Overview of Crawford County Children and Youth Services

Rules and Regulations Children and Youth is governed by a multitude of government rules and regulations: Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) Juvenile Act Juvenile Court Rules Adoption Safe Families Act (ASFA) PA Code Title 55 Chapter 3130 PA Code Title 55 Chapter 3490 PA Code Title 55 Chapter 3680 Act 101 Department of Public Welfare Bulletins

How a report if followed through the Agency…

Types of Investigations GPS:General Protective Services Investigation (neglect) – For GPS investigations the worker is assigned a time frame of Immediate to 7-10 calendar days to see the child and begin the investigation. – The worker has up to 60 days to complete a GPS investigation.

Types of Investigations CPS:Child Protective Services Investigation (abuse) – For CPS investigations the worker is sent out immediately to see the child and begin the investigation. – The worker has days to complete a CPS investigation

Investigation Process Throughout the investigation process, the primary objective is : 1.To determine if abuse or neglect has occurred. 2.To make a determination regarding the family’s need for ongoing services. twofold

At the initial home visit the intake worker is expected to: Inform the family of the specifics of the report Begin to gather information regarding allegations and the six domains. Make the client aware of the agency’s authority and the services that it has to offer Conduct a safety and risk assessment Develop a Safety Plan with the family if necessary

GPS Process For a GPS investigation initial contact is made through an announced or unannounced home visit with the identified child(ren) and primary caregiver(s) by the assigned intake worker. The time frame is based on the level of risk of abuse or neglect, imminence of danger threats and safety of the children assigned at the time the call is received. The time frames assigned to a GPS are as follow: Immediate Priority (within 24 hours) Expedited (within 3-7 calendar days) General/Other (within 7-10 calendar days)

accept reject Cases are not to remain open in intake longer than 60 days before a decision is made to accept or reject the case for on going services. There are three determinations that can be made for a GPS case in intake: Screened out Rejected for services Accepted for services

Screened Out In order for a case to be determined screened out the intake worker must: Have completed only one home visit with the family. Have made the determination that the report was without merit. Have completed a safety assessment and determined the children to be safe. Have all paperwork associated with the case completed and handed in to the supervisor within 72 hours of receipt of the referral.

Rejected for Services In order for a case to be determined rejected for services the intake worker must: Have completed at least one home visit with the family. Have made a determination regarding the referral: The report had merit but the family does not require services to deal with the issue. The report did not have merit. Have a risk assessment that rates the family’s overall risk of abuse and/or neglect as low (L) to none (Z). Have a safety assessment that rates the children as safe. Have all paperwork associated with the case completed and handed in to the supervisor within 60 days of receipt of the referral.

Accepted for Services In order for a case to be determined accepted for services the intake worker must: Have completed at least one home visit with the family. Have made a determination regarding the referral: The report had merit and the family requires services to deal with the identified issues. The report did not have merit but the family is requesting services. Have all paperwork associated with the case completed and handed in to the supervisor within 60 days of receipt of the referral.

CPS Process For a CPS investigation initial contact is made through an announced or unannounced home visit with the victim and primary caregivers of the victim by the assigned intake worker… Immediately if safety cannot be assessed and established from the referral information or Within 24 hours if safety can be assessed and established through the referral information.

accept reject Cases are not to remain open in intake longer than 60 days before a decision is made to accept or reject the case for on going services. Investigations are not to take longer than 30 days to make a determination of the abuse allegations and if they go over 30 days a rationale must be submitted. There are three determinations that can be made for a CPS investigation in intake.

The Determinations Unfounded Unfounded: If an investigation by the county agency or the Department determines that no substantial evidence of the alleged abuse exists. Indicated: Indicated: If an investigation by the county agency or the Department determines that substantial evidence of the alleged abuse exists based on any of the following: Available medical evidence. The child protective service investigation. An admission of the acts of abuse by the perpetrator. Founded: Founded: If there has been any judicial adjudication based on a finding that a child who is a subject of the report has been abused, including the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contenderee or a finding of guilt to a criminal charge involving the same factual circumstances involved in the allegation of child abuse.

