BROKEN ARROW, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) – November 14, 2025
Dr. Steve Hudgins, an Oklahoma licensed professional counselor supervisor and U.S. Army veteran, has formally submitted detailed proposed amendments to Representative Mark Tedford addressing mental health protections in Oklahoma’s child custody reform efforts.
The proposals, titled “Proposed Amendments to the Equal Access and Mental Health in Child Custody Act,” aim to integrate trauma informed practice, mental health science, and professional accountability into House Bill 1082, which currently creates a presumption of joint equal custody in child custody hearings.
Dr. Hudgins, who holds an Ed.D. from Liberty University and serves as an adjunct professor at Rogers State University, completed doctoral research exploring divorce in blended families. His proposed amendments span 25 pages and introduce what he describes as evidence based frameworks to replace subjective judicial discretion with measurable criteria for determining child safety.
“Custody reform is not about taking sides between parents. It is about standing on the side of the child’s mind, heart, and safety,” Dr. Hudgins stated in the proposal.
Loading Viewer…
Key Proposed Reforms
The amendments recommend five major areas of statutory change:
Objective Evidence Based Standards: The proposal seeks to replace what Dr. Hudgins characterizes as the subjective “best interests of the child” test with measurable criteria including attachment security, parental mental health stability and treatment compliance, presence or absence of coercive control behaviors, and home predictability and emotional safety.
Introduction of Disruptive Parental Attachment Framework: The proposal recommends replacing the controversial term “parental alienation” with Disruptive Parental Attachment, or DPA, which Dr. Hudgins defines as a clinically grounded, behavior based model to identify manipulation or coercive control that damages a child’s secure bond with a fit caregiver. The framework requires verified clinical evidence and includes anti misuse provisions to prevent weaponization against protective parents.
Mandatory Trauma Informed Training: The proposal calls for judges, guardians ad litem, Department of Human Services workers, and attorneys to complete continuing education in trauma and attachment theory, coercive control recognition, and personality disorder awareness. The amendments specify 12 hours of approved training every two years.
Forensic Mental Health Evaluations: The proposal mandates that courts order comprehensive forensic evaluations by licensed professionals trained in trauma science when credible allegations exist of substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual offending, severe personality disorders, or verified coercive control patterns. Evaluations would be required to include standardized psychological testing and direct parent child observation.
Accountability and Oversight Mechanisms: The proposal recommends establishing a Child Safety and Custody Commission comprising judges, clinicians, advocates, and survivors to review custody trends and recommend reforms. It also proposes penalties for Department of Human Services or guardian ad litem neglect and sanctions for knowingly false testimony.
Limits on Equal Access Presumptions
The proposed amendments specify that equal time custody should not apply when credible evidence shows active substance abuse or relapse risk, sexual offending or predatory behavior, domestic violence or coercive control, severe personality disorders, or verified patterns of attachment disruption.
Statutory Recognition of Psychological Abuse
Dr. Hudgins’ proposal defines coercive control as a recognized form of domestic violence, describing it as patterns of intimidation, isolation, or emotional manipulation that endanger children’s mental health. The amendments cite Oklahoma Title 43 statutes that already recognize emotional injury and harassment as forms of domestic abuse.
Loading Viewer…
Legislative Context
House Bill 1082, authored by Representative Tedford and co authored by State Senator Dana Prieto, passed the House Civil Judiciary Committee and the Appropriations and Budget General Government Subcommittee in February with bipartisan support. The bill changes current statutory language to say courts must decide what the best interest “is” for the child rather than what “appears to be,” and establishes a legal starting point that equal access to both parents serves the child’s best interest.
Representative Tedford has conducted interim studies on child custody law modernization and referenced advocacy from Birthright Living Legacy Founder Marquess Dennis as instrumental in advancing the legislation.
Dr. Hudgins’ proposed amendments cite extensive research from the American Psychological Association’s 2010 and 2022 Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts’ 2022 Parenting Plan Evaluation Guidelines.
“Equal access is not the same as equal safety,” Dr. Hudgins said. “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.”
Dr. Hudgins maintains a private counseling practice in Broken Arrow and specializes in family therapy and what he terms “Mosaic Family Systems Theory,” a trauma informed approach to understanding blended and restructured families. He is the author of “Piece by Piece: My Blended Experience of a Mosaic Family.”
A news segment featuring Dr. Hudgins’ proposals is scheduled to air Sunday on KTUL NewsChannel 8.
The full text of Dr. Hudgins’ proposed amendments, including detailed statutory language and research citations is available at drsteveh.com.
Contact:
Dr. Steve Hudgins, Ed.D., LPC-S, NCC
Email: news@prcounseling.com
Writing By: Robbie Robertson | Editing by Robbie Robertson
Support Independent Journalism
At The Oklahoma Post, we report on stories that others overlook; from local courtrooms to statewide accountability. We rely on reader support to stay independent. Your contribution helps keep the public informed. If you’d like to help us keep publishing local voices and independent reporting, consider making a one-time donation today. Every contribution makes a difference.
Got evidence, events, birthdays, obits or inside info?
Email The Oklahoma Post confidentially: editor@theokpost.com
And for the record: unlike the courthouse clique, The Oklahoma Post runs on facts, not dark money.
© 2025 The Oklahoma Post |
By The People’s Popular Paper | Oklahoma Special Report
2025 -The Oklahoma Post – TheOKPost.com is dedicated to delivering relevant news and information to Oklahomans, sharing their stories, pictures, and experiences. The content on this website includes contributions from various individuals and links to external public and privately owned sources. The views and opinions expressed in user-generated content are solely those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect The Oklahoma Post. The Oklahoma Post does not independently verify the accuracy of third-party contributions and rely upon contributors to fact-check their work. By sharing links and allowing open contributions, TheOKPost.com exercises the right to free speech and providing a platform for diverse perspectives.