18 Miss. Code. R. 6-1-C-II
A Family Centered Practice approach consists of:
* Keeping families together when possible, focusing on the entire family rather than just the child;
* Promoting family competence and self-direction;
* Providing flexible and convenient services to the family that are home- and community-based;
* Networking with other child and family service providers;
* Offering a comprehensive array of services that meet a range of needs;
The overall purpose of both Prevention and Protection services is to prevent the unnecessary placement of children away from their families by providing In-Home services aimed at restoring families in crisis to an acceptable level of functioning through a Family-Centered Practice approach.
Families eligible for In-Home Prevention or Protection services are those with one or more children ages birth through 17 years who are determined to be at risk for abuse or neglect or have experienced maltreatment in the home.
For the purpose of achieving family unity within a safe environment, In-Home Prevention and Protection services' Worker may provide, coordinate or refer families for any of the following services:
* Counseling (educational, vocational, family planning);
* Medical and psychological evaluations and treatment;
* Skill building in parenting, child development, age appropriate disciplinary practices, child care, advocacy for support and services, conflict resolution, budgeting, housekeeping, and meal preparation;
* Assistance and support to enhance the likelihood of positive family responsibility and self-sufficiency;
* Housing information and assistance;
* Emergency financial assistance through flex funds or other monetary resources available to the local DFCS office or through community partners;
* Parent-aide or in-home aide services, if available;
* Respite care;
* Day care assistance;
* Transportation assistance;
* Assistance with and connection to both formal and informal support systems and resources; and
* Court involvement.
Prevention Services - voluntary services provided to families due to issues of safety and/or risk concerning children which if not addressed could result in the abuse or neglect of children or family disruptions.
Families may request assistance due to lack of resources or some type of family dysfunction. Families are provided services even though there has been no indication or evidence of abuse or neglect of children. The purpose of service provision is to prevent abuse, neglect, or family disruption.
The focus of Prevention Services:
* Promote the safety and well-being of children and their families;
* Preserve family unity where children's safety can be supported;
* Maintain permanency for children; and
* Empower families to achieve or sustain independence and self-sufficiency.
Protection Services - services provided to families in which abuse or neglect of children has occurred and a finding of substantiated abuse or neglect has been determined. The purpose of service provision is to protect children within the context of the family from further abuse or neglect.
In the decision to open a case for service provision, the difference between opening a Prevention case or a Protection case, with one exception, lies in the determination of abuse or neglect of children. If the determination is made during the investigation that abuse or neglect has occurred and factors of risk and safety indicate a case should be opened, a Protective Services case should be opened. If no evidence of abuse or neglect is found during an investigation or if no report of abuse or neglect has been made or screened in but factors of safety and risk indicate the need to open a case, a Prevention case will be opened. The exception to this rule are cases in which the court has issued an order that services be provided to a specific child or children within a family. Such cases are always, regardless of a finding of abuse or the absence of such a finding, Protection cases with Protection services being provided to the child or children on whom a court order requires the provision of services.
The overall purpose of both Prevention and Protective services is to prevent the unnecessary placement of children away from their families by providing in-home services aimed at restoring families in crisis to an acceptable level of functioning through a Family-Centered Practice approach.
Candidacy is defined in the federal Child Welfare Policy Manual 8. 1D2 as " A candidate for foster care is a child who is at serious risk of removal from home as evidenced by the state agency either pursuing his/her removal from the home or making reasonable efforts to prevent such removal."
If a child is in an open protection service case in which at least one child in the family is at serious risk of removal from home and services are being provided to prevent placement as documented in the Family Service Plan (FSP), the child is considered a candidate for foster care.
In providing services to the family or child, the Worker should recommend services that, in collaboration with the family members, and based on assessment information, are determined to be the most beneficial and least intrusive to the family while maintaining the child's safety. These services should:
* Be family-centered;
* Be culturally competent;
* Include families as partners and leaders;
* Value the cultural and linguistic richness and diversity within communities;
* Include consideration of the ability of family members to access services as needed; and
* Provide needed services in the home and/or community in which the family members live; and utilize providers that can best meet the family members' needs.
Services shall be mobilized at any point in a case when services are needed to maintain a child's safety or reduce risk for abuse or neglect.
The decision to mobilize services should be based on the safety and risk assessments and parental protective capacities.
Cases with active safety concerns that require a safety plan or protective custody must be opened for services.
Cases with no active safety concerns but are assessed to have a moderate or high level of risk may be opened for services.
