-committee on Family Law
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