Continuum of Services Unsupervised exchange in a public place - PDF document

7/27/2015 Rural Domestic Violence: Custody and Beyond – Supervised Visitation and Exchanges Melissa Scaia, MPA Executive Director Domestic Abuse Intervention Program and Advocates for Family Peace Minnesota Continuum of Services  Unsupervised exchange in a public place  Unsupervised exchange at a police department  Supervised exchange at a police department  Supervised exchange by a family member/friends  Supervised exchange at a center  Supervised visitation by a family member/friends  Supervised visitation at a center  Group supervised visitation  One-on-one supervised visitation  Therapeutic supervised visitation 2 Domestic Violence After Separation and Supervised Visitation/Exchange How might these tactics be observed in supervised visitation? POSITIVE: putting on a show, compliance in hopes of ending supervision, charming or engaging staff as supportive witnesses in litigation NEGATIVE: disobeying rules, resisting feedback and limits, minimizing concerns 3 1

7/27/2015 Domestic Violence After Separation and Supervised Visitation/Exchange What is the role of the center?  Different Philosophies  Safety of the child only  Safety of adult victim & child  When to Intervene?  Parenting style vs. safety  Space vs. undo harm/facilitate change  Arm of the court  What good will it do?  Intervention vs. documentation 4 Incorporating Safety for Battered Women in Our Programming  Looking at safety in stages of the two hour visit, the first two years of separation, and the next twenty years  Understanding post-separation violence and manipulation Programmatic Features of Supervised Visitation and Exchanges  Guidelines / rules of a center  Philosophy about intervening during visits  Contact with both parents after every visit  Resource to our battered women of a SVC Transportation (van pick-up/gas vouchers) provided to all clients when needed  Car seats given to families that needed them  Food vouchers   Fees for service 2

7/27/2015 Programmatic Features of Supervised Visitation (continued)  Third party court order status  Attending all court hearings  Our definition of neutrality  Security  A negative visit does not equal an unsafe visit  Documentation Program components of the WFSP (continued)  Inviting others to the visit  Allowing children and parents to discuss the incident that brought them to use supervised visitation  Varying levels of monitoring the visits  Group visits  One-on-one visits  Therapeutic Supervised Visitation Conclusion  Questions, comments, thoughts……….  Melissa Scaia, Executive Director Advocates for Family Peace 218-326-0388 mscaia@stopdomesticabuse.org Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs executivedirector@theduluthmodel.org 3