Family Support and BSW Field Experience Through a University-Based Supervised Visitation Program

Supervised visitation programs, which provide supervision of visits between noncustodial parents and their children in safe and comfortable environments, are expanding throughout this country. With this expansion they are also providing more family support services, especially parent coaching and therapeutic intervention. These programs offer ample learning opportunities for social work students in field placements. The program described here, which operates on a university campus and utilizes BSW students to monitor visits and conduct feedback sessions with visiting parents after each visit, may serve as a model for the development of more university-based programs. Initial research supports the effectiveness of services provided by undergraduate students in this program.