BY AMY DRISCOLL

 Attorney General Janet Reno's decision Friday to bring in a team of independent
 psychiatrists and psychologists to help guide Elian's reunion with his father
 mirrors a common practice followed in courts across the country.

 In divorce cases, child-custody disputes, abuse and dependency hearings --
 where acrimony can overwhelm the best interests of a child -- judges routinely
 use psychological evaluations as a tool to help families work out their problems
 with minimal trauma.

 And in a case such as Elian's, which one expert likened to ``a really nasty divorce
 case,'' an independent voice representing the child's best interests can smooth
 the way between warring factions of the same clan.

 RECOMMENDATIONS

 In Miami-Dade, the court evaluation unit employs psychologists to offer
 independent recommendations to judges who must decide custody in cases that
 can include abuse and neglect.

 ``We work in the best interests of the child, first and foremost,'' said clinical
 director Tracey Ziegler. ``The child's needs come first.''

 A case such as Elian's would require about two weeks' time and the involvement
 of the entire family, she said.

 ``I would do an observation of the boy with the various members of the family -- his
 father, the Miami cousins -- to watch the dynamics and interactions. I'd watch to
 see the level of comfort on the part of the child, and how attuned the adults are to
 the needs of the child,'' she said. ``Do they put the child's needs before their
 own?''

 Her recommendation would depend partly on the strength of the prior bond
 between father and son. ``It depends upon the relationship of the child and
 parent,'' she said. ``If the father can provide a safe and loving environment, and the
 parental bond is there, those are factors I would take into consideration.''

 AD LITEM PROGRAM

 In Broward County, family law coordinator Heidi DiCicco oversees the guardian ad
 litem program, where volunteers go to court on behalf of children in divorce or
 custody cases.

 ``In my experience, children do suffer from separation from a parent in a custody
 or other dispute,'' she said. ``The parental bond is very important.''

 Judges rarely ask young children to choose between sides of the family. ``A child
 torn between parents will want to please both,'' DiCicco said. ``Asking that
 question in an interview setting is just not a good idea.''

 Experts say the parent in a case such as Elian's also would have to provide a
 combination of nurturing and structure to meet the emotional needs of a child who
 has been traumatized by the loss of his mother.

 ``It's very hard and confusing for a child that age, especially because we don't
 really know all that has been said to him by the family in the U.S.,'' said Judith
 Becker Bryant, a psychology professor at the University of South Florida,
 specializing in child psychology.

 ``It's kind of analogous to a really nasty divorce case,'' she said, ``with one parent
 trying to keep the child from the other. . . . I imagine this is one confused little
 boy. He's getting so many mixed messages about who is a good guy and who is
 a bad guy. That's a terrible position to put a little kid in.''

 After four months apart from Elian, she said, the father will have to pay close
 attention to the cues of his child during any reunion.

 ``Hopefully, his father will know him well enough to know when to step back, when
 to give him a little time and space,'' she said. ``A good, sensitive parent should be
 able to sense that with his child. Of course, that depends on the relationship they
 had previously.''

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald