A critical part of assuring the safety of children removed from homes due to abuse and neglect is supervised visitation. Although done routinely by DCF offices, the Family Continuity program, offered out of our Hyannis, Peabody, Lawrence, Worcester, and Whitinsville offices, offers an enhanced program providing safe supervision, as well as safety assessment and parent mentoring. Mentored visits differ from the observational visits usually provided to families as they are provided by a Family Continuity trained mental health professional whose primary role is to not only observe the interaction between the parent and the child, but to also take an active part in improving the relationship. The mentor offers suggestions to improve parenting, models discipline and encourages attachment of the child and parent. Furthermore, the parent is taught to understand the child's developmental and emotional needs and to appropriately respond to those needs. Feedback from trained staff assists DCF to make safer decisions related to family reunification, and helps parents develop stronger parenting skills.

Referrals

Family Continuity accepts self-referrals as well as referrals from a variety of resources, including state agencies, hospitals and other community services.

Service available at our Hyannis, Peabody, Lawrence, Worcester and Whitinsville office locations