The Role of a Supervised Visitation Monitor- Conflicts of Interest

Hi. Welcome to part seven of the Supervised Visitation Monitor Training, brought to you by Family & Children’s Counseling Services, Inc. You can find us online at www.HealPlayLove.org.

In this segment, we will learn about the Role and Responsibilities of the Supervised Visitation Monitor- specifically, conflicts of interest.

Section i of Standard 5.20 reads…

Conflict of interest

All providers should maintain neutrality by refusing to discuss the merits of the case and by refusing to take sides. Any discussion between a Provider and the parties should be for the purposes of arranging visitation and providing for the safety of the children. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, the Provider should not:

(1)Be financially dependent on the person being supervised;

(2)Be an employee of the person being supervised;

(3)Be an employee of or affiliated with any superior court in the county in which the supervision is ordered unless specified in the employment contract; or

(4)Be in an intimate relationship with the person being supervised.

Yes, this is for both Professional and Nonprofessional Providers. So, make sure you do not have any of these relationships with the person you are providing Supervised Visitation for. If you do, you have a conflict of interest and are therefore inherently not neutral. You cannot supervise visits in that case.

If you are confused about a potential conflict of interest, speak with your Supervisor. If you are a Nonprofessional Provider, you probably do not have a Supervisor. In that case, inform both parents and any attorneys involved in the case. Let them know the nature of your relationship to the Parent and request advice on moving forward. It is most likely that one or both Parents and/or one or both attorneys will not approve of using you as the Provider.

If you move forward with visits without disclosing the relationship, you can put the case and your own situation at risk. It’s better to err on the side of caution.

Thank you for watching. I’ll see you again at the next video, The Role of the Supervised Visitation Monitor- Confidentiality.

Family & Children’s Counseling Services, Inc. is a California LMFT Corporation owned and directed by Melinda Haynes, MA, LMFT 102308. 

You can find FCCS online at www.HealPlayLove.org.