Transcript Response Priority

SDM® Assessments in Practice
Reunification reassessment
• Purpose and structure
• Talking with clients about reunification
• Importance of contact with parents
• What progress looks like
• Court reports and the reunification reassessment
Supervising and the SDM reunification reassessment
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Reunification Reassessment: Purpose
1. Routinely monitor critical case factors that affect permanency
goal achievement;
2. Help structure the case review process; and
3. Expedite permanency for children in care.
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Reunification Reassessment: Structure
1. Risk
a) Initial risk level
b) New substantiated incident
c) Case plan progress
2. Visitation plan evaluation
a) Supervised or not
b) Consistency in attending scheduled visits
c) Interaction with child during visits
Remember to use definitions!
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Reunification Reassessment: Structure
3. Safety
a) Identification of any new/current safety threats
b) Document resolution of safety threats that led to removal
c) Safety decision
• Safe (no current safety threats)
• Conditionally safe (current safety threats are controlled
with interventions)
• Unsafe
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Reunification Reassessment: Structure
4. Permanency plan recommendation guidelines
• Reunification to parent (removal or non-removal)
• Maintain in care
• Change permanency goal
» Adoption
» Long-term foster care
» Care, custody, and control to relative
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Permanency Goal Recommendation
•
Answer yes or no until reaching a permanency goal
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If an override to the recommended goal is warranted, indicate the
final goal recommendation and provide justification for the
override.
» Case documentation must support risk, visitation, safety, and
final permanency goal recommendation.
© 2010 by NCCD, All Rights Reserved
© 2010 by NCCD, All Rights Reserved
Family Perception of the Reunification Decision
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Talking About the Reunification Decision
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Start as soon as possible
Lay out the components of the reunification decision
» Risk
» Visitation
» Safety
» Length of time in care
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Talking About Risk at Reunification
Improve
chance of
reunification
Progress toward case plan goals
Reduce
chance of
reunification
New substantiated investigation
Refuse services/no progress
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Talking About Visitation
•
Maintain connection
•
Stay involved
•
Opportunity to demonstrate
change
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Talking About Visits: Visitation Plan
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How often
How long
Where
Other contact options (phone calls, email)
What worker is looking for
» Connect to case plan goals
» If supervised, what needs to happen for unsupervised
Hess & Proch. (1988). Family visiting in out-of-home care: A guide to practice. CWLA; Rose
Wendt.
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Talking About Visits
Improve
chance of
reunification
Keep scheduled visits
Consistently demonstrate positive
parent-child interactions
Reduce
chance of
reunification
Missing visits
Limited or destructive parent-child
interactions
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Talking About Safety
Improve
chance of
reunification
Reduce
chance of
reunification
Original safety threat resolved
Create a safe home environment
Original safety threat not resolved
New safety threats
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Importance of Contact With Parents
Relationship Between Social Worker Visits and
Improved Federal Reporting Outcomes
CFSR Items 19
and 20:
Caseworker
visits with
children and
parents
CFSR
Item 4
CFSR
Item 17
CFSR
Item 18
• Assessment of
safety and risk to
children
• Assessment of the
needs of children,
parents, and foster
parents and
provision of the
appropriate services
• Child and parent
involvement in case
planning
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (2004). Findings from the Initial 2001–2004 Child
and Family Services Reviews. Retrieved December 13, 2005, from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/results/index.htm
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Other Significant Associations Between Visits and
CFSR Indicators
Caseworker visits with parents and children were also strongly
associated with the following:
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Services to protect children at home
Timely permanency goals
Timely reunification
Child’s visits with parents and siblings
Relative placements
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. (2004). Findings from the
Initial 2001–2004 Child and Family Services Reviews. Retrieved December 13, 2005, from
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/results/index.htm
© 2010 by NCCD, All Rights Reserved
Contact Content
1. Assess progress toward case plan objectives:
» Participation in services
» Demonstration of change
2. Assess change in needs (identification of new needs/needs
reduction)
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Assessing for Demonstration of Change
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Ask client to describe any change
Look for evidence of observable change
Change is a process; recognize small steps
Recognize sustained improvement
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Visits Between Parents and Children
•
Involvement is more than just showing up
» Verbal and nonverbal engagement
» Age-appropriate activities
•
When possible, include parents in school meetings, doctor
appointments, and other parenting activities
•
Be creative with visit setting and activities
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Negotiating Connections With SDM® Assessments
Case Plan
• What needs does
this family have?
• What strengths can
we use to address
those needs?
• Based on AFF need
areas
• Did the family make
adequate progress
on case plan
outcomes?
Reunification
Reassessment
Assessment of Family
Functioning
Reassessment
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Court Report
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Progress toward case plan goals
Current risk
Visitation results
Status of initial safety threat
Current safety/safety plan
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Using SDM® Assessments
in Case Conferences
Types of Case Conferences
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Informal
» “Have you got a minute?”
» In the hallway or on the phone
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Formal
» 1:1 case specific
» 1:1 supervision
» Internal group
» Multidisciplinary group
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Supervisory Leadership
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Keep focus on central question.
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If there are disagreements in final decision, review relevant SDM
tool completion.
» Which items have agreement? (move on)
» Which items have disagreement?
 Look at facts and definition
 FOCUS discussion here!
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If everyone agrees, STILL review tool completion!
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Your name is on it!
Approving Assessments
How extensively do you review?
How often?
What?
ALWAYS
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Spot check
• Initial risk level score
• Random item scores vs. narrative
Overall consistency with what you know
Obvious item inconsistency
Overrides
Bottom line compared to action planned/taken
Small random
Case review for timeliness and accuracy
sample
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How extensively do you spot check?
Worker Status
Spot Check
Level
• In training
• Has not demonstrated competency
• Struggling with workload, personal issues
Weekly
Most workers
Monthly
• Demonstrated competency through
previous and current spot checks and
supervisory case reading
• No extenuating pressures
Quarterly
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When You Spot a Problem
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Meet with worker to discuss
» Explain issue
» Ask for worker’s perspective
» Use SDM policy and/or definition
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Change together, if needed
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Use opportunity to build competence
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Building Toward the SDM® Model’s Goal
Completing
tools
accurately,
supported by
Completing narrative
the tools
evidence
Using tools
to guide
decisions
Reduced
harm
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For more information, please contact:
Deirdre O’Connor, Senior Researcher
Children’s Research Center
[email protected]
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