U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women Representative and National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Representative

Moderated Panel - Using Supervised Visitation Centers: Perspectives from Women of Color
In this moderated panel women of color who have used supervised visitation and exchange will share their experience and perspective. The panel will expound on the lives of women who use supervised visitation and safe exchange services and how they achieved safety post-separation.

A-1: When Women Use Violence in Intimate Relationships
This workshop will allow participants to better assess the types of domestic violence women use and experience in intimate partner relationships. The workshop will cover the ways to distinguish among violence used to dominate, violence used to resist domination, and violence that is not connected to significant power imbalances between partners. Presenters will examine the difference between men’s and women’s use of violence in intimate relationships, provide systems advocacy ideas for participants to apply to their community’s response to women’s use of violence, and explore how to help women chart a plan of action to reduce their use of violence and violence against them.

B-1: The Effect of Domestic Violence and Trauma on Children
All children must attach to their primary caretakers. In this workshop, the presenter will explore attachment styles that develop in dysfunctional and toxic families and the challenge they create for children forced to attach to abusive caretakers. The presenter will also process the cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional impact domestic violence and other forms of trauma and neglect have on children. Participants will learn about factors that exacerbate the symptoms as well as mitigating factors that can reduce long-term adverse effects of trauma and abuse. Videotapes, client artwork, and case scenarios will give participants a greater understanding of the toll that trauma takes.

C-1: Balancing Safety and Accessibility
Presenters will discuss how to balance the safety and accessibility needs of individuals and children using visitation services. Finding this balance can be challenging for supervised visitation service providers. Sometimes centers do not make accommodations for clients with disabilities that support safety. The presenters will provide an overview of accessibility considerations and suggest options for providers and communities balancing safety and accessibility.

A-2: Addressing Fatherhood With Men Who Batter
This workshop will allow participants to examine the importance of working with abusive men in their role as fathers. Many men who batter have some level of contact with their children. For the safety of battered women and for the benefit of the children who have contact with their abusive parent, it is critical for those who intervene in families experiencing domestic violence to work with abusive men in their roles as fathers. This workshop provides one way in which the origin and impact of the father’s violence can be made visible to him so he can begin the difficult task of learning how to live peacefully with his ex-partner and their children. This workshop will also explore how to work with men who batter in a supervised visitation setting and how traditional parenting curricula fall short in changing the behaviors and beliefs of men who batter.

B-2: Linking Domestic Abuse to Parenting: Determining the Best Interest of the Child
Custody and visitation decisions are among the most difficult decisions that judges make. Domestic violence often goes undetected in child custody cases and, when detected, is often not weighed appropriately. This workshop will explore the nuances of identifying and accounting for abuse in custody cases and will assist judges in decision-making. This workshop will reflect recent lessons learned from a national domestic violence custody project.

C-2: Intervening for Safety
Intervening with families using supervised visitation and safe exchange services requires a high level of skill and support. When we engage with families using a mindful and thoughtful approach, it is essential that we think through why and how we want to intervene. In this workshop, participants will examine the different reasons for intervening in visits and exchanges and the differences between intervening for safety vs. parenting. Participants will also explore new intervention strategies that use visitation services to support safety for women, children, and men.

A-3: Accountability and Connection with Men Who Use Violence
In this workshop, participants will develop skills and tools for working with men who batter using supervised visitation and safe exchange. Over the years, we have learned that one of our leading strategies for supporting safety and well-being for adult victims and their children is to build strong non-colluding relationships with men who batter. This practice requires skill, support, and compassion. Facilitators will engage participants in a skill-based and interactive workshop that will help participants deepen their practice and skills around engaging men who batter.

B-3: Welcoming LBGTQ Parents and their Children into Supervised Visitation
This presentation will draw on years of experience in education and community organizing with LGBTQ parents and their children. It will address some of the challenges facing LGBTQ parents and their children in light of the current social, cultural, and political context and will offer some practical suggestions for making services more welcoming to LGBTQ families using an anti-oppression framework. The presenter will encourage participants to ask questions, engage in reflection and dialogue, and view this as an opportunity for learning and exchange.

C-3: Crafting and Revising Policies and Procedures that Account for Safety
Presenters will discuss how to create and revise supervised visitation and safe exchange policies that account for the safety of victims and their children. They will provide suggestions for how to begin or to re-think this work in your community and will give an overview of the key areas around which to develop policies. Presenters will also highlight important considerations when drafting or revising policies and procedures and will differentiate between the two. Finally, they will end the presentation by providing examples of existing policies and discussing their strengths and weaknesses.

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Michele Robinson, Program Manager, Family Violence and Domestic Relations Program of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

A-4: Transforming Batterer Intervention Programs into Domestic Violence Solution Centers
This workshop will make a case for the utility of a systemic perspective in evaluating the effectiveness of programs for male perpetrators of domestic violence. It will include information drawn from domestic violence experts about their conclusions about the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs, review empirical literature on interventions with male perpetrators of domestic violence, and present ideas and engage participants in reflection about what a more comprehensive and dynamic system response to domestic violence may look like.

B-4: Advancing Access to Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence in Tribal Communities
In this workshop, participants will identify the resources that are available in their own communities; determine the types of services that would improve outcomes for battered women and, enhance accountability of offenders; devise methods to influence the advancement of such services in their tribal communities; and explore traditional resources.

C-4: Fostering Resilience in Children in Immigrant Families
This workshop will examine the strengths and challenges of children growing up in immigrant families who are exposed to domestic violence. It will also highlight the types of resources and supports children need to realize their aspirations.

Closing Plenary - Guidelines for Working With Supervised Visitation Families
At the core of the Supervised Visitation Program is the primary goal of promoting adult and child safety in situations where there is domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, child abuse, or stalking. However, communities often face challenges and encounter differing opinions about how to balance providing a safe environment with creating a welcoming, friendly and respectful environment. During this plenary, participants will explore the concepts of safety and security through the lens of mothers and fathers that have participated in supervised visitation and exchange services.