Our Mission

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  LIVFS is a member of the Supervised Visitation Network (SVN), an international organization for providers of supervised visitation and access services. LIVFS allows children to be in a comfortable environment during visits with their parents or loved ones. During the required registration interview, parties provide background information and guidelines for participation are reviewed. Visits may be held on-site, in our family-friendly visitation area, where families can enjoy various games and activities together. Families are encouraged to fully interact with one another, have a meal or snacks together, and take family photos. Trained staff monitor all interaction and conversation during visits, intervening only when necessary to ensure the children's comfort and well-being. Information regarding visits as well as the family's participation in the program is accurately documented and compiled into a detailed report which is forwarded to the presiding judge and/or Attorney for the Child. LIVFS staff serve as a neutral party among families in need of supervised visitation and exchange services. This approach allows children, parents, and loved ones to have positive memories while navigating through the circumstances they are experiencing. Additionally, families can sometimes progress to off-site visits held at community locations.  Safe Exchange services allow for child transfers with little to no contact between the parties.

 Coached Visitation is the process in which Visit Supervisors take on the role of a "coach" during visits, cueing and modeling appropriate interaction for the Visiting Party. The practice of Coached Visitation brings traditional supervised visitation to the next level as the visiting party is working towards additional goals beyond that of achieving alternate or unsupervised visits. The Visiting Party establishes specific goals for their visits, focusing on how to meet their children's needs. Such needs can include following their child's lead in play, asking about or assisting with school work, providing effective praise, or even modeling appropriate behavior. Visiting parties must meet with their Visit Supervisor before and after each visit in order to discuss the interaction during the visit, how the interaction might be improved in the future, and to provide encouragement for continued efforts towards established goals. In essence, through the process of Coached Visitation, parents and loved ones are reminded to consistently focus their efforts on meeting their children's needs. 

"Common Sense Parenting" workshops, which are six or seven weeks in length depending on the ages of your children, are offered during both day and evening hours throughout the week, with Saturday classes available as well. This research based curriculum offers easily understood methods of positive discipline which are also easily to implemented. Information is presented on such topics as: child development, parents as teachers, reasonable expectations, consequences, effective praise, preventive teaching, corrective teaching, and teach self-control. Participants receive a parent handbook which is theirs to keep, along with a folder to store weekly handouts. Additionally, all participants who fulfill the necessary requirements, including attendance and participation requirements, will receive a certificate of completion which may be needed to satisfy court mandates. Workshops are facilitated by certified parent trainers as well as professionally trained staff who will assist participants in understanding the material presented. New cycles of each curriculum begin every week in order to allow participants to choose dates  and times that best fit their schedules.  

 Evaluators extensively review the home in order to provide the information needed to move forward. Evaluations are detailed, accurate and thorough, following our comprehensive checklist. Parties should provide a detailed listing of concerns regarding the home to ensure all concerns are addressed during evaluation. Attorneys and/or the Attorney for the Child may also provide additional information to be addressed during the evaluation. Home evaluations can be done relatively quickly when all parties offer flexible meeting times. 

Luci Monette, M.A., former director of the Suffolk Supervised Visitation Programs, has over 23 years of experience in the fields of supervised visitation and family services. Luci began her career while attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice, earning a BA in Psychology, with a concentration in Forensic Psychology and a double-minor in Sociology and Literature. During her time at John Jay, Luci had the unique opportunity to complete internships with the Suffolk County Department of Probation and the PINS Diversion Unit, as well as with a private not-for-profit agency's supervised visitation program, where she was later hired and remained for over 16 years. Luci had the good fortune to complete numerous professional development programs including the NYS CASA volunteer training. Additionally, Luci gained experience as a Staff Manager at Sunrise House, a residential treatment facility for adolescent girls. In 2001, as a Family Education Specialist and support group facilitator at a leading private not-for-profit mental health agency on Long Island, Luci was selected to attend the NYS Office of Mental Health sponsored 'Common Sense Parenting Train-the-Trainer' certificate program presented by Girls and Boys Town. Luci later traveled to Girls and Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska where she obtained her second certification in a 'Common Sense Parenting' curriculum. Since then Luci has facilitated countless workshops for parents and is still one of only a few parent educators on Long Island certified in both 'Common Sense Parenting' curriculums.  

As an individual both at work and in her life, Luci has been described by her clients, colleagues and staff as compassionate, knowledgeable, professional, and as a natural leader. Luci's unique skills in working with children and families set her apart from others in her field.  

Long Island Visitation & Family Services staff have over 28 years of combined experience working with Suffolk/Nassau County courts, the Children's Law Bureau, the Department of Social Services and the Suffolk County Department of Probation. Throughout the years, the Executive Director, Luci Monette, M.A., and her staff have built a rapport with individuals in these agencies and LIVFS looks forward to continuing to build upon those relationships. We are proud to accept referrals from all agencies, professionals, and individuals, pending all parties are agreeable. LIVFS is a member of the National Supervised Visitation Network and applies the standards of practice and code of ethics published by the National Network.