About Kristy Caceres, LCSW-C
My
background and training is primarily in child welfare, as well as in custody
and family court. I hold a strong belief in the dignity of each person, and the
right to self-determination. I make every attempt to treat each person without
judgment and as a valuable part of the team, regardless of their background,
history, belief system, life choices, or any other aspect of their life. I take
a collaborative approach to engaging with families, and believe that each
person’s voice and perspective is important to the process.
When
families are involved in the court process, there is often a feeling of
frustration, being disempowered, being unfairly judged, anger at
decision-makers, and other difficult emotions as part of the process. While it
is not my role to help process those emotions or intervene in any decisions
that have been made, I attempt to create relationships with people that help
them engage in the process of supervised visits in a way that is a productive
and constructive use of their time. My identified “client” in each case is the
child or children involved, but it is my belief that by supporting and
empowering their families, there can be a positive impact on the child or
children’s safety and well-being.
I understand
that there may be times of conflict or disagreement during this process. It’s
my aim for those situations to provide learning and growth opportunities for
the family/parent as well as the Supervisor so that visits can proceed in a
safe way and so that the visiting parent and child can maintain continued
connection as best they can. I am committed to talking and working through
those conflicts, to develop a plan for moving forward with the work, if at all
possible and safe.
My Approach and values
The
following are some specific tools I use with families to ensure the above
values and intent are maximized:
Explain the Process
When and
where at all possible I will prepare parties for what the process involves.
Avoid Judgement
I am a
neutral observer. When I give feedback, I will make every attempt to do so in a
way that is constructive and provides opportunities for development. I will
focus on both strengths and needs to give feedback on visits, with the aim of
fostering successful visits.
Offer Choices
Where at all
possible, parties are encouraged to make decisions that work for them and their
child. Unless parenting decisions impact the child negatively during a visit, I
respect the right of each parent to make decisions for their child within
limits of court orders and state laws/policies.
Genuineness
My
sincere desire is to ensure, first and foremost, a safe visit for the child and
other parties. Second to that, my hope is to foster connections for the parent
and child, help them have a productive visit, and be successful in this phase
of their child access journey.
Transparency
If there is
question about how I came to decisions I make at any time in the process of
supervised visitation, I will make every attempt to explain the critical
thinking involved in that decision.