Upon assignment, the receiving DCS Specialist reviews the
case information to identify any information gaps and develop plans for
the first meeting with the family following case transfer to ongoing
services.
To the extent possible, the DCS Specialist should complete
the following activities prior to the initial meeting with the family
following case transfer:
The DCS Specialist will coordinate the timing, location, and
circumstances of the initial meeting with the parents, guardians, and/or
custodians including the following:
The assigned DCS Specialist will schedule a case plan
staffing to develop a written case plan, at a time and location that is
convenient for the family.
The family and service team should be actively involved in case planning, to include:
The DCS Specialist will provide or refer the family for
services and supports identified in the case plan in order to enhance
diminished caregiver protective capacities, strengthen family protective
factors, and reduce the likelihood of future abuse or neglect. See
To request specific DCS contracted services, complete the
Request for Services – PS06700 and the appropriate addendum and submit
per instructions in applicable Service Guides, the
At least every 90 days, reassess the family’s progress toward
achieving the outlined behavioral changes in the case plan. Consider
each parent, guardian and/or custodian’s engagement in services and
supports, and whether the services and supports identified in the case
plan are promoting the desired behavioral changes.
To determine whether the positive change is occurring within
the family, reassess the family’s protective factors. The protective
factors are:
If the
information gathered indicates that a situation or adult behavior in the
household could pose a safety threat to a child, collect additional
information to explore the area of concern. Make a report to the Child
Abuse Hotline and conduct a separate Family Functioning Assessment of
this household if the information collected reveals new or previously
unreported incidents of abuse or neglect, or possible safety threats in
the household. See
At any point in time, if any child
in the home is observed to be in present danger, the DCS Specialist must
implement a present danger plan that controls the present danger prior
to leaving the child or family.
If the family’s identified needs can
be met by a community-based or DCS-referred service, the family does
not require DCS intervention and case management to encourage and
monitor service participation, and the family is in agreement, complete
an Aftercare Plan with the family following the procedures in
. Arrange or provide information about the identified services, and close the case.
The assigned DCS Specialist must have monthly face-to-face contact with the child(ren) and parents, guardians and/or custodians.
More frequent face-to-face contact and/or telephone contact
from the DCS Specialist between required monthly contacts may be
necessary based on the case circumstances. See
Documentation of contacts should include information on
dates, places, individuals involved, and the nature of the contact, and
provide a factual summary of the following:
Document
all conversations with the family regarding protective factors that may
be strengthened and include information on community-based or Department
provided service referrals. These conversations may be documented in
either the C-CSRA or in case notes.
The DCS Specialist will document all services provided to the family (via DCS or another agency/source) including:
File a copy of the PS06700 and any additional addendum in the hard copy record.
File copies of all assessments, treatment records, monthly reports, and other related documents in the hard copy record.
to document all face-to-face visits with the child and
parent/caregiver, using the Case Notes window designated as Family
Contact type.
If a Courtesy Case Manager is responsible for making the
ongoing monthly face-to-face visits, add the case manager with ongoing
responsibility for the monthly visits to the case, using the Case
Creation window.
The DCS Specialist conducts the
Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing (FFA-Ongoing) to identify
enhanced and diminished protective capacities that are directly related
to the identified impending danger threat(s). The FFA-Ongoing answers
the following questions:
The DCS Specialist conducts the FFA-Ongoing through
contacts with the parents, guardians, and/or custodians, in order to
guide a mutual understanding of what must change for the parents to
regain responsibility for the care and safety of the child. See
While the child is assessed as unsafe and the safety plan
remains active, the DCS Specialist will actively manage child safety
and continuously gather information to assess progress made toward
enhancing diminished protective capacities and eliminating the impending
danger threats identified in the Family Functioning Assessment -
Investigation. The DCS Specialist gathers the information through
contact with the parents, the child(ren), extended family, the
out-of-home provider, case participants, and other service team members.
If a
parent, guardian, and/or custodian whose whereabouts were previously
unknown is located after a case has been opened for services, the DCS
Specialist will gather information about the person and his or her
household through interviews, in-person observations, and applicable
background checks. If the information gathered indicates that a
situation or adult behavior in the household could pose a safety threat
to a child, collect additional information to explore the area of
concern. Make a report to the Child Abuse Hotline and conduct a
separate Family Functioning Assessment of this household if the
information collected reveals new or previously unreported incidents of
abuse or neglect, or possible safety threats in the household. See
Conduct the Family Functioning Assessment based on the
child remaining in the home or the child's return to the parents,
guardians, and/or custodians.
If there are indications the child is a victim of sex
trafficking and/or commercial sexual exploitation, a new report should
be made to the Hotline and Law Enforcement.
The FFA – Ongoing process is completed in four stages:
The DCS Specialist conducts preparation activities to
identify information gaps and develop plans for the first meeting with
the family following case transfer to ongoing services. During the
preparation stage, the DCS Specialist:
To the extent possible,
preparation activities should be completed prior to the initial meeting
with the family following case transfer. The DCS Specialist will conduct
the following preparation activities:
The DCS Specialist will coordinate the timing, location,
and circumstances of the initial meeting with the parent, guardian,
and/or custodian, including the following:
The DCS Specialist is responsible for overseeing the
safety plan. At the point of case transfer, the DCS Specialist will make
contact with the responsible adult(s) assigned to review outlined
safety actions and confirm roles and responsibilities.
During the introduction stage, the DCS Specialist focuses
on building a positive working relationship with the parent, guardian
and/or custodian by building rapport, setting the stage for establishing
a partnership, providing information, and allowing the parents,
guardians, and/or custodians to express themselves. Allow parents,
guardians and/or custodians to express their thoughts about what has
happened up to this point and their plans for future involvement with
DCS. This is critical to the ability to co-construct meaningful case
plan outcomes and strategies for change.
The DCS Specialist’s initial discussions with the family
are intended to help transition the family from the investigation to
continued case management. Introduction activities should occur with the
parents, guardians, and/or custodians, and to the extent possible and
in an age-appropriate manner, the child. During the initial meeting
with the family:
Conclude the Introduction stage by seeking a commitment
from parents, guardians and/or custodians to participate in the
FFA-Ongoing process and in case planning. Ask for their continued
participation, express appreciation for their participation, and
reaffirm a desire for a collaborative partnership. Whenever possible,
set the date, time, and place of the next contact.
If at any time the DCS Specialist identifies or observes
the safety plan to be insufficient to control the danger, the safety
plan must be immediately revised.
More than one meeting might be required to achieve the
purpose of introduction activities, especially for families with a
history of child welfare system involvement or multiple challenges.
During the exploration phase, the DCS Specialist jointly
explores with the parents, guardians, and/or custodians what must change
in order for the family to achieve a safe, stable, and permanent home
for the child(ren), ultimately allowing for case closure. This phase
facilitates the identification of the enhanced protective capacities
(strengths) and diminished protective capacities (needs) directly
related to the identified safety threats. This stage concludes with the
DCS Specialist assisting the parents, guardians, and/or custodians in
raising self-awareness, and in recognizing the parent’s, guardian’s,
and/or custodian’s motivation for change, alleviating any fears or
misconceptions, and determining what actions, services, and activities
the parents, guardians and/or custodians are ready and willing to
participate in to increase their protective capacities.
During the exploration phase, the DCS Specialist gathers
deeper information about child functioning, adult functioning, parenting
practices, discipline practices, caregiver protective capacities, and
the relationship of all to the identified danger threats. Refer to
for additional information regarding the domains of family functioning.
The DCS Specialist will meet and have discussion with the
parents, guardians, and/or custodians to identify the diminished
protective capacities that have resulted in their inability to protect
the child from danger and complete the following:
The DCS Specialist continuously assesses child
functioning, which includes specific indicators of child well-being. The
Child Well-Being Indicators will be assessed throughout the family’s
involvement with the Department, to identify child needs that must be
addressed in the child’s case plan.
During the FFA – Ongoing, the DCS Specialist will use all
information gathered about child functioning to evaluate each of the
Child Well-Being Indicators and identify child needs that should be the
focus of case plan services and interventions. The DCS Specialist will
assess child functioning and the Child Well-Being Indicators by:
Each indicator is rated as “A, B, C, or D.” An “A” or
“B” rating reflects that a child is doing well in that area. A “C” or
“D” rating reflects that a child is not doing well and requires
attention.
The common criteria applied to each individual rating are:
The DCS Specialist will assess child functioning and the Child Well-Being Indicators by:
for the specific scaling criteria for each indicator that the DCS
Specialist will use each time the FFA is updated. The Child Well-Being
Indicators are defined as follows and should be assessed based on each
child’s age, ability and developmental level:
The DCS Specialist will complete the following activities
in order to assess child functioning and the Child Well-Being
Indicators outlined above:
The DCS Specialist will use all information gathered in
the domains of family functioning in order to update, evaluate, and rate
progress in each of the caregiver protective capacities using a four
point scale. Refer to
for additional information regarding assessment of the caregiver
protective capacities. The ratings of caregiver protective capacities
are used to identify those that need to be the focus of behavioral
change goals and interventions in case planning.
Each caregiver protective capacity is rated as A, B, C,
or D. An “A” or “B” rating reflects that a parent, guardian, and/or
custodian is doing well in that area. A “C” or “D” rating reflects that
a parent, guardian, and/or custodian requires attention in that area.
The common criteria applied to each individual rating are:
for specific rating criteria for the individual caregiver protective capacities.
The DCS Specialist will review with the parents,
guardians, and/or custodians the identified danger threats and
re-evaluate if they are denying the presence of danger threats, are in
partial agreement, or are in near complete agreement.
The DCS Specialist will co-construct the Danger Statement
with the parents, guardians, and/or custodians when possible. The
danger statement is a behaviorally based statement in very clear,
non-judgmental language, which states the following:
The DCS Specialist will ensure that the Danger Statement (to the fullest extent possible):
The DCS Specialist will work with the parents, guardians
and/or custodians to assess their readiness for change after all of the
activities to gather information from the family are conducted, and the
protective capacities that resulted in the identified danger threats
are assessed and scaled. Knowing the stage of change a parent is
currently experiencing will guide the Department’s efforts to help the
parents, guardians, and/or custodians move forward through the Stages of
Change. See
for additional information on assessing a parent/ guardian’s readiness for change.
When a parent, guardian, and/or custodian are unable or
unwilling to engage in these discussions and the change process, or
there is disagreement about the reason for the Department’s involvement
or what needs to change, the DCS Specialist will continue to actively
seek the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s engagement and recognition
of the danger, and exploration of diminished protective capacities.
Refer
When a parent, guardian, and/or custodian misses
scheduled appointments, decreases or stops attending services and/or
visitation, or shows other signs of disengaging from the case planning
and change process, the DCS Specialist will make diligent efforts to
engage the parent, guardian, and/or custodian in the following ways:
The DCS Specialist will work with the parents, guardians,
and/or custodians in order to prioritize what must change and create an
individualized case plan, and:
The DCS Specialist, in consultation with the DCS Program
Supervisor, will identify existing impending danger threat(s) within the
family, the sufficiency of the current safety plan, and if applicable,
the written Conditions for Return. The DCS Specialist will do the
following:
Document the conclusions of the FFA – Ongoing for each applicable household in a separate C-CSRA as follows:
The DCS Specialist should document contacts with case participants and case associates in case notes in CHILDS.
Document relevant contacts, observations, behaviors,
conditions, circumstances and activities of the family in CHILDS in a
case note.
The DCS Specialist will document the Danger Statement in the Case Plan.
The DCS Supervisor or designee
documents the results of the clinical supervision discussion and
approval of the C-CSRA utilizing the Supervisory Case Progress Review –
Ongoing (CT09402) which is located in CHILDS under Court Documents and
Forms.
Court Document Directory
FFA At Investigation Decision Making Guide
Parent/ Caregiver Protective Capacities Scaling Template (CSO-1587)
Caregiver Protective Capacities Scaling Guide (CSO-1588)
Child Well-Being Indicators Scaling Template (DCS-1606)
Child Well-Being Indicators Scaling Guide (DCS-1594)
Parents Readiness for Change Practice Guide
Effective Date: January 31, 2018
Revision History: February 12, 2016, September 22, 2016, June 12th, 2017
Chapter 3: Section 2.1
Family Functioning Assessment – Progress Update
While a child is assessed as unsafe and a
safety plan is active, the Department shall continuously assess and
actively manage child safety.
The DCS Specialist
shall continuously gather information about family functioning, provide
or arrange services and supports to enhance parental protective
capacities, and assess progress toward enhancing the diminished
protective capacities and eliminating the impending danger threats
identified in previous Family Functioning Assessments. The DCS
Specialist shall continuously gather information through contact with
the parents, the child(ren), involved kin, the out-of-home care
provider, and other service team members.
A Family Functioning Assessment – Progress Update shall be completed:
- minimally every 90 days;
- at case plan reassessment and revision;
- when there is an indication that the child may be unsafe;
- when circumstances indicate a substantial change has occurred or is anticipated to occur within the family, including;
- changes in household composition (additions or departures of individuals from the household);
- when changing the permanency goal;
- when considering unsupervised visits;
- when considering reunification; or
- when considering case closure.
The FFA - Progress Update is not completed in cases:
- that are open for in-home services to a family in which all children have been assessed as safe;
- in which both parent’s rights have been terminated;
- in
which the child’s permanency goal is APPLA and there is no parenting
time (visitation) or consideration to initiate parenting time with a
parent, guardian, or custodian.
A case cannot be closed when a child is
unsafe. A safety plan must remain in place until the impending danger
threat is no longer active, the parents have been able to enhance
protective capacity in order to manage any safety threat, and the child
has been assessed as safe.
|
Procedures
Family Functioning Assessment – Progress Update
The DCS Specialist conducts the Family Functioning Assessment
(FFA) – Progress Update in order to evaluate the parent, guardian
and/or custodian’s progress toward enhancing the diminished protective
capacities and eliminating the impending danger threats identified in
previous Family Functioning Assessments.
The FFA – Progress Update analysis shall:
- provide an evaluation and scale progress of each child’s well-being indicators;
- provide an evaluation and scale each parent’s,
guardian’s, or custodian’s progress toward behavioral change and
enhanced protective capacities;
- inform decisions surrounding the sufficiency
of the safety plan, including whether or not the Conditions for Return
have been met for a child in out-of-home care or need to be changed;
- inform the safety determination of the
child(ren), including any determination that a safety threat no longer
exists because the parent, guardian, or custodian has successfully
enhanced the necessary protective capacities to manage the danger
threat; and
- inform the case plan, including any change to case plan goals or services, parenting time (visitation), or the permanency goal.
Based on the results of the FFA – Progress Update, the DCS Specialist will:
- determine if the impending danger threats in the home are being sufficiently managed in the least intrusive way possible,
- determine if the services being provided as
part of the case plan to enhance parental protective capacities are
effective and sufficient;
- determine if the parent’s, guardian’s and/or
custodian’s perspective or awareness of the danger threats and
diminished protective capacities has shifted; and
- engage the family and service team to make adjustments to the case plan and safety plan, as needed.
An FFA – Progress Update is not completed for the following case types:
- Adoption;
- Adoption Subsidy;
- Adoption Registry;
- Guardianship Subsidy;
- ICPC;
- DDD Eligibility; and
- IV-E Eligibility.
Conducting the FFA – Progress Update
The DCS Specialist engages in ongoing communication and
partnership with the family, team members, and the court (if applicable)
to effectively evaluate family progress. The DCS Specialist conducts
the FFA – Progress Update through high quality contacts with the
parents, guardians, and/or custodians in order to guide a mutual
understanding of what must change for the parents to regain
responsibility for the care of the child.
The DCS Specialist will continuously gather information to understand:
- what conditions must change to achieve lasting child safety and permanency;
- changes in family dynamics that indicate a need for changes in safety management;
- the extent of progress towards enhancement of child functioning and caregiver protective capacities;
- whether the behavioral change goals and outcomes of the case plan remain appropriate or have been met; and
- whether the strategies, services, and interventions are working effectively.
The DCS Specialist prepares for the FFA – Progress Update by:
- reviewing the prior Family Functioning Assessment(s);
- gathering additional and clarifying
information about family functioning, including child functioning, adult
functioning, general parenting practices, and discipline and behavior
management through contact with:
- parents, guardians, and/or custodians,
- child(ren),
- extended family members,
- out-of-home care providers,
- other household members,
- collateral contacts, and
- service providers and other team members;
- reviewing service provider reports;
- analyzing the information to assess progress related to:
- the enhancement of parental protective capacities, and
- alleviating any previously identified impending danger threat(s); and
- assessing the presence of any additional danger threat(s).
The
DCS Specialist will complete a full assessment of any addition to the
household composition (for example, when a roommates or a significant
other joins the household); and for a parent, guardian, or custodian
whose whereabouts were previously unknown and who has been located after
a case has been opened for services. The DCS Specialist will gather
information about the person and their household through interviews,
in-person observations, and applicable background checks. If the
information gathered indicates that a situation or adult behavior in the
household could pose a safety threat to a child, collect additional
information to explore the area of concern. Make a report to the Child
Abuse Hotline and conduct a separate Family Functioning Assessment of
this household if the information collected reveals new or previously
unreported incidents of abuse or neglect, or possible safety threats in
the household. See
Family Functioning Assessment – Investigation.
Conduct the Family Functioning Assessment based on the child
remaining in the home or the child's return to a parent, guardian,
and/or custodian.
Child Well-Being Indicators
The DCS Specialist continuously assesses child functioning,
which includes specific indicators of child well-being. The Child
Well-Being Indicators will be assessed throughout the family’s
involvement with the Department, to identify child needs that must be
addressed in the child’s case plan.
During the FFA – Progress Update, the DCS Specialist will use
all information gathered about child functioning to evaluate progress
in each of the Child Well-Being Indicators and identify child needs that
should be the focus of case plan services and interventions. Refer to
the
Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing
for additional information regarding assessment of the Child Well-Being
Indicators. The DCS Specialist will assess child functioning and the
Child Well-Being Indicators by:
- talking about child functioning, including
current well-being strengths and needs, with the child’s parents, other
involved caregivers, service providers, and the child if age
appropriate; and
- observing parent-child, sibling, and other family interactions to assess protective capacities and child needs.
Scaling Criteria
Each indicator is rated as A, B, C, or D. An “A” or “B”
rating reflects that a child is doing well in that area. A “C” or “D”
rating reflects that a child requires attention in that area. The
common criteria applied to each individual rating are:
- A = Excellent – Child demonstrates exceptional ability in this area.
- B = Acceptable – Child demonstrates average ability in this area.
- C = Some Attention Needed – Child demonstrates some need for increased support in this area.
- D = Intensive Support Needed – Child demonstrates need for intensive support in this area.
Refer to
Child Well-Being Indicators Scaling Guide (DCS-1594) for the specific scaling criteria for each indicator.
Caregiver Protective Capacities
The DCS Specialist will use all information gathered in the
domains of family functioning in order to update, evaluate, and rate
progress in each of the caregiver protective capacities using a
four-point scale. Refer to
Family Functioning Assessment – Investigation
for additional information regarding assessment of the caregiver
protective capacities. The DCS Specialist may change the protective
capacities’ ratings identified in the FFA-Investigation. The ratings of
caregiver protective capacities are used to identify those that need to
be the focus of behavioral change goals and interventions in case
planning.
Scaling Criteria
Each caregiver protective capacity is rated as A, B, C, or D.
An “A” or “B” rating reflects that a parent, guardian, or custodian is
doing well in that area. A “C” or “D” rating reflects that a parent,
guardian, or custodian requires attention in that area. The common
criteria applied to each individual rating are:
- A = Excellent – Caregiver demonstrates exceptional ability in this area.
- B = Acceptable – Caregiver demonstrates average ability in this area.
- C = Some Attention Needed – Caregiver demonstrates some need for increased support in this area.
- D = Intensive Support Needed – Caregiver demonstrates need for intensive support in this area.
Refer to the
Caregiver Protective Capacities Scaling Guide (CSO-1588) for specific rating criteria for the individual caregiver protective capacities.
Identifying and Encouraging Readiness for Change
During the FFA – Progress Update process, the DCS Specialist
will identify the parent’s, guardian’s, or custodian’s current readiness
for change, using the Stages of Change. During contacts with the
parent, guardian, or custodian, the DCS Specialist will make efforts to
move the parent, guardian, or custodian forward through the Stages of
Change. See
Practice Guideline: Parent Readiness for Change for additional information.
The Stages of Change are as follows:
- Pre-contemplation: The parent has no
perception of having a problem or a need to change. The parent is not
aware that life can be improved if he or she changes his or her
behaviors.
- Contemplation: There is an initial recognition
that behavior may be a problem and ambivalence about change. A parent
may start to gather information about possible solutions.
- Preparation: The parent desires change and makes a conscious determination to change. A motivator for change is identified.
- Action: Parents take steps to implement change.
- Maintenance: A parent actively works on sustaining change strategies and maintaining long-term change.
Engaging the Parent, Guardian, and/or Custodians
When the parent, guardian, and/or custodians are unable or
unwilling to engage in these discussions or the change process, or there
is disagreement about the reason for the Department’s involvement or
what needs to change, the DCS Specialist will continue to actively seek
the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s engagement and recognition of
the danger and exploration of diminished protective capacities. Refer to
Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing as well as
Practice Guidelines on High Quality Parent Contacts and
Parent Readiness for Change for more information on engagement strategies.
Evaluating Safety Plan Sufficiency and Progress toward the Conditions for Return
The DCS Specialist, in consultation with the DCS Program
Supervisor, will identify existing impending danger threat(s) within the
family, the sufficiency of the current safety plan, and if applicable,
the written Conditions for Return. The DCS Specialist will do the
following:
- Review the updated information about the six
domains of family functioning and determine whether or not a threat of
danger exists.
- Determine whether the child is in impending
danger by applying the five safety threshold criteria. All five criteria
must be met for at least one identified safety threat in order to
determine a child is in impending danger. For more information, see Family Functioning Assessment at Investigation and Family Functioning Assessment - Decision Making Guide.
- Determine if the current safety plan is the least intrusive option sufficient to control the impending danger safety threat(s).
- Review the in-home safety analysis questions to determine whether an in-home safety plan can be implemented or should continue.
- If
the safety plan is too restrictive or is not sufficient to manage the
danger threat(s), immediately implement a new safety plan capable of
managing the danger threat(s). Convene a Safety Planning Team Decision
Making meeting. See Safety Planning and Team Decision Making for more information.
- If applicable, review the Conditions for
Return and determine if the conditions provide in sufficient detail what
needs to occur for sufficient, feasible, and sustainable in-home safety
plan to be implemented. If the Conditions for Return will be changed
or updated:
- Consult with the DCS Program Supervisor to discuss the recommended changes.
- Meet with the family to explain the changes (See Conditions for Return procedure for more information).
- Provide
the updated Conditions for Return in writing to all parties involved in
the case, using the Safety Plan and Safety Plan Signature Page
(CS0-1034B).
Recommending changes in Parenting Time (Visitation)
When a child is in out-of-home care, visitation and parenting
time opportunities must be evaluated for quality and frequency. See
Parent & Child Visitation.
Evaluation of Progress Toward Permanency
Based on the assessment of the parent’s progress towards
achieving the desired behavioral change goals, the amount of time the
child has been in out-of-home care (if applicable), and the child’s best
interests, the DCS Specialist will, in consultation with the DCS
Program Supervisor, determine whether to:
- continue efforts to achieve the current permanency goal;
- initiate concurrent planning activities, and/or add a concurrent permanency goal;
- consider changing the permanency goal.
Refer to
Selecting the Permanency Goal and
Concurrent Planning for additional information.
When considering reunification of a child currently in out-of-home care, follow the procedures in
Family Reunification. In addition to completing the FFA-Progress Update as outlined above, the DCS Specialist will:
- Complete a criminal
records check of adult household members and all adults who have been
identified as having caregiving responsibilities of the child in the
home as outlined in Kinship Care and including:
- Conduct a visit to the home to observe the current conditions of the home.
For children with a permanency goal of APPLA, the DCS Specialist will complete the FFA – Progress Update:
- minimally every 90 days when parenting time (visitation) with the parent, guardian, and/or custodian is occurring,
- when considering whether to initiate or change current parenting time (visitation) (e.g. supervised to unsupervised), and
- when considering changing the permanency goal to reunification.
Documentation
Document the conclusions of the FFA – Progress Update for each applicable household in a separate C-CSRA as follows:
- Section I: Reason for C-CSRA
- Section II. A: Assessment of the six domains of family functioning.
- Document
new and updated information collected to evaluate family functioning;
including the extent of maltreatment, the circumstances surrounding the
maltreatment, child functioning, adult functioning, general parenting,
and disciplinary practices.
- Utilizing the Child Well-Being Indicators Template (DCS-1606),
document the ratings of the Child Well-Being Indicators for each child
utilizing the Child Well-Being Indicators scaling guide.
- Document
each parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s Stage of Change and evidence
to support that determination under the adult functioning domain.
- Section II. B: Caregiver protective capacities
- Utilizing the Caregiver Protective Capacities Template (CSO-1587),
document the protective capacities for each caregiver in the home.
Evaluate progress and scale each protective capacity using an A, B, C,
or D utilizing the Caregiver Protective Capacity Scaling Guide.
- Section II. C: Safety Decision and identified Safety Plan, if applicable
- Document
a brief description of the safety plan, including the location of the
child and the identity of the responsible adults involved in the plan.
Include information to indicate where a copy of the safety plan can be
located.
- Document the results of the in-home safety analysis.
- If applicable, document the Conditions for Return as written on the Safety Plan form.
- Section II. D: Continuous assessment of impending danger
- For each child, document a determination of safe or unsafe due to impending danger:
- For
each child assessed as safe, document how that determination was made.
Document any concerns that may have been present during the assessment,
but did not meet the safety threshold criteria. Explain why the
threshold were not met.
- For each child assessed to be
unsafe due to impending danger, document each safety threat that exists;
specifically describe each threat and how it manifests in the family.
Document how each observable threat meets all five safety threshold
criteria: observable family condition, vulnerable child, unmanaged,
severity, and imminent.
Document contacts with case participants and case associates in case notes in CHILDS.
Document relevant contacts, observations, behaviors,
conditions, circumstances, and activities of the family in case notes in
CHILDS.
The DCS Supervisor or designee
documents the results of the clinical supervision discussion using the
Supervisory Progress Review (Ongoing) (CT09402) which is located in
CHILDS under Court Documents.
Effective Date: January 31, 2018
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 3-Developing and Reassessing the Family-Centered Case Plan
The Department shall
facilitate the development of an individualized, family centered,
written case plan for every child, youth, and family receiving ongoing
services from the Department.
The Department shall develop the written case plan with the family after completing the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing.
When the Preliminary Protective/ Initial
Court Hearing is held before the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing
has been completed, the Department shall develop and submit to the
court a proposed case plan that identifies:
- the permanency goal,
- any specialized assessments known to be needed by a child or parent, guardian and/or custodian,
- any services known to be needed by a child or parent, guardian and/or custodian, and
- the initial parenting time (visitation) plan if the child is in out-of-home care.
At the time of the Preliminary Protective/
Initial Court Hearing, the Department may propose a permanency goal of
“undetermined” when the Department is considering termination of
parental rights due to the presence of aggravating circumstances.
The initial case plan for all permanency
goals shall include reunification services for the parents, guardians,
and/or custodians unless the Department is relieved of providing
reunification services pursuant to A.R.S § 8-846.
The Department shall conduct a case plan staffing and create the initial written case plan:
- within 60 days of the case being identified to receive in-home services; or
- within 60 days of the child(ren)'s removal from home; or
- within 10 working days of a child's placement with a Voluntary Placement Agreement.
The Department shall conduct a case plan staffing and reassess the case plan:
- at least every 6 months; and
- at specified key decision
points in the life of a case, including when a change in the permanency
goal is considered or there is a significant change in case
circumstances.
The Department shall involve the family
receiving DCS services in the development of the case plan. When a
parent, guardian, and/or custodian is unwilling or unable to participate
in the case plan development, the Department must continue to make
efforts to engage the parent, guardian and/or custodian in the process.
For children age 14 years and older, the case plan shall include:
- the youth's education, health, visitation, and court participation rights;
- the right to receive a credit report annually, if available;
- age/developmentally appropriate services and supports necessary to assist the youth to prepare for adulthood; and
- a signed acknowledgment that
the youth was provided notice of these rights and that they were
explained in an age-appropriate way.
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Procedures
Case Plan Content
When the Preliminary Protective/ Initial Court Hearing is
held before the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing has been
completed, the Department shall develop and submit to the court a
proposed case plan that identifies:
- the permanency goal,
- any specialized assessments known to be needed by a child or parent, guardian, and/or custodian,
- any services known to be needed by a child or parent, guardian and/or custodian, and
- the initial parenting time (visitation) plan if the child is in out-of-home care.
Develop the initial written case plan after completing the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing.
Explain the case planning process to the family during the introduction stage of the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing.
Explain the case planning process to the family during the
introduction stage of the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing.
During the exploration stage, engage the parents, guardians, and/or
custodians to identify the diminished protective capacities that have
resulted in their inability to protect the child from danger. Address
these diminished protective capacities in the initial written case plan.
Arranging and Facilitating Case Plan Staffings
Preparation for the Staffing
Prior to a case plan staffing, the DCS Specialist should
discuss the following with the parents, guardians, and/or custodians,
and children invited to attend the staffing:
- what a case plan is;
- what a case plan staffing is;
- who DCS invites to the meeting;
- who the family may invite to the meeting;
- what happens at the meeting, including the types of decisions made;
- why attendance at the meeting is important; and
- how to prepare for the meeting.
Based on information gathered and conversations with the
family during the exploration stage of the Family Functioning Assessment
– Ongoing, develop a draft danger statement and draft desired
behavioral change statements.
Scheduling
Schedule the case plan staffing at a time and location that
meets the needs of parents, guardians, and/or custodians, out-of-home
care providers, and children. Schedule the case plan staffing with at
least two weeks’ notice to allow attendees to make arrangements to
attend. Inform service team members who cannot attend the case plan
staffing in person that they may provide a written report, a verbal
report, or participate by conference call. Arrange interpreter services
if necessary.
