Supervised Visitation Policies

Safety and Security:

○ Prioritizing Safety: State that the safety and well-being of the children and all parties involved is the highest priority.

○ Written Protocols: Emphasize that I have written safety protocols, which may have been created with the help of local law enforcement.

○ Awareness: I will remain aware of surroundings at all times and visualize exit routes.

○ Emergency preparedness: I will have procedures in place for emergency assistance and responses from local law enforcement.

○ Client Safety Plans: Any visit with clients in homes or communities will have a safety plan which may include: learning about the new client’s history of violence, familiarizing themselves with the client’s neighborhood, driving by the home one time to look for suspicious activity, watching for animals, assessing individuals for signs of being under the influence or agitated, positioning themselves near an exit, and scanning the environment for weapons.

○ Intake and Screening: I will conduct comprehensive intake and screening to understand the nature and degree of risk for each case, including separate interviews with the parties before the first visit.

○ Minimum Security Procedures: I will establish minimum security procedures and inform the parties of these procedures before the commencement of supervised visitation.

○ No Contact Policy: To ensure the safety of all parties, there will be no contact between the custodial and noncustodial parents unless specifically ordered by the court. I will utilize staggered arrival and departure times to avoid contact between parents.

○ Community Visit Safety: If visits move to the community, the location will be evaluated for safety. If the location is too loud or has places to hide, it will not be selected as a visit location.

○ Emergency Contacts: It is important to have emergency contact information for all parties.

○ Abduction policy: I will not try to stop an abduction with physical force, or follow the abductor, because such action may endanger the life and well-being of the child and others.

Neutrality:

○ Non-Biased Approach: I am a neutral third party, and will not take sides, offer opinions, or get involved in the interpersonal dynamics of the parents.

○ Neutrality Agreement: Each parent must read and sign a Neutrality Agreement.

○ Impartiality: As a monitor, I will remain non-biased, neutral, aware, safe, friendly, and respectful.

○ Avoiding Bias: I will avoid favoring one parent over the other, or allowing one parent to break the rules.

○ Maintaining a Neutral Stance: I will not become involved in the interpersonal relationship dynamics of the parents.

○ Referrals: I can refer clients to therapists, support groups, and parenting classes within the community.

Professional Conduct:

○ Compliance with Court Orders: I will adhere to and enforce court orders regarding supervised visitation.

○ Mandated Reporting: As a mandated reporter, I am legally obligated to report any suspected child abuse or neglect.

○ Maintaining Confidentiality: I will keep all identifying information about the parties and the child confidential, and will not disclose addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, and schools, except as required when reporting suspected child abuse.

○ Record Keeping: I will maintain detailed and accurate records of all visits and interactions, which are limited to facts, observations, and direct statements. These records will not include personal conclusions, suggestions, or opinions of the provider.

○ Documentation: All contacts with parties, children, the court, attorneys, mental health professionals, and referring agencies will be documented.

○ Report of Visits: I will provide reports that include facts, observations, and direct statements, without opinions or recommendations about future visitation if ordered by the court.

○ Proper Representation: I will correctly represent myself in all advertising and communications with potential clients, current clients, attorneys, judges, and mediators. I will refer to myself as a Supervised Visitation Monitor or Supervised Visitation Provider, and can also use the specifier "Professional" or "Nonprofessional" along with the title.

○ Terms and Conditions: I will follow the terms and conditions for supervised visitation, including allowing no spanking, hitting, or threatening the child, no visits when a parent is under the influence, no emotional, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse, and no contact between parents unless ordered by the court.

○ Safety During Home and Community Visits: In addition to personal safety guidelines, I will have my own safety plan.

Supervision and Monitoring:

○ Active Supervision: I will be present and actively monitoring the entire visit.

○ Intervention: I will intervene if a child or parent is not following the guidelines, or if a child becomes distressed.

○ Staggered Arrivals and Departures: I will implement staggered arrival and departure times to ensure parents do not come into contact.

○ Visit Termination: I will terminate the visit if there is a safety risk, if the rules of the visit have been violated, if a child is distressed, or if the parent appears to be under the influence. 

Scheduling and Communication:

○ Appointment Only: Visits are by appointment only, and must be scheduled in advance. I will confirm the visit with each parent separately.

○ Separate Communication: I will communicate with parents separately and will not share contact information.

○ Schedule Adherence: I expect all parties to adhere to the agreed-upon schedule.

○ No-Show Policy: I will have a policy for handling no-shows, which may include payment for the missed visit.

Grievances:

○ Concern Form: I will have a Concern form to address complaints or concerns from parents.

○ Complaint Procedure: I will do my best to investigate and resolve any complaint a parent has.

Holds and Terminations:

○ Temporary Suspension: I may temporarily suspend or hold services if a parent is not complying with guidelines.

○ Reasons for Termination: I will state the reasons for temporary suspension or termination of supervised visitation in writing, and provide the written statement to both parties, their attorneys, the attorney for the child, and the court.

Substance Abuse:

○ I will not allow visits to occur when a parent appears to be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.