Transcript Overview of Crawford County Children and Youth Services

Overview of
Crawford County
Children and
Youth Services
Rules and Regulations
Children and Youth is governed by a multitude of
government rules and regulations:
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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…
YOU
CHILDREN & YOUTH SVCS.
(814) 724-8380
CHILDLINE
(800) 932-0313
Intake Department
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 30-60 days to complete a CPS
investigation
Investigation Process
Throughout the investigation process,
the primary objective is twofold :
1. To determine if abuse or neglect has occurred.
2. To make a determination regarding the family’s need
for ongoing services.
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:
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Immediate
Priority (within 24 hours)
Expedited (within 3-7 calendar days)
General/Other (within 7-10 calendar days)
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.
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: If an investigation by the county agency or the
Department determines that no substantial evidence of the alleged abuse
exists.
• 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: 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:
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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.
– 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.
– 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:
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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)
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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
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At least every six months check for working smoke detectors
Discuss any concerns Case Manager or family might have
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Safety Plan if necessary)
Case Manager Duties
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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,
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.
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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:
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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 (full implementation)
• New grievance procedure for placed children,
no date set
QUESTIONS???