Invitations
Invite the following service team members to participate in the case plan staffing:
- parents, guardians and/or custodians;
- child, if age 12 years or older (See Notice of Rights for Children and Youth in Foster Care, CSO-1141);
- extended family members identified as an active or potential resource/support;
- out-of-home care provider;
- licensing worker of out-of-home care provider;
- service providers working with the family, such as the parent aide;
- tribal social service representative;
- tribal legal representative;
- Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA);
- child's and/or parent, guardian and/or custodian’s Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) case manager;
- child's attorney and/or guardian ad-litem;
- parent, guardian and/or custodian's attorney and/or guardian ad-litem; and
- Assistant Attorney General assigned to the case.
Inform youth who are age 14 years or older that they may
invite two individuals selected by the child who are not the DCS
Specialist or the foster parent to the case plan staffing. It is
permissible to reject an individual selected by a youth to be a member
of the case planning team at any time if there is good cause to believe
that the individual would not act in the best interests of the child.
One individual selected by a youth to be a member of the child’s case
planning team may be designated to be the child’s advisor and, as
necessary, advocate, with respect to the application of the reasonable
and prudent parent standard to the child.
Invitees may also include:
- other significant individuals with whom the
child may be placed or who have knowledge of or an interest in the
welfare of the child;
- DCS Specialist's supervisor;
- school personnel;
- law enforcement personnel including probation and parole officers; and
- other DCS personnel or contracted staff.
Identify services, strategies, and supports to assist the
parent, guardian, and/or custodian(s) and family to achieve the desired
behaviors identified in the case plan. Tailor services to meet the
specific needs of the family to prevent removal of the child and/or
reunify the family. See
Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing and
Services and Supports to Achieve Permanency.
All case plans (excluding a “proposed” case plan) shall identify the following:
- permanency goal
- concurrent planning activities to ensure that
potential or identified alternate caregivers are prepared to care for
the child on a permanent basis, if needed (when the prognosis of
achieving family reunification is unlikely to occur within 12 months of
the child’s initial removal)
- placement type
- danger statement (reasons why DCS is involved with the family)
- desired family behaviors
- services to help the family
- child's needs, supports, and services (medical, educational, and psychological)
- educational stability
- preparation for adulthood plan (for children in out-of-home care age 14 and older)
- parenting time (visitation) plan
- out-of-home care plan
- adoption (actions taken to identify an adoptive family for children with a permanency goal of adoption)
- case plan agreement
Select a permanency goal for all children, and identify an expected date of achievement. See
Selecting the Permanency Goal .
A concurrent permanency goal must be established within six
months of actively working with the family on both the reunification
plan and concurrent planning activities. This applies to all children
placed in out-of-home care with a permanency goal of family
reunification when the prognosis of achieving family reunification is
assessed as poor (unlikely to occur within 12 months of the child's
initial removal). See
Concurrent Planning
Identify the placement type for
children placed in out-of-home care. Placement type options include:
detention, foster home, group home, non-relative, other, relative,
residential treatment, and runaway.
Developing Behavioral Change Statements
In collaboration with the parent, guardian or custodian(s),
and based on the diminished caregiver protective capacities identified
during the exploration stage of the Family Functioning Assessment –
Ongoing, develop behavioral change statements that describe the new
desired behaviors. The behavioral change statements are included in the
written case plan and describe the behaviors that will be observed when
the diminished caregiver protective capacities have been enhanced. The
desired behavioral changes indicate the positive behaviors or
conditions that will result from the change.
Behavior change statements provide clear direction for change. Written behavioral change statements are:
- behaviorally stated – they describe in
positive terms how the parent, guardian and/or custodians would behave
in order to demonstrate an enhanced caregiver protective capacity that
contributes to child safety and permanency;
- specific – they are
individualized based on the unique dynamics of the family, how impending
danger is manifested, and which caregiver protective capacities are
diminished;
- timely – they are necessary for achieving
progress, a priority related to what must change, and likely to
contribute to timely change and additional change.
- understandable –the description of the desired
behavior and its relationship to the reason for DCS involvement should
be self-evident to parents, guardians and/or custodians and other
service team members who may review the case plan; and, language should
be absent of jargon, straightforward, and consistent with a parent,
guardian, and/or custodian’s capacity to read and understand what is
stated;
- measureable - in the sense of specifically
defining what must change and/or exist related to caregiver thinking,
feeling, and behaving;
- achievable –they must be reasonable, not
far-fetched, and not beyond the capacity and motivation a parent,
guardian and/or custodian has or expresses; and
- relevant - they reflect how a parent, guardian
and/or custodian’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior are interrelated
and influence caregiver performance and the ability to behave
protectively.
Identifying Services, Supports, and Tasks to Include in the Case Plan
Using information gained during the exploration stage of the
Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing, the DCS Specialist, parents,
guardians and/or custodians, and other service team members decide
together what will assist the family in making the necessary change.
Explore the available intervention options with the parent, guardian
and/or custodian(s) and consider their input to ensure services are
culturally relevant and maximize the family’s self-determination and
commitment to the process of change.
Services and supports for parents, guardians and/or
custodians should be relevant to enhancing the specific diminished
caregiver protective capacities targeted in the behavioral change
statements. Services and supports for children should be relevant to
the needs identified as a result of the rating of the child status needs
indicators from the Family Functioning Assessment.
A case plan staffing is not required in order to change the
services or supports provided to a family. At any time a service or
support is determined to be ineffective or an additional service becomes
necessary, the DCS Specialist should discuss the change with the
individual receiving the service and discuss the plan to modify the
service or support.
Record the danger statement in the box labeled “Reasons why CPS is involved with your family.”
Record the desired family behaviors that were finalized at
the case plan staffing for all parents, guardians, and/or custodians
with a case plan goal of remain with family or family reunification.
List the agreed upon services to help the family for all
parents, guardians, and/or custodians with a case plan goal of remain
with family or family reunification. Services must be tailored to meet
the specific needs of the family, and include services for the
out-of-home caregivers where appropriate, to prevent removal of the
child and/or reunify the family. See Services and Supports to Achieve
Permanency.
Record the child’s needs as well as supports and services for
children placed in out-of-home care to ensure that the child's medical,
educational, and psychological needs are addressed. Include the most
recent information available regarding the child's needs and the
identified services to address the needs.
- Medical
- name and address of the child’s health care providers;
- record of child's immunizations;
- known medical problems;
- known medication; and
- health information.
- Educational
- the name and address of the current school attended;
- the child’s education status, including grade level and participation in special education services;
- how the child will be transported to school; and
- extra-curricular activities in which the child is currently involved;
- before or after-school programs; and
- any
other educational support programs, including tutoring or other
academic support services, in which the child is currently enrolled or
needed to support the educational success.
- Psychological/ Behavioral Health
- name and address of the child's behavioral health care providers;
- behavioral health diagnosis;
- behavioral health medications; and
- behavioral health information.
Include for each child, age or developmentally appropriate
activities the child is participating or will participate in, and
services or tasks to achieve this.
Educational stability
Describe Educational Stability for school-aged children
placed in out-of-home care. School-aged children are entitled to remain
in their original school even when they move to a foster placement in a
different school district, to the extent feasible, unless it is against
the parent, guardian and/or custodian’s wishes. When remaining in the
original school is not feasible, the Department works with the school
district to enroll the child in a new school to meet his/her education
needs. See
Education for Children in Out of Home Care.
Attach the most recent Key Issue case note regarding Educational Stability, which documents the following:
- efforts made to keep the child in his/her home school;
- why it is not in the child's best interest to remain in the home school;
- any delay in enrolling the child in school; and/ or
- any delay in transferring the child's educational records to the new school.
Preparation for Adulthood (Young Adult/Independent Living) Plan
Complete the Preparation for Adulthood Plan for all children
age 14 and older, and for young adults age 18 and older participating in
continued care through a voluntary agreement. See
Independent Living Services and Supports.
For youth in out-of-home care age 14 and older, describe the
plan developed with the youth, parents, guardians and/or custodians,
out-of-home caregiver and others to prepare for adulthood, and include:
- the rights of the youth to education, health, visitation, and court participation;
- the services and supports needed to assist the
child to build the skills necessary to make a successful transition to
adulthood; and the right to receive a credit report annually, if
available, and to receive assistance resolving any inaccuracies.
Request the youth sign the Notice of Rights, which
acknowledges that the youth was provided their rights, and the rights
were explained in an age-appropriate manner. See
Preparation for Adulthood Services and Supports
Parenting time (visitation) plan
Describe the parenting time (visitation) plan for children placed in out-of-home care. See
Parent and Child Visitation.
Out of Home Care Plan
Include the following information for children placed in Out-of-Home Care:
- services and supports provided to the
out-of-home caregiver to help him/her meet the child's needs or, when
applicable, achieve a concurrent permanency goal or goal other than
family reunification;
-
description of how the placement for the child is in the least restrictive (most family-like) setting available;
-
document that the placement has been provided the Out
of Home Care Provider Statement of Understanding, which contains
information about the "reasonable and prudent parent" standard;
-
description of how the placement is in close
proximity to the home of the parent, guardian and/or custodian(s) when
the case plan goal is reunification and if not, the reason(s) why;
-
how at least one of the child's caregivers speaks the
same language as the child; and if not, efforts made or planned to
secure a living arrangement where at least one caregiver speaks the same
language as the child; and
-
description of how the placement is consistent with the best interests and special needs of the child.
For children with a permanency goal or concurrent goal of Adoption, include actions taken to identify an adoptive family. See
Selecting the Adoptive Family.
Adoption
When a child has a permanency goal of adoption, specify the
actions that will be taken to finalize the goal, including identifying
an adoptive family.
Case Plan Agreement
Explain to the service team that the case plan agreement
signature sheet serves as acknowledgement that the DCS Specialist has
reviewed the case plan with the family, other service team members and
participants.
Ask the family and other service team members in attendance
at the case plan staffing to sign the case plan agreement, and note
whether they agree or disagree with the plan.
Provide a copy of the case plan to all members of the service
team, whether or not they attend the case plan staffing, within five
days of completing the case plan staffing.
Reassessment of Case Plan
Based on information gathered throughout the Family
Functioning Assessment – Progress Update, reassess the case plan with
the family and other service team members:
- at least every 6 months; and
- at specified key decision points in the life
of a case, including when a change in the permanency goal is considered
or there is a significant change in case circumstances.
Confirm that services have been initiated as scheduled, and
are addressing the needs of the family. Although the case plan is
reassessed and revised at specific intervals, ongoing monitoring of
services occurs on a monthly basis. Changes to services may be made at
any time it is appropriate to do so.
The reassessment of the case plan should determine whether:
- desired behavioral changes have been achieved,
meaning previously diminished caregiver protective capacities have been
sufficiently enhanced;
- the same services and supports shall be continued;
- services and supports shall be changed; or
- no available service or intervention will
enable the parent, guardian and/or custodian to adequately address the
safety threats within a time frame that meets the needs of the child,
and a change in permanency goal should be considered.
Provide a copy of the revised case plan to all members of the
family and service team within 5 days of the case plan staffing being
completed.
Documentation
If applicable, document the proposed case plan in the Preliminary Protective/Initial Court Hearing Report.
Review and update the Medical/Dental Condition Detail,
Medication Detail, Practitioner Detail, Psych/Behavioral Condition
Detail, Participant Education Detail and Participant Education Condition
windows as needed.
Update the Family Relationship, Person Detail, Participant
Detail and American Indian Detail windows when new/updated information
when received.
Document in the Notification Directory window or in a Case
Note within 10 days, the case plan invitation and list of service team
members invited to the case plan staffing.
Create and document case plans in CHILDS in the Case Plan
Directory. Follow the prompts to document all the necessary components
of the case plan. See
Case Plan Documentation Guide, DCS-1684.
Document the education placement, and supports and services
currently provided and scheduled to be provided to support educational
stability in case notes, Key Issues type.
For youth with a permanency goal of APPLA/Independent Living,
document anticipated outcomes and tasks in the narrative box labeled
Young Adult/Independent Living. Ensure the youth’s preparation for
foster care discharge is reflected in the Independent Living plan.
For youth age 14 and 15, and for youth age 16 and older with a
permanency goal other than APPLA/Independent Living, document
anticipated outcomes and tasks related to the preparation for adulthood
in the narrative box labeled Out-of-Home Care. Ensure the youth’s
preparation for foster care discharge is reflected in the Out-of-Home
Care plan.
Document the plan for Parenting Time (Visitation) in the Visitation Plan.
Document the supports and services to be provided to the out-of-home caregiver in the Out-of-Home Care Plan.
Document the Case Plan Effective Date, Date of Meeting Review Date, and Future Review Date in the case plan.
Document whether the participants agreed or disagreed with
the case plan. If a participant is unsure, select "undetermined" and
record the service team member(s) reason for disagreeing with the case
plan, efforts to reach consensus and the outcome in case notes, Case
Plan Staffing type.
File the hard copy of the case plan in the case record.
Document in case notes the detail of case plan staffings,
including participation and input from parents, children, and other
family members.
If changes in services need to occur between scheduled review dates, document these changes in a case note within 10 days.
Effective Date: January 31, 2018
Revision History: November 30, 2012, February, 12, 2016
Chapter 3: Section 3.1
Selecting the Permanency Goal
Unless the court finds that aggravating
circumstances exist, consideration of permanency goals shall occur in
the following order of preference:
- Remain with Family;
- Family Reunification;
- Adoption;
- Permanent Guardianship;
- Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA).
For children receiving in-home services, the permanency goal shall be Remain with Family.
For children receiving out-of-home care
services, the initial permanency goal shall be Family Reunification,
unless the Department is considering termination of parental rights due
to the presence of aggravating circumstances. When aggravating
circumstances exist, the Department may propose an initial permanency
goal of “undetermined.”
The Department shall
recommend to the court that the permanency goal be changed from Remain
with Family or Family Reunification to another option when, following
discussion in a case plan staffing, the Department determines that:
- reunification services are contrary to the child’s best interests:
- aggravating circumstances exist; or
- no available services or
interventions will enable the family to address the safety and risk
factors that prevent the child from living safety at home within a time
frame that meets the needs of the child.
Reunification services are not required to be
provided if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that one
or more of the following aggravating circumstances exist and relieves
the Department of its duty to provide reunification services:
- The
child previously was removed, adjudicated dependent due to physical or
sexual abuse and, after the adjudication, the child was returned to the
parent or guardian and then removed within eighteen months due to
additional neglect or abuse;
- A party to the action provides
a verified affidavit that states that a reasonably diligent search
failed to identify and locate the parent within three months after the
filing of the dependency petition or the parent has expressed no
interest in reunification with the child for at least three months after
the filing of the dependency petition;
- The parent or guardian is
suffering from a mental illness or mental deficiency of such magnitude
that it renders the parent or guardian incapable of benefiting from the
reunification services. This finding shall be based on competent
evidence from a psychologist or physician that establishes that, even
with the provision of reunification services, the parent or guardian is
unlikely to be capable of adequately caring for the child within twelve
months after the date of the child's removal from the home;
- The parent or guardian:
- Committed an act that constitutes a dangerous crime against children as defined in A.R.S. § 13-705; or
- Caused a child to suffer serious physical injury or emotional injury; or
- The parent or guardian knew or
reasonably should have known that another person committed an act that
constitutes a dangerous crime against children as defined in A.R.S. §
13-705.The parent's rights to another child have been terminated, the
parent has not successfully addressed the issues that led to the
termination, and the parent is unable to discharge his/her parental
responsibilities;
- After a finding that the child is dependent:
- The child has been removed from the parent on at least two previous occasions;
- Reunification services were offered or provided to the parent/guardian after removal; and
- The parent/guardian is unable to discharge parental responsibilities;
- The parent or guardian of a child has been convicted of:
- A dangerous crime against children as defined in A.R.S. § 13-705; or
- Murder or manslaughter of a child; or
- Sexual abuse, sexual assault or molestation of a child; or
- Sexual conduct with a minor; or
- Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor; or
- Sexual exploitation of a minor; or
- Luring a minor for sexual exploitation; or
- The
parent or guardian of a child has been convicted of aiding or abetting
or attempting, conspiring or soliciting to commit any of the crimes
listed directly above.
Concurrent case planning shall occur for all
children placed in out-of-home care with a permanency goal of Family
Reunification when the prognosis of achieving family reunification is
poor and unlikely to occur within 12 months of the child's initial
removal. See Concurrent Planning.
The Department shall seek a permanency goal
of Adoption for children who cannot be reunified with their families,
unless a compelling reason to not pursue adoption exists.
The Department shall seek a permanency goal
of Permanent Guardianship when the child cannot be reunified with his or
her family; adoption has been considered; and the child (if age
appropriate), family and Department are in agreement that guardianship
is in the child’s best interest (for example, to maintain cultural,
sibling and/or family connections, or when a child age 12 or older will
not consent to adoption.)
The Department shall seek a permanency goal
of Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) only for youth
age 16 years and older when family reunification, adoption, and
permanent guardianship have been actively pursued by the Department and
are determined not attainable or in the child’s best interests prior to
the child reaching the age of majority. When APPLA is the permanency
goal, the Department shall enter into a formal agreement with the youth
to document the permanent living arrangement.
The Department shall not change the
permanency goal previously approved by the court or discontinue
reunification services unless ordered by the court. Pending court
approval of a change in the permanency goal, the Department shall
increase efforts to implement the concurrent plan. See Concurrent Planning.
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Procedures
Selecting the Permanency Goal
Whenever possible, prior to the case plan staffing, discuss
the importance of permanency with the parents, guardians and/or
custodians, and inform them of all available alternatives to achieve
permanency for the child, including family reunification through
successful behavioral changes, consent to adoption, consent to
guardianship, and adoption through termination of parental rights.
Engage the parents, guardians and/or custodians in a discussion of the
alternatives to achieve permanency and obtain their input into the
selection of the permanency goal.
Consider permanency goals in the order listed in policy.
Select a permanency goal that is consistent with the needs of the child.
Consider whether aggravating circumstances exist, any specific
directions from the court, and input from the parents, guardians and/or
custodians, child (age 12 years or older), and other service team
members.
When selecting the permanency goal for the child, seek to
maintain and support the child's relationship to his or her parents,
siblings, kin, and other individuals with whom the child has a
significant relationship.
Aggravating Circumstances
If certain aggravating circumstances are present, the court
may relieve the Department of its duty to provide reunification
services. If the court finds reunification services are not required,
the court will order a permanency goal and the Department shall provide
services necessary to achieve the permanency goal ordered by the court.
Remain with Family as the Permanency Goal
Select a permanency goal of Remain with Family if the child
is to stay with their family and the case is open for ongoing, in-home
services.
See additional information regarding in home services and case planning:
Family Reunification as the Permanency Goal
Select a permanency goal of Family Reunification as the
initial goal for children receiving out-of-home care services, unless
aggravating circumstances exist. See
Family Reunification .
Adoption as the Permanency Goal
Select a permanency goal of Adoption when the permanency
options of Remain with Family and/or Family Reunification have been
ruled out, unless there is a compelling reason to not terminate parental
rights.
Consider revising the goal from family reunification to
adoption when in the child's best interests and any of the following
circumstances exists:
- The parent has abandoned the child.
- The parent has neglected or willfully abused a child.
- The parent is unable to discharge parental
responsibilities because of mental illness, mental deficiency or a
history of chronic abuse of dangerous drugs, controlled substances or
alcohol and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the condition
will continue for a prolonged indeterminate period.
- The parent is deprived of civil liberties due
to the conviction of a felony if the felony of which that parent was
convicted is of such nature as to prove the unfitness of that parent to
have future custody and control of the child.
- The potential father failed to file a
paternity action within thirty days of completion of service of notice
or failed to file a notice of claim of paternity.
- The parents have relinquished their rights to a child to an agency or have consented to the adoption.
- The child is being cared for in an out-of-home
placement and the Department has made a diligent effort to provide
appropriate reunification services and that one of the following
circumstances exists:
- The child has been in an
out-of-home placement for a cumulative total period of nine months or
longer pursuant to court order or voluntary placement and the parent has
substantially neglected or willfully refused to remedy the
circumstances that caused the child to be in an out-of-home placement.
- The
child who is under three years of age has been in an out-of-home
placement for a cumulative total period of six months or longer pursuant
to court order and the parent has substantially neglected or willfully
refused to remedy the circumstances that caused the child to be in an
out-of-home placement, including refusal to participate in reunification
services offered by the Department.
- The child has
been in an out-of-home placement for a cumulative total period of 15 of
the most recent 22 months, the parent has been unable to remedy the
circumstances that caused the child to be in an out-of-home placement
and there is a substantial likelihood that the parent will not be
capable of exercising proper and effective parental care and control in
the near future.
- The identity of the parent is unknown and
continues to be unknown following three months of diligent efforts to
identify and locate the parent.
- The parent has had parental rights to another
child terminated within the preceding two years for the same cause and
is currently unable to discharge parental responsibilities due to the
same cause.
When applicable, describe in the case plan the compelling
reason why terminating the parent’s rights (TPR) is not in the child's
best interest and the permanency goal will not be changed to adoption,
such as:
- the child does not consent to adoption,
- the permanency goal is permanent guardianship, which does not require TPR, or
- the parent is terminally ill.
Termination of parental rights either by consent
(relinquishment) or by court order is necessary for every child in the
care, custody and control of the Department who has a permanency goal of
Adoption. See
Terminating Parental Rights.
Permanent Guardianship as the Permanency Goal
Select a permanency goal of Permanent Guardianship when
family reunification and adoption are unlikely and/or there is a
compelling reason to not to terminate parental rights. See
Permanent Guardianship.
APPLA as the Permanency Goal
For youth age 16 years old and older, select a permanency
goal of APPLA when family reunification, adoption, and permanent
guardianship have been actively pursued and are determined not
achievable prior to the youth reaching the age of majority. A permanency
goal of APPLA does not preclude the Department from providing services
that will support family reunification, adoption, or permanent
guardianship should a change in circumstances arise, such as the
identification of a potential permanent guardian.
APPLA as a permanency goal shall not be recommended for children who have regular unsupervised visitation with their parent(s).
Documentation
Document the discussion during the
case plan staffing for the selection or revision of the permanency goal
using the Case Notes window, Staffing case note type, and in the next
Progress Report to the Juvenile Court or Permanency Hearing Report to
the Juvenile Court following the case plan staffing.
When APPLA is the permanency goal, document in case notes the
intensive ongoing efforts that have occurred to return the youth home
or secure a permanent placement with a fit and willing relative
(including adult siblings), an adoptive parent, or a legal guardian,
including efforts to utilize search technology (including social media)
to find biological family members.
When the permanency goal is APPLA,
select Independent Living as the CHILDS permanency goal type. The
selection of Independent Living encompasses all permanent planned living
arrangements. Document the actual or planned permanent living
arrangement, i.e. with a kinship or licensed caregiver, in the
Out-of-Home Care section of the case plan.
Document in case notes the services provided and outcomes, as
well as any barriers to successful outcomes and the strategies employed
to address barriers. Summarize this information in the court report for
each six month periodic review hearing and/or permanency hearing.
Document the permanency goal for each child involved in the
case within the case plan, in CHILDS Main Menu under Case Plan
Directory.
Chapter 3: Section 3.2 Concurrent Planning
Concurrent permanency planning shall occur
for all children in out-of-home care with a permanency goal of family
reunification when the prognosis of achieving family reunification is
unlikely to occur within 12 months of the child’s initial removal.
An assessment of the prognosis of family reunification shall be completed within 45 days of the child’s initial removal.
If there is a poor prognosis for
reunification, a planned set of concurrent planning activities will be
implemented to ensure that potential or identified alternate caregivers
are prepared to care for the child on a permanent basis if needed. These
concurrent planning activities will assist in selecting the final
concurrent permanency goal.
Within six months of actively working with
the family on both the reunification plan and concurrent planning
activities, a final concurrent permanency goal must be established.
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Procedures
Implementation
Based on the results of the Family Functioning Assessment,
review the family’s strengths, caregiver protective capacities,
resources, and prognosis indicators. This information will be used to
complete an assessment of the likelihood of family reunification within
12 months of the child’s initial removal.
When the
Reunification Prognosis Assessment Guide (DCS-1607)
is completed and the prognosis of achieving family reunification is
assessed as unlikely to occur within 12 months of the child’s initial
removal, a planned set of concurrent planning activities will be
implemented to:
- identify and assess potential caregivers;
- place the child with suitable caregivers; and
- confirm that the caregivers are prepared to care for the child on a permanent basis if needed.
At critical decision points in the
life of the case (initial and subsequent case plan staffings, progress
review, case plan reassessment, etc.), discuss and stress the importance
of permanency with the parents, and inform the parents, guardians
and/or custodians:
- of all available alternatives to achieve
permanency for the child, including family reunification through
successful change in behaviors or conditions that caused the child to be
unsafe or at risk of future maltreatment; consent to adoption; consent
to guardianship; and adoption through termination of parental rights;
and
- that if significant progress toward the
behavioral changes listed in the case plan is not made by the time of
the Permanency Hearing, the Department may recommend, or the court may
order the permanency goal be changed from family reunification to
another permanency goal, such as adoption, permanent guardianship, or
another planned permanent living arrangement.
As appropriate considering the child's age and developmental
capacity, and for all youth age 12 or older, at critical decision points
in the life of the case (initial and subsequent case plan staffings,
progress review, case plan reassessment, etc.) ensure the youth is:
- informed of his/her role and rights in participating in the case plan and court proceedings;
- informed about the Department's goal of achieving permanency for the youth in a safe home;
- informed of all available alternatives to
achieve permanency for the youth, including family reunification through
the parent’s successful change in behaviors or conditions that caused
the youth to be unsafe, consent to adoption, consent to guardianship,
and adoption through termination of parental rights;
- made aware that individualized services addressing the reasons for child protective involvement are made available to families;
- informed about their parents', guardians’
and/or custodians’ activities and progress toward reunification, unless
returning home is not a possibility;
- helped to identify significant adults with whom relationships should be sought and maintained; and
- encouraged to
maintain optimal contact with the birth family and kin, or others with
whom the youth has a close relationship. (The DCS Specialist and the
youth will determine what optimal connection with their birth family
will look like including frequency of visits, visitation on special
occasions, letter writing and sharing of pictures, e-mailing, etc.).
Encourage the participation of
parents, children, and, when appropriate, extended family members in
the concurrent permanency planning process.
Once a need for a concurrent
permanency plan has been identified, simultaneously and actively pursue
the Family Reunification permanency goal and implement a planned set of
concurrent planning activities including:
- interviewing the child, parents, grandparents,
other extended family members, and other persons who have a significant
relationship with the child to identify potential permanent caregivers
for the child;
- assessing potential caregivers for the child by completing the assessment procedures in Kinship Care;
- ensuring that all potential caregivers and all adult household members are fingerprinted for a criminal records check;
- ensuring that a Central Registry check is completed on all potential caregivers and all adult household members;
- ensuring that the identified caregivers are
aware of the need for concurrent planning and the child’s need for a
permanent placement in the event that reunification is not achieved;
- transitioning the child into the home of the identified caregivers if the child is not already placed;
- encouraging the caregivers to pursue foster home licensing; and
- providing services to support the child’s placement with the caregivers.
If a potential caregiver(s) has not been identified, complete
an exhaustive search for such a home, following the procedures outlined
in
Finding Missing Parents and Families. Also see the
Relative Search Best Practice Guide for best practice options, and consider convening a family meeting such as a TDM or CFT.
If a potential permanent caregiver is located out-of-state, initiate the home study process via ICPC.
If an exhaustive search for potential permanent caregivers
has been completed and no potential placement has been identified, or
all identified potential caregivers have been assessed and ruled out,
consider placement of the child with a licensed foster family who:
- is willing to work toward reunification, and
- if necessary, will provide a permanent home for the child if reunification is not achieved.
When the identity and whereabouts of the parents, guardians,
and/or custodians is known, provide them with written notification of
the concurrent planning activities. If the parents, guardians, and/or
custodians are not available or missing, a copy of the case plan
including concurrent planning activities should be provided to their
attorney and to the parents, guardians and/or custodians at the earliest
opportunity. If the child is subject to the Indian Child Welfare Act,
provide a copy of the plan to the child’s and parent’s, guardian’s
and/or custodian’s tribe, and the child’s Indian custodian.
The identification and assessment of alternate caregivers for
a concurrent permanency goal of adoption shall only include individuals
with whom the permanency goal of adoption can be finalized.
During contacts with the parents, guardians and/or custodians, continue to:
- stress the importance of permanency for the child;
- discuss all available alternatives to achieve
permanency for the child, including family reunification through
successful participation in services, consent to adoption, consent to
guardianship, and adoption through termination of parental rights; and
- review progress toward the behavioral changes listed in the case plan.
Complete a Family Functioning Assessment – Progress Update
every 90 days, including a review of the services and supports to
achieve reunification. Modify services and supports with the parents,
guardians and/or custodians as necessary.
Within six months of actively working with the family on both
the reunification plan and concurrent planning activities, a final
concurrent permanency goal must be established.
Based on the circumstances of the case and consistent with
the child’s best interests, consider and select the concurrent
permanency goal in the following order (See Selecting the Permanency
Goal):
- adoption;
- permanent guardianship;
- APPLA.
At
critical decision points in the life of the case (each case plan
staffing, progress review, case plan reassessment, etc.), reassess the
prognosis for successfully achieving family reunification using theReunification Prognosis Assessment Guide (DCS-1607).Review and revise as needed the concurrent permanency plan and the related services and supports.
Documentation
Using the Case Notes window,
document discussions with each parent, guardian and/or custodian and
child regarding the importance of permanency, the available alternatives
to achieve permanency, and the possibility the permanency goal may
change if significant progress toward the behavioral changes is not made
by the time of the Permanency Hearing.
When a concurrent goal is identified, document the concurrent
permanency goal for each child using Concurrent Goal box of the Case
Plan in CHILDS.
Document the concurrent planning activities (supports and
services) to support the concurrent permanency plan using the
Out-of-Home Care section of the Case Plan in CHILDS.