In those situations, the Worker should:
* Make decisions with the family regarding the identification of services needed, appropriate providers, and location of services;
* Make prompt referrals to service providers;
* Follow up to help ensure prompt service initiation; and
* Initially for all open cases, provide the Parent/Guardian with a copy of the Notice of Parent/Guardian's Rights in a Prevention/Protection case and place a signed copy in the case file. (See Appendix A)
If the case is opened for services, the Worker should use the CFA and the FTM to identify needed services.
As service provision is monitored, the Worker should be careful to ensure that on-going service provision matches the referral requests, and continues to address the family's needs. If the case is not opened for service, but the Worker and family determine that services would benefit the family, the Worker may assist the family with referrals to appropriate resources.
Reasonable efforts will be made to maintain the child(ren) in their own home or with family and support services should be made available to the family. However, if safety and risk factors are identified during the investigative phase, or any time during the provision of In-Home services, the Worker should hold a FTM to determine if there are family members or extended family who can assist the parent/caretaker in making an appropriate safety plan that is in the child(ren)'s best interest.
The need for services is determined before the conclusion of the investigation.
* The Worker shall make face-to-face contact with the family within 7 calendar days of case opening.
* Within thirty (30) calendar days of the prevention or protection case opening a CFA will be completed.
* If a safety plan is appropriate it should be a short term plan that is assessed throughout the life of the investigation. At the completion of the investigation an additional risk assessment will be completed and if there are further safety concerns a case should be opened and a new safety plan implemented.
* Continued assessment and evaluation is required and must be documented in MACWIS regarding progress or lack of within ninety (90) calendar days of case opening.
* At the end of 6 months, the Worker will document whether services need to be continued, whether safety concerns are still present, or that outcomes have been met and the case should be prepared for closure.
A Family Team Meeting (FTM) is a planned, structured, facilitated decision making process to which members of the family both formal/informal, are invited along with required DFCS staff and any other support system identified by the family and DFCS. The key to a successful FTM is the engaging and bringing together of those individuals, both formal and informal, who are a part of the family's support system. FTMs allow for the gathering of information critical to the assessment process, to the development of the case plan, monitoring of the case plan and involvement of the family and other pertinent individuals in key decision making.
At all times a FTM should be a family led, youth guided and agency supported process. The primary focus must always be the safety and well-being of the children and youth. As a philosophy, it reflects the belief that families can solve their own problems most of the time if they are provided the opportunity and support. No one knows a family's strengths, needs and challenges better than the family. The family team decision making approach is also a practice in that it describes the basic method by and through which DFCS seeks to serve children/youth and families. A child welfare supervisor's participation in a FTM is an opportunity to assess the Worker's use of Family Centered Practice principles and to observe the interaction of the participants. The Family Centered Practice principles encompass the following components:
* A clear but open-ended purpose;
* An opportunity for the family and child to be involved in decision-making and planning;
* Options for the family to consider and decisions for the family to make;
* The family's involvement in the development of specific safety or permanency plans and in the development of services and supports;
* Engagement;
* Relationship building;
* Problem solving; and
* The outcome of the meeting will be reflected in the development of a case plan with tasks and goals.
The family members should be brought in as early as possible and actively engaged throughout the life of the case in the decision making process. Children 6 and over if developmentally appropriate should be involved in the FTM. A FTM is a practice component and methodology designed to facilitate planning, decision-making, and problem solving.
* A FTM is also required during an investigation when safety and risk factors are identified and a safety plan is needed.
* A FTM is required during an investigation when evidence of abuse or neglect is found or if there are safety and risk factors present to warrant opening a case.
In all cases, an Initial FTM shall be completed within thirty (30) calendar days from the opening of the case. The case is considered open when the Area Social Work Supervisor (ASWS) makes the decision, in MACWIS, for continuing services. The ASWS should make a decision within five calendar days of the Worker's recommendation for continuing services. If during the provision of In-Home services removal of the child(ren) becomes imminent, a FTM will be held if possible.
On-going FTMs shall be convened, at a minimum, every time the Family Service Plan (FSP) is updated. FTMs are conducted to identify and initiate needed services and monitor their effectiveness.
All FTMs include, at a minimum, Worker and Worker's supervisor/designee, child (if age and developmentally appropriate) and child's parent/guardian. In an In-Home Prevention or Protection case, service providers should also participate in FTMs.
Contracted service providers must be able and willing to participate in FTMs when invited. Service providers must be engaged in the decision making and service planning processes in order for them to tailor services to meet identified needs and strengths of the child and family. Other participants should include:
* Extended family;
* Family support system;
* Other relevant DFCS staff; and
* Other professionals, such as school personnel, mental health providers, and public health/visiting nurse, if appropriate.
