PRESS Release
Dr. Steve Hudgins, an Oklahoma-based licensed professional counselor, adjunct professor, author, researcher, and U.S. Army veteran, is proposing targeted reforms to strengthen the Equal Access and Mental Health in Child Custody Act (HB 1082). Dr. Hudgins has conferred with Representative Mark Tedford to address these concerns and advocate for stronger protections that preserve children’s emotional safety and parental attachment.
His recommendations focus on embedding modern mental-health science, trauma-informed practice, and professional accountability into Oklahoma’s family-court framework to ensure that equal access to parents never outweighs a child’s emotional or psychological safety.
Drawing upon his doctoral research at Liberty University and his publication Piece by Piece: My Blended Experience of a Mosaic Family, Dr. Hudgins identifies systemic gaps within current custody law—particularly the subjectivity of the “best interests of the child” standard, the misuse of the term “parental alienation”, and the lack of trauma-informed training and accountability among legal and child-protection professionals.
“Custody reform is not about taking sides between parents—it is about standing on the side of the child’s mind, heart, and safety.”
His proposal recommends that Oklahoma lawmakers:
Reform the “Best Interests” Standard
Replace subjective judicial discretion with measurable, trauma-informed criteria, including attachment security, parental mental health, treatment compliance, and the presence or absence of coercive control or emotional abuse.
Replace “Parental Alienation” with Disruptive Parental Attachment (DPA®)
Introduce Disruptive Parental Attachment (DPA®) as a clinically grounded, behavior-based model to identify coercive or manipulative behaviors that disrupt a child’s secure bond with a fit caregiver. This model provides courts and clinicians with objective, evidence-based tools to differentiate genuine abuse from parental influence or bias.
Integrate Mental Health and Trauma Education into the Legal System
Require ongoing trauma-informed continuing education (CEUs) for judges, attorneys, guardians ad litem, and DHS personnel. Mandate forensic mental-health evaluations in high-risk custody cases, using standardized psychological testing and attachment assessments.
Enhance Accountability and Oversight
Establish a Child Safety and Custody Commission to review custody trends, agency compliance, and court performance. Impose enforceable sanctions on agencies or professionals who fail to appear in court, ignore subpoenas, or neglect their duty to protect children’s mental and emotional welfare.
Recognize Coercive Control as Psychological Domestic Violence
Codify coercive control—patterns of intimidation, isolation, or manipulation—as a form of domestic violence that endangers children’s psychological development and attachment security.
Dr. Hudgins emphasizes that these changes are not about limiting parental rights but about aligning Oklahoma law with modern clinical science. The goal is to bridge the gap between mental health and family law by protecting children not only from physical harm but also from emotional coercion and chronic instability.
“Equal access is not the same as equal safety,” said Dr. Hudgins. “Our legal system must evolve to recognize that emotional manipulation and coercive control can harm a child as deeply as physical violence. By integrating trauma science and mental health accountability, Oklahoma can lead the nation in child-centered custody reform.”
These proposed amendments align with research from the American Psychological Association (APA, 2022) and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC, 2022), reflecting a national shift toward evidence-based, trauma-informed family law.
Dr. Hudgins’ work aims to ensure that Oklahoma’s custody policies no longer depend on judicial intuition, but on measurable, ethical, and scientifically informed practices that uphold the emotional and psychological safety of every child.
Read the proposed modifications to the: Equal Access and Mental Health in Child Custody Act