Document the reassessment and any modifications to the concurrent planning activities using case notes, Staffing type.
Document written notification to the parents of the
concurrent permanency plan by obtaining their signature on the Case Plan
Agreement page of the case plan and/or by filing a copy of the written
correspondence to the parents in the hard copy case record.
Document the assessment of a potential permanent kinship foster family home as described in
Kinship Care .
Document the review and approval of the initial and
subsequent assessments of the prognosis for achieving family
reunification using case notes, Key Issues type or in the Supervisory
Case Progress Review, CT09402.
DCS Regional Program Administrator:
Document the review and approval of APPLA as the concurrent permanency plan using case notes, Key Issues type.
Chapter 3: Section 3.3
Planning For Services and Supports to Achieve Permanency
The Department shall provide services and supports necessary to achieve the case plan goals in the family centered case plan.
The Department shall arrange, provide, and
coordinate services that protect children, and provide programs and
services that achieve and maintain permanency on behalf of the child,
and to strengthen the family.
The Department shall arrange, provide, and coordinate prevention, intervention, and treatment for abused and neglected children.
The Department shall provide services to:
- all parents (whose parental
rights have not been terminated), guardians, and/or custodians that are
tailored to achieve the necessary behavioral changes;
- the child(ren) that:
- are individualized for his/her safety,
- promote stability and well-being;
- address the child’s current medical, dental, education, and behavioral health needs; and
- the out-of-home caregiver, to assist the caregiver to meet each child's placement needs and to achieve the permanency goal.
The Department shall ensure that the services provided are:
- least intrusive and least restrictive to the family;
- consistent with the needs of the child recognizing that the health and safety of the child is the primary concern;
- delivered in a culturally appropriate manner, and;
- provided in the home or as close as possible to the home community of the child or family requiring assistance.
When the permanency goal is remain with family or family reunification, the case plan shall:
- identify services and supports
aimed at achieving the desired behaviors required to address the safety
threats that caused the child to be removed from the home and/or
prevent the child from living safely at home without the Department's
involvement; and
- specify the responsibilities
of the Department, other professionals, the parent, the child, and/or
other family members as applicable, to achieve the outcomes that will
enable the family to safely care for the child without Department
involvement.
When the permanency goal is adoption, guardianship, or APPLA, the case plan shall:
- identify services and supports aimed at achieving the specified permanency goal and case plan outcomes, and
- specify the responsibilities
of the Department, other professionals, the parent, the child, and/or
other family members as applicable, to reach the outcomes and achieve
the permanency goals.
When the permanency goal is APPLA, the
Department shall conduct and document the results of intensive, ongoing,
efforts to return the child home or secure a placement for the child
with a fit and willing relative (including adult siblings), a legal
guardian, or an adoptive parent. These efforts shall include the use of
social media and other search technology to find biological family
members for the children.
Every child in
out-of-home care shall have an individualized parenting time
(visitation) plan as a component of his or her case plan. The plan shall
describe a schedule of frequent and consistent visitation between the
child and the child's parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, and
any former foster parent, especially those with whom the child has
developed a strong attachment.
Every youth in out-of-home care age 14 and
older shall have a case plan that includes a written description of the
programs and services that will help to prepare the youth for adulthood.
The Department shall regularly monitor and
evaluate the parents' progress toward achieving the behavioral changes
and case plan outcomes.
The Department shall inform the parents that:
- a permanency hearing will be
held within six months of the removal from the home for children three
years and younger, and within 12 months of the removal for children over
three years of age; and
- substantially or willfully
refusing to participate in reunification services may result in a court
order to terminate parental rights.
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Procedures
Services and Supports
Throughout the case, determine the services or supports that
are most appropriate to achieve the necessary behavioral changes, case
plan outcomes, and permanency goal in consultation with the family,
child (12 years and older), and other service team members.
When APPLA is selected as the permanency goal for a youth age
16 or older, the Department must conduct intensive and ongoing efforts
to return the youth home or secure a placement for the youth with a fit
and willing relative (including adult siblings), a legal guardian, or an
adoptive parent.
Efforts to return a child home shall include a thorough
assessment of safety threats that prevented the parent(s) from caring
for the child without the involvement of the Department. See
Family Reunification.
Efforts to secure placement with a fit and willing relative,
legal guardian, or an adoptive parent shall include child specific
recruitment efforts such as:
- the use of State, regional, and national
adoption exchanges, including electronic exchange systems, to facilitate
orderly and timely in-state and interstate placements, and
- search technology (including social media) to find biological family members for the children.
Depending on the needs of the child and family, services or supports may be provided by:
- the DCS Specialist or other Department staff,
- contract providers,
- extended family members or those with whom the family has a strong connection, or
- community resources and/or volunteers.
Services and supports should be scheduled or otherwise arranged to complement the work and personal schedules of family members.
Services and Supports to Achieve Remain with Family or Family Reunification
In consultation with the family, child (12 years of age and
older), and other service team members, the DCS Specialist shall
determine services and supports that are most appropriate to achieve the
desired behavioral changes.
After the caregiver protective
capacities are understood and well-defined, identify services that will
assist in facilitating necessary change, achieving the desired
behavioral changes, enhancing specific diminished protective capacities,
and helping the parents regain and sustain primary responsibility for
their child’s safety. Services such as parenting classes, substance
abuse treatment, or intensive family services may be utilized when
appropriate. Services may also include support and assistance from
individuals in the family network, community, or other resources.
Using information gained during the
Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing,
including the assessment of caregiver protective capacities and
determining the child’s needs, the DCS Specialist will engage the
parents/guardians/custodians to:
- decide what interventions/services will assist the family in making necessary changes; and
- explore culturally relevant, individualized
intervention/service options to maximize the family’s self-determination
and commitment to the process of change.
Services for Children and Youth
Prior to and during the case plan staffing, provide service
team members comprehensive information on the needs of the child
(including the child’s physical/dental health, emotional/behavioral
health, educational status, and other support needs) and the services
and support needs of the out-of-home care provider.
Elicit the comments and recommendations of the service team members and seek to reach consensus on:
- the behaviors and services required to meet
the child's needs, including the needs of children age 14 and older to
build skills necessary to prepare for a successful adulthood (See Services and Supports to Prepare Youth for Adulthood );
- for children who have been identified as
victims of sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation, the
specific services that have been implemented to address this issue;
- the behaviors and services or supports required to maintain the out-of-home caregiver's ability to care for the child;
- actions necessary to assure the child's safety in out-of-home care; and
- If applicable, services to achieve a
concurrent permanency goal or a goal other than family reunification,
and steps to be taken to achieve the goal, such as efforts to:
- identify an adoptive family or other permanent living arrangement for the child, including child-specific recruitment efforts;
- place the child with an adoptive family, a relative, or a permanent guardian; or
- finalize the adoption or permanent guardianship.
Court Ordered Services
If the court orders services supplemental to the services of the Department:
- inform other team members of the name of the service provider(s);
- request all documentation/reports from the service provider(s) at least monthly;
- invite the service provider(s) to meetings
regarding the child and family, including team decision making meetings
and case plan staffings; and
- share all documents and information with the provider(s) as permitted under law. See Safeguarding Case Records.
Facilitating the Change Process and Monitoring Services
The DCS Specialist’s role in facilitating change is critical
to the effectiveness of the case plan and family success and should
include:
- continually encouraging the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s self-awareness regarding issues affecting child safety;
- seeking to facilitate readiness necessary to promote change (enhancing caregiver protective capacities), and;
- respecting and reinforcing self-determination and personal choice.
During in-person contacts, the DCS Specialist assists the
parent, guardian, and/or custodian to move through the stages of change.
Discussions should focus on the following:
- progress being made toward addressing what must change associated with enhancing diminished caregiver protective capacities;
- internal and external barriers to change;
- the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s readiness to participate in case plan services and to make necessary changes;
- clarification and/or adjustment to behavior change statements;
- use of existing caregiver protective capacities to support change;
- relationship between the parent, guardian, and/or custodian and DCS;
- relationship between the parent, guardian, and/or custodian and case plan service providers;
- treatment service effectiveness; and
- needs of children (in-home and in-placement)
and parent, guardian, and/or custodian involvement in addressing the
needs of children.
The DCS Specialist should discuss with case plan service providers:
- efforts being made with the parent, guardian, and/or custodian toward meeting the behavioral change statements;
- service effectiveness in enhancing diminished caregiver protective capacities;
- where the parent, guardian, and/or custodian is in the Stages of Change;
- how the caregiver is progressing in making necessary changes, and;
- how the service provider can assist the parent in making the behavior changes outlined in their case plan.
The DCS Specialist will have contact with the parent,
guardian, and/or custodian; children; treatment service providers; and
responsible adults identified in the safety plan at least monthly.
Refer to
Contacts with Children, Parents and Out-of-Home Caregivers for additional information.
The DCS Specialist will solicit input from family and other
service team members regarding the effectiveness of the current
services, including whether they are necessary and helpful.
The DCS Specialist will gather information to assess whether
there has been any change in the attitudes, behaviors, or perceptions of
the parent, guardian, and/or custodian regarding safety threats and
diminished protective capacities.
The DCS Specialist will engage the family and other service
team members to identify necessary changes to services and supports, and
consult with the DCS Program Supervisor as needed to implement changes
in services or supports necessary to achieve the desired behavioral
changes.
The DCS Specialist will clearly communicate any change in
services and provide necessary information to the recipient of the
service, the service provider, and, as appropriate, other service team
members.
The DCS Specialist will convene a case plan staffing and
involve the family in discussions about changes to the plan if there is a
significant change in case circumstances or a change in permanency goal
is considered.
For all permanency goals, the DCS Specialist will monitor case progress every 30 days to:
- review progress toward case plan outcomes;
- follow-up with service provider(s);
- follow-up with the person receiving services to assess progress; and
- determine whether there is a need for adjustment(s) to services and supports.
If specified tasks have not been completed, the DCS Specialist will review the tasks to identify possible barriers such as:
- whether the tasks were clearly communicated;
- the expectations and obligations of the child
and family (review whether the child and family have multiple systems
involved in their lives, each with separate and possibly competing
tasks);
- cultural needs of the family and possible challenges with the provision of services; and
- whether the supports and/or service providers are able to timely fulfill the responsibilities specified in the case plan.
The DCS Specialist will take actions necessary to facilitate continued case progress, including:
- clarify tasks or expectations;
- modify tasks; or
- arrange for the use of different resources or service providers.
The DCS Specialist will immediately respond to and address any complaints or problems in the delivery of services.
If necessary, the DCS Specialist will convene a case plan
staffing to discuss case progress and initiate changes in the case plan.
Parenting Time (Visitation) Plan
All case plans for children in out-of-home care must include a
contact and visitation plan between the child and the child's parents,
family members, other relatives, siblings, former foster parents, and
individuals with significant relationships to the child to preserve and
enhance relationships and attachments to the family of origin. Refer to
Parent and Child Visitation for additional information.
Documentation
Document in Case Notes:
- contacts with family members, Department
personnel, out-of-home care providers, members of the service team,
tribal social services representatives, and/or other interested parties
regarding the case; and
- observations of the family's interactions and environment, written in behavioral terms and using professional judgment or fact.
Documentation of contacts will include information on dates, places, individuals involved, and the nature of the contact.
Document the initial selection of services in the case plan.
For cases involving children three years of age and younger
at the time of removal, document in Case Notes that you have informed
the parents of the following:
- A permanency hearing will be held within six months of the child's removal from the home.
- Substantially neglecting or willfully refusing
to participate in reunification services may result in a court order to
terminate parental rights at the permanency hearing.
For cases involving children identified as victims of sex
trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation, document the specific
services implemented to address this issue.
File hard copy medical, educational, and mental health records in the hard copy case record.
Document the child's special needs and medical, educational,
and mental health status and needs using the Special Needs detail,
Medical/Dental Condition detail, Medication detail, Psych/Behavioral
Condition detail, Examination detail, Practitioner detail, Participant
Education detail, Participant Education Condition detail and
Hospitalization detail windows as appropriate.
Document the plan for frequent and consistent visitation
between the child and the child's parents, siblings, family members,
other relatives, friends, and any former placement in the Visitation
Plan of the case plan.
Document progress made toward achieving outcomes specified in the case plan using the case notes window.
Effective Date: January 31, 2018
Revision History: November 30, 2012, February 12,2016, June 29th, 2017
Chapter 3: Section 3.4
Out of Home Care Planning, Health Care Planning, Contact and Parenting Time (Visitation) Plan
Policy
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Every
child in out-of-home care shall have an individualized Out-of-Home Care
Plan that specifies the following and includes the most recent
information available regarding:
- the name and address of the child’s school;
- the child's educational status
including child’s grade level, academic performance, special education
services if applicable, attendance and any other relevant education
information;
- indication of whether the
child is attending school in their home school district; and if not the
plans to help the child transition into the new school setting;
- any special needs of the child;
- the child's placement type
(and for youth age 16 and older with a goal of APPLA, the actual or
desired permanent living arrangement);
- services provided to the child and or out-of-home caregiver to meet the child's needs;
- ways that the child will maintain contact with his family and extended family while in placement;
- actions to assure the child's safety in out-of-home care;
- indication of whether the child is placed:
- in close proximity to a parent's home, and if not why not,
- in the least restrictive placement consistent with the child's special needs and best interests,
- with siblings in out-of-home care, whenever possible, (if applicable)
- with a caregiver who speaks the same language;
- for any child placed
substantially distant from the parent's home or out-of-state, the reason
the placement serves the needs of the child in the most appropriate and
effective way;
- with a relative, or the
efforts to identify a relative or an individual with whom the child has a
significant relationship where the child might be placed; and
- outcomes and tasks to achieve
a concurrent permanency goal or a permanency goal other than family
reunification, such as efforts to identify and place the child in a
permanent placement.
Every child in
out-of-home care shall have an individualized Health Care Plan as a
component of the case plan. This plan shall contain the most recent
information available regarding the child’s health status including:
- name and address of the child’s healthcare providers;
- the child’s immunizations;
- the child’s known medical problems;
- the child’s known medication;
- any other relevant health information; and
- actions to assure the child’s health needs are met.
Every child in out-of-home care shall have an
individualized Parenting Time (Visitation) Plan as a component of his
or her case plan.
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Procedures
During face-to-face visits and other
contacts with the child's parents and/or extended family, the
out-of-home caregiver, and other service team members, request
information to assess the child’s:
- physical health and dental status and need;
- educational status and needs;
- emotional and behavioral health status and needs;
- for youth age 14 and older, needs related to building the skills necessary to prepare for adulthood; and
- the need for services and support to maintain the provider's ability to meet the child's needs.
At the time of initial placement
into out-of-home care, and when significant examinations or treatments
have occurred, request medical, educational, and mental health records
on the child.
To develop comprehensive Out-of-Home Care and Health Care
Plans, complete the following steps at the time of each case plan
staffing:
- Review information on the child's status and
needs related to physical health, education, emotional and behavioral
health, obtained through ongoing contacts with family and service team
members and through hard copy records.
- Using information provided by the out-of-home
caregiver and other sources, document the child's health status,
educational status, and the child's special needs by updating the
following windows: Special Needs Detail, Medical/Dental Condition
Detail, Medication Detail, Psych/Behavioral Condition Detail,
Examination Detail, Practitioner Detail, Participant Education Detail,
Participant Education Condition, and Hospitalization Detail.
Prior to and during the case plan staffing, provide service
team members comprehensive information on the child’s status including
the child’s physical/dental health, emotional/behavioral health,
educational status and other support needs, and the services and support
needs of the out-of-home caregiver. Elicit the comments and
recommendations of the service team members, and reach consensus,
whenever possible, on:
- the outcomes, tasks and services required to meet the child's needs;
- the outcomes, tasks and services or supports required to maintain the out-of-home caregiver's ability to care for the child;
- the frequency of face-to-face visits and
telephone contact by the DCS Specialist required to meet the child's and
provider's needs;
- actions necessary to assure the child's safety in out-of-home care;
- outcomes and tasks to achieve a concurrent permanency goal, if applicable; and
- steps to be taken to achieve the permanency goal if the permanency goal is not family reunification, such as efforts to:
- find an adoptive family or other permanent living arrangement for the child, including child specific recruitment efforts;
- place the child with an adoptive family, a relative, a legal guardian, or in another planned permanent living arrangement; and
- finalize the adoption or legal guardianship.
Print the updated Medical Summary Report and attach it to the
case plan prior to distributing the case plan to the family and service
team members. Ensure that the Medical Summary Report includes the most
recent information available regarding the child’s health and education.
Ensure the out-of-home caregiver receives an updated Medical Summary
Report on the child in his or her care at least once every six months.
(Access the Medical Summary Report through the File menu of the Case
Summary window, LCH 057).
In consultation with the supervisor, implement changes in
tasks or services necessary to meet the child's needs or maintain the
out-of-home caregiver’s ability to care for the child. It is not
necessary to convene a case plan staffing unless there is a significant
change in case circumstances that may impact upon goals, services and
needs, or a change in permanency goal is considered.
Complete extensive and documented searches for extended
family members, other relatives, and other significant persons as
placement resources for children in out-of-home care.
Documentation
Using the Case Plan, Out of Home Care box, describe whether:
- the child is placed in close proximity to at least one parent;
- the child is placed in the least restrictive environment consistent with his or her special needs and best interest;
- the child is placed with siblings in out-of-home care, if applicable;
- at least one of the child's caregivers speaks the same language as the child;
- efforts have been made to identify a relative placement; and
- whether the child is attending his or her home school district.
Document services and supports provided to all out-of-home
caregivers to address the needs of children in their care in the Case
Plan, Out of Home Care box.
Document supports and services related to special needs,
educational, psychological and behavioral needs in the Case Plan, Childs
Needs, Supports and Services box.
File hard copy medical, educational, and mental health records in the hard copy case record.
Document the child's special needs and medical, educational
and mental health status and needs, using the Special Needs Detail,
Medical/Dental Condition Detail, Medication Detail, Psych/Behavioral
Condition Detail, Examination Detail, Practitioner Detail, Participant
Education Detail, Participant Education Condition, and Hospitalization
Detail windows.
Document the plan for frequent,
consistent parenting time (visitation) between the child and the child’s
parents, siblings, family members, other relative, friends and any
former placement in the Case Plan, Visitation Plan box.
If the permanency goal is not family reunification, document
steps taken to achieve the permanency goal using the Out of Home Plan,
including child specific recruitment efforts to:
- find an adoptive family or other permanent living arrangement for the child;
- place the child with an adoptive family, a relative, a legal guardian or in another planned permanent living arrangement; and
- finalize the adoption or legal guardianship.
Document efforts to identify
extended family members or other significant persons as placement
resources using the Case Notes window.
Effective Date: January 31, 2018
Revision History: November 30, 2012
Chapter 3: Section 3.5
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The
Department shall establish long term foster care as another planned
permanent living arrangement (APPLA) only when the permanency options of
adoption and guardianship are not in the best interests of a child, the
child is expected to remain in out-of-home care at least until the age
of majority and the foster home provider has made a commitment to
continue as a permanent supportive adult in that child’s life.
The
Department shall establish a formalized agreement between the agency,
foster home provider and child to support the continuity and stability
of the placement.
When
a child’s planned permanent living arrangement is long term foster
care, the Department shall maintain contact with the child’s parents or
extended family, whenever possible, to:
- Inform and involve the family in decisions about their child where feasible.
- Stay
informed of changes in the family situation that might indicate a need
to re-evaluate the permanency goal of long-term foster care, unless such
contact would compromise the safety of the child.
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Procedures
Considering Foster Care
Consider the following questions in deciding upon a planned living arrangement of foster care:
- Is the child expected to remain in out-of-home care until the age of majority?
- Is there a compelling reason why the
foster home provider cannot or will not pursue adoption or guardianship
of the child, and is it in the child's best interest to remain with the
provider?
- Have you documented a compelling reason that adoption or guardianship is not in the child's best interest?
- Have the benefits of adoption and guardianship been explored with the child?
- Is the child over 12 years of age and unwilling to consent to an adoption?
- Has the foster care provider
verbalized their commitment to continue as a permanent supportive adult
in that child’s life?
- Has the foster care provider
verbalized their commitment to ensure the child maintains connections
with their immediate and extended family?
Pursuing Foster Care Plan
Obtain the
Regional Program Administrator designee's approval prior to pursuing a
plan of foster care as a planned living arrangement.
Request the court to grant physical custody of the child to the out-of-home provider.
Support
continued contact between the child and his or her parents, siblings and
extended family members, unless such contact would be detrimental to
the child.
Whenever possible, maintain contact with the child’s parents or extended family, to:
- Inform and involve the family in decisions about their child where feasible.
- Stay
informed of changes in the family situation that might indicate a need
to re-evaluate the permanency goal of long-term foster care, unless such
contact would compromise the safety of the child.
Documentation
Document the selection of long term foster care as the chosen living arrangement in the Permanency Goal window.
Document the formalization of long-term foster care, using the Long Term Foster Care As a Planned Living Arrangement Agreement.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 4
Contact with Children, Parents and Out-of-Home Caregivers
The Department shall maintain continued
contact with children, parents, and if applicable, an out-of-home
caregiver for all open cases to ensure the safety, permanency, and
well-being of the child and to promote the achievement of the Permanency
Goal.
While a case is open for services, the Department shall have face-to-face contact with the child(ren) and his/her caregiver at least once every month.
The majority of face-to-face contacts with the child and the caregiver
must occur in the child’s placement. If the child is verbal or able to
communicate through other means (such as through writing, an
augmentative communication device, sign language, etc.), part of at
least one contact per month shall be alone with the child.
If the Permanency Goal is Family
Reunification or Remain with Family, the Department shall have
face-to-face contact with all parents at least once per month, including
any alleged parents, parents residing outside of the child's home, and
incarcerated parents. Exceptions to monthly face-to-face contact with
parents may be made on a case-by-case basis based on the unique
circumstances of the family.
The Department shall consult with the
out-of-home caregiver, the child, if verbal or able to communicate
through other means (such as through writing, an augmentative
communication device, sign language, etc.), and other service team
members as appropriate to determine if the child and/or caregiver
requires more frequent face-to-face contact.
If any participant involved with an ongoing
case provides the Department with verifiable proof of enrollment in the
Arizona Confidentially Program, (ACP) the Department must ensure that
the participant's address remains confidential and is redacted from all
information in the case record.
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Procedures
Required Contact with Children and Caregivers (Parent/Out-of-Home Caregiver)
If a child is placed in out-of-home care by staff other than
the assigned DCS Specialist the assigned DCS Specialist must have
telephone contact with the out-of-home caregiver and the child (if the
child is able to communicate by phone) within 24 hours of placement; and
face-to-face contact with the child and out-of-home caregiver,
in-placement within fifteen (15) calendar days of placement. Thereafter,
the assigned DCS Specialist must have monthly face-to-face contact with
the caregiver and child.
The assigned DCS Specialist, or other, designated DCS
Specialist who is assigned ongoing responsibility for the monthly
contact, discusses and assesses the following with the child(ren) and
his/her caregivers:
- the safety of the child;
- the child's and the caregiver's relationship;
- the ability of the caregiver to meet the child's needs;
- the safety of the physical home environment
such as any observable hazardous conditions (no electricity, no water,
exposed wiring, dangerous objects, harmful substances, external locks on
bedroom doors, etc.) that may immediately threaten the child’s safety;
- the case plan
including the Permanency Goal, identified behavioral changes and
services, and progress toward the Permanency Goal;
- the developmental progress of the child;
- the child's educational, physical health, and emotional and behavioral health status and needs;
- the ability of the child to participate in age
and developmentally appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, cultural,
and social activities;
- the child's medical and dental examinations,
including required examinations within the first 30 days of removal and
ongoing EPSDT visits, including standard medical tests and immunization
updates as appropriate;
- the appropriateness and adequacy of services and supports provided to and for the child; and
- the appropriateness and adequacy of services
and supports provided to and for the caregiver to maintain the
caregiver's ability to care for the child.
See the
Child and Caregiver Visitation Field Guide (DCS-1591) for information on interviewing the child and caregiver during monthly face-to-face contacts.
While a monthly in-placement contact is preferred, there are
occasions when the face-to-face contact with the child may occur outside
of the placement setting. Conduct at least half of the monthly contacts
with the child and the caregiver in the child's placement. If the child
is verbal or able to communicate through other means (such as through
writing, an augmentative communication device, sign language, etc.),
spend part of at least one visit per month alone with the child.
More frequent face-to-face contact and/or telephone contact
from the DCS Specialist between required monthly contacts may be
necessary based on the case circumstances.
If a child is placed out of the home, review the placement packet regularly for accuracy.
If a child is placed in a
therapeutic congregate care setting (therapeutic group home, residential
treatment facility, etc.), monthly contact is required in addition to a
review of treatment goals, appropriateness of placement, the need for
continuation of the placement, and discharge planning at least once
every three (3) months. (See Arranging Residential Treatment for more
information on activities required to review a child’s placement in a
residential treatment setting.)
Required Contact with Children Remaining in the Home When a Sibling is Placed Out of the Home:
When the Permanency Goal for the child in out-of-home care is
Family Reunification, conduct ongoing monthly contact with any children
remaining in the home even when these children are assessed as safe.
Include these child(ren) in the initial Family Functioning Assessment
(FFA) as well as any subsequent FFA.
When the Permanency Goal for the
child in out-of-home care is not Family Reunification, monthly contact
with the child(ren) who remain in the home and are assessed as safe is
not required. Once the Family Functioning Assessment – Investigation is
complete, document the child to be safe in the CSRA, end-date the safe
child's participant role, and add the safe child as a “sibling.”
If, during the course of providing services to a child in
out-of-home care and his/her family, there is reason to believe that a
child remaining in the home may be unsafe in the home, additional
contact and actions may be needed to assess and manage safety. See
Present Danger Assessment and Planning.
Required Contact for a Child Placed Out-of-Region
If the child is placed out of the region under a courtesy
supervision agreement, the courtesy supervision DCS Specialist may make
the monthly face-to-face contact with the child and caregiver instead of
the assigned DCS Specialist.
Required Contact for a Child Placed Out-of-State
If the child is placed out-of-state
through an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), the
assigned ICPC Case Manager in the receiving state makes monthly
face-to-face contact with the child and caregiver.
If the child is placed out-of-state for therapeutic purposes
without supervision being provided through an ICPC agreement, the
assigned Behavioral Health Specialist will provide monthly updates to
the DCS Specialist. The assigned DCS specialist maintains monthly
telephone contact with the child. This procedure pertains to
out-of-state placements in a residential treatment center, inpatient
psychiatric facility, rehabilitation program, or similar program.
Required Contact with Parents
If the Permanency Goal is Remain with the Family or Family
Reunification, during the monthly face-to-face contact with the parent
discuss and assess identified safety threats, risks, parent protective
capacities, and the parent’s successes or barriers in making the
behavioral changes identified in the case plan. Discuss any change in
services or supports the parent may need to achieve the case plan goals.
Obtain prior supervisory approval for exceptions to monthly
face-to-face contact with the parents when the Permanency Goal is
reunification or remain with family, Ongoing exceptions to monthly
face-to-face contact shall be reviewed with the parents, team members
and the supervisor at the time the case plan is developed and
reassessed. An exception may be considered when a parent is
incarcerated, or when a parent is out-of-region or out-of-state. If an
exception to monthly face-to-face contact with a parent is approved,
maintain a minimum of quarterly telephone contact or written
correspondence with all parents whose whereabouts are known and whose
rights have not been terminated.
This telephone contact or written correspondence must provide the parent the following information:
- name, address, and phone number of the DCS Specialist;
- a description of services the parents must complete prior to return of their child;
- dates, locations, and contact information for any upcoming staffings and hearings;
- information on the well-being and status of
the child, including type of placement, health status, and any
significant events, progress, or concerns; and
- the consequences of not participating in reunification services.
If the Permanency Goal is not Remain with Family or Family
Reunification, conduct quarterly contact with the parent until the court
has ordered a change in Permanency Goal. Contact may be face-to-face,
written, or by telephone.
Address Confidentiality Program
If a participant notifies the Department of enrollment in the
Address Confidentially Program (ACP), the DCS Specialist must notify
the DCS Privacy and Security team at
Privacy@AZDCS.Gov to confirm the participant is currently enrolled. See Address Confidentiality Program for more information.
Documentation
Follow the Child and Caregiver
Visitation Note Outline to document all face-to-face visits with the
child and caregiver, using the Case Notes window designated as Child
Contact type.
- Select the "In Person" contact type radio button
- Highlight the names of all parties including the DCS Specialist in the “Contact With” list on the Case Notes window; and
- Select the "In Placement Contact" check box
if the child and out-of-home care caregiver were seen together or
separately in the caregiver's home.
Document the review of the child's Placement Packet in the Case Notes window.
Update CHILDS to reflect information provided by the
out-of-home caregiver on the child’s needs and status using the detail
windows associated with:
- CHILDS Medical Summary report
- Special Needs Detail, Medical/Dental Condition Detail
- Medication Detail
- Immunization detail
- Psych/Behavioral Condition Detail
- Examination Detail, Practitioner Detail
- Participant Education Condition
- Participant Education Detail
- Hospitalization Detail windows
File completed Child Placement Packet forms in the hard copy record.
If an ICPC Case Manager or Courtesy Case Manager is
responsible for making the ongoing monthly face-to-face visits, add the
case manager with ongoing responsibility for the monthly visits to the
case, using the Case Creation window.
Effective Date: August 9th, 2017
Revision History: February 12, 2016, November 12, 2013, September 30, 2013, November 30, 2012
Chapter 3: Section 5.1
Voluntary In-Home Services
The Department of Child Safety (DCS) will offer voluntary services for those families in which:
-
a DCS report has been received;
- steps have been taken to
assure, to the greatest extent possible, that all children are currently
safe and will remain safe in the home; and
- a DCS
Investigation and Family Strengths and Risks Assessment have indicated
that one or more children in the home is at risk of abuse and neglect.
Whenever possible, it is best to provide
services on a voluntary basis, where the family is willing to access
services that can improve the outcomes for the family. While the
availability of services may be limited due to resource constraints, it
is important to try to gain family support for voluntary involvement
with the agency.