The FTM is documented in detail in MACWIS as a narrative.
In situations where a FTM is not possible or where there is an appropriate reason for not holding one, individualized case planning that builds on strengths and needs of individual family members and tailors services to those needs should still occur and be clearly documented in MACWIS with ASWS approval.
Family engagement is an on-going process of involving the family from the initial investigation throughout the life of the case.
The Worker must engage the family and formal and informal support networks through FTMs to assist them in making a plan for the child(ren) to remain safely in the home. The family should be considered the experts of their situation and should identify the problems and solutions to these problems with the assistance of the Worker and their support systems. The Worker will work with the family to develop an FSP, listing tasks and goals needing achievement.
Paramount to engaging the family is the demonstration of respect and the development of trust among the participants. Full disclosure of goals, timelines, options and legal implications, must be expressed before the case plan is signed so the signers are fully informed about the consequences of their decisions.
The FSP is a goal oriented service focused on behavior outcomes. The FSP should describe, at a minimum:
Through evaluation of information gathered during the investigation, the assessments (including on-going assessments), and safety plan, the Worker and family will identify problems and develop a service plan. Plans are developed based on evaluation of parent/guardians' behavioral, cognitive, and emotional protective capacities.
The FSP will be developed with the family, signed and approved by the Area Social Work Supervisor (ASWS) within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of case opening. In cases where children are placed in DFCS custody, each child is included in the FSP.
The FSP will define both the family and DFCS roles, the role of service providers and coordination of services and plans.
The FSP for the family should address:
* The target problems;
* The goals to be accomplished;
* Tasks by which those goals will be accomplished;
* Who is responsible for each task;
* Matching services to needs;
* Brokering for and obtaining needed services; and
* Monitoring the effectiveness of services, the achievement criteria, and time frames for all parties, including service providers.
Once the specific issues within the family that are creating risk for the child have been identified, delivery of Family Centered Practice (implementing the plan) begins.
There are five types of FSPs:
* Initial,
* Review,
* Add/Change,
* Custody Change, and
* Final.
Each FSP type must be completed by the Worker and submitted to the ASWS for approval. A copy of the signed Adult FSP must be given to the child's parent(s)/guardian and another filed in the case file. In Protection cases each child will have an FSP which he/she signs.
A copy is given to:
* The child,
* The child's parent/guardian, and
* Filed in the case file.
The goals and tasks in the FSP shall be a direct reflection of the decisions made in the FTMs. The parent(s)/ guardian shall sign this FSP upon agreeing to the listed goals and tasks in it. All efforts to engage parent(s)/guardian in developing the FSP shall be well documented within MACWIS whether successful or not.
The Review FSP is an assessment of progress toward the goals identified in the Initial FSP.
The Review FSP is submitted and approved every ninety (90) calendar days. The Worker has eighty-five (85) calendar days to create and submit the Review FSP to the ASWS and the ASWS has five (5) calendar days to approve and sign the Review FSP.
The CFA is updated each time the FSP is reviewed. The goals and tasks may be changed or updated at any time there are changes in the family's circumstances. The parent(s)/guardian shall sign this FSP upon agreeing to the listed goals and tasks in it. All efforts to engage parent(s)/guardian in developing the FSP shall be well documented in MACWIS whether successful or not.
This FSP is used only when there is a change in direct services, such as a change in the County of Service (COS). This FSP shall be updated or revised within 10 calendar days of the change including supervisory approval.
If a Prevention/Protection case is changed to a Placement case, due to children being taken into custody, or a placement case is changed to Prevention/Protection the Custody Change type will be used.
The Final FSP is selected only when the case is being closed.
Prior to completing the Final FSP, a FTM must be held with the family.
All direct services must be closed and a CFA completed prior to submitting the Final FSP to the ASWS for approval.
If there is an active Safety Plan in place, a Final FSP cannot be completed in MACWIS. Safety Plans must be resolved prior to case closure.
A clear understanding of the distinct differences in the roles of the COS and County of Responsibility (COR), is necessary. The plan set forth by the COR shall be respected by the COS. If the COS disagrees with the COR's plan, the COS may state its opinion in writing to the COR Worker with copies to the appropriate administrative personnel, but it is obligated to carry out the plan set forth by the COR until notified otherwise. The documentation in the case should be professional and factual. Disputes between Workers should not be documented in case records but should go through the formal chain of command.
The COR is the county where the family resides when the case is opened and the Youth Court maintains jurisdiction if it is a protection case.
