Once your case has been ordered/referred, Ms. Trotter will conduct an assessment with both parties during separate "Intake" appointments to discuss the reasons for the supervised or monitored visitation or exchanges, to discuss program policies and guidelines, and to review and complete necessary paperwork.  Ms. Trotter takes a collaborative approach in working with all professionals, attorneys, counselors, and parties involved. She also encourages the custodial parent or guardian stay involved by meeting with her in-between sessions to let her know how the minor child(ren) is/are doing outside of the visits, and to keep apprised of the progress of the visits themselves. She provides court reports upon request as well. 

WHAT ARE SUPERVISED VISITS?

"Supervised Visitation" is a service where a third party oversees and intervenes in parent/adult and child contact. The primary focus of supervised visitation is to protect children from potentially dangerous situations, to allow parents in high conflict or high risk situations access to their children in a safe environment, as well as to foster appropriate child/adult relationships. The role of the Supervised Visitation Specialist is to ensure the children and everyone involved in the visits are kept reasonably safe and protected. The provider will be present at all times during the visit and if necessary intervene, interrupt or end a visit. All our Supervised Visitation Specialists have been screened and certified through our office as having completed "27" hours of supervised visitation training. Supervised visitation services are typically used when there have been allegations or proven

issues of:

• domestic violence

• child abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional

• history of substance and/or alcohol use

• flight risk or abduction concerns

• mood or personality issues

• parenting deficits

• estrangement between child and parent or other family members

• removal of the child from the home due to child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, substance abuse, etc.

If a court order is issued, the order must be provided to the office before visits begin and specific procedures

will be put in place to follow each requirement located in the order. In all supervised visitation services,

separate Intakes with each party must be conducted. Because Intake appointments are a required part of the process, the person responsible for paying the visit/exchange fees must also cover the cost of both Intake appointments. The Intake fees pay for your interviews, any telephone calls we may make on your behalf, scheduling your visits, and other case management needs. Intake fees are due at the time the intake occurs.

Court reports are available upon request at the expense of the requesting party, and supervisors' notes are not released. Visits may occur in the office or in the community, depending upon the needs of the case, safety assessments, the supervisor's discretion, as well as the level of supervision being performed.

E-VISITS:

E-Visits are any Supervised Visitation service via the internet.

TELEPHONE MONITORING:

We are able to monitor phone calls and/texts between the minor children and the supevisee.

MONITORED VISITS:

Monitored visits are where a professionally trained supervisor drops in on a non-supervised visit in progress for a period of time. The only part of the visit that is supervised is the time the supervisor is present. The supervisor will speak with the child separately from the visiting parent to see how the child is doing during the visit. May occur with or without supervised exchanges. Court order is preferred. A supervisor drops in on a non-supervised visit for a period of time. The only part of the visit that is supervised is the time the supervisor is present. Separate Intakes with each party must be conducted before monitoring begins. Typically one monitored visit occurs in a 24-hour period.

SUPERVISED EXCHANGES:

"Supervised Exchange" is the supervision of the transfer of a child from the custodial to the noncustodial parent at the start of the parent/child contact and back to the custodial parent at the end of the contact. The supervision is usually limited to the exchanges, with the remainder of the noncustodial parent/child contact unsupervised. Exchanges may be supervised on-or-off the site. Objective and descriptive notes are taken.