Services may be provided directly by DCS staff, by contract or through referral to other organizations or community agencies.
When a decision has
been made to provide voluntary services to a family it is important and
required that Child Safety Specialists have face-to-face contact with
parent(s) residing in the same household and children in the home at
least once a month in order to determine:
- whether the children continue to remain safe in the home; and
- the services and supports are being effective in alleviating the risk of abuse and neglect.
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Procedures
Decision Making
Determine whether Voluntary Services are appropriate
- Are there community or extended family
resources available that can help the parent address these concerns
without DCS involvement? Is the parent willing to use them?
- In conversations with the caregiver, do they acknowledge that there a need for support for their family?
- Based on your conversation with the caregiver,
does he/she appear both willing and able to make changes in behavior
and/or home environment to reduce the potential for harm to the
children?
- Has the parent received services from the Department in the past? If so, what was the result?
- Is the parent willing to accept voluntary services from DCS?
- What steps can be taken to ensure that the children will remain safe while voluntary services are provided?
Implementation
Once a case is identified to receive
voluntary services, a case plan must be developed within 60 from that
date. Convene a case plan staffing to develop the case plan. All
members of the service team shall be invited to participate in the case
plan staffing. Parents, children age 12 or older, and out-of-home care
providers shall be members of the service team. To every extent
possible, and when appropriate, extended family members may also
participate as members of the service team.
The service team, particularly the family, should be actively involved in all aspects of case planning to include:
- assessment and identification of family strengths, protective capacities, and risks;
- identification of behavioral changes required to address the identified risks;
- identification of services and supports necessary to achieve the identified behavioral changes; and
- assessing the family’s progress.
Provide or refer the family for services and supports
identified in the case plan to address risk factors that must be
resolved in order for the family to care for the child safely. These
services may be provided:
- as outlined in your region’s operating procedures,
- through referral to other organizations or community agencies, and
- through other sources such as faith-based and family support networks.
For each child with a case plan goal of “remain with family,”
determine if the child meets the requirements for foster care candidacy
as outlined in
Determining if a Child Meets the Federal Requirements for Foster Care Candidacy
If the child meets the requirements of foster care candidacy ensure
that the following question on the case plan permanency goal window is
answered as follows:
Potential Candidate for Foster Care? Yes [X]
Request
Non-Title XIX Behavioral Health Services using the Request for Services, PS-067 in the Court Document Directory.
Request Title XIX Behavioral Health
and Substance Abuse Services for eligible children and adults through
the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA).
At least every six months, reassess the family’s ability to
safely care for their child in the home. Determine whether the
parent(s) is engaged in services and supports, and whether those
services and supports identified in the case plan are promoting the
desired behavioral changes. This reassessment is completed through the
Modification of Services and Supports in the case plan .
It is critical that workers are particularly thorough in
documentation of all services provided to the family. If removal of a
child later becomes necessary, this documentation is the basis for the
federally-required judicial determination that reasonable efforts were
made to prevent the child's removal from home. (P.L. 96-272)
Documentation
Document the initial selection of services and supports by completing Child Safety and Risk Assessment and Case Planning .
For each revised case plan, document the selection of services and supports by completing the Case Plan.
Document the case plan reassessment by completing the Case Planning Windows .
Document all contacts with parents
and family members using the Case Notes window, designated as the
appropriate type. Document face-to-face contacts by selecting the In
Person Contact type radio button and highlighting, in the Contact With
list, the names of all parties present.
Ensure the Service Authorization Request window and Service Authorization Provider Match windows are completed.
File a copy of the PS-067 in the hard file.
Document the decision to provide voluntary services by completing the Determination of Case Status Window
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 5.2
Voluntary Placement
Voluntary placement
with the Department is time-limited placement for a child and may be
provided as an alternative for the family to keep their child safe. A
case plan shall be developed with the family to resolve safety threats
in order for the child to live safely at home.
Voluntary placement shall be with a licensed
out-of-home care provider or a relative (the child’s grandparent, great
grandparent, brother or sister of whole or half blood, aunt, uncle or
first cousin) or person with significant relationship. The Department
shall give preference to placement with an adult relative or person with
significant relationship before a licensed out-of-home care provider,
provided the adult relative or person with significant relationship
meets all of the Department’s requirements.
A parent’s, guardian's or custodian's
decision to place a child in voluntary placement with the Department
does not constitute grounds for abandonment, abuse or dependency nor may
it be used in a judicial proceeding as an admission of criminal
wrong-doing. [ARS §8-806(G)]
Voluntary Placement Agreements shall not:
- exceed 90 days, [ARS §8-806C];
- be consecutive (“back-to-back”) placement agreements;
- be utilized more than twice within 24 consecutive months, [ARS §8-806(C)];
- be accepted for a child
without the written, informed consent of the parent, legal guardian, or
legal custodian [ARS §8-806(E)]; and
- be accepted for a child who is
age 12 or older and not developmentally disabled without the written
informed consent of the child, unless the Department determines that
voluntary placement is clearly necessary to prevent abuse. [ARS
§8-806(F)
For an American Indian child, the "Indian custodian" (e.g., the parent or guardian) consent must be:
- executed in writing and recorded before a judge; and
- accompanied by the judge's
certification that the terms and consequences of the consent were fully
explained in detail and fully understood by the “Indian custodian” and
that the explanation was either understood in English or interpreted
into a language that the custodian understood. (25 U.S.C. § 1901, et
seq.)
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Procedures
The
Voluntary Placement Agreement, CSO-1043 may be used when:
- the parent, guardian, or custodian initiates
contact with the Department to request voluntary placement of the child
with the Department;
- it
has been determined that the child is in present danger or impending
danger and that there is no in-home or other less intrusive present
danger or safety plan option that will be sufficient to control the
danger and allow the child to remain safely at home;
- the child can be sufficiently protected while in voluntary placement;
- based on the Family Functioning Assessment,
the identified safety threats that prevent the child from living at home
safely can be remedied within 90 days or less;
- the permanency goal is family reunification;
- the parent, guardian, or custodian is willing
to voluntarily place the child in the custody of the Department, giving
the Department the authority to place the child in the home of a
licensed out-of-home care provider, an adult relative, or a person with a
significant relationship with the child;
- the parent, guardian, or custodian is willing
and able to cooperate with a case plan and abide by the terms of the
voluntary placement agreement; and
- if the child is age 12 years or over and not
developmentally disabled, the child and is willing to consent to
voluntary placement, unless placement is clearly necessary to prevent
abuse.
Consult with the DCS supervisor to ensure that the case circumstances meet the Department's criteria for voluntary placement.
If a Voluntary Placement Agreement will be implemented, inform the parents, guardians, or custodians:
- about the safety threats that require an out-of-home safety plan and removal from the home;
- that they will have the right to an attorney
and a hearing before a juvenile court judge if they do not to agree to a
voluntary placement, and the Department chooses to remove the
child(ren) from the home and file a dependency petition;
- that by signing the Voluntary Placement
Agreement the parent, guardian, or custodian is placing the child in the
Department’s custody who will then have the authority to place the
child with a licensed out-of-home care provider, an adult relative, or a
person with a significant relationship with the child;
- that without the Department's approval, the
parent, guardian, or custodian may not remove the child from the
out-of-home placement while the Voluntary Placement Agreement is in
place;
- that a parent, guardian, or custodian may
revoke a Voluntary Placement Agreement by providing written notice to
the DCS Specialist; and that upon receipt of the notice, the DCS
Specialist will, within 72 hours, excluding weekends and holidays:
- return the child to the custody of parent, guardian or custodian; or
- file a dependency petition if there is reason to believe that the child would be unsafe if he or she returns home;
- that the parent, guardian, or custodian
retains parental rights and responsibilities under the voluntary
placement agreement with the Department, including the:
- legal custody of the child,
- right to reasonable visitation,
- right to consent to medical treatment, and
- right
to participate in educational decisions and act as the special
education parent (See Education for Children in Out-of-Home Care);
- that his/her decision to place a child in
voluntary placement does not constitute grounds for abandonment, abuse,
or dependency nor may it be used in a judicial proceeding as an
admission of criminal wrong-doing;
- that after a child has been in out-of-home
placement for 60 days, the time in out-of-home care will be included in
the amount of time the Court considers when determining whether to
terminate a parent's rights if:
- a dependency petition is filed,
- the child is made a ward of the court, and
- the
dependency action results in the termination of parental rights based
on length of time the child has been in out-of-home placement.
When the determination is made that voluntary placement with the Department is appropriate:
- explain the terms of Voluntary Placement
Agreement to the parent, guardian, or custodian and to any child who is
over age 12 years and not developmentally disabled, and;
- determine, in cooperation with the parent,
guardian, or custodian, the length of placement up to 90 days and
specify this on the form.
Complete the Voluntary Placement Agreement, CSO-1043. Have
the parent, guardian, or custodian and child, if appropriate, sign the
form.
If the child who is age 12 years or
older and not developmentally disabled refuses to sign the Voluntary
Placement Agreement, and it has been determined that voluntary placement
is clearly necessary to prevent abuse, document the reasons for
proceeding with the placement in the case record using the Case Notes
window.
Distribute the Voluntary Placement Agreement as follows:
- Give one copy to the parent, guardian, or custodian.
- Give one copy to the child, if age 12 years or older and not developmentally disabled.
- Keep the original in the child's hard copy record.
Kinship Placement
Follow the Implementation procedures in
Kinship Care
to determine whether the person meets the requirements for placement.
The following are not required for a voluntary placement agreement with a
relative:
- References;
- Formal home study; and
- Kinship Placement Notification letter.
Complete the following activities prior to placement with kinship caregiver:
- Complete a search of the Central Registry,
CHILDS Case Management Information System, and other states or
jurisdictions (if applicable) for current or prior involvement with
Department of Child Safety on all individuals in the home over 18 year
of age.
-
Complete a criminal history
records check with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) using the
Justice Web Interface (JWI) for all adults residing in the home.
-
When a person does not have a social security
number, the DPS Criminal Records Check shall still be completed using
information currently in CHILDS (including assigned pseudo social
security numbers). In this situation, additional searches are necessary,
including a public records search or information available through
local law enforcement.
- Complete a Safety
Plan and Signature Sheet and (Provide each caregiver and safety monitor
(when applicable) a copy of these completed forms.
- Visit the home to ensure that the home environment has no observable safety hazards using the Home Safety Checklist for Kinship Foster Caregiver Household (CSO-1014).
- Determine if there is any information that
would preclude the relative from providing a safe, nurturing environment
for the child.
- Complete the Kinship Placement Agreement and Notification of Resources. Relative(s) must read and sign the form.
- Ensure the relative(s) and all individuals in the home over 18 years of age complete the Self-Disclosure Statement for Kinship Foster Caregiver Household, CSO-1130A and complete a fingerprint based background check.
- Within
15 working days of the completed DPS check, require all adult household
members to complete a fingerprint based background check. Provide Fieldprint instructions
to all adults upon placement consideration or emergency placement. If
needed, provide assistance in submitting the fingerprints. Additional
Department resources can be provided to assist adults that are unable to
submit fingerprints to Fieldprint.
- If any adult household member fails to complete the fingerprint based background check, the child cannot be placed in the home.
- A
person who is denied a Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card may still
be considered as a kinship placement, if the offense preventing approval
of the Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card is appealable to the Board
of Fingerprinting.
- The DCS Specialist should
gather all relevant information and consult with his/her supervisor for
approval to continue placement of the child(ren) in the home.
Place the child in a licensed out-of-home care placement or
with a kinship caregiver that meets the child’s individualized assessed
needs. See
Selecting an Out-of-Home Care Provider.
Follow the procedures outlined in
Voluntary Placement of an Indian Child when the child is or may be American Indian.
Team Decision Making (TDM) and Voluntary Placement Agreements
A Present Danger TDM meeting will be held within 48 business
hours if the Voluntary Placement Agreement has been implemented as a
protective action in a present danger plan.
A Safety Planning TDM meeting will be held when the Family
Functioning Assessment has been completed and a determination has been
made that the child is unsafe due to an impending danger threat, and a
parent has signed a Voluntary Placement Agreement.
In addition to any TDM meeting that was held at the
initiation of a Voluntary Placement Agreement, a Safety Planning TDM
meeting must be held within no less than 30 days from the expiration of
the Voluntary Placement Agreement, and/or the parent’s request to
rescind the Voluntary Agreement.
A Safety Planning TDM meeting is not required when a child has been determined to be safe.
Case Management of Voluntary Placement Agreements
Develop an individualized case plan within 10 working days of
placing a child in voluntary placement with the Department. The case
plan must address the:
- safety threats that prevent the child from living safely at home;
- provisions for contact and visitation between the child and family; and
- the services necessary to promote the safety
of the child on the planned return date to the parent, guardian,
custodian, or alternative placement.
For policy and procedures of developing a case plan see
Developing and Reassessing the Family-Centered Case Plan.
Meet with the family within 30 days of taking a child into
voluntary placement (and monthly thereafter) to review the case status,
progress toward the permanency goal, and continued appropriateness of
voluntary placement. If, at any time in the 90 days, either of the
following are true, then the child must be returned to his/her home:
- Family circumstances have changed such that
the Conditions for Return have been met, and the results of the in-home
safety analysis indicate an in-home safety plan would be sufficient to
control the danger.
- Family circumstances have changed such that
the results of the Family Functioning Assessment indicate there is no
longer present or impending danger, and the child is assessed as safe.
Monitor the child’s out-of-home
placement through monthly face-to-face contact with the child and
caregiver, in the caregiver’s home, to ensure that the child is safe.
Follow procedures found in
Locating Children on Runaway Status if the child runs away from the voluntary placement. In addition to these procedures:
- Convene a case conference, within seven days,
to include the parent, guardian or custodian and the out-of-home care
provider to discuss continuance or termination of the Voluntary
Placement Agreement.
- Do not end date the Removal Status or terminate CMDP coverage unless the Voluntary Placement Agreement is terminated.
Expiration of the Voluntary Placement Agreement
Within 10 working days prior to expiration of the Voluntary Placement Agreement:
- Reassess the child’s safety using the Family Functioning Assessment-Progress Update.
- Convene a case plan staffing to determine whether:
- the child may be safely returned home; or
- the
parent, guardian, or custodian has arranged an alternate safe placement
with a relative, non-custodial parent, or other custodian; or
- filing
an In-Home Intervention, or In-Home Dependency Petition or Out of Home
Dependency Petition is necessary to ensure the child's safety.
Before the child returns home or is placed in an alternate safe placement:
- ensure that the child is provided an
opportunity to talk about his/her feelings about going home or going to
an alternate placement;
- determine the follow-up services needed by the parent, guardian, custodian, or alternate caregiver to meet the child’s needs;
- inform the parent, guardian, custodian, or
alternate caregiver about available financial and non-financial services
and eligibility requirements;
- assist the parent, guardian, custodian, or alternate caregiver to complete the necessary applications for services; and
- access needed services through Department or community resources.
Documentation
Document reasons the voluntary placement is appropriate, and
the explanation of the terms and conditions of the Voluntary Placement
Agreement using the Case Notes window.
Ensure that the child is enrolled in CMDP by completing the
Removal Status window with the date of placement with the licensed
out-of-home care provider or relative as the Removal Start Date.
Document the case plan staffing using the Case Notes window designated as Staffing type.
When needed, document the reasons for proceeding with
placement when a child who is age 12 or over and not developmentally
disabled refuses to sign the Voluntary Placement Agreement using the
Case Notes window.
Document the meeting with the parent, guardian, or custodian
held 30 days after placement and every 30 days thereafter to review the
case status using the Case Notes window designated as Parent/ Caretaker
Contact type.
Using the Child and Caregiver Visitation Note Outline
document all face-to-face visits with the child and caregiver, using the
Case Notes window designated as the appropriate type.
- Select the "In Person" contact type radio button.
- Highlight the names of all parties including the DCS Specialist in the “Contact With” list on the Case Notes window.
- Select the "In Placement Contact" check box if
the child and out-of-home care caregiver were seen together or
separately in the caregiver's home.
If the child runs away from Voluntary Placement, document all
information related to the runaway of a child including the DR number,
notification of all parties and specific attempts to locate the child
using the Case Notes window.
Following the child’s return to the parent, guardian, or
custodian or alternate caregiver, end date the removal on the Removal
Status window and update the Legal Status window.
Effective Date: October 15, 2017
Revision History :November 30, 2012, February 14,2014, March 9, 2015
Chapter 3: Section 5.3
Terminating Voluntary Services
Voluntary services shall be terminated when:
- the family is able to care for its children safely without involvement of Department of Child Safety; or
- the family no longer wishes to
participate in voluntary services and risk factors are not severe
enough to warrant a dependency action; or
- a dependency action must be filed to ensure the safety of the child.
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Procedures
A Voluntary case may be closed when:
- The parent recognizes the factors that caused the child to be at risk of harm.
- The parent has taken steps to change the behavior or situation that places the child at risk.
- These steps are sufficient to lead you to believe that the child will be safe at home in the foreseeable future.
- The parent is involved with extended family
members, community support networks or service providers who will be
able to help the family maintain these changes over time.
- The parent knows how and where to access help if problems arise in the future.
- The child been placed, as arranged by the
parent, guardian or custodian, in an alternate, safe, permanent, legal
placement with a relative, on-custodian parent, or other custodian.
- The follow-up services needed by the relative,
non-custodial parent or alternate caregiver to continue to meet the
child's needs have been established.
Prior to case closure:
- Ensure that the parent, guardian, custodian or
the caregiver is aware of available financial and non-financial
services and eligibility requirements.
- Assist the parent, guardian, custodian or caregiver to complete the necessary applications for services.
- Access needed services through Department or community resources.
- Ensure that the parent has extended family
members or community support networks that can assist him or her if
difficulties arise.
- Ensure that the parent knows how and under what circumstances to seek help in the future.
Terminate voluntary services and file a dependency petition when:
- The child would be unsafe at home or in a
placement made by the parent and that no additional supports or
interventions can assure the child's safety.
- The parent is unwilling or unable to take
concrete actions to change the behavior or situation that led to DCS
involvement with the family.
- There is a family member, community support
network or service provider who can assist the family in keeping the
child safe only through court intervention.
Conduct a case plan staffing to
assess the progress made in addressing the risk factors that led to DCS
involvement with the family. If the assessment indicates that:
- identified safety and risk factors have been
adequately addressed, outcomes have been achieved and the child appears
to be safe at home, close the case.
- the family refuses to participate in voluntary services and grounds for a dependency action do not exist, close the case.
-
the child appears to be unsafe in his or her current situation, follow
the procedures for filing an In-Home Intervention, or In-Home Dependency
Petition or Out of Home Dependency Petition to ensure the child's
safety.
Documentation
Document the decision to terminate voluntary Department of Child Safety and close the case.
Document the case plan staffing using the Case Notes window designated as Staffing type
Effective Date::November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 6.1
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The Department may recommend the filing of a petition requesting In-Home Intervention when:
- The Family Functioning Assessment (FFA) indicates that the child is safe or an in-home safety plan is in place.
-
The child is at a moderate or higher level of risk of harm and
short-term services (up to one year) are required to resolve the
identified risk factors.
- There is reason to believe that the parent, guardian or custodian will only follow through with services with court oversight.
-
Child has not been taken into temporary custody.
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Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 6.2
In-Home Dependency: Filing
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The Department shall consider providing services through an in-home dependency petition when:
- A child is assessed as safe at the time, but is at high risk of abuse or neglect; and
- There
is indication that the child’s parent or guardian or custodian will not
comply with voluntary protective services needed to establish and
maintain the child’s safety and well-being; OR
- There
is rapid escalation in severity of safety or risk factors that
indicates the child may be at immediate or serious risk of harm; and
- Safeguards can be established to maintain the child’s continued safety and well-being in the home.
The
Department shall ensure that intervention is provided to remedy the
risk factors that prevent the parent from safely caring for his/her
child without of court supervision and Department intervention.
An
in-home dependency petition shall not be considered when the child’s
safety and well-being can not be maintained in the home or protective
services are unlikely to remedy the risk factors that place the child at
high risk of abuse or neglect.
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Procedures
Decision Making
If
the decision is made to open a case and a petition is to be filed,
there are three options: petitioning for in-home intervention, filing an
in-home dependency petition or filing an out of home dependency
petition.
Consider filing an in-home dependency petition when the answer to all of the following questions is YES:
- Does the child safety assessment indicate that the child is safe?
- Is the child at high risk of abuse or neglect?
- Does the parent fail to acknowledge the potential for abuse or neglect of the child and/or the need for protective services?
- Have
voluntary protective services been offered or provided and the parent
refused or failed to follow through with services or a plan to ensure
the child’s safety?
- Does the risk assessment indicate recurrence or increase in the level and/or types of risk to the child?
- Will
Department and court supervision assist or ensure that the parent can
protect the child and maintain a safe, nurturing environment?
In addition to the above questions, the following questions should be considered:
- Does the parent understand the consequences of non-compliance with in-home protective services?
- Is
the parent or another person in the home subject to supervision by
another entity (such as a state or tribal court, probation, mental
health) and additional monitoring is necessary to ensure the child’s
safety and well-being
Do not consider
an in-home dependency petition when the child’s health and safety can
not be maintained in the home or protective services are unlikely to
remedy the risk factors that place the child at high risk of abuse or
neglect.
Consider
filing an in-home dependency petition when the child’s safety can be
maintained in the home and one or more of the following risk factors
have been identified:
- Substance abuse;
- Domestic violence;
- Current or prior history of severe or serious injuries to a child in the home;
- Chronic, more severe or additional types of risk to the child, or
- The parent’s failure or inability to obtain treatment for a life-threatening medical condition.
Implementation
Review and discuss the case circumstances with your supervisor.
Consult
with the Office of the Attorney General to determine whether there is
sufficient evidence to support an in-home dependency petition. If so
advised by the Attorney General’s Office, file the dependency petition
in accordance with Filing an Out-of-Home Dependency Petition.
Assess the type
and level of protective services needed to ensure the child’s safety and
to remedy the identified risk factors. More intensive services such as
Arizona Family Preservation Services, Arizona Families FIRST, Parent
Aide and DCS Child Care services should be considered.
In consultation
with the service team, determine the level of supervision needed to
ensure the child’s continued safety in the home. If possible, identify
extended family member or community resources to assist in monitoring
the child’s safety and to support the family’s participation in
services. At a minimum, visit the child and the family in the family’s
home at least once a month.
Documentation
Document consultation with the supervisor using the Case Notes window, designated as Supervisory Contact type.
Document consultation with the Attorney General’s Office using the Case Notes window, designated as AG Contact type.
File a copy of
the In-Home Dependency Notice and the Dependency Petition along with any
court orders or minute entries resulting from the dependency hearing in
the case record.
Document the child’s legal status as In-Home Dependency in the Legal Status window.
Ensure child has proper removal status to indicate that child is in the home.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 6.3
In-Home Dependency: Services
Procedures
Implementation
To provide in-home services to families under a dependency:
- Review court orders carefully to make sure that all requirements of the court are met.
- Develop
a proposed case plan jointly with the family. Meet all requirements
related to periodic reassessment and revision of case plans.
- Review and update the Family Functioning Assessment (FFA)if necessary, whenever the case plan is revised.
- Complete the Family Relationships window.
- Visit the child and family in the family home at least monthly .
- Review all service provider reports
- Provide
services and/or refer the family to services that will address risk
factors that prevent the family from ensuring the child's health and
safety without DCS involvement.
- Monitor the family's progress in achieving the outcomes specified in the case plan.
When providing in-home services under a dependency, do not:
- Present the case for review by the Foster Care Review Board;
- Develop an Out-of-Home Care Plan or Visitation Agreement;
- Complete any other tasks associated solely with out-of-home placement.
Documentation
Document
all contacts and visitation with the child(ren) and family members
using the Case Notes window, designating the appropriate type.
Document face-to-face contacts using the Case Notes window and by
selecting the In Person Contact Type radio button.
Highlight the
names of all parties present using the Contact With list on the Case
Notes window. Select the "In Placement Contact" when the child and
parent are seen together or separately in the parent's home.
Document the decision to provide in-home services under a dependency petition using the Determination of Case Status window.
Document the
Proposed Case Plan by completing the following windows associated with
the Case Plan Directory: Permanency Goals, Case Plan Tasks and Case Plan
Agreement. Confirm the information on the Notification window.
Document the
periodic reassessment of the case and the revised case plan by
completing the following windows associated with the Case Plan
Directory.
If new safety or risk factors have been identified since the last assessment, use the FFA.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 7.1
Parent & Child Visitation
The
Department shall facilitate visitation and ongoing contact between a
child in out-of-home care and the child’s parents, family members, their
relatives and individuals with significant relationships to the child
to preserve and enhance relationships with and attachments to the family
of origin. Contact may be by telephone, mail and/or in-person
visitation.
The
Department must determine whether there is a court order from a
Superior Court criminal case that prohibits contact between the child
and his/her parent or guardian before facilitating contact.
If
the placement of siblings together is not possible for all or any of
the siblings, the Department shall make efforts to maintain frequent
visitation or other ongoing contact between all siblings unless
documented evidence that visitation or ongoing contact would be contrary
to the child’s or a sibling’s safety or well-being.
The
Department shall facilitate contact by telephone, mail and visitation
between a child in out-of-home care and the child’s friends and any
former foster parent unless such contact is documented as contrary to
the child’s or a sibling’s safety or well-being.
The
Department may recommend that visitation or contact between a child in
out-of-home care and the child’s parents, family members, other
relatives, friends, and any former foster parents be restricted only
when visitation or contact is contrary to the child’s safety or
well-being.
All
case plans for children in out-of-home care shall include a contact and
visitation plan which is developed with involvement of family members
and the child, if age appropriate, or documentation of why contact and
visitation is contrary to the child’s safety and well-being.
Frequency,
duration, location and structure of contact and visits shall be
determined based primarily upon the child's need for safety and for
family contact with safety being the paramount concern. Visitation and
other contact by telephone and mail shall not be used as a reward or as a
punishment for the child or any family member.
Visitation
shall take place in the most natural, family-like setting possible and
with as little supervision as possible while still ensuring the safety
and well-being of the child.
The
Department shall make every reasonable effort to not remove a child,
who is in out-of home care, from school during regular school hours for
appointments, visitation or activities not related to school.
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Decision Making
In determining a contact and visitation plan, consider these factors:
- Superior Court criminal case orders:
-
Any order from a Superior Court criminal case that prohibits contact
between the child and his/her parent or guardian before facilitating
contact.
- Initial and continuous Family Functioning Assessment (FFA):
- the safety threats currently present in the family;
- when, where, and with whom the safety threats are present;
- whether the child(ren) would be vulnerable to the safety threats during unsupervised visitation;
- whether there are safety actions that can control the safety threats during supervised or unsupervised visitation.
- Child-specific factors:
- importance of contact with family and extended family members;
- best interests of the child;
- placement locations of siblings;
- chronological and developmental age;
- requests for and reaction to visits;
- therapeutic needs; and
- school and activity schedules.
- Family (parents, family members, and other relatives) factors:
- family's behavior and abilities that are specifically detrimental to the child;
- family's request for and reaction to visits ;
- family's work, school or activity schedule;
- family relationships and interactions; and
- parent's progress toward case plan task that directly relate to the safety and well-being of the child;
- Caregiver factors:
- level of involvement in visiting;
- willingness to assist with visitation;
- work, school or activity schedule;
- impact of visitation on other children in the placement.
- Significant persons (friends and former foster parent) factors:
- length and quality of relationship with the child;
- person's contribution to the child's positive growth and development;
- person's wishes for visitation and contact with the child;
- person's motivation for visitation and contact with the child;
- person's behavior during visitation and contact with the child;
- person’s awareness of the needs of the child; and
- consequences for the child if visitation and contact is not maintained.
Based on these factors,
determine the type, frequency, duration, and location of contact and
visits. Determine if visits or other contact should be highly
structured, moderately structured, or relaxed. For more information,
see
Visitation Supervision Continuum
Implementation
Before facilitating contact between the child and his/her parent or guardian,
- Ask the parent
or guardian is there is any court order from a Superior Court criminal
court that prohibits contact between the child and his/her parent or
guardian.
- Search the Arizona Supreme Court Public Access to Court Information
for any cases involving the parent or guardian. Enter the first and
last name of the parent or guardian, his/her month and year of birth,
and select "All Searchable Courts". If your county does not post
Superior Court criminal case information on the website, contact your
county's Superior Court directly to determine whether there is a
criminal case court order that prohibits contact between the parent of
guardian and the child.
- If any case is
identified, determine whether the case is a Superior Court Criminal
Court. You may also be able to view minute entries for the case.
Do not facilitate contact
between the child and his/her parent or guardian if an order from a
Superior Court criminal case prohibits such contact.
Involve family members, the
child, if age appropriate, and caregivers in developing the contact and
visitation plan. In particular, assist the child and the parents to
identify extended family and significant persons as potential placement
options or non-placement support persons.
Strive for weekly contact and
visitation with parents and between siblings not placed together. Adapt
the frequency as necessary to meet the child's safety and well-being
needs. Make every reasonable effort to schedule and arrange
transportation to visitation between the child and his/her family
including parents and siblings during non-school hours. Whenever
possible, use service providers who are able to transport and
facilitate/ supervise visitation during non-school hours.
Comply with any court orders regarding contact and visitation.
Ensure that all persons
included in the contact and visitation plan are entered as case
participants using the most appropriate case role.
Consider information provided
by service providers and caregivers concerning the progress of parents
towards addressing safety and risk factors as well as the specific needs
of the child.
Medical Marijuana
The Arizona Medical Marijuana
Act Arizona Medical Marijuana Act) enables a person (a qualifying
patient), who is registered with the Arizona Department of Health
Services (ADHS), to legally obtain, under Arizona law, an allowable
amount of marijuana and possess and use the marijuana for its
therapeutic effects in treating and alleviating symptoms associated with
a debilitating medical condition. However, the possession, sale or
transportation of marijuana is still a crime under Federal law.
