Massachusetts Locations

The Toby Center is offering its supportive visitation model to parents in who wish to have more guided facilitation in their supervised parenting time.

Our visitation program was initially founded in 2000 in Connecticut, but developed its individualized and supportive model in Florida where state statute provides that both parents are important to their children’s lives, and where visitation both standard and clinical have been making a difference since 1999.

Parenting Time Supervision is a necessary provision  which the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has importantly identified as the means for helping children have a physically and emotionally safe place for having quality time with a parent who may have been a perpetrator of domestic violence, or otherwise absent from the child’s home. 

Our experience confirms what Karen Oehme, JD, Program Director of the Clearinghouse on Supervised Visitation at Florida State University has found in her extensive research:  that visitation is important for families as it addresses trauma.  There is higher risk for trauma in those communities where 

1. there are communities with high crime
2. Low income demographics
3. Poor educational opportunities

Toby Center facilitation methods are supportive so that we can also help educate those from such impacted and traumatic experiences. “We need to educate the individuals so impacted, because much of this knowledge is NOT INTUITIVE.”    Karen Oehme, JD

We support the Massachusetts SJC Guidelines fundamentally, especially to assure children of emotional and physical safety, a universal. But we feel it more helpful to children’s outcomes by facilitating parenting time and not restricting our role to solely observational supervisors.  For this reason, and as there is no opportunity as we understand it for agencies to become vetted in Massachusetts, we wish to offer those parents who would like to have an efficient, cost effective system with more consistent coverage enabling visitation.  In this way, we believe we can be most helpful.

TOBY CENTER MISSION

Though observational visitation has its merits, The Toby Center experience and values are for children and parents to be both monitored, and assisted with visitation.  Importantly, research shows that children do better when a parent can be provided guidance in age-appropriate activities, and when children can be encouraged to participate in activities,  games or experiences as enjoying a park setting, museum, ice cream, homework, and more familiar and enjoyable environments, too.  We follow the research from the Clearinghouse on Supervised Visitation at Florida State University’s School of Social Work which states “if necessary, facilitate child/parent interaction during the supervised contact;” (see I. (5) e. in Florida Supreme Court Guidelines.

STAFF:

The Toby Center looks forward to providing Co-Parenting consulting and educational support, and individual and family therapy with the aid of our trained and experienced professionals and clinicians. 

Our field staff have teaching experience, are therapists, and have worked with children in different capacities.  A four year degree is not our requirement if they have experience working with children and other certifications to demonstrate this field of interest.   Our history with staff also show that those without university background but with great hearts, facilitation skills, and communications strengths are accomplished in providing visitation services.  All have icorp background checks at minimum, over age 21, and complete 4  hours of video based training and 12 hours of field training shadowing an experienced Toby Center field monitor (parenting time supervisor).  We provide ongoing education and share helpful news to all Toby Center contracted staff.

Importantly, too, Toby Center management is accessible and can provide rapid answers to questions which may arise from the field.

COURT RELATIONS

The Toby Center is not an approved agency according to SJC Guidelines. Though not vetted by the Probate & Family Court given the restrictions above,  we welcome opportunities for work with family courts in Massachusetts and will do our best to provide the court with materials that are helpful in custody litigation as requested in the Guidelines. We are able to confer with court staff and can testify upon subpoena in any case where it may be necessary. 

AFFIILIATIONS AND RESOURCES:

The Toby Center is a member of the Supervised Visitation Network (www.svnworldwide.org).

We belong to the Florida Bar Association, Connecticut Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association (as non attorney member affiliates).

Dr. Roseman is author, international speaker and authority on high conflict child custody.  Visit www.markdavidroseman.com

Please reach out with any questions.  Look at our history, and do consider us for any needs you feel will benefit you, your children, and your clients.

With much appreciation,

Dr. Mark Roseman, CEO
Founder