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| Office in a Bag |
Family Connection uses an "office in a bag" to provide supervised visits to offsite locations. These locations can be located in on office building, law enforcement center, churches, or other place that can be used for visitation. These locations are usually shared by other people and so cannot be set up for visitation at all times. It could also be used in a town that wants a visit center but does not have the visit load to open a full time center and so has to share a space.
The main purpose of the "office in a bag" is to set up a room for visitation with audio and video monitoring capabilities. This enables staff to monitor a visit without having to be in the room. If your visit center always has a staff in the room with the visiting adults then you do not need to use office in a bag. When considering a site to use you should follow the same criteria you would use if selecting a permanent site. We try to find a location that has two rooms. that way one can be used for visitation, and the other one can be used by staff to monitor the visit. however this does not always have to be the case, it is possible to set up a table outside the room and monitor from there.
The following is a list of the equipment and materials in the "office in a bag" and a description of why they are used.
1. Wireless camera. We use a small wireless camera in the room to provide video monitoring. These cameras can be found at Radio Shack or other stores. Search for "wireless camera" online to see online stores. If possible try to get a wide angle wireless cameral.
2. Wireless Audio intercom system. This provides audio monitoring for the visit room. It can be found at Radio Shack. The intercom should be able to be locked so that one unit is locked on transmitting, and the other is receiving. This way the one in the room is always transmitting.
Walkie-Talkies could also be used if they can be locked so one is always transmitting and this one could be placed in the visit room.
3. Wireless door chime. We put it on the outside door of the building with a sign so that clients can press the buzzer to let us know that they are there for their visit, or to pick up the kids. This is usefully if the building is locked and so clients have a way of buzzing in so you can open the door.
4. Tracphone or cell phone. We have a tracphone which we use so that we can be reached even when we are at our temporary location. This is important to have a phone because clients may need to reach you if they are running late or need to cancel the visit. Tracphone can be bought online or at stores like Walmart or Target.
5. Laptop. Instead of a monitor to view the visits, we use a laptop. There is a special cable called a Video/USB cable which will convert the signal from the wireless camera receiver to a signal the computer can use. Search for 'USB video capture" online.
6. Cordless phone. Sometimes cell phone may not work in the location so we have a cordless phone that we can use. It is cordless because there may not be a phone jack nearby the visit room and this way we can plug the transmitter into the jack and carry the cordless phone around. Make sure it is in the 900 range or else it may interfere with the wireless camera.
7. Portable metal detector and alcohol detector
8. Kit with office supplies
9. Various Forms
10. Cleaning supplies
A word about wireless equipment. While wireless equipment is great because there are not wires and it is easy to set up and use there are two concerns. The first is interference from other equipment. Equipment should always be tested at the site before the site is used for visits. The second is security. Most wireless equipment do not use encryption so it may be possible for people to view and listen in on the visit. Most equipment do not transmit to far so it may not be an issue. it is a good idea to see how for you can be from the visit room before you loose reception of the video and audio feed. Also even if you did not use wireless equipment people still could listen in with the right equipment.