The DCS Specialist and his/her
supervisor may not restrict or deny contact or visitation between the
child and a parent who is a qualifying patient because the parent uses
and/or cultivates marijuana for his/her medical use.
In order to recommend against
contact or visitation with a child by a parent, who is a qualifying
patient, the DCS Specialist and his/her supervisor must assess the
parent’s behavior and determine whether that behavior creates an
unreasonable danger to the child's safety or well-being.
If contact and visitation are
determined to be contrary to the child's safety or well-being and the
child cannot be protected through a supervised or structured visit,
contact the Attorney General's Office to request that a motion be filed
to restrict or prohibit contact. Restriction or denial of contact or
visitation between the child and the child’s siblings, parents,
relatives, friends, former foster parents may occur only by court order.
Increase the frequency and
duration of contact and visits as progress toward case plan tasks that
directly relate to safety and well-being of the child are achieved.
Provide maximum opportunity for parent-child contact responsibility
during reunification phase visits.
If a child objects to contact and visitation, consult your supervisor.
If conflicts arise around contact and visitation:
- Consider the child's safety and well-being as the paramount concern in conflict resolution.
- Assure the
family members and siblings' rights to contact and visitation over the
needs or preferences of out-of-home care providers.
- Give weight to
the contact and visitation plan that best supports the case plan, even
if the plan is less convenient or requires additional agency resources.
- If conflicts are unresolved, explore other avenues for seeking resolution, such as mediation or the court system
Documentation
Document the contact and visitation plan in the Visitation window.
If the siblings are unable to
be placed together, document frequent contact or visitation between
siblings in the Visitation section in the Case Plan.
When a decision is made that
contact and visitation is contrary to the child's safety and well-being,
document the reasons in a Case Note in CHILDS.
Document the need for contact and visitation restrictions in the Visitation section of the Case Plan.
Document
contact between the child and the child’s siblings, family members,
other relatives, friends, and any former foster parents using the Case
Notes windows.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 7.2
Parent Aide Services
To the extent that resources allow, the
Department shall utilize the services of parent aides to provide a range
of supportive services aimed at preserving, stabilizing and reuniting
families.
Parent aide services
shall be provided at the discretion of the Department in conjunction
with needs identified in the family's case plan.
Parent aide services may be provided by Department of Child Safety (DCS) staff or by a contract provider.
Parent aides shall not manage family finances or administer medication.
Parent aides shall not serve Temporary Custody Notices to parents or other caretakers.
A family shall not receive parent aide
services for more than 180 days unless there is a review of the
continued need for service.
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Procedures
Considering Parent Aide Services
Consider using parent aide services when a family assessment indicates that a family needs assistance in the areas of:
- parenting skills;
- home management, including budgeting, nutrition, time management and personal care skills related to the case plan ;
- transportation; or
- supporting the visitation process.
Implementation
Meet with the assigned parent aide to discuss the case. Be
specific about the permanency goals and services identified in the case
plan. Provide the parent aide a copy of the case plan.
Introduce the parent aide to the family and be sure that the family understands what services will be provided.
Review the parent aide's monthly report to assess case
progress and determine if a case plan revision may be necessary.
Consult with the parent aide, as necessary. Include the parent aide as a
member of the service team.
In an emergency, make a verbal request for a parent aide from
the parent aide supervisor. Complete the Service Authorization and
Provider Match Process within two working days.
Consult with your supervisor if it appears that services may need to be extended beyond 180 days.
Notify the parent aide of termination of parent aide services or case closure.
Notify the family verbally or in writing of the
discontinuation of parent aide services. Meet with the family and
parent aide at least five working days prior to discontinuation of
services to review progress and identify areas in which further
assistance is needed.
DOCUMENTATION
Complete PS-067, Request for Services and route according to
region procedures. Make certain to outline clearly with whom parent
aide is to work and the tasks to be accomplished.
Ensure authorization for the service is completing according to region operating procedures.
Keep a copy of the PS-067 in hard copy record.
Maintain the parent aide's monthly reports in the hard copy record.
Document approval for an additional service authorization from your supervisor using the Case Notes window, Supervisory type.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 7.2
Parent Aide Services
To the extent that resources allow, the
Department shall utilize the services of parent aides to provide a range
of supportive services aimed at preserving, stabilizing and reuniting
families.
Parent aide services
shall be provided at the discretion of the Department in conjunction
with needs identified in the family's case plan.
Parent aide services may be provided by Department of Child Safety (DCS) staff or by a contract provider.
Parent aides shall not manage family finances or administer medication.
Parent aides shall not serve Temporary Custody Notices to parents or other caretakers.
A family shall not receive parent aide
services for more than 180 days unless there is a review of the
continued need for service.
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Procedures
Considering Parent Aide Services
Consider using parent aide services when a family assessment indicates that a family needs assistance in the areas of:
- parenting skills;
- home management, including budgeting, nutrition, time management and personal care skills related to the case plan ;
- transportation; or
- supporting the visitation process.
Implementation
Meet with the assigned parent aide to discuss the case. Be
specific about the permanency goals and services identified in the case
plan. Provide the parent aide a copy of the case plan.
Introduce the parent aide to the family and be sure that the family understands what services will be provided.
Review the parent aide's monthly report to assess case
progress and determine if a case plan revision may be necessary.
Consult with the parent aide, as necessary. Include the parent aide as a
member of the service team.
In an emergency, make a verbal request for a parent aide from
the parent aide supervisor. Complete the Service Authorization and
Provider Match Process within two working days.
Consult with your supervisor if it appears that services may need to be extended beyond 180 days.
Notify the parent aide of termination of parent aide services or case closure.
Notify the family verbally or in writing of the
discontinuation of parent aide services. Meet with the family and
parent aide at least five working days prior to discontinuation of
services to review progress and identify areas in which further
assistance is needed.
DOCUMENTATION
Complete PS-067, Request for Services and route according to
region procedures. Make certain to outline clearly with whom parent
aide is to work and the tasks to be accomplished.
Ensure authorization for the service is completing according to region operating procedures.
Keep a copy of the PS-067 in hard copy record.
Maintain the parent aide's monthly reports in the hard copy record.
Document approval for an additional service authorization from your supervisor using the Case Notes window, Supervisory type.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 7.4
Transportation Services
The Department will transport children safely.
The Department will
share responsibility for routine transportation of children in
out-of-home care with providers as specified in the child's case plan or
Child’s Placement Summary Agreement.
The Department will take adequate steps to assure the safety of children who require non-routine travel
To the extent that
resources allow, the Department may provide bus passes to assist in
meeting the transportation needs of older youth, parents, guardians and
custodians to complete services and supports identified in the family’s
case plan, and in the youth's Independent Living Plan.
Bus passes for transportation shall be provided at the discretion of the Department.
If bus passes are unavailable to complete the
services and supports identified in the case plan or in the youth's
Independent Living Plan, the Department shall work with the youth,
parent, guardian, or custodian and other community providers to obtain
alternative transportation to complete the services and support
identified in the case plan or Independent Living Plan.
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Procedures
When a Child Needs Routine Transportation
Use a child passenger restraint system for any child under
five years of age or who is under eight years of age and who is not more
than four feet nine inches tall, or the vehicle restraint system, which
includes both the lap and shoulder belt if the vehicle is equipped with
shoulder belts, for any child over four and under 16 years of age.
Clarify expectations related to transportation with foster care providers.
Arrange for the foster care providers to provide transportation for routine health care and activities.
Contact CMDP to arrange non-emergency transportation for medical services when foster care providers cannot transport the child.
Contact the
Regional Behavioral Health Authority for transportation if it is
medically necessary for non-emergency mental health or substance abuse
treatment services.
When a child requires non-routine travel
Determine if the child will travel alone, with the DCS
Specialist , or with a non-agency escort, based upon the age,
development and special needs of the child.
Confer with the receiving agency and/or caregiver.
Obtain approval of the Program Manager or designee according to region procedures.
Obtain a court order, if the child will:
- travel out of state for more than 30 days, or
- travel out of the country.
When the child is traveling alone
Make arrangements with the state-contracted travel agency or commercial transportation company.
Prepare a Payment Voucher, using the Find Invoice window, according to regional procedures.
Provide the transportation company with an affidavit specifying:
- the child's identification;
- the names and phone numbers of the DCS Specialist and supervisor;
- the legal status of the child and court order;
- the travel arrangements and destination;
- the name of the person to meet the child;
- the responsibility for the child's medical care; and
- the emergency contact name and phone number.
When the child is traveling with the DCS Specialist
Create a transportation plan, specifying transportation
arrangements, a placement plan and a description of the DCS Specialist
's role and responsibility. If applicable, prepare a justification to
accompany the child out of state.
Following regional procedures, submit the transportation plan
to the DCS Program Administrator for approval at least ten working days
prior to departure.
When the child is traveling with a non-agency escort
Use an adult who has a positive relationship with the child and has references to verify his or her reliability.
Create a travel plan for supervisor approval, including the following affidavit information:
- the child's identification;
- the names and phone numbers of the DCS Specialist and supervisor;
- the legal status of the child and court order;
- the travel arrangements and destination;
- the escort’s name and contact information;
- the responsibility for the child's medical care; and
- the emergency contact name and phone number.
Prepare relevant information regarding the child's special
needs (general health, medical needs, prescription drugs, and special
diet) for the escort, and maintain this information in a separate,
sealed envelope.
Send the travel plan to the destination prior to departure.
Arrange for payment of transportation costs of child and escort as well as per diem expenses, according to regional procedures.
Bus Pass Retention and Distribution
The following procedures are to be used for the retention and
distribution of bus passes for older youth, parent, guardian or
custodian related travel :
- The Regional Contract Manager will retain the
Bus Pass Log – RO (CSO-1095) used to record bus passes distributed to
the Program Manager (PM).
- The PM obtains bus passes from the Regional
Contract Manager. The PM signs the Bus Pass Log – RO (CSO-1095)
specifying the number of bus passes received the sequence of the unique
identifiers for the bus passes, and the date of receipt.
- The PM will retain bus passes that have not
been distributed to the DCS Unit Supervisors (DCSUS) in a locked secure
location (such as a locked desk or filing cabinet) and retain the keys.
- The PM will determine the number of bus passes distributed to the DCSUS.
- The DCSUS will sign the Bus Pass Log – PM
(CSO-1093) specifying the number of bus passes received unique
identifiers for the bus passes, and the date of receipt.
- The PM will retain the logs used to record the number of bus passes distributed to each DCSUS and the date of the distribution.
The DCSUS is responsible for distributing the bus passes to
the Child Safety Specialists. The DCS Specialist should adhere to the
following procedures for documenting bus pass distribution:
- The DCS Specialist obtains bus passes from
the DCSUS or designee. In the absence of the immediate supervisor, the
DCS Specialist may obtain bus passes from an alternate supervisor, the
PM or their designees.
- The DCS Specialist completes the Bus Pass Log
– DCSUS (CSO-1093) retained by the DCSUS. The log is to include the
unique identifier for the bus passes, CHILDS case number, number of bus
passes distributed, the DCS Specialist 's signature, and the date of
distribution. The log and the bus passes are retained in a locked
secure location (such as a locked desk or filing cabinet) and the DCSUS
retains the key.
- The DCS Specialist will distribute the bus passes to the client.
- The client will sign and date the Bus Pass
Affidavit (CSO-1092) which specifies the CHILDS case number and the
unique identifier for each bus pass received.
- The DCS Specialist will give the signed Bus
Pass Affidavit (CSO-1092) to the DCSUS or designee from whom the passes
were received.
- The Affidavits will be kept with the corresponding DCSUS (CSO-1094) log until the quarterly review has been completed.
- After the quarterly review, the affidavits should be filed in the client hard copy record.
DOCUMENTATION
File the Bus Pass Affidavit (CSO-1092) in the hard copy record after the
Quarterly review is complete.
DCS Performance Improvement and Accountability
Quarterly reviews will be conducted by the DCS Performance
Improvement and Accountability unit. The review will consist of the
following:
- Security – seeing where the bus passes and logs are stored
- Reconciliation – reviewing the logs, affidavits and passes to ensure that all passes are accounted for
- Policy and procedures – reviewing affidavits and logs to ensure that they are completed accurately and thoroughly
Additional Transportation Services
To the extent financial resources allow, additional
transportation services may be available through regional operating
procedures in order to complete the goals of the case plan, or
Independent Living Plan for a youth, parent, guardian, or custodian.
Consult your local regional operating procedures for more information.
Additionally, if a parent, guardian, or custodian is enrolled
with other Department of Economic Security programs, the local Regional
Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA), or the Arizona Health Care Cost
Containment System (AHCCCS), transportation services may be available
through those programs. Discuss options with the parent,
guardian, and custodian.
Transportation services may also be available through community resources as well. For more information see
www.cir.org under Transportation.
Effective Date: September 16,2013
Revision History: November 30, 2012
Chapter 3: Section 8.1
Medical Services for Children in OOH Care
The Department shall ensure that children in out-of-home care receive necessary medical, dental, and behavioral health services.
Meeting the health care needs of children in
out-of-home care is a responsibility shared among parents, the
Department, out-of-home care providers, medical providers under the
Comprehensive Medical and Dental Care Program (CMDP), and behavioral
health providers under the Regional Behavioral Health Authorities
(RBHA).
The Department shall not place children from
birth to age five in homes where the foster parents have not immunized
other children living in the home.
When a parent’s rights have not been severed,
the Department shall, to the greatest extent possible, consult with the
child’s biological parents when making health care decisions for a
child in the Department’s custody
If the Department has temporary custody of a
child, or has legal custody pursuant to a court order, the Department
may consent to the following:
- evaluation and treatment for emergency conditions that are not life threatening;
- routine medical and dental
treatment and procedures including early periodic screening diagnosis
and treatment services, and services by health care providers to relieve
pain and treat symptoms of common childhood illness or conditions;
- surgery;
- blood transfusions;
- general anesthesia; and
- testing for the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus.
For surgery, general anesthesia, or blood
transfusion, the Department shall, if possible obtain consent from the
parent or guardian. For children placed under a Voluntary Placement
Agreement, unless there is an emergency, the Department shall obtain the
consent of the parent or guardian for surgery, general anesthesia, or
blood transfusion. If there is an emergency and the child needs
immediate hospitalization, medical attention or surgery, the DCS
Specialist or out-of-home care provider may consent.
The Department may not consent to abortions; see Pregnancy Care Services and Abortion.
The Department shall confirm that prior to a
child participating in a clinical trial, all required consents are
obtained and an independent advocate is appointed for the child.
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Procedures
Health Insurance
A child is eligible for CMDP health services if he or she is:
- placed in out-of-home care through a Voluntary Placement Agreement;
- in the custody of the Department in an out-of-home placement:
- in
the home of a court approved relative or person with a significant
relationship with the child (the parent may reside in the home of the
relative, but the child may not be placed with that parent);
- in an adoptive home prior to the finalization of the adoption;
- in an independent living program; or
- In runaway status and the Department retains custody.
If the child has other health insurance coverage, CMDP will be the secondary payor and will pay for all co-pays and deductibles.
Obtain information about any health insurance coverage for a child by requesting:
- information about the parents’ health insurance coverage for the child from the parents; and
- court assistance if the parents are
uncooperative and unwilling to provide health insurance coverage
information for their child(ren).
When a child is no longer eligible for CMDP coverage, send the child's medical identification card to CMDP at Site Code C010-18.
Initial and Ongoing Health Care Assessment and Services
Gather available information, including but not limited to
clinical and medical reports on the child from previous medical, dental,
and behavioral health care providers.
Complete the following at the time of placement:
- Provide the out-of-home care provider a
completed Notice to Provider (Out-of-Home, Educational, and Medical),
and a current Medical Summary Report. Confirm that the out-of-home care
provider has access to the CMDP Member Handbook.
- Arrange for the child to have a complete
medical examination that meets Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and
Treatment (EPSDT) requirements prior to the initial placement, if
possible (utilizing the parent's resources), or within 30 days after
initial placement in out-of-home care. (An examination for injuries
conducted at a shelter care facility does not substitute for a complete
medical examination.) The EPSDT examination will include immunizations
as necessary.
- Inform the out-of-home care provider of the
need to schedule a dental assessment to be completed within 30 days of
placement for children ages one year and older.
- Inform the out-of-home care provider of the
need to pursue any recommended follow-up care and referrals from a
health care provider (medical, dental, or behavioral). Refer toBehavioral Health and Substance Abuse Services for Children and Young Adults .
Immunizations
Obtain the child's immunizations history by accessing the
Arizona State Immunization Information System (ASIIS)
and document immunizations the child has received. The Primary Care
Provider (PCP) or CMDP can assist in obtaining the child’s immunization
history through ASIIS. Provide known immunization history to the
out-of-home provider prior to the child’s initial medical appointment.
Inform the out-of-home provider of the need to follow up with any
immunization recommendations made by the health care provider.
If possible, request parental consent prior to immunization. All children in out-of-home care must be immunized except when:
- a parent objects based solely on religious grounds, or
- the immunization is medically contraindicated.
If a parent objects to the immunization of his/her child, determine the basis of the objection:
- If the parent objects on any grounds other than religious grounds, the child may be immunized unless medically contraindicated.
- If the parent objects to immunization based upon religious grounds:
- consult
the CMDP Medical Director to determine if this child’s specific need
for immunization is greater than that of the average child;
- consult the assigned Assistant Attorney General (AAG) before proceeding with the immunization; and
- if it is determined that the child will not be immunized, direct the out-of-home care provider to not have the child immunized.
Consent for Treatment
When making health care decisions,
consult with the parent, if possible. Obtain a parent’s consent, if
possible, for surgery, general anesthesia, blood transfusion, or unusual
medical procedure. If it is not possible to obtain written consent
from a parent, document verbal consent in CHILDS. If it is not possible
to obtain written or verbal parental consent, provide a copy of the
Temporary Custody Notice or other court order granting custody to the
Department to the medical providers.
A minor may request and consent to an emergency medical
examination and treatment if the hospital, upon examination, determines
that emergency treatment is necessary. If it is determined that
emergency treatment is not necessary, then Department/parental consent
is required, if possible.
A minor may consent to medical care or treatment for venereal disease.
Parental consent (written and
notarized) or court order is required for a child in out-of-home care to
receive an abortion. For more information, refer to Sexual Development
Education and Family Planning Services and Pregnancy Care Services and
Abortion.
Inform the out-of-home provider that he/she is authorized to consent to:
- evaluation and treatment for emergency conditions that are not life-threatening;
- routine medical treatment and procedures;
- immunizations, unless the parents object based on religious beliefs;
- routine dental treatment and procedures;
- Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and
Treatment (EPSDT) services (e.g., developmental and behavioral health
intakes, screenings, treatment and procedures);
- services by health care providers to relieve pain or treat symptoms of common childhood illness or conditions; and
- testing for the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Prohibited Consents by Out-of-Home Care Providers
Inform the out-of-home care provider that they are prohibited from consenting to:
- general anesthesia;
- surgery;
- clinical trials, including clinical trials for HIV/AIDS treatment;
- blood transfusions;
- abortions.
Emergency Consent by an Out-of-home Care Provider
Inform the out-of-home care provider that he/she may provide
emergency consent if required by the hospital and the emergency room
physician or medical provider advises that immediate treatment is
necessary and delay of treatment (in order to notify the Department) is
potentially harmful to the child.
Inform the out-of-home care providers that they must:
- maintain a current record of the foster
child’s medical care on the Child’s Health and Medical Record, in the
child’s Placement Packet; and
- contact the DCS Specialist regarding:
- any injury that exceeds three days or recurs regularly;
- any illness that exceeds three days or recurs regularly;
- any service for which the medical service provider requires written consent from the legal guardian or legal custodian;
- any service for which the medical service provider requires prior authorization;
- any recommended service or treatment, if there is a question about coverage under CMDP;
- any service that requires prior authorization, according to Fostering a Medical Home: CMDP Handbook for Foster Care Providers;
- any service that would ordinarily require prior authorization but was provided in an emergency;
- all visits to health care providers for non-routine services; and
- inability to transport the child to medical appointments or to arrange other alternative appropriate transportation.
When parental rights have not been severed, and it is safe to
involve the parent in decisions about the child’s medical and
behavioral health care:
- consult with the parent(s) prior to seeking medical treatment or services unless an emergency situation exists; and
- encourage the foster parent to include the parent(s) in the child’s medical and behavioral health appointments.
Note: Contact CMDP at
CMDP Nurse for prior authorization if a child needs to go out-of-state for medical treatment.
Medical Marijuana
The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act enables a person (a
qualifying patient), who is registered with the Arizona Department of
Health Services (ADHS), to legally obtain, under Arizona law, an
allowable amount of marijuana and possess and use the marijuana for its
therapeutic effects in treating and alleviating symptoms associated with
a debilitating medical condition.
Marijuana
is not covered by CMDP. Children who come into care with medical
marijuana cards must be immediately evaluated by a primary care provider
and behavioral health provider with expertise in chronic pain
disorders, substance abuse, and/or mental health. As there is no
physiologic withdrawal from marijuana, other appropriate therapeutic
recommendations shall be followed.
Contact a
CMDP Nurse for further instructions and assistance in locating providers with expertise in this area.
Clinical Trials
When in receipt of a request for a child to participate in a clinical trial:
- Contact the assigned AAG and the CMDP nurse
upon receiving a request for a child in out-of-home care to participate
in a clinical trial. Federal law protects the rights of children in
foster care when they are subjects of clinical research. Federal law
mandates that the rights of these children be protected through the
appointment of an independent advocate and by gaining consent from a
guardian.
- Inform all applicable parties that CMDP (Medicaid) does not pay for clinical trials.
HIV Testing of Children While in Out-of-Home Care
Refer to
HIV/AIDS: Testing, Diagnosis, and Services for detailed information on HIV testing, testing criteria, age criteria, and consents.
Child Death While in Department Custody
In the event of a child's death while in an out-of-home
placement, work with the parents/legal guardian to locate appropriate
funeral arrangements for the child. With the approval of the Deputy
Director of Field Operations, the Department may fund funeral expenses
when there are no other resources available. Respect the parent’s/legal
guardian’s wishes in their decision on how to care for the remains of
the child's. Do not release the child’s remains until the manner of
death is established and an autopsy has been completed, if needed. If
the parents/legal guardians request that a recommended autopsy not be
performed, consult with the Assistant Attorney General assigned to the
case.
If the parents/guardians are unavailable to assist in making a
decision for the child's remains, the county fiduciary office will
provide burial services for the child.
If a request for organ donation is received, defer to the parent’s/legal guardian’s to make a decision, unless:
- the parents or guardians are deceased;
- there is an investigation related to the child’s death;
- the parents' rights have been terminated by voluntary relinquishment or by order of the court; or
- the court has rescinded the appointment of the legal guardian of the child.
DCS staff may not consent to the donation of a child’s
organ(s) on behalf of a parent/legal guardian. If the parent/legal
guardian wishes to donate the child’s organ(s), obtain the written
consent of the parent or legal guardian authorizing the donation of a
child’s organ(s) and document in CHILDS.
When a request for organ donation is received and the rights
of the parents/legal guardian have been terminated by death, voluntary
relinquishment, or court order, consult with the Assistant Attorney
General to obtain a court order authorizing the donation of the child’s
organ(s). Consider the following when making a decision to submit a
request for a motion authorizing an organ donation:
- possible need for an autopsy of the child;
- concerns of any involved extended family; and
- statement on the child's driver license (if applicable) or any other declaration made by the child regarding organ donation.
Documentation
Child’s Health Care Insurance
Enter the parent's healthcare insurance coverage information for the child in the Health Coverage Detail window.
Medical & Dental Condition Window (LCH 066)
This window includes information entered by CMDP and lists
all the child's diagnoses provided by the child’s healthcare provider
when a bill is submitted to CMDP.
Medical Exam Detail Window (LCH 070)
This window lists:
- all of the child's medical appointments (such as EPSDT well-visits, office visits, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits);
- the date of service;
- the healthcare provider;
- all immunizations based on the date they were administered;
- Information on EPSDT visits will list referrals (e.g., BH services, pediatric cardiology, AzEIP, etc.).
Information will also include whether or not a developmental or behavioral health screen was done during the EPSDT well-visit.
Review all medical or dental information in CHILDS and update
as needed. CMDP will also enter medical and dental information to
CHILDS.
Use Case Notes to document immunization review and information from ASIIS or from the CMDP Nurse.
Medical Summary Report
The medical summary report pulls information from the
following medical windows: Medical/Dental Condition Detail, Medication
Detail, Psych/Behavioral Condition Detail, Practitioner Detail,
Examination Detail, Special Needs Detail and Hospitalization Detail.
Confirm information is complete when obtaining the medical summary
report. File all reports and evaluations received from medical providers
in the hard copy case file, including EPSDT examination reports and
recommendations and completed Child's Health and Medical Record.
Document the parent’s objection to immunizations based on
religious grounds and any court determination in Case Notes using Key
Issues type.
Effective Date: August 9th, 2017
Revision History: November 30, 2012, September 30,2013
Chapter 3: Section 8.2
Behavioral Health & Substance Abuse Services for Children and Young Adults
The Department shall
seek to ensure that all children and young adults served by the
Department receive medically necessary, trauma informed behavioral
health and substance abuse services.
The Department shall utilize the Arizona
Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Regional Behavioral Health
Authority (RBHA) or Tribal Regional Health Authority (TRBHA) systems to
obtain Title XIX covered services to address behavioral health and
substance abuse service needs for eligible children and young adults.
For children who have a Children’s
Rehabilitative Services (CRS) qualifying medical diagnosis and receive
coverage for treatment of that medical diagnosis through CRS, the
Department shall utilize CRS covered TXIX eligible medically necessary
behavioral health services.
The Department shall make all requests for
behavioral health services for Title XIX eligible children and young
adults in out-of-home care to the assigned RBHA, TRBHA or CRS, when
applicable.
The Department may utilize CMDP funded
behavioral health services for CMDP eligible children and young adults
in extended foster care who are not TXIX eligible.
The Department shall utilize the AHCCCS
Covered Behavioral Health Services Guide to identify medically necessary
services through CMDP for children and young adults who are not TXIX
eligible.
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Procedures
Comprehensive Medical and Dental Plan (CMDP) Behavioral Health Unit (BHU)
The CMDP BHU provides consultation and technical assistance
to Department staff, Child and Family Team (CFT) members (including
parents, guardians and/or custodians, out-of-home caregivers, behavioral
health providers and other system partners), facilitates collaboration
between the Department and behavioral health providers, and contributes
to the Department’s reasonable efforts to provide necessary behavioral
health services to children and families.
To receive assistance from the CMDP BHU, contact the CMDP BHU at:
DCSBHunit@azdcs.gov
or CMDP at (602)351-2245 and request to be connected to the Behavioral
Health Unit. Contact the CMDP BHU to request technical assistance in
securing behavioral health services and addressing concerns about the
timeliness, sufficiency, or quality of behavioral health services.
Before securing behavioral health services for children through a DCS contract consult with the CMDP BHU.
Title XIX Eligibility Determination
The Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA), Tribal
Regional Health Authority (TRBHA), and Children’s Rehabilitation
Services (CRS) are federally funded to provide behavioral health
services to children and young adults who are Title XIX (Medicaid)
eligible. DCS is not funded to provide behavioral health services for
Title XIX eligible children and young adults. Title XIX eligible
children and young adults must receive necessary behavioral health
services through the assigned RBHA, TRBHA, or CRS, as applicable.
Ensure that eligibility information in CHILDS is accurate and
current, including the Legal Status, Removal Status and Placement
Location Directory windows. The DCS/CMDP Title XIX Eligibility Unit uses
this information to determine Title XIX eligibility, on a case-by-case
basis, for children in out-of-home care.
Most children in out-of-home placement are Title XIX
eligible; however, Title XIX requires a case-by-case eligibility
determination.
All children and young adults determined eligible under Title
IV-E or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) are automatically eligible
for Title XIX. In addition, children in out-of-home care who are U.S.
citizens or qualified non-citizens are eligible for Title XIX if the
child does not have substantial income.
To determine if a child in out-of-home placement is Title XIX
eligible, refer to the Eligibility Directory window in CHILDS or
contact the DCS/CMDP TXIX Eligibility Unit at 602-351-2245.
If a child is a ward of the court on an in-home petition,
determine if the child’s parent, guardian and/or custodian has private
health insurance. If the family does not have private health insurance,
refer the family to the Department of Economic Security (DES) to apply
for insurance through AHCCCS. Determine if the young adult has health
insurance through AHCCCS-Young Adult Transitional Insurance (YATI) and
assist the young adult to enroll if needed. (See Services and Supports
to Prepare Youth for Adulthood.)
Title XIX Behavioral Health Services
Determine which RBHA or TRBHA to contact as follows:
- If the child is a court ward in out-of-home
placement, contact the RBHA or TRBHA serving the location of the child’s
court jurisdiction. For a young adult, assist the person to contact the
RBHA serving their current residence.
- If the child is not a court ward, contact the
RBHA or TRBHA serving the current residence of the child’s parent or
legal guardian.
- In a crisis situation involving a child or
young adult, contact the crisis line for the RBHA or TRBHA serving the
area where the child or young adult is at the time of the crisis for
emergency services.
Within 24 hours of removal submit a
Rapid Response Referral and a copy of the Temporary Custody Notice or
court orders for each child in out-of-home placement to the local RBHA.
The RBHA provider will complete an assessment within 72 hours of
receiving the Rapid Response Assessment Referral. Coordinate with the
out-of-home caregiver as the caregiver may have already made a referral
to the RBHA.
For children in out-of-home care, it is recommended that the
DCS Specialist accompany the child and the parent, guardian, and/or
custodian or out-of-home care provider to the intake and assessment
appointments if possible, to provide information and pertinent records,
and sign the consent to treatment document. If the DCS Specialist is
unavailable to attend the appointment, the parent, guardian, and/or
custodian or out-of-home care provider may sign the consent.
Monitor and ensure that the Title XIX enrolled eligible child
or young adult is obtaining services in a timely manner. The RBHA is
required to provide timely access to services. See
Standard Timeliness of Behavioral Health Services (DCS-1285).