Closing a CPS In order for a CPS case to be closed with the agency the intake worker must: Have completed at least one home visit with the family. Have completed a safety assessment and the children are determined safe. Have made a determination regarding the referral: The report is indicated/founded and the family did not requires services The report is unfounded and the family did not require services. Have all paperwork associated with the case completed and handed in to the supervisor within 60 days of receipt of the referral.

Opening a CPS In order for a CPS case to be accepted for services the intake worker must: Have completed at least one home visit with the family. Have made a determination regarding the referral: The report is indicated/founded and family requires services. The report is unfounded but the family requires services. Have all paperwork associated with the case completed and handed in to the supervisor within 60 days of receipt of the referral.

Accepted for Services Every case accepted for services has: A Case Manager A Risk Assessment A Safety Assessment Safety Plan (if deemed necessary by assessment) A Family Service Plan

Home Visits Cases accepted for ongoing services are to be seen by the assigned Case Manger within 10 days of being assigned. week – Unless it is a HIGH risk case then the case must be seen the week the case has been assigned. Case Managers must conduct announced and unannounced home visits monthly. weekly – Unless it is a HIGH risk case then the case must be seen weekly. Also home visits are to be conducted at the discretion of the supervisor.

When conducting a home visit, the Case Manger should check for: A sufficient supply of food Information regarding the six domains Working utilities (gas, water and sewage, and electricity) Safety, health, or structural hazards e.g., exposed electrical wires; presence of combustible elements; peeling lead paint when the child is under six or has a condition (often pica) that lends itself to ingesting paint; Unsanitary conditions (particularly in the kitchen or bathroom; or vermin and/or significant pest infestation) Adequate sleeping arrangements Review FSP and CPP progress towards goals have everyone sign FSP/CPP Monthly Review Signature Page Review Safety Plan and Assess Safety of Children (complete new Safety Plan if necessary) At least every six months check for working smoke detectors Discuss any concerns Case Manager or family might have

Case Manager Duties Works with family to address family’s strengths and needs. Works with family to develop a family services plan. Refers family to appropriate community services. Monitors family’s progress and effectiveness of services offered. Assesses family’s risk of future abuse and neglect and the current safety of the children. Develops a safety plan with the family. (if necessary) Completes a risk assessment with the family. May need to prepare, present and monitor a case in Juvenile Court for a child who has been adjudicated dependent. May need to remove a child from an unsafe environment and place the child into a safe environment depending on their needs.

Family Services Plan (FSP): A contract between the agency and the family, which states the objectives and activities that need to be accomplished in order for the family to be closed with the agency. It is developed within the first 30 days of a family being accepted for ongoing services and reviewed every six months after that.

Risk Assessment: A tool used by the agency to determine the level of risk of child abuse and/or neglect displayed in the family. The initial risk is completed at the time the case is being accepted for ongoing services and reviewed at least every six months after that.

Safety Assessment: A tool used by the agency to determine the safety level of a child within their home of origin. The initial assessment is completed within 72 hours of seeing all household members during an investigation and then is done again every six months thereafter unless there is a change to safety noted.

Safety Plan: A contract between the agency and the family, which states the specific activities that need to be accomplished by each person involved in the case in order for the children to be safe. It is developed when a child is determined to be unsafe or safe with a comprehensive plan. It is developed with the family and reviewed during each contact with the family after that.

Court Involvement Not every family involved with Children and Youth has court involvement. Most of our families do not. Children and Youth follows the Juvenile Act when determining if a child should be adjudicated dependent. There are three different types of court hearings that Children and Youth Case Mangers can be involved in. Types of Court Hearings: Detention: Held 72 hours after a child has been placed via a verbal court order, to determine placement need. Dependency: Held to determine if a child meets the criteria for dependency as defined in the Juvenile Act. Permanency Review: Held at least every six months after a child has been placed to review progress of family and permanency plan. Also, held every six months for a child who remains at home to determine if the adjudication continues to be necessary. For children under the age of five permanency reviews are held every three months,

SAFETY Not all children who are adjudicated dependent are in placement. Most are at home with their families. There are three different ways that children can be placed but the main reason for ever placing a child is SAFETY. There are three ways to be placed: Voluntary Placement Agreement: Child can be placed up to 30 days without court involvement. The parents sign a contract with the agency to place the child for various reasons. Verbal Order: This is done only in emergency situations. The Judge gives verbal permission to place a child. A detention hearing must be held within 72 hours of a verbal order being obtained. Court Order: Judge gives written order to have child placed. This is done in a court hearing.

