The Office of Dispute Resolution has issued a Report of PreHearing Conferences (PHCs) conducted by Nebraska’s six ODR-approved mediation centers. PHCs are a front-loaded child welfare conference which has been promoted by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to increase the engagement of families and child welfare stakeholders to expedite judicial intervention into child safety, permanency and well-being. The Report identifies the county and juvenile courts using PHCs, provides statutory references and definitions, describes specific regional and county application of PHCs, and includes protocols and PHC report forms. This Report is to provide a baseline with which to identify future goals for enhancing the use of PHCs in Nebraska’s courts.

https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/2017-phc-report.pdf