Include the RBHA or TRBHA provider
on the FC-064-A, Attachment A, for reports to the Juvenile Court.
Provide copies of reports to the court and the DCS case plan to RBHA or
TRBHA provider.
Notify the RBHA provider of all case plan staffings.
Child and Family Teams, Adult Recovery Teams and Individualized Service Plans
Participate in the Child and Family Team (CFT) or for young
adults, the Adult and Recovery Team (ART) process to assist with initial
and ongoing assessment and service planning activities to meet the
unique needs of children and young adults. Every child and young adult
receiving behavioral health services will have an Individualized Service
Plan (ISP) developed by the CFT (or an ART for a young adult), which is
facilitated by the RBHA or CRS provider for behavioral health services.
Participate in the development of the ISP. See
Twelve Principles to Develop the Individualized Behavioral Health Plan.
The ISP identifies:
- measurable goals and objectives;
- dates by when achievement of those goals and objectives is expected;
- specific services and activities intended to assist the client in achieving those goals; and
- names of providers involved in the delivery of services.
While participating in the service planning activities make reasonable efforts to confirm that services are:
- trauma informed;
- based on the family strengths and culture; and
- directly relate to the family plan and the behavioral health safety/crisis plan.
See
Title XIX Covered Services (DCS-1287A).
Questions that will assist in developing good ISP are:
- What are the specific services being provided to meet the child and family’s individual behavioral health needs?
- Why will these services meet the child and family’s behavioral health needs?
- When will the services begin?
- What is the behavioral health safety/crisis
plan if the child’s behavior becomes worse, disrupts or becomes a danger
to self or others?
For children and young adults, the following documents and
assessment information will be considered in the development of the ISP:
- behavioral health assessments and any
screening instruments or assessments used such as Screening, Brief
Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), American Society of
Addiction Medicine (ASAM), and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs);
- the parent and/or guardian history and assessment;
- recent crisis assessment, recent or historical psychiatric evaluation, and medication list;
- Individual Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan and/or school records;
- Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP);
- DCS case plan;
- juvenile probation or parole plan;
- medical plan from the primary care physician;
- DES/Division of Developmental Disabilities’ individual service plan;
- historical assessments, evaluations, services, outcome of services; and
- any other plans of care designed to meet the needs of the child or young adult.
Accessing Services Out-of-Region
When a child enrolled for Title XIX services moves
out-of-region and the child’s case and court venue are not transferred
between regions, the current RHBA will continue to provide services. The
CFT should begin planning for the transition of services to a
behavioral health provider in close proximity to the new placement
location. Upon the Department’s request, the Behavioral Health Provider
will notify the RBHA of the planned transition to new providers. The
RBHA is responsible for securing the appropriate array of services for
the youth. The DCS Specialist will notify the RBHA, through the CFT,
that the child is moving to a different region, as soon as it is known.
When a child enrolled for Title XIX services moves
out-of-region and the child’s case and court venue are transferred
between regions, facilitate transfer of Title XIX services by:
- providing notification to the RBHA and request
an inter-RBHA transfer within two work days of confirming the child’s
case and court venue will be transferring between regions;
- providing a copy of the court order indicating the change of court venue to the current RBHA;
- continuing to coordinate with the referring
RBHA for case management and provision of service until the child or
young adult is enrolled in the receiving RBHA;
- participating in the RBHA discussion regarding transfer of services, if requested; and
- notifying the CMDP Eligibility Unit to change the court of jurisdiction when the child or young adult moves to the new region.
Coordinate with the current RHBA for any continuation of
services, and with the new RHBA for any new or additional services. The
referring RBHA will be responsible for the delivery of any needed
behavioral health services for 30 days after they initiate the
inter-RBHA transfer. Contact the sending RBHA customer service desk and
ask to speak with the Inter-RBHA transition specialist for any questions
regarding the inter-RBHA transfer process.
At no time in the inter-RBHA transfer process should services
be disrupted due to administrative issues. If this occurs, elevate the
issue to either the CMDP BHU or to the AHCCCS Customer Service Line:
1-800-867-5808 or 602-364-4558.
Out-of-Home Caregiver Rights and XIX Behavioral Health Services
The out-of-home caregiver (foster home, kinship home, kinship
foster care, a shelter provider, a receiving home or a group foster
home) of a child who is eligible under Title XIX or XXI of the Social
Security Act, who identifies behavioral health services are not in place
or that a child in their care has urgent need for behavioral health
services, may directly contact a RHBA for a screening and evaluation of
the child.
The out-of-home placement may
consent to evaluation and treatment for routine behavioral health
services. This does not include inpatient psychiatric acute services,
residential treatment services, therapeutic group homes, and Home Care
Training to Home Care Client.
The out-of-home caregiver
cannot refuse to consent for treatment for medically recommended services.
The out-of-home caregiver
cannot terminate behavioral health services.
The out-of-home caregiver can call the crisis line for the
county in which they reside for any behavioral health emergency
regardless of eligibility.
For children in out-of-home care, upon completion of the
initial evaluation by the RBHA, if services based on the evaluation are
not received within twenty-one (21) days, the out-of-home caregiver may
access services directly from any AHCCCS registered provider regardless
of whether the provider is contracted with the RBHA.
For children in out-of-home care, the out-of-home caregiver
may contact the child’s RBHA designated point of contact to coordinate
crisis services for the child if the RBHA is not being responsive to the
situation.
The out-of-home caregiver may request the RBHA to place a
child in residential treatment because the child is displaying
threatening behavior, and the RBHA or CRS shall respond to the request
within seventy-two hours.
For a child who moves with their out-of-home caregiver to
another RBHA region, the out-of-home caregiver may choose to have the
child continue any current treatment and/or seek any new or additional
treatment in the new RBHA region of residence.
The out-of-home caregiver shall immediately notify the Department of any changes in behavioral health services.
Court Ordered Behavioral Health Services
When behavioral health services have been court ordered and
have not been provided by the RBHA or CRS, contact the CMDP BHU and
schedule a Clinical Case Review (CCR) to determine next steps. Prior to
the CCR, request the child’s pertinent behavioral health information to
support the CCR process and provide this information to the BHU.
Behavioral Health Services that are Changed, Denied and/or Terminated by the RBHA/Provider
If there is a concern about a behavioral health service being
denied, changed or terminated, discuss the concerns with the DCS
Program Supervisor. If it is determined that services may have been
inappropriately changed, denied or terminated, contact the CMDP BHU at
DCSBHUnit@azdcs.gov
or 602.351.2245. The CMDP BHU will review the circumstances and
determine the actions necessary to secure services for the child.
Appeal Process
If a RBHA or CRS provider has reduced, terminated, suspended
or denied behavioral health services, the Behavioral Health Unit can
appeal the decision. To continue RBHA or CRS funding of services, the
appeal must be filed within ten days of the termination notice. For
reimbursement, the appeal must be filed within 60 days.
For questions about the Appeals Process contact the
Behavioral Health Unit or the Statewide Behavioral Health & Appeals
Coordinator. Email:
DCSBHunit@azdcs.gov and begin the subject line with “APPEAL”
Out-of-Home Behavioral Health Treatment Services
Out-of-Home Behavioral Health Treatment Services are covered
by Title XIX. Assist in securing these services when they are
determined to be medically necessary, based on prior authorization or
continued authorization stay criteria. These services include inpatient
psychiatric hospitalization, Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility
(BHIF), Behavioral Health Residential Facility (BHRF) and Home Care
Training to Home Care Client (HCTC).
A child should always be treated in the least restrictive,
most home-like setting possible to meet their behavioral health needs.
Out-of-Home Behavioral Health Treatment Services are only medically
necessary if community-based interventions are not sufficient to meet
the child’s needs.
If a child meets medical necessity criteria for a therapeutic
out-of-home treatment service that is denied by the RBHA or CRS
provider, follow the procedure outlined below:
- If the RBHA or CRS provider denies the request for service, obtain a written denial/ Notice of Action (NOA).
- Contact the CMDP Behavioral Health Unit, which will assist in determining the next steps.
Placement in a behavioral health treatment facility is a
short-term service that requires support of the child prior to discharge
from the facility. The CFT Facilitator through the RBHA is required to
share the discharge plan with the RBHA. A safe and appropriate discharge
plan includes both behavioral health services and a placement that will
meet the child’s needs when he or she leaves the behavioral health
treatment facility. The CFT Facilitator should begin discharge planning
prior to admission and continually assess the child’s current clinical
presentation to ensure services and placement are arranged proactively.
The Behavioral Health Unit will support the DCS Specialist to take the following actions:
- Coordinate with the DCS Specialist or Program
Supervisor and the behavioral health provider to discuss the NOA and the
recommended services.
- Determine if the recommended services meet the
child’s needs or if additional information is needed regarding the
child’s clinical presentation and behaviors.
- Attempt to reach consensus on the ISP through
the CFT process. If these actions result in agreement, continue
addressing the child’s needs through the CFT process.
- If agreement about the services cannot be reached, file an appeal.
If a child needs out-of-state
treatment at a Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility (BHIF, also known as
Residential Treatment Center), complete an ICPC referral. See
Referral to ICPC. See
Medical Services for ICPC Children for information on coordinating coverage for the child’s medical and behavioral health care needs.
Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Services
When a child needs services through Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization, please refer to
Arranging Psychiatric Assessment and Inpatient Acute (Hospitalization) Services.
Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility (BHIF) Services, also known as Residential Treatment Centers (RTC)
When a child needs services through a BHIF, also known as RTC, refer to
Arranging Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility (BHIF) "Residential Treatment Center (RTC)”
Behavioral Health Services for Children who are Not Eligible for Title XIX
To access behavioral health services through CMDP for Non-Title XIX eligible children:
- initiate the 72 hour urgent response process;
- contact the Behavioral Health Clinical Coordinator or DCSBHUnit@azdcs.gov for a list of behavioral health providers available through CMDP;
- set up an intake appointment with the behavioral health provider of your choice.
- expect the full array of behavioral health services to occur; and
- participate in the CFT process, including assessment of needs and development of the ISP.
Make DCS case records available to CMDP and the service provider, as necessary.
If there are any difficulties related to eligibility or payment of behavioral health services, contact the CMDP BHU at
DCSBHUnit@azdcs.gov.
Prior Authorization
Consult with the DCS BHU for assistance in obtaining CMDP
Prior Authorization for behavioral health services. Services that
require prior authorization by CMDP include:
- inpatient admission to a hospital;
- Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility (BHIF, also known as residential treatment center [RTC]);
- Behavioral Health Residential Facility (BHRF, also known as therapeutic group homes [TGH]);
- Home Care Training (HCTC, also known as therapeutic foster care); and
- specialized evaluations, such as neuro-psychological; neuro-psychiatric evaluations.
Behavioral Health Services for Young Adults in Extended Foster Care
CMDP will continue coverage for behavioral health services
for young adults 18-20 years old in DCS extended foster care who are not
Title XIX eligible. Contact the
Behavioral Health Unit for assistance in enrolling the youth with a behavioral health provider.
Timely and Appropriate Behavioral Health Services
If there are concerns regarding the provision or timeliness
of behavioral health services provided to the child or family, or
receipt of service reports, elevate the concerns to the local RBHA. If
the issues remain unresolved, contact the CMDP
Behavioral Health Unit.
Documentation
Update the Legal Status, Removal Status, and Placement Location Directory windows in CHILDS.
File a copy of the assessment, CFT or ART notes, Individual
Service Plans, treatment summaries, evaluation documentation,
Termination Notices, Notice of Action, and other pertinent information
about services and progress received from the RBHA in the hard copy case
record.
Document Child and Family Team or Adult Recovery Team meetings in a Case Note in CHILDS.
Document activities to facilitate continued access to services when a child moves to a new RBHA area in a Case Note in CHILDS.
Document results of a Clinical Case Review in a Case Note in CHILDS
Effective Date: November 17, 2017
Revision History: November 30, 2012, March 14, 2017
Chapter 3: Section 8.3
Adult Behavioral Health & Substance Abuse Services
The Department of
Child Safety (DCS) shall seek to ensure that all adults served by DCS
receive appropriate substance abuse treatment services. Substance abuse
treatment services are coordinated and provided through a statewide
continuum of substance abuse services including:
- referral;
- screening;
- assessment;
- substance abuse treatment, i.e., education, outpatient, intensive outpatient and residential;
- service coordination;
- aftercare; and
- additional supportive services to support the family in recovery from substance abuse.
The Department shall seek to ensure that all
families served by DCS receive appropriate behavioral health services.
The DCS Specialist shall refer adults to the appropriate RBHA provider
for an assessment.
The Department shall utilize the Department
of Health Service, Division of Behavioral Health Services, Regional
Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) system to obtain Title XIX covered
services in order to address behavioral health and substance abuse
service needs for eligible individuals.
All requests for behavioral health services for Title XIX eligible individuals must be made to the RBHA.
The DCS Specialist shall monitor the
appropriateness and timeliness of services being provided by the RBHA
provider services to all individuals (adults and children) and advocate
for client service needs.
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Procedures
Substance Abuse Services
When meeting with a family where substance abuse may be a concern, utilize
Substance Abuse Behavioral Indicator Checklist and
Guide and Instructions to Assessing Risk Factors for Substance Exposed Newborns.
Utilize the information gathered to complete the strengths and risks
assessment tool. If the tool indicates that parental substance abuse is
a barrier to maintaining or reunifying the family, initiate a referral
for substance abuse assessment or treatment from Arizona Families
F.I.R.S.T., or another substance abuse resource. Refer to
Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T. CSO-1118A,
for a description of services and expected time frames for outreach,
assessment and treatment available through Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T.
Refer the parent, guardian or custodian directly to the
contracted provider for the continuum of services by sending to the
provider a completed Request for Services (PS-067), and any other
supporting documents, or relevant corroborating information to assist in
the treatment planning process.
The Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T. contract provider will
coordinate the receipt of services through Title XIX and Arizona
Families F.I.R.S.T.
Ensure that the parent, guardian or custodian signs the
Authorization to Disclose Health Information (CSO-1038A), so that substance abuse assessment and treatment information can be shared among interested persons. See
What Child Safety Specialists Should Know About Substance Abuse Confidentiality for more information on confidentiality related to substance abuse assessment, treatment and client records.
Participate in ongoing case conferences, service planning
activities and Individual Service Plan (ISP) development facilitated by
the provider or RBHA. These ongoing coordination activities will help
to maximize successful client interventions. Participation may be
telephonic if unable to attend in person.
Monitor progress to ensure timely services.
Include the contracted substance abuse provider, or Arizona
Families F.I.R.S.T. provider or RBHA provider on the FC-064-A,
Attachment A, for reports to the Juvenile Court. Provide copies of the
DCS Specialist ’s written report to the court to RBHA provider and/or
Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T. provider. Do not include the FC-064 (Foster
Care Plan and Progress Report), FC-064-A (Attachment A) or other
provider reports.
Review the provider’s monthly reports to assess case progress and determine if a case plan revision is necessary.
Consult with the service provider or other treatment team members as necessary.
Documentation for Substance Abuse Services
File a copy of the completed Authorization to Disclose Health Information in the hard copy case record.
Document in the Family Functioning Assessment (FFA), any
parental substance abuse that affects the safety of the child and is a
barrier to maintaining or reunifying the family.
File a copy of the Request for Services (PS-067) in the hard copy case record.
Maintain the referral, assessment, provider’s monthly report,
service planning documents, or other information received in the hard
copy case record.
Document the progress made toward achieving outcomes specified in the case plan using the Case Notes window.
Behavioral Health Services
To access Title XIX services for adults, ages 18 and older including young adults in extended foster care:
- Assist the client in applying for general mental health or SMI services through his or her local RBHA.
- Accompany the client to the intake
appointment, when requested. Ensure that the parent, guardian or
custodian signs a consent for release of assessment and treatment
information so that information can be shared among interested persons.
While clients are receiving Title XIX Behavioral Health Services:
- Maintain primary case management
responsibility and make DCS records available to the behavioral health
provider, complying with confidentiality requirements;
- Participate in all RBHA treatment staffings and Individual Service Plan (ISP) development.
- Participation may be telephonic if unable to attend in person.
- Follow the Case Management Hierarchy.
- Monitor progress to ensure timely services.
The DCS Specialist shall ensure that a copy of the
assessment and other pertinent information on services and progress
reports from the RBHA or behavioral health provider are filed in the
hard copy case record.
Include the RBHA provider on the FC-064-A, Attachment A, for
reports to the Juvenile Court. Provide copies of the DCS Specialist ’s
written report to the court to RBHA provider and/or Arizona Families
F.I.R.S.T. provider. Do not include the FC-064 (Foster Care Plan and
Progress Report), FC-064-A (Attachment A) or other provider reports.
Notify the RBHA provider of all case plan staffings
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 8.4
Non-Title XIX Behavioral Health Services
The Department of
Child Safety (DCS) shall seek to ensure that all children and families
served by DCS receive appropriate behavioral health and substance abuse
services.
The Department may utilize DCS-funded
services for clients who are not eligible for Title XIX behavioral
health and substance abuse services.
In some cases, DCS may cover specific
services for individuals that are Title XIX eligible, but have been
denied that specific service by the Regional Behavioral Health Authority
(RBHA) provider.
DCS shall utilize the following contracted behavioral health services for clients when indicated:
- individual therapy/counseling,
- group/family therapy/counseling,
- evaluation and diagnosis,
- in-home moderate services,
- in-home intensive services,
- substance abuse assessment, and
- substance abuse treatment.
Regions may also contract with individuals or agencies for professional consultation, including:
- developing and monitoring treatment plans,
- screening children and families to determine their needs,
- conducting assessments or clinical interviews,
- staff training,
- participation in case staffings, and
- providing technical assistance to providers of counseling and assessment services.
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Procedures
Implementation
If a psychological evaluation (assessment) is requested, specify the appropriate level.
Access services according to the documentation procedure described below.
Monitor the provision of services and provide information to the service provider.
Contact the provider if:
- The provider does not provide the required initial treatment plan within 30 days of the initial counseling session.
- The treatment plan does not reflect the case plan goal and objectives.
- The provider does not provide the required monthly treatment report.
Consult the Regional Mental Health Specialist or designee if there are concerns regarding the provision of services or reports.
Continue to request all other services through the Title XIX RBHA provider.
Documentation
To access DCS funded Behavioral Health Services for clients
who are not eligible for Title XIX behavioral health and substance abuse
services complete the Request for Services PS-067 and route according
to Regional procedures .
File a copy of the PS-067 in the hard copy record.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 8.5
Arranging Placement in a Behavioral Health Inpatient Facility
The Department shall seek placement in a
behavioral health inpatient facility (BHIF) for a child who is assessed
as needing a structured treatment setting with 24 hours a day
supervision and an intensive treatment program or detoxification
services.
The Department shall obtain court approval for placement in a behavioral health inpatient facility for a dependent child.
When a dependent child requires placement in a
behavioral health inpatient facility, the Department shall participate
in planning and decision making involving the child's treatment and
discharge.
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Decision Making
To determine whether to pursue
placement in a behavioral health inpatient facility (formerly called
residential treatment center) for a dependent child, consider whether
one or more of the following conditions exist:
- an outpatient assessment, inpatient
psychiatric assessment or inpatient psychiatric acute care services
(hospitalization) has recommended placement in a BHIF;
- the child has a
mental health diagnosis and the team believes (and has data to support)
residential care as an effective intervention;
- the child demonstrates a need for structure and supervision beyond that which is possible in a group home setting;
- the child has a documented need for a
therapeutic environment, and the needs of the child cannot be met in a
less restrictive level with additional supports; or
- the child has special education requirements
that can only be met in a highly structured setting and the child’s
existing school setting cannot meet the child’s needs with additional
supports for the child and/or educators.
Implementation
If the child is dually adjudicated, inform the other agency
provider of all notices, motions, hearings or other proceedings related
to placement in a BHIF.
Attend all hearings regarding the placement in a BHIF and provision of services.
If an outpatient assessment, inpatient psychiatric assessment
or inpatient psychiatric acute care service recommends placement in a
BHIF and the child is Title XIX eligible, obtain Regional Behavioral
Health Authority (RBHA) authorization for the service.
Contact the assigned Assistant Attorney General to discuss filing a motion for placement in a BHIF.
Contact all parties, including the child's attorney, and
determine each party's position on the motion for placement in a BHIF. A
hearing on the motion is not required if all parties agree with the
motion.
Complete the Motion for Placement, CT03300, and Addendum to
the Juvenile Court, found in Court Document Directory. The motion must
include the following:
- A Written Statement From The Medical Or Clinical Director/ Designee Of The Residential Treatment Service Facility (CSO-1362) or the director's designee that the facility's services are appropriate to meet the child's needs.
-
Provide the Motion for Placement, Addendum Report and all of the following documents to the assigned Assistant Attorney General:
-
A written psychological, psychiatric or
medical assessment recommending placement in a BHIF. The court, on a
finding of good cause, may waive the written assessment. If the court
does not waive the written assessment, the assessment shall include at
least the following:
-
the reason why placement in a BHIF is in the child's best interests;
-
the reason why placement in a BHIF is the least restrictive treatment available;
-
the reason why the child's behavioral, psychological, social or mental health needs require placement in a BHIF; and
-
the estimated length of time that the child will require placement in a BHIF.
Personally admit or arrange for another DCS representative
familiar with the case to admit the child to the BHIF, completing all
necessary paper work including authorization for treatment, and
providing information on the child’s background, legal status, and
reasons for the admission.
Ensure that the BHIF is aware of Department policies and
procedures regarding contact between the child, the child’s parents and
siblings, family members, other relatives, friends and any former foster
parents.
Provide the BHIF with the names and addresses of all parties including the child's attorney and guardian ad-litem.
If the child remains placed in a BHIF for at least 60 days or
longer, the court will review the child’s continuing need for placement
in a BHIF every 60 days from the date of the treatment order, see
60 Day Review of Residential Treatment (CSO-1361).
The BHIF must submit a written progress report to the court at least
five days before the review and to all parties including the child’s
attorney and guardian ad-litem.
The progress report shall include recommendations and all of the following:
- the nature of the treatment provided, including any medications and the child's current diagnosis;
- the child's need for continued placement in a BHIF, including the estimated length of the services;
- a projected discharge date;
- the level of care required by the child and the potential placement options that are available to the child on discharge; and
- a statement from the medical or clinical
director of the BHIF or the director's designee as to whether placement
in a behavioral health inpatient facility are necessary to meet the
child's needs and whether the facility that is providing the services to
the child is the least restrictive available alternative.
To notify the court of the child's discharge from the behavioral health inpatient facility:
- Obtain or request a
copy of the discharge summary including a statement of services being
provided to the child and the child's family from the BHIF. Contact the
assigned Assistant Attorney General to discuss the child's discharge to
a group care facility, an unlicensed provider, or to the parent or
guardian, and complete the following:
- the Motion for
Placement, CT03300, found in the Court Document Detail, including the
attached Addendum Report to Juvenile Court; and
- obtain the parties' position on the motion for change of physical custody.
- Provide the Motion for Placement, Addendum Report and the discharge summary to the assigned Assistant Attorney General.
Documentation
Document all court hearings using the Hearing Documentation window.
Document participation in treatment staffings using the Case Notes window designated as Case Conference type.
Update CHILDS to reflect the change in the placement needs of
the child in the Special Needs Detail, Medical/ Dental Condition
Detail, Medication Detail, Psych/ Behavioral Condition Detail,
Practitioner Detail, Examination Detail, Participant Education
Condition, Participation Education Detail, Hospitalization Detail, and
Child Assessment and Special Rate Evaluation windows.
Document the child’s placement in a BHIF using the Placement/
Location Detail window, or completion of the Service Authorization
Request, Service Authorization Approval and Service Authorization
Provider Match windows.
Update the Address and Phone Number window to reflect any change in placement of the child.
Document Assistant Attorney General approval of all motions is case notes, AG Contact type.
Effective Date: November 17, 2017
Revision History: November 30, 2012
Chapter 3: Section 8.6
Psychiatric Assessment or Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Services
The Department shall seek inpatient
psychiatric acute care services (hospitalization) for a child who is a
danger to self or others or may suffer from a mental disorder.
The Department shall obtain court approval
for an inpatient psychiatric assessment or acute care services
(hospitalization) of a dependent child.
When a dependent child requires inpatient
psychiatric acute care services (hospitalization), the Department shall
participate in planning and decision making involving the child's
treatment and discharge.
When a dependent child requires inpatient
psychiatric acute care services (hospitalization), the Department shall
engage the child’s family and if appropriate the child’s temporary
caregiver in the planning process.
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Procedures
Considering Inpatient Psychiatric Assessment
To determine if an inpatient psychiatric assessment is needed, consider whether any of the following circumstances exist:
- The child displays risk of harm to self or
others or there is an emergent or continuance of recent, recurring or
intermittent episodes of risk of danger to self or others as evidenced
by:
- suicidal ideation, behavior or intent, or
- homicidal or significant assaultive ideation, behavior or intent, or
- physiologic jeopardy, or
- self-injurious behaviors.
- A psychiatrist, psychologist or physician has
determined the child requires an inpatient assessment due to a mental
disorder or other personality disorder or emotional condition.
- The local RBHA crisis team has recommended an inpatient assessment.
Providing Inpatient Assessment
If the child is dually adjudicated, inform the other agency
provider of all notices, motions, hearings or other proceedings related
to the provision of inpatient psychiatric acute care services.
If an outpatient assessment recommends an inpatient
assessment or psychiatric acute care services and the child is Title XIX
eligible, obtain RBHA authorization.
If the child is not Title XIX eligible or the RBHA has denied
authorization admission, obtain CMDP Behavioral Health Unit
authorization.
Consult with the RBHA or CMDP, as appropriate, to determine
the hospital and the arrangements for transportation of the child and
any further instructions.
Personally admit the child to the hospital, completing all
necessary paperwork and providing information on the child’s background,
legal status, and reason(s) for the admission.
Contact the Attorney General’s Office to discuss the motion for psychiatric inpatient assessment.
Complete the Motion for Placement, CT03300 found in the Court
Document Detail including the attached Addendum Report to the Juvenile
Court within 24 hours of the child’s admission excluding weekends and
holidays. The Addendum Report must include all of the following
information for inclusion in the motion:
- name and address of the inpatient assessment facility;
- name of the psychiatrist, psychologist or physician who will perform the inpatient assessment;
- the date and time the child was admitted to the inpatient facility; and
- a short statement explaining why the child
needs an inpatient assessment. (A written report from a psychiatrist,
psychologist, or physician is not required for this motion).
Obtain the written report of the inpatient psychiatric
assessment from the psychiatrist, psychologist or physician within 72
hours of admission, excluding weekends and holidays. Determine what
services, if any, are recommended.
Provide the Motion for Placement and the Addendum Report to the assigned Assistant Attorney General.
If the inpatient psychiatric assessment does not recommend inpatient acute services:
- Immediately pursue the level of care recommended by the psychiatrist, psychologist or physician.
- Immediately arrange to discharge the child from the hospital.
Admitting a Child for Psychiatric Acute Care Services
If the inpatient assessment recommends inpatient acute care services:
- Obtain RBHA or CMDP authorization, and
determine the hospital and arrangements for transportation of the child,
if not already hospitalized.
- Contact the Attorney General’s Office to discuss the motion for psychiatric acute care services.
- Complete the Motion for Placement, CT03300,
found in the Court Document Detail including the attached Addendum
Report to the Juvenile Court. The motion must be filed within 24 hours
of completion of the inpatient psychiatric assessment or the child will
be discharged from the facility. The motion shall include all of the
following:
- a copy of the written report of the
results of the Inpatient Assessment Report or Outpatient Assessment
Report which addresses:
- the reason why inpatient psychiatric acute care services are in the child's best interests;
- the reason inpatient psychiatric acute care services are the least restrictive available treatment;
- a diagnosis of the child's condition that requires inpatient psychiatric acute care services and list of medications; and
- the estimated length of time the child will require inpatient psychiatric acute care services (hospitalization).
- A Written Statement from the Medical Director/ Designee of the Proposed Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Care Facility, CSO-1362 that the facility's services are appropriate to meet the child's mental health needs.
Provide the Motion for Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Care
Services, written report of the results of the inpatient assessment or
outpatient assessment, and the written statement from the medical
director or designee to the assigned Assistant Attorney General.
Attend the hearing on the motion for inpatient psychiatric
acute care services, held within 72 hours of the filing of the motion.
Pending the hearing on the motion for inpatient psychiatric
acute care services, the child may remain at the inpatient assessment
facility, if already hospitalized.
Upon admission of a child to an inpatient psychiatric acute care facility for inpatient treatment:
- Participate in weekly hospital staffings,
including discharge planning, in person, by telephone, or through a
substitute DCS representative familiar with the case.
- Notify the CMDP Behavioral Health Unit of any
disagreements among professionals regarding the need for continued
treatment or discharge planning
If the child is expected to remain hospitalized for 60 days
or longer, the court will review the child’s continuing need for
inpatient psychiatric acute care services at least every 60 days after
the date of the treatment order. See
60 Day Review of Residential/ Psychiatric Treatment Services, CSO-1361.
At least five days before the review, the facility will submit a
written progress report to the court and to all parties, including the
child’s attorney and guardian ad-litem. The progress report shall make
recommendations and include the following
- a description of the treatment provided, including any medications and the child’s current diagnosis;
- the child’s need for continued inpatient psychiatric acute care services, including the estimated length of the services;
- a projected discharge date;
- the level of care required by the child and the potential placement options available to the child on discharge; and
- a statement from the medical director of the
inpatient psychiatric acute care facility or the director’s designee as
to whether inpatient psychiatric acute care services are necessary to
meet the child’s mental health needs and whether the facility that is
providing the inpatient psychiatric acute care services to the child is
the least restrictive placement available.
Provide the facility with the names and addresses of all parties including the child’s attorney and guardian ad-litem.
If a copy of the written progress report has not be received
at least five days prior to the hearing to review the child’s continued
need for inpatient psychiatric acute care services, contact the facility
and notify the assigned Assistant Attorney General.
Arranging Discharge from an Inpatient Psychiatric Acute Care Facility
Within 15 days after the child’s discharge, obtain a copy of
the discharge summary. Ensure the summary includes recommendations for
placement and services.
