FAMILY SERVICES UNIT

The Family Services Unit assists families and individuals by providing various court ordered services.

COUNSELING/MEDIATION:

The office provides counseling services for drug/alcohol dependency, adoption registry counseling as well as mediation regarding child custody/visitation issues.

Drug and alcohol screening is also performed, on-site, when court ordered.

PARENTING TIME (SUPERVISED VISITATION) :

The court provides Supervised Parenting Time when ordered by a Judge. Parenting time takes place at the Garrahy Judicial Complex during business hours and has recently been extended to evenings and Saturday's. The reasons for referral vary from alleged abuse to reunification of parent or grandparent(s) with Child(ren).

INVESTIGATION UNIT:

The Investigation Unit offers a wide variety of services. Investigations are performed regarding child custody/visitation cases, stepÑparent adoptions, child support/employment issues, and minor marriages.
The Court Investigators also monitor Juvenile home confinement cases.
The information obtained by the Investigator's, Counselor's and Mediators, assist the Judges in resolving such issues in a fair and timely manner

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q.  Are there any fees charged for the services provided by the Family Services Unit?

A.  There are no fees charged for any of the services provided by the Family Services Department. A Family Court order must be obtained, however, before any services are provided.

Q.  Who has access to the information obtained by the Family Services Unit?

A.  All of the information obtained by the Family Services Unit, in the course of an investigation or other service provided, is handled in a confidential manner. The reports prepared by this Unit are for the Judges review only. An Attorney may review the report only after receiving permission from a Judge. In the case of counseling records or drug/alcohol screening, a properly executed release form must be signed before the report can be viewed.