Placement There are five different types of placement options that can be used by a Case Manager, they are listed from least restrictive to most restrictive. Children and Youth is compelled to place a child in the most least restrictive placement possible for the child at the time of their placement. Kinship Care Foster Care Group Home Shelter Care Residential Treatment Facility (RTF)

Kinship Care A home of a caregiver who has an existing relationship with the child and/or the child’s family. The existing relationship involves one of the following characteristics: Relative of the child through blood or marriage God parent of the child as recognized by an organized church Member of the child’s tribe or clan Significant positive relationship with the child or the child’s family

Foster Care A home in the community where the child lives with a family who has been trained to work with abused and neglected children.

Group Home A placement in the community where a child lives and is supervised by staff 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. It can be a “home” like setting or an “institution” like setting. It is more restrictive than a foster home but less restrictive than a shelter or a residential treatment facility. May be specialized to meet a specific identified need.

Shelter Care Placement in a shelter for children. Placement can only be for 30 days or less, it is a group home, institution type setting and no treatment is offered during the stay.

Residential Treatment Facility A placement in the community where a child lives and is supervised by staff 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. It can be a “home” like setting or an “institution” like setting. It is designed to treat children with mental health issues and requires a doctor or a psychiatrist’s recommendation for placement.

Case Manager Duties Conducts monthly home visits with the child in their placement. Works with family to address reason the child entered placement. Works with family to develop a Child Permanency Plan (CPP). Monitors family’s progress and effectiveness of services offered. Continues to assesses family’s risk of future abuse and neglect and the safety of the children in their home of origin. Monitors the safety plan with the family. (if necessary) Assesses the current safety of the children in their placement. Prepares, presents and monitors the case in Juvenile Court for the child who has been placed. Schedules visits between child, parents and siblings.

Child Permanency Plan (CPP): A contract between the agency and the family, which states the objectives and activities that need to be accomplished in order for the child to be returned to the home of their parent. It is developed within the first 30 days of a child being placed and reviewed every six months after that. The plan is placement specific and each time the child changes placements the plan is updated and then reviewed every six months after the update.

Permanency When a child goes into placement a time table starts as required by ASFA (Adoption and Safe Families Act). A parent has 12 consecutive months if the child remains in placement or 15 out of 22 months if a child goes in and out of placement to achieve permanency. The first day the child goes into placement the case managers and family begin working towards a second permanency option that is identified for the child, should they not be able to return home. This option is being planned for and worked toward concurrently with the family as part of the child permanency plan. This is called concurrent planning.

Permanency Options There are five permanency goals that ASFA identifies, they are listed in priority order: Return to Parent Freed for Adoption Placed with a Fit and Willing Relative Placed with a Legal Guardian/SPLC (Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodian) Placed in Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA)

Case Closure There are three options for how a case can be closed with Children and Youth Services, they are listed from most to least desirable. A family is closed with ongoing services: When the family has successfully achieved all the goals of their family service plan, the children are safe and the risk of abuse and/or neglect is low or none, or When a child has obtained permanency, or When a child has turned 18 years of age and no longer wishes to be involved with Children and Youth Services.

UP and Coming There are a few initiatives coming in the near future: Statewide GPS Response Times, July 1, 2012 Ice Breaker Meetings, just starting now Out of Home Safety Assessments, July 1, 2013 Concurrent Planning, July 1, 2015 ( f ull implementation) New grievance procedure for placed children, no date set

QUESTIONS???