Contact the assigned Assistant Attorney General to file a
notice of discharge with the Juvenile Court. The notice, which must be
filed with the court within 20 days after discharge of the child, shall
include the following:
- a statement of the child’s current placement;
- a statement of the mental health services that are being provided to the child and child’s family; and
- a copy of the discharge summary prepared by the mental health professional.
Contact the assigned Assistant
Attorney General to file a motion for change of physical custody, if
necessary. If the child is being discharged to a placement that is
different from the placement prior to the hospitalization, or a group
care facility, an unlicensed provider, or a parent, guardian and/or
custodian, complete the following:
- the Motion for Placement, CT03300 found in the
Court Document Detail, including the attached Addendum Report to the
Juvenile Court, and
- obtain the parties' position on the motion.
Provide the applicable documents to the assigned Assistant Attorney General.
Documentation
Document all court hearings using the Hearing Documentation window.
Document participation in hospital staffings using the Case Notes window designated as Case Conference type.
Update CHILDS to reflect the change in the placement needs of
the child in the Special Needs Detail, Medical/ Dental Condition
Detail, Medication Detail, Psych/ Behavioral Condition Detail,
Practitioner Detail, Examination Detail, Participant Education
Condition, and Hospitalization Detail, and Child Assessment and Special
Rate Evaluation windows.
Document the child’s hospitalization using the Placement Location Detail window.
Update the Address and Phone Number window to reflect any change in placement of the child.
Document Assistant Attorney General approval of all motions in case notes, AG Contact type.
Chapter 3: Section 9.1
Child Care Services
DCS child care services shall be made
available at the discretion of the Department to families with children
ages 12 or younger.
Services may be provided to maintain and strengthen families:
- whose cases are opened for investigation and closed at investigation;
- who are receiving voluntary services; or
- whose children are dependent wards of the court but remain in the parent's physical custody.
DCS child care services may also be provided
as a support service for out-of-home care providers. Birth and/or
adopted children of foster parents are not eligible for DCS child care.
Birth and/or adopted children of family foster care providers are not eligible for DCS child care.
DCS child care may be provided to children in out-of-home care for the following purposes:
- to enable an out-of-home care provider to work;
- to enable an out-of-home care provider to participate in educational activities;
- to
enable an out-of-home care provider to attend medical, dental or
behavioral health appointments, case plan staffings, administrative case
reviews, court and FCRB hearings or participate in activities
associated with visitation with another foster child;
- to enable the out-of-home care
provider to handle an emergency situation such as death, medical
emergency, or family or personal crisis, or
- to enable the child to
participate in socialization and/or specific skills development in
cognitive, social or psycho-motor areas.
DCS child care services may be requested up
to maximum of 23 days per month per child, through the Child Care
Administration (CCA). CCA staff will contact the identified child care
provider to authorize payment.
There is no financial eligibility requirement
for DCS child care. DES reimburses child care providers up to a
maximum reimbursement rate negotiated by each provider. Families/foster
parents are responsible for paying child care providers the difference
between the child care provider's rate and the DES reimbursement.
DCS child care may be provided to prevent abuse or neglect. The objectives of these services are:
- to relieve stress of the caretaker (respite);
- to provide monitoring of a child by child care personnel; or
- to provide a child with
opportunities for socialization/ structure when such opportunities do
not exist in the home. This is a clinical or case management decision
which must be documented in the case plan.
DCS child care may not be requested for the
sole purpose of documenting that a service has been offered/ accepted or
if it is determined that the caregiver is not in need.
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Procedures
Child Care for Families
Either the parent or caretaker should consult with the Child
Care Resources and Referral (CCR&R), 1-800-308-9000 to identify a
child care provider. Verify that an identified provider has a current
DES registration agreement and has a vacancy for the child.
Submit all requests for DCS child care services to the DES Child Care Administration for authorization.
To request DCS child care for a case which has been opened and closed at investigation:
- Obtain supervisor approval to request DCS
child care services up to a maximum of six months, using the DCS Child
Care Referral, CC-224.
- The Child Care Administration will contact the
child care providers to authorize payment. Please do not contact child
care providers to authorize payment for child care.
For voluntary services cases, in-home dependency cases, or in-home intervention and out-of-home care cases:
- Identify the need for child care in the case plan using the Case Plan Task window.
- Obtain supervisor approval to request DCS child care services up to a maximum of six months using the DCS Child Care Referral, CC-224.
- Review the continued need for child care at least every six months and/or at the case plan staffing.
- Obtain supervisor approval prior to requesting a second six month period of child care services.
- If requesting a third referral for child
care services within a 24 month period, in addition to the above two
steps, send an E-Mail of explanation to the Program Administrator or
designee if you are requesting a third referral within a 24 month
period. Include this E-Mail approval with the CC-224.
In emergency situations, contact the local child care office
to arrange for child care. Send a completed DCS Child Care Referral,
CC-224, to the office within two working days.
A new DCS Child Care Referral, CC-224 must be submitted to:
- Indicate any changes in providers.
- Indicate any change in hours to be authorized.
- Request that child care services be reauthorized.
- Documentation
- Document the need for
and use of child care services in the child's case record using the
Case Notes window and the foster care licensing record, if applicable.
- Specify use of child care services in the child's case plan using the Case Plan Tasks window.
File a copy of the CC-224 in the hard copy record.
Document request for Program Administrator or designee
approval of a third referral within a 24 month period using the Case
Notes window designated as Management Contact type.
Program Administrator or designee:
Document approval of a third referral within a 24 month period using E-mail notification to the assigned DCS Specialist .
Child Care for Out-of-home Providers
To determine whether to offer DCS child care services to out-of-home family foster care providers, consider these questions:
- Are the providers employed or participating in educational services?
- Are the providers attending medical
appointments, case plan staffings, court and FCRB hearings,
administrative case reviews, or participating in activities associated
with visitation with another foster child?
- Does the foster child have documented
needs that require socialization and/or specific skills development in
cognitive, social or psycho-motor areas?
- Do the providers require emergency
services to cope with situations such as a death, medical emergency,
family crisis or personal crisis?
Have the out-of-home family foster care provider consult with
Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R), 1-800-308-9000 to
identify a child care provider and verify that an identified provider
has a current DES registration agreement and has a vacancy for the
child.
Have the family foster care provider determine whether the
child care provider is able to meet the identified social, medical or
behavioral needs of the child.
Obtain supervisory approval to request DCS child care
services using the DCS Child Care Referral, CC-224, and submit the
request to the local office of the DES Child Care Administration for
authorization. Request DCS child care for a period not to exceed six
months. In an emergency, contact the local Child Care Administration
(CCA) office, indicate immediate need, and send the completed form
within two working days of the contact.
Do not contact the child care providers to authorize payment
for child care; the CCA will contact the child care providers to
authorize payment.
Review the need for continued DCS child care services at least every six months during the case plan staffing.
Obtain supervisor approval prior to requesting a second six month period of child care services.
When requesting a third referral for child care services
within a 24 month period, in addition to the above two steps, obtain
approval of the Program Administrator or designee. Send an E-Mail of
explanation to the Program Administrator or designee. Include this
E-mail approval with the DCS Child Care Referral, CC-224.
A new DCS Child Care Referral, CC-224 must be submitted to:
- initiate a change in provider;
- indicate any change in hours to be authorized; and
- request that child care services be reauthorized.
Notify and update the licensing agency when a foster parent is using DCS child care services.
Document the request for child care services, changes in the
provider, and the end date of those services on the DCS Child Care
Referral, CC-224. File a copy in the child's hard copy record.
Document the need for and use of child care services in the
child's case record using the Case Notes window designated as Collateral
Contact type.
Specify use of child care services in the child's case plan using the Case Plan Tasks window.
Document request for program manager or designee approval of a
third referral within a 24 month period using the Case Notes window
designated as Management Contact type.
Program Administrator or designee:
Document approval of a third referral within a 24 month period using the Case Note Comment window.
Effective Date :November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 9.2
Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP)
The Department shall refer all children under
the age of three who are the subject of a substantiated report or who
have been removed and in DCS custody for early intervention services. A
substantiated report includes the following findings: proposed
substantiated, proposed substantiated-perpetrator deceased and proposed
substantiated-perpetrator unknown.
The Department shall refer all children under the age of three:
- who have been removed
and in DCS custody, to the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA)
for a developmental screening and a behavioral health assessment;
- children who are not in DCS custody, to the AzEIP for early intervention services.
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Procedures
Implementation
Gather available information including clinical and medical
reports on the child from previous medical and behavioral health care
providers.
Obtain health insurance information (i.e., AHCCCS, etc.) from the parent, guardian or custodian.
Within 24 hours of the removal, refer all children under the
age of three to the RBHA for a developmental screening and behavioral
health assessment. Fax or mail any reports from previous medical,
clinical or behavioral health assessments or evaluations to the RBHA.
If the child’s primary care provider (PCP) has completed
the EPSDT examination and identifies a developmental concern, provide
this information to the RBHA.
Ensure that the parent and/or out-of-home caregiver is aware of the referral for early intervention services.
If the RBHA screening or assessment indicates that the child has a developmental concern, the RBHA will:
- Make the referral to AzEIP for early intervention services.
- Notify the DCS Specialist and the child’s primary care physician (PCP) of the results and of the AzEIP referral.
- Include AzEIP in the Child and Family Team.
Ensure that the out-of-home care provider is aware of the developmental concern and AzEIP referral.
If the RBHA screening or assessment indicates that the child
does not have a developmental concern, the RBHA will notify the case
manager of the results. The RBHA will provide necessary behavioral
health services to the child, the child’s family and out-of-home
provider.
If the child is not eligible for Title XIX services, complete
and fax the DCS Referral to Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP),
found in the Forms Registry, to the designated AzEIP regional
contractor. The referral to AzEIP may also be completed on the DES
website.
Ensure that the concerns and/or reasons for the referral are
documented in the Reason for Referral/Concerns Section of the referral.
It is not necessary to make a referral if the referral has already been
made by another source, or the child is receiving AzEIP services.
- Ensure that the child’s legal status
and eligibility for AHCCCS or CMDP is recorded on the DCS Referral to
Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) or in the Concerns Section of
the internet referral.
- Fax or mail any reports from previous
medical, clinical or behavioral health assessments or evaluations to the
AzEIP regional contractor.
- List all services the family is
receiving or has been referred to on the DCS Referral to Arizona Early
Intervention Program (AzEIP) or in the Concerns Section of the internet
referral. AzEIP will ensure that services are not duplicated.
If the child is in out-of-home care and changes placement
during the referral process, ensure that the AzEIP regional contractor
is aware of the change in placement. Provide the name, address and
telephone number of the new caregiver to the AzEIP contractor.
Identification of a Surrogate Parent:
A surrogate parent must be appointed to represent the child’s
special educational interests under IDEA, Part C if the parent,
guardian, step-parent or relative with whom the child resides is not
available, willing and able to perform this function. If the child is a
ward of the court and a surrogate parent is required to represent the
child’s special educational needs [see page 2 of the DCS Referral to
Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP)], contact the Assistant
Attorney General to file a motion to appoint the identified person as
the child’s surrogate parent.
Documentation
Document the outcome of any previous assessments or medical
examinations including a diagnosis of a developmental delay or
established condition in the Participant Education Condition Detail
window.
Document the referral to the AzEIP
by filing a copy of the DCS Referral to Arizona Early Intervention
Program (AzEIP) or a printed copy of the AzEIP internet referral in the
hard copy record. To obtain a copy of the internet referral, you must
print the screen prior to submitting the referral. If the referral was
made by another source, document the referral by obtaining and filing a
copy of the referral in the child’s case record, or by documenting
verbal confirmation of the referral using the Case Notes window,
designated as Collateral Contact type. If the child is receiving AzEIP
services, document this in the case notes.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 9.3
Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) Services
Procedures
Eligibility
Children with a developmental delay or disability who appears to meet DDD eligibility criteria shall be referred to DDD.
Birth to Three (3) Years
Children age birth to three (3) years who have been removed
or are the subject of a substantiated report shall be referred to the
Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) for early intervention
services, (For more information see
Arizona Early Intervention Program).
AzEIP will refer to DDD all children birth to age three (3) that appear to meet the AzEIP eligibility criteria.
Age Three (3) through Six (6)
Refer children age three (3) through six (6) based on the following criteria:
- Have a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or cognitive/intellectual disability.
- Demonstrate a strong potential the child is or
will have a developmental disability. Children diagnosed with the
following conditions may be considered at risk for a developmental
disability:
- Spina bifida with Arnold Chiari malformation
- Periventricular leukomalacia
- Chromosomal abnormalities with high risk for cognitive disability such as Downs Syndrome
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Post natal traumatic brain injury such as “abusive head trauma” or near drowning
- Hydrocephaly
- Microcephaly
- Alcohol or drug related birth defects such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Birth weight under 1000 grams with evidence of neurological impairment
- Demonstrate a significant developmental delay
and a strong potential the child will have a developmental disability,
indicated by a 50% delay in one of the following five developmental
domains or that the child has 25% delay in two or more of the following
five domains:
- Physical (fine and/gross motor, vision, or hearing)
- Cognitive
- Communication
- Social Emotional
- Self Help
Acceptable documentation that a child from birth to age six
(6) is or has the potential to have a developmental disability includes:
- Medical records indicating an at-risk condition,
- Results of an acceptable developmental assessment, or
- A signed statement from a licensed physician,
licensed psychologist, or other professional trained in early childhood
development specifying their clinical opinion as to the child's
disability or delay.
Age Six (6) and Older
Refer to DDD a child over the age of six (6) who meets the following criteria:
- autism, as diagnosed by a licensed
psychiatrist, psychologist, or developmental pediatrician with
appropriate expertise, as determined by DDD;
- cerebral palsy, as diagnosed by a licensed physician;
- epilepsy, as diagnosed by a licensed neurologist or physician; or
- cognitive/intellectual disability, as
determined by an individual qualified to provide psychological
documentation utilizing culturally appropriate and valid tests.
A child age six (6) or older must also demonstrate functional limitations in at least three of the seven major life activities:
- Receptive and Expressive Language
- Learning
- Self-Direction
- Economic Self-Sufficiency
- Self-Care
- Mobility
- Capacity for Independent Living
Referral to DDD Program
Any child with a developmental disability who appears to meet
DDD eligibility criteria shall be referred by emailing the child's
name, date of birth, DCS Specialist 's name and contact information to
DDDreferco@azdes.gov.
If a child becomes eligible for DDD services after placement
in a foster home, refer the foster parent to DDD to apply to be a Child
Developmental Certified home through DDD.
If the foster parent does not choose to become certified or
is denied certification, review the case with the case planning team,
including the DDD case manager, to determine if it is in the best
interest of the child to remain in the placement. If it is not in the
child’s best interest, follow the procedures below for Out-of-Home
Placement of Children Receiving DDD Services.
Out-of-Home Placement for Child Receiving DDD Services
For children enrolled in DDD services, at the time of
removal, complete the following steps in addition to the steps outlined
in
Providing Emergency Intervention and
Placing Children in Out-of-Home Care.
FOR PIMA REGION, SOUTHWESTERN REGION AND EASTERN MARICOPA COUNTY:
Emergency Placement:
- Contact the Regional Placement Unit and request placement.
- The DCS Regional Placement Unit will contact
the DDD Placement Resource Coordinator to request a placement and
provide information regarding the child.
- When the DDD Placement Resource Coordinator obtains placement options, they will email the list to DCS Regional Placement Unit.
- The DCS Regional Placement Unit will inform the DCS Specialist that placement has been secured.
- Select the placement, make arrangements and place the child.
- Within 24 hours, the DCS Regional Placement
Unit will email the DDD support coordinator and the DDD Placement
Resource Coordinator informing them of the placement including the date
of placement.
- Upon request, the DDD support coordinator will assist with referral and placement for the child.
Non-Emergency Placement:
- Invite the DDD support coordinator to the Team Decision Making (TDM) or Child and Family Team (CFT) Meeting (Refer to Team Decision Making).
- If following the TDM Meeting or CFT Meeting a
placement is needed, the DCS Specialist will follow steps listed above
under Emergency Placement.
FOR ALL OTHER REGIONS/LOCATIONS:
Emergency Placement:
- Contact the DDD Placement Resource Coordinator to request a placement and provide information regarding the child.
- Once the DDD Placement Resource Coordinator obtains placement options, they will email the list to the DCS Specialist .
- Select a placement and place the child.
Non-Emergency Placement:
If following the TDM or CFT a placement is needed, follow steps listed above under Emergency Placement
AFTER HOURS UNITS AND ON-CALL SPECIALISTS:
Follow the placement procedures as outlined by your regional
protocol. If a Child Developmental Home is used, the Placement Unit or
DCS Specialist emails the DDD Placement Resource Coordinator within 1
business day. The DDD Placement Resource Coordinator notifies the DDD
Support Coordinator.
Non-ALTCS Eligible Child
When DCS places a non-ALTCS eligible child into a DDD placement, the regional placement notification protocol is followed.
When a child is placed into a DDD placement, email the DDD
Placement Resource Coordinator to provide the name, location, and date
of placement.
Transition Planning
Six months prior to the youth turning 18, contact the DDD Coordinator to initiate and discuss the tasks identified below:
- Placement
- Legal Options (e.g., Adult Guardianship, Power of Attorney, etc.)
- Adult Behavioral Health transition/Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) status
- ALTCS eligibility
- Social Security
- Continued Education
- Employment Services
- Voluntary Placement Agreement
In accordance with
Team Decision Making procedures, an Age of Majority/Program Disruption/Discharge Team Decision Making (TDM) meeting should be held :
- Within six (6) months prior to a youth turning 18
- Within 72 hours of determining that a youth
in Independent Living with a Voluntary Placement Agreement wants to
exit the program or is non-compliant.
- Within 30 days of the youth turning 21 when the youth has a Voluntary Placement Agreement for Independent Living.
Follow the procedures outlined in
Preparing Youth for Age of Majority – Voluntary Foster Care and Discharge Planning.
Collaboration with DDD
See
DCS/DDD Roles & Responsibilities
Effective Date: August 6, 2016
Revision History: November 30, 2012
Chapter 3: Section 9.4
Education for Children In Out-of-Home Care
In collaboration with out-of-home care providers and schools, the Department shall ensure that children in out-of-home care are:
- provided educational stability at the time of the initial placement and each subsequent change in placement;
- provided services to help them achieve their educational potential;
- registered in a timely manner; and
- referred
to a local school district [aka Local Education Agency (LEA)] to be
assessed for special education (when indicated) and other educational
needs. LEA includes school districts, charter holders and secure care
public schools.
The Department shall
make every reasonable effort to not remove a child, who is in out-of
home care, from school during regular school hours for appointments,
visitation or activities not related to school.
If a child three or older in out-of-home care
requires special education evaluation and/or services, it is the
responsibility of the LEA under federal and state law to determine who
shall act as the special education parent. The DCS Specialist should
cooperate with and assist the LEA in meeting this obligation.
If a child under three in out-of-home care
requires special education evaluation and/or services for early
intervention services (AzEIP), it is the responsibility of AzEIP to
determine who shall act as the special education parent. The DCS
Specialist should cooperate with and assist AzEIP in meeting this
obligation.
When the identity and whereabouts of the
biological or adoptive parent are known, the LEA must make reasonable
efforts to contact the parent to ensure the parent’s consent for special
education evaluation and/or services. The LEA may contact the DCS
Specialist or supervisor to obtain information as to the parent(s).
The DCS Specialist should provide this information to the LEA staff.
The biological or adoptive parent has parental decision making authority
for special education evaluation and/or services for a child in
out-of-home care, except when:
- parental rights have been terminated;
- a parent cannot be identified or located;
- a
court has suspended the parent’s education rights or appointed a legal
guardian/issued an order permitting others to serve if certain events
occur.
When a known and located parent does not
attempt to serve as the special education parent for a child in
out-of-home care, the DCS Specialist is to ensure that the LEA obtains a
special education parent for the child. The Department’s preference
order for whom should serve as the special education parent in this
situation is:
- a
court appointed legal guardian authorized to act as the child’s parent
(but not the State or an employee of a contractor of the State, if the
child is a ward of the State);
- kinship caregiver or licensed foster parent with whom the child resides;
- surrogate parent.
When the identity and/or whereabouts of the
biological or adoptive parent is unknown, the kinship foster caregiver
or foster parent with whom the child resides or the court appointed
legal guardian may serve as the special education parent without court
appointment. If a surrogate parent is needed for a child age 3 or over,
the surrogate parent must be appointed by the Arizona Department of
Education (ADE) or the court.
When a known and located parent is willing to
make special education decisions for a child, but the LEA or DCS
Specialist does not believe it is in the best interest of the child,
the Department may petition the court for termination of the parent’s
rights to make special education decisions. If the petition is granted,
another special education parent must be appointed. This person could
be the kinship foster caregiver, the foster parent or a surrogate
parent. ADE does not have authority to determine the fitness of a parent
to make special educational decisions.
Only AzEIP or the court may appoint a surrogate for children with a disability under age 3. See Arizona Early Intervention Program
Every child in out-of-home care shall have an individualized Out-of-Home Care Plan that specifies:
- the
child’s educational status, i.e., last school attended, last grade
completed, current school attending, grade level performance, whether
evaluated for or receiving special education services;
- services already provided and to be provided to the child or out-of-home caregiver to address the child’s educational needs; and
- whether the child is attending their home school or district.
The Department shall:
- Provide
sexuality developmental education to children in out-of-home care in
collaboration with the out-of-home care providers, schools, public
health and community agencies.
- Work
with early intervention, schools, ADE or the court to ensure that
children who are wards of the court and require special educational
evaluation and/or services have a special education parent represent
their special education needs.
- Work
cooperatively with the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) to ensure
that children requiring residential treatment receive appropriate
educational services including special education services; provide the
RTC with necessary information on the child and parent so that the RTC
can submit the Initial Education Voucher Application to appropriate
educational authorities.
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Procedures
Decision Making
Decision: Where will the child attend school?
Children in out-of-home care may have the option to remain in
their home school or district at the time of the initial removal from
their home and each subsequent placement. Work with the out-of-home
caregiver, the LEA, and the parent, if appropriate, to determine if it
is in the child’s best interest to remain in his/her current school or
district or to attend the local school where the child is placed. In
making this decision, consider the following:
- the safety of the child;
- the wishes of the parent, caregiver and child;
- the distance and time for the child to travel to and from the school he/she is attending at the time of placement;
- the child’s academic, developmental, and socialization needs;
- the effect a school change will have on the child's learning; and
- for high school students, any potential for
loss of credits which may occur due to changing schools in the middle of
a term or semester.
Decision: Does the parent serve as the IDEA Parent (aka special education parent)?
If any of the following circumstances exist, the parent will not serve as the special education parent:
- The identity of a parent (biological or adoptive) is unknown.
- The whereabouts of a parent is unknown.
- Parental rights have been terminated.
- The court has suspended a parent’s special educational rights.
If the biological or adoptive parent attempts to serve as the
special education parent but the DCS Specialist or LEA representative
does not believe it is in the child’s best interest, the DCS Specialist
shall request that the assigned Assistant Attorney General file a
motion to suspend the parent’s special education rights and authorize
another individual to serve in this role. ADE does not have authority to
determine the fitness of a parent to make special educational
decisions.
If the parent does not attempt to serve, refuses to
participate following a request by the LEA or has a no contact order,
the DCS Specialist should review the initial court orders to see if
those circumstances are addressed. NOTE: This language should be in all
initial orders after March 2007.
If the parent is incarcerated or
residing in a residential mental health or drug treatment facility and
the parent wishes to serve as the special education parent, arrangements
can be made to obtain necessary signatures and a parent may participate
in IEP meetings through telephone conferencing. The DCS Specialist may
be asked for information as to the parent’s whereabouts, but the LEA
has responsibility for getting the parent's participation.
Decision: Does the kinship foster caregiver or foster parent serve as the IDEA parent (aka special education parent)?
To determine if the child’s kinship foster caregiver or foster parent will act as the special education parent when:
- the parent’s special education rights have been suspended by the court; or
- the identity or whereabouts of the parent are unknown; or
- parental rights have been terminated:
- answer the following questions:
- Is the kinship foster caregiver or foster parent willing and able to act as the special education parent?
- Does
the DCS Specialist anticipate that the child will reside with the
kinship foster caregiver or foster parent for the duration of the school
year?
- If the DCS Specialist anticipates that the
child will be moving to another placement, is the kinship foster
caregiver or foster parent willing to attend surrogate parent training
and be appointed by ADE or the court as the surrogate parent for the
child (in order to be the IDEA parent when the child no longer lives
with him/her)?
Decision: Does a surrogate parent need to be appointed to serve as the IDEA parent (aka special education parent)?
To determine if a surrogate parent is needed to serve as the child’s special education parent, answer the following questions:
- Is the identity or whereabouts of a parent unknown?
- Have the parental rights been terminated?
- Has the court suspended the parent’s educational rights or appointed a legal guardian?
- Does the child
currently reside in a shelter, group care or residential placement and
the parent is not attempting to serve as the special education parent?
- Is the kinship foster caregiver or foster parent unwilling to be the special education parent?
- If the DCS Specialist anticipates that the
child will be moving or has moved to another placement (such as a
shelter, group or residential placement), is the kinship foster
caregiver or foster parent willing to attend surrogate parent training
and be appointed by ADE or the court as the surrogate parent for the
child?
Implementation
Enrollment in School
Any time a child enters an out-of-home placement, or is moved
to a new out-of-home placement, the DCS Specialist should ensure that
the child is enrolled in school as soon as possible. School age children
placed in kinship care, foster care or group care should be enrolled in
school within 5 days of the date of placement. School age children
placed in an emergency shelter or an emergency receiving foster home
should be enrolled in school within 5 days from the date of placement or
the date the Department determines that the child will remain in the
shelter facility. Schools should make every effort to enroll foster
children, even if the foster child’s records (including a birth
certificate and those dealing with immunizations) or clothing normally
required for school enrollment are not available. The DCS Specialist
should contact the LEA liaison if he/she learns of problems in this
area.
When a child requires an out-of-home placement or a
subsequent change in placement, and the placement is outside the
boundaries of the child's home school (or the school currently
attending) or district, the DCS Specialist , in coordination with the
LEA, should determine if it is in the best interest of the child to
remain in his/her home (or current) school or district (aka HSD or home
school) or to attend the local school where the child is in placement.
In making this determination, the DCS Specialist will need to consider:
- the safety of the child;
- the wishes of the parent, caregiver and child;
- the distance and time for the child to travel to and from the school he/she is attending at the time of placement;;
- projected duration of out-of-home placement;
- the child’s academic, developmental, and socialization needs;
- the effect a school change will have on the child's learning; and
- for high school students, any potential for
loss of credits which may occur due to changing schools in the middle of
a term or semester.
If the DCS Specialist determines it
is in the child’s best interest to be enrolled in the local school where
the foster parent resides, the DCS Specialist should give the
out-of-home caregiver the Notice to Providers (Out-of-home, Education,
and Medical), CSO-1035A and request that the out-of-home caregiver
enroll the child immediately.
OBTAINING SCHOOL RECORDS
When a child, age three or older, requires an out-of-home
placement, it is the responsibility of the DCS Specialist to obtain the
child’s educational records. In order to obtain the educational
records, the initial court documents filed by the Assistant Attorney
General will include a proposed Order to Release Education Records for
each child in the case age three or older.
The DCS Specialist should provide a copy of the signed order
and a letter requesting educational records to the school the child
currently attends or will be attending or the previous early
intervention (AzEIP) provider.
To expedite this process the DCS Specialist should:
- Locate the name of the school/principal, phone number, facsimile number and address of any public school by utilizing Arizona Department of Education Website .
- Address the letter to: Principal/school registrar at (name and address of school) if the principal’s name is still unknown.
- Fax the Order and letter or deliver the Order and letter in person to the school office.
- Contact the school office to see when the records will be available.
When the DCS Specialist receives the education records, review the records to determine:
- if the child was evaluated for special education services; and
- if special education services were recommended
or rendered (look for documentation that would indicate Individual
Education Program (IEP), Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP),
Adapted Physical Education (PE), Low Vision, Orientation and Mobility or
Functional Behavioral Assessment).
- The child’s previous grades, attendance,
special interests/talents, extracurricular activities, educational and
discipline issues.
Within 5 days of receipt, provide education records or
relevant information to the out-of-home caregiver and, upon request,
provide copies of the records to the CASA, Guardian ad litem (GAL),
FCRB, attorneys in the case and others specified in the Order relating
to release of education records.
To obtain early intervention records for children under
three, contact the AzEIP Service Coordinator to coordinate the release
of records. The special education parent must consent to sharing
records with the DCS Specialist as there is no applicable court order.
The AzEIP Service Coordinator and the DCS Specialist should
collaborate to obtain consent. When consent can not be obtained, a
court order is required.
ENSURING EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS OF THE CHILD IN OUT-OF HOME-CARE
The DCS Specialist should:
- Cooperate with the out-of-home caregiver to ensure adequate communication with the child's school.
- Make every
reasonable effort to ensure that appointments, visits and other
non-school related activities are scheduled during non-school hours
whenever possible. Examples of reasonable efforts include but are not
limited to:
- schedule (and arrange transportation to)
visitation between the child and his/her family including parents and
siblings during non-school hours;
- identify health care providers and other service providers who have extended office hours (see CMDP website);
- requesting any provider to make appointments prior to or after school hours;
- for
a child(ren) who wishes to attend a court hearing (particularly older
youth), consult with the child’s attorney and/or the assigned Assistant
Attorney General to make a request that the court schedule the hearing
after the child’s school hours.
- When a child
requires special education evaluation and/or services, collaborate with
AzEIP (for children under three) or the LEA (for children three and
older) to ensure that a special education parent is determined and
advocate that the special education parent makes a referral to AzEIP
(for children birth to three) or to the child’s LEA (for children three
and older) to evaluate and/or meet the child's special education needs.
- Maintain contact
with the kinship foster caregiver or foster parent, school staff, and
special parent to obtain school information.
