SUPERVISED PARENTING TIME (VISITATION)

The supervisor is there to observe, in sight and within hearing range, all interactions between the supervised individual(s) and the child or children. The only documentation maintained by BTH-DS at the visit is the signing in both adults at the delivery and at the return of the child or children. This may be held in a group setting with other families present. The supervisor only intervenes if there is a violation of the agency’s guidelines, the child's safety is at risk, or the child is at risk of having the visit terminated.    

The supervisor is there to observe and document at least every five minutes, in sight and within hearing range, all interactions between the supervised individual(s) and the child or children. The entire session is documented and requires both adults to sign in at delivery and at the return of the child or children. The supervisor only intervenes if there is a violation of the agency’s guidelines, the safety of the child is at risk, or the child is at risk of having the visit terminated.

 The supervisor is a degreed professional in the field of education, mental health, or security and is there to observe and document at least every five minutes, in sight and within hearing range, all interactions between the supervised individual(s) and the child or children. The entire session is documented and requires both adults to sign in at delivery and at the return of the child or children. 

The supervisor is a Master's level degreed individual in the field of education or mental health. Facilitative supervision is a supportive, observation-based approach designed to strengthen the quality of interactions between the supervised individual and the child or children in their care. Rather than focusing solely on correction, the supervisor observes communication, engagement, and responses in real time and uses those observations to provide practical guidance. In this role, the supervisor monitors conversations and interactions, identifies strengths, and notes areas where additional support may be needed. The supervisor then offers timely feedback, coaching, and direction to help the supervised individual respond more effectively, appropriately, and consistently. The purpose of facilitative supervision is to promote positive and healthy engagement. By helping the adult better understand and respond to the needs of the child or children, this form of supervision supports safer, more constructive interactions and encourages continued professional growth. This is a non-therapeutic service.

This supervision is a specialized form of supervised parenting time that combines visitation oversight with clinical intervention provided by a licensed mental health professional. Unlike traditional supervised visitation, which primarily focuses on ensuring the child's physical safety and monitoring interactions between the parent and child, therapeutic supervised visitation is designed to address underlying emotional, psychological, relational, or developmental concerns that may interfere with a healthy parent-child relationship. During therapeutic visits, the therapist actively observes and assesses interactions, provides real-time coaching and feedback, helps the parent develop appropriate parenting skills, and supports the child's emotional needs and sense of security. Therapeutic supervised visitation is often recommended in cases involving high-conflict custody disputes, allegations of abuse or neglect, resist/refusal behaviors, prolonged separation, mental health concerns, substance abuse recovery, or situations where the parent-child relationship requires repair. The therapist may also document progress, identify barriers to successful visitation, and provide recommendations to the court or involved professionals regarding future parenting time considerations, but does not provide recommendations regarding the conservatorship of, possession of, or access to the child. In contrast to standard supervised visitation, which focuses primarily on supervision and safety, therapeutic supervised visitation has a treatment-oriented goal of improving the quality of the parent-child relationship and facilitating the eventual transition to less restrictive forms of contact when clinically appropriate.