The COR will assume the leadership role in planning for the family, monitoring the implementation of these plans, initiating the decision making processes and keeping the COS, if applicable, informed regarding plans for the family. The COR is responsible for providing all payment services regarding the family.
When a family who has an on-going Protection case relocates, the county where they relocate is the COS. The Youth Court of the original county of residence maintains jurisdiction over the case.
The COR Worker will notify the COS ASWS of the service request and will submit the COS direct service transfer electronically. A COS case will be opened on the child/family and a COS Worker assigned.
The COS Worker will maintain twice monthly visits with the child and family and coordinate any tasks and goals in the FSP and will document the family's progress in MACWIS. The COS Worker will be responsible for working with the COR Worker to facilitate any services needed, for maintaining face-to-face contact with the family and communicating with the COR Worker to assure the safety and well-being of all children in the home.
The on-going communication and coordination of efforts between the COR Worker and COS Worker for each individual family is essential. The COS' visits, observations during those visits and reports made to the COR of those visits have a direct bearing on the decisions made by the COR.
It is crucial that communication be maintained between counties when a family moves from the COR. The COR and COS have a responsibility to share all pertinent information, which includes case recordings, case plans, court documents, medical, social, and psychological documents, correspondence, financial records, DFCS forms and any other information pertinent to the case.
If the family relocates to another county before the case is closed and the case is a Protection case, this county is considered the COS. The COR Worker who must:
If the case is a Prevention case and the family moves to another county, the COR will complete a CFA on the family and make a determination on the need for further services. If further services are needed, the COS will be contacted and advised that the family moved while receiving services. The MACWIS case will be transferred electronically and the paper case sent to the county where the family now resides.
If it is determined services are no longer needed the case will be closed.
Every visit with the family must have a purpose.
The assigned Worker must make at least two visits per month with families who have open In-Home Prevention/Protection cases, which include face-to-face contact with all household children. At least one visit with the child(ren) must take place in the home and one of the visits must be conducted privately with each child. Contact with the custodial parent(s)/caretaker must include one face-to-face visit in the home and one contact may occur in another location or by telephone. Exceptions to face-to-face contact must be justified, documented in MACWIS and approved by the ASWS.
There is no standard number of home visits that ensures the safety of the child(ren) or that no safety threats exist. Services and visits should be individualized to the family's needs. At least one of the Worker's monthly contacts should occur in private with each individual child. These visits should include conducting an ongoing safety check of the home to identify any health or safety hazards.
A successful, purposeful visit ensures a Worker develops a connection with a parent/guardian/child, identifies the parent/guardian/child's needs and engages each family member in case planning decisions. During contacts with parent(s)/guardian, the Worker should assess, and document progress on case plans, address the safety and well-being of all children involved and problem-solve situations that are identified. During contacts with a child the Worker will address safety, permanency and/or well-being and include the strengths and any unmet needs.
* If at any time during a visit with a family member a Worker identifies a safety threat indicating that a child is in danger of serious harm, the Worker must complete a safety plan and/or consider removal, if necessary, with supervisory consultation. When the Worker identifies unmet basic needs, assistance will be provided to obtain the needed resources or services. DFCS staff, as mandated reporters, are required to formally report any suspicion of maltreatment.
All parent/guardian and/or child contacts must be documented in MACWIS and should include, at a minimum:
* Date of contact;
* Time of contact;
* Type of contact;
* Location of contact;
* Who was present and their names entered into the MACWIS participant box;
* If the contact occurred in private;
* Purpose of the visit as it relates to safety, permanency and well-being;
* Strengths and needs; and
* Any other pertinent facts or circumstances.
Workers will provide necessary information to document progress, or lack of progress, towards the case goals and family outcomes and any necessary follow-up.
Workers will assess the needs of each family member and identify the services necessary to achieve case goals.
Assessment is a process that continues throughout the life of a case, beginning with the initial safety and risk assessments.
The CFA addresses each individual. The CFA is concerned with safety, risk and well-being issues within a family.
The CFA continues to evaluate and address the needs of the particular family/parent/guardian/child. The CFA is based upon information gathered from interviews and a thorough review of the case record and any written materials, reports, evaluation and professional assessments.
Reassessments are used to re-evaluate strengths and needs of family members to determine the appropriateness of goals, activities, time frames and continued services and to assess the responsiveness and relevance of current services in achieving goals and resolving identified needs.
Family members and service providers must be involved in this re-assessment and any resulting changes to plans or services.
The initial CFA will be completed within thirty (30) calendar days of opening a case. Subsequently, the CFA should be updated each time the FSP is reviewed and updated every eighty-five (85) days and submitted to the ASWS who has 5 days to approve.