- After being invited, attend IEP/IFSP meetings as an interested party.
- Attend meetings or conferences related to the child's education.
- Encourage the
out-of-home caregiver to take the lead role in monitoring and advocating
for services to meet the child's educational needs. Assist the
out-of-home caregiver in this role if needed.
- At the end of each
academic year, the DCS Specialist shall obtain the child’s school
records to ensure the education record remains current.
- Commend the child who is doing well in school.
- Ensure that
parents, whose rights have not been terminated (and where safety is not
an issue and it is in the child’s best interest), are informed of and
involved in their child’s educational services to the greatest extent
possible.
- Monitor
the child's educational status by requesting updates from the
out-of-home caregiver and the child (if verbal) during monthly contacts
and at the time of case plan staffings. Request that the out-of-home
caregiver supply a copy of awards earned, the child's report card and
any other significant records when received, i.e., IEP, IFSP and
discipline records.
- Prior to and
during the case plan staffings, provide family and service team members
comprehensive information on the educational status of the child and the
service and support needs of the out-of-home caregiver in relation to
the child's education. Elicit the comments and recommendations of the
family and service team members, and reach consensus, whenever possible,
on the outcomes, tasks and services required to meet the child's
educational needs. Ensure that all team members know their roles with
regard to the child’s educational issues. See Developing and Reassessing the Family-Centered Case Plan .
- Notify the
child's LEA if a child will no longer attend the school or is expected
to be absent from school more than ten days due to change in residence,
emergency shelter, hospitalization or run away status.
NEED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATION AND/OR SERVICES
The DCS Specialist should work co-operatively with the LEA
to ensure a parent as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, IDEA, (also known as special education parent)
participates in all decision-making regarding special education
evaluation and/or special education services.
The DCS Specialist should provide input to the LEA or
charter school. A special education parent should be identified using
the Department’s preference order:
- biological or adoptive parent of a child;
- a court appointed guardian (but not the State or an employee of a contractor of the State);
- a foster parent or kinship foster caregiver;
- a surrogate parent appointed by the ADE or the court.
A request for an initial evaluation can come from the special
education parent of the child, state education agency, other state
agency or local education agency. Consent by the special education is
required to gather additional data in the evaluation process and for the
initial provision of special education services.
To ensure the timely appointment of a special education parent, the DCS Specialist must:
- Work collaboratively with the LEA.
- Provide necessary identifying information about the parent (name, address, phone number) to the LEA.
- Inform the LEA whether the parent’s identity or whereabouts are unknown.
- Inform and discuss with the parent their right to be the special education parent unless:
- Parental rights are terminated.
- The whereabouts of the parents are unknown.
- A judge suspends the parent’s educational rights.
- The
Department has an order addressing non-cooperation or refusal to be
involved on the part of the parent, or a no contact order.
- The
Department or LEA files a motion with the court to suspend a parent’s
special education rights and to authorize the appointment of another
individual to serve as the special education parent. (NOTE: This
language should be in all initial orders after March 2007 for the
following examples.)
- Termination of parental rights is planned.
- The parent’s participation as the special education parent would be detrimental to the health and safety of the child.
- The
parent or the parent’s attorney has informed the LEA or the Department
that the parent will not serve as the special education parent.
If the parent is not eligible to act as the special
education parent, determine if the kinship foster caregiver or foster
parent is willing and able to act as the special education parent.
In making this determination, the DCS Specialist must anticipate
whether the child is likely to remain in or move from the current
placement during the current school year. If the child will be moving
to another placement during the current school year, the kinship foster
caregiver or foster parent should be willing and able to remain the
child’s special education parent as an approved surrogate parent
appointed by ADE or the court. The kinship foster caregiver or foster
parent must have the willingness and ability to:
- review all of the child’s relevant records and reports;
- participate in developing the child’s IEP or IFSP and attend other education-related meetings;
- represent the child in any mediation or appeal proceedings;
- monitor the child’s progress; and
- adhere to confidentiality requirements.
If, after considering the factors delineated above, it is
determined that the kinship foster caregiver or foster parent, with whom
the child resides, should serve as the special education parent, the
DCS Specialist should:
- Make this recommendation to the LEA.
- If the LEA agrees with this recommendation,
and the identity and whereabouts of the parent is known, contact the
Assistant Attorney General to determine if a court order has already
been entered to address the situation or to obtain a court order
approving the kinship foster caregiver or foster parent as the special
education parent. No court order is needed if the identity and/or
whereabouts of the parent or guardian are unknown.
- If the child changes placements and the
kinship foster caregiver or foster parent wishes to remain the special
education parent, he/she must be approved by ADE as eligible to be a
surrogate parent and be appointed by ADE or the court as the child’s
surrogate parent in order to continue serving as the child’s special
education parent.
Kinship foster caregivers or foster
parents who are interested in attending voluntary training in their role
as the special education parent, should contact the Arizona Department
of Education’s (ADE) Exceptional Student Services, Parent Information
Network (PIN) at 602-542-3852. Contact information for the PIN
Specialists (by county) may also be found at the
website
A surrogate parent must be
appointed when a biological or adoptive parent, kinship foster caregiver
or foster parent, or a court appointed legal guardian (but not the
State) is not available to act as the special education parent and a
child in out-of-home care requires evaluation for or special education
services.
- When a surrogate parent is required, the LEA
must contact ADE to obtain a list of approved surrogate parents. To
obtain the list or to obtain a copy of the ADE policies on surrogate
parent appointment, contact ADE/Exceptional Student Services (ESS) at
602-542-4013. The Department prefers that the surrogate parent be
someone who knows the child well: for example, a relative, a person who
has a significant relationship with the child, a previous kinship foster
caregiver or foster parent, or a CASA. An employee of a shelter or
another emergency placement may temporarily serve as a surrogate parent.
However, in this event, the LEA must immediately begin the process of
appointing a surrogate parent.
- When sending interested adults to ADE to be certified as a surrogate parent, refer an individual who has the ability to:
- Review all of the child’s relevant records and reports.
- Participate in developing the child’s IEP or IFSP and attend other education meetings.
- Represent the child in any mediation or appeal proceedings.
- Monitor the child’s progress.
- Adhere to confidentiality requirements.
- All approved surrogate parents must:
- Be available, capable and willing to act as a surrogate parent for a particular child:
- Have a fingerprint clearance card.
- Have surrogate parent training.
- Be appointed by the Court or ADE to act as the surrogate parent.
- Have no personal or professional conflict of interest with the child.
- Once the LEA has selected a possible
surrogate, the LEA representative must seek appointment of a surrogate
parent with the ADE or the court.
When a biological or adoptive parent is willing to serve
as the special education parent but the LEA Representative or the DCS
Specialist determines it is not in the best interest of the child (i.e.
termination of parental rights is planned, the parent’s participation
as the special education parent would be detrimental to the health and
safety of the child), the DCS Specialist should:
- obtain the name, address and telephone number of the possible surrogate parent and the LEA Representative;
- contact the Assistant Attorney General and
request that a motion and order for appointment of a special education
parent be filed with the court using the form Motion for the Appointment
of IDEA/Surrogate Parent (CT01500); and
- provide the necessary name and address of the
possible surrogate parent, LEA Representative and out-of-home caregiver
to the Assistant Attorney General.
- The Assistant
Attorney General will ensure that a copy of this motion and any proposed
order is provided to all parties in the dependency proceeding, to the
possible surrogate parent, the out-of-home caregiver and the LEA
Representative.
- The names and addresses of the LEA
Representative, the out-of-home caregiver and the surrogate parent shall
only be omitted from the motion (or any other filings) if there is a
“no-contact” order issued by a court or, in the opinion of the Assistant
Attorney General, after consultation with the DCS Specialist and/or
the LEA representative, there is a need to protect this information.
- If
this information is not provided in the court filings, the DCS
Specialist has the responsibility to ensure that all filings (including
orders) as to this issue are copied to the LEA Representative, the
out-of-home caregiver and the possible or appointed surrogate parent.
When a child moves from one out-of-home placement to another
placement, including a move to or from foster care to RTC, the DCS
Specialist should notify the surrogate parent and the LEA about the
child’s move and provide the surrogate parent with the name, address and
phone number of the new out-of-home caregiver, group home or RTC.
Termination of Surrogate Parent Anointment
If the surrogate parent was appointed by a court, after
consulting with the LEA, consider requesting that the court terminate
the appointment of the surrogate parent if there is not already a court
order addressing the following issues:
- The child is returned to a parent;
- Special education services are no longer necessary;
- The biological parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian becomes available and is willing to serve;
- The child turns 18 years of age;
- The child is no longer a ward of the court; or
- The surrogate parent is not adequately representing the interests of the child.
Consult with your Assistant Attorney General to determine if a
surrogate parent order exists that provides for the termination to
occur upon one of the above listed changes in circumstances.
For ADE surrogate appointments, refer to ADE polices and
procedures. To obtain the ADE policies and procedures, contact
ADE/Exceptional Student Services (ESS) at 602-542-4013
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES (AzEIP) FOR CHILDREN UNDER THREE
See Referring a Child to the
Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP),
- for information on referring a child with a suspected disability or delay;
- when support and services are indicated for eligible children (with disabilities and developmental delays) and their families;
- regarding procedures for identifying an IDEA parent (also known as special education parent) for eligible children.
HEAD START
All children, ages zero to three, who are placed in
out-of-home care, are eligible for Early Head Start. All children, ages
four to five, who are placed in out-of-home care, are eligible for Head
Start.
- Eligibility does not ensure enrollment. Space in Head Start programs is limited.
- Enrollment is based on:
- availability of the service; and
- a first come first served basis. To maximize a child’s probability of service, make an application as early as possible.
- For a list of contact information for Early Head Start and Head Start Programs, visit the website and refer to the Arizona Head Start Association’s annual report.
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER PLACEMENT
When a child is placed in a residential treatment center (RTC) with an on-site school, the:
- DCS Specialist or Behavioral Health
Specialist must provide the RTC with child and parent information
including the child’s DOB, grade, last school attended, SAIS number (if
known) and the parent’s name, address and phone number. This
information will assist in determining the child’s home school or
district(HSD).
- RTC will complete the Initial Education Voucher and submit the voucher to the child’s LEA within 5 days of placement.
- The HSD shall conduct an evaluation to
determine if the child is eligible for special education services. For
students who have previously been determined eligible for special
education services, a review of the student’s IEP must be conducted.
Either procedure must be completed within the first 60 days of
placement.
- The LEA will complete an evaluation, or for
students who have previously been determined eligible for special
education services, a review of educational placement, within 60 days of
placement.
- The LEA will submit a Home School District Voucher Application packet to the Arizona Department of Education.
- If the child’s RTC placement is expected to
continue into the next school year, the RTC will initiate the Continuing
Education Voucher Application.
If a child is eligible for special education services and an
LEA through the IEP process determines that a child in out-of-home care
may need to be placed in an RTC on-ground school for educational
purposes, the LEA must determine if the child is currently receiving
behavioral health services through a RBHA. If the child is not currently
enrolled with a RBHA, the school will make a referral for a
comprehensive behavioral health evaluation. In both situations, an IEP
meeting will be convened and include a RBHA representative.
When a child requires continued or ongoing educational placement in an RTC setting the DCS Specialist should:
- Participate in all education staffings.
- Work with the home school district and RTC
prior to child’s discharge from RTC to plan as smooth a transition as
possible into the public school and to collaborate regarding the
appropriate discharge date.
- Terminate RTC placements made for educational
purposes only after an IEP team is convened and a review determines that
termination of residential placement is appropriate.
Documentation
Enter the child's educational status and any significant
educational history or needs into the Participant Education Detail and
Participant Special Education Condition windows. Update the Participant
Education Detail and Participant Special Education Condition windows
whenever the child changes schools, or is diagnosed with a special
education condition. Prior to each case plan staffing, request updated
information on the child's educational status and needs, and update the
Participant Education Detail and Participant Special Education Condition
windows.
Document the outcomes, tasks, services, and supports
identified prior to and during the case plan staffing to meet the
child's educational needs in the Case Plan under Child's Needs,
Supports, and Services. Provide explanations associated with any of the
outcomes, tasks, services, or supports to serve as the child's
education plans.
In the Case Plan under Child's Needs, Supports, and Services,
specify whether the child is attending the home school or district, and
if not, provide an explanation.
File copies of the child's educational records in the hard copy case record.
File a copy of the child’s Medical Summary Report in the hard
copy file to document that the form was provided and reviewed with the
out-of-home caregiver
Document the discussion of the child's educational status and needs with the out-of-home caregiver using the Case Notes window.
Document the plan for collaborating to ensure the child is
provided services to help the child achieve his or her educational
potential in the Case Plan under Child's Needs, Supports, and Services.
When a child must change schools due to entry into
out-of-home care, or to a subsequent placement change, document the
following information using the Key Issues case note type:
- agency efforts made to keep the child in the same school;
- the reason it was not in the child's best interests to remain in the same school; and
- any delay in enrolling the child in or transferring the child's educational records to the new school.
Keep copies of all Individual Education Plans and other educational reports in the hard copy record.
Document notification to the school that a child is withdrawn
or expected to be absent from school using the Case Notes window
designated as Collateral Contact type.
Effective Date: February 6, 2018
Revision History: November 30, 2012
Chapter 3: Section 10.1
Aging & Adult Services
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Department of Child Safety (DCS) shall refer to Adult Protective Services (APS):
- reports involving adults, 18 years or older, who are in danger of abuse, neglect or exploitation;
- reports of spousal abuse, when there are no children in the home;
- young
adults who are in need of protection and who are no longer eligible for
foster care due to graduation from high school or age; and
- parents
of dependent children who are consented to the adoption of a child or
upon whom a termination of parental rights petition has been filed, if
the parents themselves are in danger of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Central
Intake Unit: All information regarding adults in need of protective
services, 24-hours, are referred to the Adult Protective Services
Hotline @ 1-877-767-2385 (SOS-ADULT). If information is provided to
Hotline staff that the reported individual is in imminent harm, the
caller will be advised to call 9-1-1, or Hotline staff will place the
call to ensure law enforcement receives the information.
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Implementation
Refer young
adults who are preparing to leave foster care and require continued
protection to Adult Protective Services at least six months before the
termination of foster care services.
Provide APS
with necessary documentation and participate in case conferences to
plan for the transition of case management responsibilities.
If disagreements arise regarding case management responsibilities, conduct a case conference that includes:
- the DCS Specialist and Aging and Adult Administration (AAA) intake worker;
- their supervisors; and
- the Regional Program Administrator and AAA Program Supervisor, or designees, as necessary.
The case conference may be conducted in person or by telephone.
If consensus is not reached,
refer the situation to the DCS and AAA Program Deputy Directors for
resolution within one working day.
Documentation
Document the case conference using the Case Notes window designated as Case Conference type.
Effective Date::November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 10.2
Services for Incarcerated Parents
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Reunification
services shall be provided to a parent who is incarcerated and a party
to a dependency case unless the court relieves the Department of the
responsibility to provide services based on a finding of aggravating
circumstances.
The
Department of Child Safety shall communicate with incarcerated parents
and appropriate correctional service staff to inform them of case plan,
service needs, and to determine what reunification services may be
provided at the correctional facility. If available, reunification
services may be provided by the correctional facility if the inmate is
eligible and allowed by Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC)
regulations. Otherwise, the Department must provide reunification
services if allowed by ADC regulations.
The parent, to the extent possible, shall participate in case plan staffings, visitation, and services.
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Determining appropriate reunification services
If the court has ordered reunification services, consider the following questions:
- What services
are necessary to achieve a permanency goal of family reunification and
which of those services can the parent receive while incarcerated?
- What tasks need
to be completed to facilitate the parent’s participation in case plan
staffings, court and Foster Care Review Board hearings and other
activities associated with the case?
- Can the planning meetings and visitation between the parent and child be held in the correctional facility?
- What arrangements need to be made with the correctional facility in order to ensure parent/child visits occur?
- Is
the caregiver willing to transport the child to the facility for
visitation with the parent? Can the DCS Specialist help alleviate any
anxieties they may have?
- Does the
location of the correctional facility substantially hinder visitation
between the child and parent? If so, how can the team address this
barrier?
- Does the
security status of the parent prevent visitation between the parent and
child? If so, is there any opportunity for flexibility at the
correctional facility? If not, can phone calls and mail be used as a
means to ensure child-parent interaction?
- Has the parent or any other team member requested or has the court ordered contact with the child?
- Will lack of contact between the child and parent compromise achievement of the case plan goal?
- Has a mental health professional indicated that visitation between the parent and child would be detrimental to the child?
- If contact
between the parent and child is not appropriate or feasible, can the
parent-child relationship be maintained in other ways?
- What/who can assist the parent to maintain or establish a parental relationship?
Provide the parent with the name and addresses for the court and their assigned attorney handling the dependency proceedings.
Notify the parent of court and
Foster Care Review Board hearings and case plan staffings, and make
certain his/her voice and perspective are represented during these
hearings and staffings.
Invite the parent and, whenever possible, facilitate the parent’s participation in case plan staffings.
Contact the correctional
service facility staff to arrange for the parent to participate in case
plan staffings and Foster Care Review Board hearings telephonically or
in person.
Develop a family intervention and a
contact and visitation plan
with the parent. Consider the following factors when developing the
visitation plan: age of the child, distance to the prison, the potential
impact of in-person prison visits on the child, and appropriateness of
the parent/child during previous visits.
Ensure the parent is fully
aware of the case plan tasks that must be completed to maintain the
parent-child relationship, to facilitate family reunification and the
consequences if the parent fails to complete the tasks. Provide a copy
of the case plan to the parent.
To obtain services for a parent
who is incarcerated at the ADC, contact with the parent’s Correctional
Officer III. Coordinate contact between the parent and the Correctional
Officer III. For those parents detained in county jail facilities,
contact the program coordinator.
Make a written request for
available services in the prison facility. If services are not
available, request permission for the Department to provide on-site
reunification services to the parent. Request any assessments,
evaluations, or other information to further explore service needs as
appropriate.
Request the parent complete a release of information with ADC to share the results of any assessments or evaluations.
Complete
the Authorization to Disclose Health Information (CSO-1038A) to allow
the agencies to share information regarding mental health and/or
substance abuse treatment for a parent participating in these services.
Request from the parent and/or Correctional Officer III confirmation of the parent’s participation in services.
In carrying out the visitation
plan, consult your supervisor if restrictions or concerns regarding
in-person prison visitations arise. If the child is being negatively
impacted by in-person prison visits, consult with a psychologist to
assist in determining the appropriateness of continuing the visits. If
it is determined the visitation is detrimental to the child and not in
the child’s best interests, facilitate the parent/ child relationships
through other means such as letters, phone calls, gifts, etc.
If reunification services are not required
Discuss with the assigned
Assistant Attorney General whether the parent’s criminal history and
length of incarceration might justify pursuing an order waiving
reunification services and/or pursuing a permanency goal other than
reunification with the incarcerated parent.
While seeking an order waiving
reunification services based on aggravating circumstances, will the lack
of or discontinuation of services compromise implementation of another
permanent plan for the child, especially adoption?
If reunification services will
not enable the parent to adequately address the risk factors within a
time frame that meets the permanency needs of the child, consult with
your supervisor and the assigned Attorney General regarding filing a
motion with the court requesting a judicial finding that reunification
services not be provided. This consultation may occur as early as the
filing of the dependency petition. Continue to provide reunification
services until the court relieves the Department of this responsibility.
If a decision is made to file such a motion, the report to the court should specifically address:
- the aggravating circumstance you believe exists, justifying why services should be discontinued;
- specific supportive facts regarding your conclusion;
- a discussion of:
- the
age of the child and the relationship between the child’s age and the
likelihood that incarceration will deprive the child of a permanent
living arrangement;
- the relationship of the child and parent prior to incarceration;
- the degree to which the parent-child relationship can be continued and nurtured during incarceration;
- the effect of deprivation of parental presence on the child;
- the nature of the felony;
- the length of the sentence;
- the availability of another parent or caregiver to provide a normal home life.
If the court enters an order the Department is not required to provide reunification services, implement another
permanent plan for the child .
Pima County Adult Detention Clearance
To request clearance to visit inmates at the Pima County Adult Detention Center (PCADC), complete the following:
- Cover letter addressed to Sgt. Binnion and signed by your supervisor.
- Pima County Adult Detention Center, Cleared Corrections Visitor (CCV) Request Form
- Review the Professional Visitation Guidelines Sheet
Upon completion, deliver
the signed cover letter and CCV Request Form to the front desk at PCADC.
Expect to be cleared to visit inmates within 2-3 days.
Once cleared, that clearance will elapse at the end of one year unless a request is resubmitted.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 10.3
Dually Adjudicated Youth Services
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The Department
shall work in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Juvenile
Corrections (ADJC) and County Juvenile Probation (JPO) when a youth has
been dually adjudicated.
The Department
shall participate in staffings jointly with ADJC, including the
transition staffing conducted prior to the youth’s discharge from a
secured facility if the child is in the custody of the Department of
Child Safety (DCS) or if filing a dependency petition.
Cases that
include youth who are in the care, custody and control of DCS and are
either detained or incarcerated must remain open.
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Case Management Coordination
Notify ADJC in writing prior to filing a dependency petition. Notify the Program Manager or designee of the dependency petition.
- Participate in
any ADJC transition staffing or other meeting concerning the youth (this
includes a youth who is incarcerated in juvenile detention, in a
community placement or placed with the parent or legal guardian).
- When
participating in the ADJC transition staffing or any other meetings,
discuss placement, education, therapeutic and medical needs and the
transition plan. If a dependency is to be filed, the DCS Specialist
must attend the staffing.
- Include the ADJC representative and/or parole/probation officer in all case plan staffings.
- In conjunction
with the ADJC staff, develop a case plan for the youth’s care in the
community prior to his/her discharge from a secured facility. Ensure
each agency’s responsibilities are identified in the case plan.
- Monitor progress
made towards the case plan permanency goal through regular
communication with the assigned ADJC representative and/or
parole/probation officer.
For children incarcerated or detained:
- Coordinate with
ADJC or the detention facility to ensure the youth’s medical needs are
met (medical appointments completed/conditions treated).
- If applicable, coordinate with ADJC or the detention facility for medication when a youth is detained.
- Ensure the ADJC
representative or parole officer and/or juvenile detention receives a
copy of the youth’s Medical Summary Report.
- Coordinate
and communicate with ADJC, the detention facility, and/or the parole or
probation officer the mental health needs and the assigned RBHA
provider for the youth.
- Notify the ADJC representative and/or parole or juvenile detention of youth’s medical condition and any need for medication.
- Sign for receipt of any medications for the youth upon release from secure care.
Notify ADJC staff of any surrogate parent.
When appropriate, attend all review of placement hearings including those related to the delinquency petition.
Attend IEP and other school
meetings and appointments when necessary. Complete and send educational
vouchers. Ensure IEP’s are current, particularly during transition to a
new placement. Ensure ADJC staff receives copy of the IEP.
When communicating with the ADJC representative and/or parole/ probation officer, include any observations regarding:
- the child and child’s family;
- school attendance including progress or suspension;
- placement change recommendations;
- case plan progress, and;
- authorized contacts with child including sibling visitation.
Ensure the ADJC representative (parole) or probation officer receives copies of provider reports.
Assist in locating a community
placement for the youth when appropriate and provide that placement with
required information. If the child is released to DCS, assess the
child’s placement needs and make a placement according to Out-of-Home
Care Under a Dependency .
Engage the parent and all other
pertinent family members in services in an effort to enable the family
to care for the child without DCS involvement.
Transition Planning
For children on probation:
- Coordinate and
communicate with juvenile probation to ensure the youth’s medical needs,
including behavioral health care, are met.
- Ensure the juvenile probation officer receives a copy of the youth’s Medical Summary report.
- Contact a Mental
Health Specialist to discuss the mental health needs and the assigned
RBHA provider for the youth. The Mental Health Specialist will
coordinate a MDCT staffing .
- Contact the Mental Health Specialist to arrange an MDCT staffing .
- Invite representatives from ADJC to participate in a transition planning meeting.
- Encourage external mental health providers to participate once youth is discharged from a secure facility.
Documentation
File a copy of the written notification to ADJC regarding the filing of a petition in the hard copy record.
Effective Date: November 30, 2012
Revision History:
Chapter 3: Section 11
Aftercare Planning and Services
Prior
to closing an investigation or ongoing services case, the Department
shall engage with the family to determine if there are any protective
factors or protective capacities that can be enhanced in order to
strengthen the family and reduce the risk of future child abuse or
neglect.
The Department
will assist the family to develop an aftercare plan to strengthen family
functioning and reduce risk of abuse or neglect.
The Department will provide the family with information about accessing resources to implement the aftercare plan.
The Department will provide a written copy of the aftercare plan to the family.
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Prior
to closing an investigation or ongoing services case, meet with the
child’s parents or guardians, and children age six and older, to develop
an aftercare plan. Consider including people who provide positive
support to the child and family, such as relatives, kin, other community
supports, and service providers. Aftercare planning can occur during
individual conversations and/or in team meetings, such as case plan
staffings, Team Decision Making meetings, or Child and Family Team
meetings.
To develop the aftercare plan, engage with the family to complete the following:
- Based on
information gathered during the Family Functioning Assessment, identify
areas in which the family may need support. Consider current needs and
anticipated future needs, which, if unaddressed, could lead to future
child abuse or neglect.
- Encourage the family to identify worries they have about the future.
- Discuss each of the factors from the Protective Factors Framework:
- parental resilience,
- social connections,
- concrete supports in times of need,
- knowledge of parenting and child development, and
- social and emotional competence of children.
- Identify any
protective factors or protective capacities that can be enhanced to
strengthen the family and reduce the risk of future abuse or neglect,
and the specific parent/guardian, child, or family behaviors or
characteristics to be enhanced.
- Create a plan to
enhance the specific behaviors or characteristics. The plan will
include a description of each identified need, and the steps the
parent/guardian can take to address the need. If applicable, the plan
will identify the specific service provider(s), including contact
information and the date, time, and location of any upcoming
appointments.
- With the family,
identify existing strengths and resources that can be used or developed
to strengthen the family’s protective factors and/or the
parent/guardian’s protective capacities.
- Identify
services that are being provided to the family now, and consider whether
they will or should continue after DCS case closure. If needed, help
the family to transition to another funding source or provider so that
the services can continue.
When appropriate or necessary,
help the family access services by explaining eligibility requirements,
filling out forms, or introducing them to an individual who can help
them negotiate getting access to the services they need (such as an
intake worker at the service agency).
On the
Aftercare Plan,
(CSO-1349) document the specific behaviors or characteristics to be
enhanced, the resources or services to address each behavior or
characteristic, and contact information for service agencies or
individuals. Provide the family with a written copy of the Aftercare
Plan. Whenever possible, the written plan should be reviewed with the
family to answer their questions, promote understanding, and encourage
follow-through with the plan.
Additionally, complete the following according to the type of case being closed:
- Investigation
case – If the case is closing at the end of an investigation without
provision of ongoing services, provide a community resource list to the
family, including the parent help line. As appropriate to the family’s
circumstances, also provide information on safe sleep for babies, how to
parent teenagers, why spanking does not work, and crisis services. All
cases that are closed at investigation must be closed within 60 days of
receipt of the report.
- In-home services
case (voluntary or court-involved) – Communicate with any service
providers currently working with the family to determine if they have or
will be completing a Protective Factors survey. Base the aftercare
plan on the results of their assessment.
- Reunification
– At least thirty days before case closure , discuss aftercare planning
and services. Provide the parents with information, documents, and
resources to meet the child(ren)’s identified needs in these areas:
physical health, mental and behavioral health (including substance
abuse, if applicable), social and emotional development, and education.
- Young
Adult – Involve the youth throughout the aftercare planning process.
Provide information to the young adult regarding health insurance,
support for continuing education, Transitional Independent Living
Program (TILP ) services, the re-entry process into DCS supervised
services after exiting care at age 18 years or older, and other concrete
and social sources of support such as mentor programs, work force
supports, or employment services. As needed, review and revise the
transition plan. If not previously provided, give the young adult a
certified copy of their birth certificate, Social Security card, state
identification card (unless ineligible to receive), and a copy of
his/her education and health record. See Preparing Youth for Age of Majority: Voluntary Foster Care and Discharge Planning for additional information.
Documentation
Document
in the Case Notes window all meetings to engage with the family to
develop the aftercare plan, including the names and roles of people
involved; needs identified by the family; existing strengths, resources,
and services; and the identified protective capacities and/or
protective factors the can be enhanced to reduce risk of future abuse or
neglect.
Document in the Case Notes window:
- the information provided to the family about accessing resources to implement the aftercare plan;
- when appropriate
the family’s circumstances, information provided to the family on safe
sleep for babies, how to parent teenagers, why spanking does not work,
and crisis services;
- information,
documents, and resources provided to parents to meet the children’s
identified physical health, behavioral health, developmental, and
educational needs; and
- information
provided to a young adult about services available to him/her, and any
documents or records provided to him/her, such as birth certificate,
social security card, state identification card, and education and
health records.
On the Aftercare Plan
(CSO-1349A), document the specific behaviors or characteristics to be
enhanced, the resources or services to address each behavior or
characteristic, and contact information for service agencies or
individuals.
Attach a copy of the completed
Aftercare Plan (CSO-1349A) form to a case note. In the aftercare plan
narrative box of the Case Closure window, document the date and time of
the case note where the Aftercare Plan (CSO-1349A) can be found.
If the case is ready to close following documentation of the aftercare plan, refer to
Case Closure for additional requirements.
Supervisors
During supervisory case
progress review meetings, confirm that the DCS Specialist has discussed
aftercare planning with the family if the case is nearing closure.
Confirm that the aftercare plan adequately addresses the family’s needs
as identified in the Child Safety and Risk Assessment or the Continuous
Child Safety and Risk Assessment, and discussion with the family and
team members. Prior to approving a case closure, ensure the aftercare
planning discussion and the Aftercare Plan (CSO-1349A) have been
documented in the electronic case record.
Effective Date: February 6, 2018
Revision History: November 30, 2012, June 12, 2017
