2006 Report to Congress on the Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation Program

Demonstration Sites Safety Audits:

California

Chicago

Duluth, Minnesota

Michigan

FVPF Supervised Visitation Program Information for Mothers Who Have Experienced Violence

Duluth Model

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 Supervised Visitation Program Communities: Envisioning Solutions for Collaborative Practice 

June 26-27, 2008   Los Angeles, CA - Continuation Grantees Only 

August 19-20, 2008 Boston, MA - Development Grantees Only

October 16-17, 2008 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Development Grantees Only

This two-day workshop will offer Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program communities the opportunity to engage in strategic thinking and group problem-solving intended to enhance safety, promote change, and examine solutions to crucial issues around supervised visitation and safe exchange in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.  

In order to maximize this opportunity and the resulting benefits, communities will attend in a team of four participants representing each of the following disciplines :

• Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault Advocate
• Judge
• Representative of the local Unit of Government
• Supervised Visitation Provider 

There is a registration fee of $400 per team to attend. Registration for each workshop is limited and preference will be given on a first come first serve basis. Additional information about workshop content, registration, and logistics will be available soon.   

To see informational flyer click here

For more information contact Sara Blake at sblake@ncjfcj.org

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• Family Violence Department (FVD) – The FVD provides two specific types of technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees:  (1) Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Planning Grantee Targeted Technical Assistance Program (Planning Grantee Technical Assistance) and (2) Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Technical Assistance for Court Specific Activities (Court Technical Assistance).  The Planning Grantee Technical Assistance focuses on working directly with grantees to assess individual community needs, establishing peer relationships, building the capacity of criminal justice and victim advocacy organizations that address domestic violence, and facilitating involvement and education of the courts and legal community partners.  Technical assistance provided by the FVD to grantees includes hosting monthly audio teleconferences on topics of interest to the grantees, facilitating peer-to-peer consultations, providing supervised visitation and safe exchange center site visits, and hosting conferences on supervised visitation and safe exchange.  The Court Technical Assistance is provided by the FVD, in collaboration with the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and OVW, for all Supervised Visitation Program grantees.  Its purpose is to assist with court and legal issues that arise with the development of supervised visitation and safe exchange centers.  Examples of Court Technical Assistance include: providing guidance with identifying and addressing issues that arise with court involvement; hosting teleconferences and trainings to address the identified issues; and providing judicial education opportunities on domestic violence and related issues.
• Alliance of Local Service Organizations (ALSO) - ALSO is an alliance which brings organizations, businesses, churches, government agencies, and community members together to support children and families.  ALSO utilizes a comprehensive approach to provide opportunities for change through needs assessments and securing and delivering appropriate programs and resources.  ALSO’s mission is to enable children, youth and families to become productive, responsible members of the community.  ALSO develops partnerships between community-based organizations, residents, clergy, law enforcement, business and civic leaders, and corporate and philanthropic organizations.  Together, these diverse groups focus on a single goal: to reduce violence in all forms. 
• Duluth Family Visitation Center  (DFVC)  -  The DFVC provides training and technical assistance to all Supervised Visitation Program grantees.  The DFVC was begun in 1989 and is part of Minnesota Program Development, Inc., a non-profit corporation that works towards the elimination of violence in the lives of women and children.  Their mission is to provide a safe place where children can build and maintain positive relationships with their parents.  The DFVC offers supervised visitation, monitored visitation, and monitored exchange services to families affected by domestic violence.  It also collaborates with many other community agencies and accepts referrals from the courts and social services.
• Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) - The FVPF provides technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees on the implementation of the fathering after violence initiative.  The goal of the technical assistance has been to enhance safety of victims of domestic violence and their children by developing strategies for working with non-custodial fathers who use supervised visitation centers.  The FVPF's Judicial Education Project is a groundbreaking initiative that is giving judges the education, guidelines, materials, and online resources they need to make sure that their courtrooms provide real help to victims of family violence. The project helps judges make the best possible decisions in support of women and children facing violence in their homes. In partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Judicial Education Project's National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence offers education seminars for judges from around the country, helping them develop or enhance their skills in handling a wide range of criminal and civil cases involving domestic violence. These hands-on interactive seminars offer information on the dynamics of domestic violence and related issues, as well as practical advice on how to handle all aspects of these complex cases fairly and effectively.   

• The Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community (IDVAAC)  - IDVAAC is an organization focused on the unique circumstances of African Americans as they face issues related to domestic violence - including intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder maltreatment, and community violence. IDVAAC's mission is to enhance society's understanding of and ability to end violence in the African-American community. Within this context, IDVAAC works with African-American communities, including families, individuals, and organizations serving the target population; legal and criminal justice systems; family and community violence practitioners; researchers; and policymakers around efforts to build the knowledge base regarding African Americans and domestic violence and to develop strategies to meet the service needs of this population.  The organization has become a national expert on domestic violence among African Americans, a resource to communities, and a strong presence in the field of domestic violence.

• Praxis International, Inc. (Praxis)  – Praxis provides technical assistance to Supervised Visitation Program grantees on overall implementation of grant policies and practices.  Praxis is a non-profit organization working toward the elimination of violence in the lives of women and children by, in part, shifting the practices of supervised visitation and safe exchange centers to better account for domestic violence.  Praxis works with local, statewide, and national reform initiatives to bridge the gap between what people need and what institutions provide. Since 1996, they have worked with advocacy organizations, intervention agencies, and inter-agency collaborations to create a clear and cooperative agenda for social change in their communities. 

 

Contact Us: For more information about the Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program or Technical Assistance please call the FVD at (800) 527-3223 and ask to speak with a Supervised Visitation Technical Assistance Provider.   

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OVW funds two different types of Supervised Visitation Program grantees -Development and Continuation:

Development Grantees – These grantees are communities with established visitation centers seeking to incorporate a Supervised Visitation  Program component into their services or communities seeking to establish a new visitation and exchange center.  These grantees work with OVW and Supervised Visitation Program Technical Assistance providers to establish the groundwork for developing a visitation and exchange center.  The development grant is broken down into two phases, planning and implementation.

Development Grantee Phases

Planning Phase

The planning phase may be for up to 18 months, depending on the length of time it takes the grantee to successfully complete this phase.  The planning phase may include, but is not limited to:

• Conducting a community needs assessment;
• Funding a project coordinator;
• Coordinating and conducting planning meetings;
• Establishing an advisory/consulting committee; and
• Developing visitation center policies and protocols.

Implementation Phase

Once Planning Grantees successfully complete the planning phase, they will begin implementing supervised visitation and exchange services over the remainder of the project period.  The grantee continues to work with OVW and OVW Technical Assistance providers to implement their Supervised Visitation project.

Continuation Grantees

Current Supervised Visitaton Program grantees are eligible to apply for supplemental funds to continue and/or enhance their exisiting programs.  Multi-jursidictional and state inititatives must meet statutory and program requirements for each jurisdicition involved in this project.  For FY 2007, the Supervised Visitation Program offered two different funding options for current grantees: (1) the standard two-year project; or (2) the optional five-year project.

Both planning grantees and implementation grantees must demonstrate expertise in the area of family violence, including the areas of domestic violence or sexual assault.  Supervised visitation programs provide an opportunity for communities to support the supervised visitation and safe exchange of children, by and between custodial and non-custodial parents, in situations involving domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking while recognizing the importance of holding offenders accountable for their actions. 

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