Other times in which the CFA is updated and used to reevaluate the family's situation is when:
* A change of circumstances occurs;
* A safety threat is identified or a change in risk levels occurs;
* There is a change of direct services;
* At case closure;
* When a new Worker begins working with the family; and
* At any time the Worker identifies a need to reevaluate progress with the family.
The information gathered during the assessment process includes:
* Underlying conditions and environmental and historical factors that may contribute to the concerns identified in the initial screening, investigation and risk and safety assessments;
* Child and family strengths, protective capacity and needs;
* Potential impact of maltreatment on the child;
* Factors and characteristics pertinent to determining appropriate interventions and services;
* Potential family resources for the child(ren) and family; and
* Only information and material pertinent to service provision and meeting objectives.
There are times when a child, parent/guardian or other family member may require a professional screening or assessment for mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, developmental disabilities, cognitive functioning, a medical condition or some other area that impacts functioning.
The CFA is used by the Worker to screen a child's mental health needs and should evaluate the child's needs for intensive and supportive services.
There are 27 questions in Section II "Child Characteristics" that are used as the screening tools. If none of the 27 statements apply to the child, the Worker is not required to refer the child for further evaluation by a mental health professional. However, if any of the 27 statements do apply to the child, the Worker will refer the child for further evaluation by a mental health professional.
When identifying underlying conditions and contributing factors in the strengths and needs assessment process, if additional information from specialized assessments, evaluations, and screenings would add value to the assessment and service planning process, arrangements should be made to obtain them.
Some families with whom DFCS is working will move without notification. If a family moves without leaving a forwarding address, and the service task and outcomes have not been achieved which would alleviate harm or imminent danger or harm, the Worker should immediately endeavor to locate them via neighbors, family, schools, law enforcement, courts, mental health facilities, etc. and alert the appropriate DFCS office in the family's new locale. The case in the original county of residence should be terminated upon transmittal of information regarding reasons for DFCS involvement with the family. The new county of residence after locating the family and making an assessment may decide to continue services there in such cases the case will be transferred rather than terminated.
If the family is located in another state and that state's Child Protective Service agency requests information, the information should be sent expeditiously.
Terminating services in Protection cases is a difficult decision that must be made jointly with all parties involved, including the Worker, ASWS and especially the family/parent/guardian. The ASWS must approve every case termination/closure. In Protection cases the Youth Court with jurisdiction will make the final determination of case closure.
The decision to terminate a Prevention/Protection case which has received services should be based on evidence that the original issues causing the abuse or neglect have been resolved to the point that the family can protect the child, if there are no safety concerns presently active. This requirement emphasizes the need to keep accurate records about all objectives, especially those that relate to the abuse and/or neglect concerns. The records should carefully document that progress has been made in accomplishing those goals and objectives.
Termination is not a sudden separate process but is the last phase of effective case intervention. The contact with the family is intense early in treatment but lessens as the time for termination nears. If issues have been clearly identified from the beginning, and treatment goals and objectives have addressed those problems, when it comes time to close the case everyone should feel comfortable that the child can be reared in a safe environment.
Contracted services providing In-Home Prevention or Protection services may discontinue service provision for non-compliance or when the risk of future abuse has been reduced.
When tasks and outcomes of the FSP have been met satisfactorily and the safety plan (if applicable) has been resolved, the termination process should begin. Even when the protective service involvement has not been intense, there is sometimes a certain amount of dependence and attachment exhibited by a family. Therefore, do not assume that families are always eager to terminate.
A large majority of parent(s)/guardian see their Worker as a facilitator on whom they can depend indefinitely, but for many reasons this is not possible. The Worker must be cognizant of this and prepare the family for case termination weeks in advance so that the emotions associated with attachment and dependency needs can unfold and be dealt with therapeutically.
In terminating services to the parent/guardian, the Worker should follow these general guidelines:
When the Worker has been actively involved in casework services to a family for six months or longer and there has been insufficient progress in the achievement of service task and outcomes, a careful evaluation by Worker and ASWS should be made concerning the continuation of services.
* CFA must be completed and include a statement regarding how risk and safety were assessed and mitigated;
* If it is a Protection case with court ordered supervision, the court must approve closure and the court order will be filed in the case file;
* Closing summary narrative must be documented in MACWIS;
* All direct services must be end-dated; and all support services should be completed and approved;
* A Final FSP should be submitted to the ASWS for approval; and
* All pertinent information, i.e.; medical, educational, Notice of Parent/Guardian's Rights, correspondence, will be filed in the case file.
18 Miss. Code. R. 6-1-C-II