Assessment
A non-offending parent who resides in a separate household does not need to be interviewed because he or she is not a perpetrator in the report.
TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE:
(Policy requires efforts be made to interview non-offending parents who reside in a separate household and to consider any and all collateral sources, family, friends, etc. who could help inform the assessment)
What is the purpose of an FFA ongoing?
To continue to assess child safety and to engage with the parents/guardians/caregivers to attempt to reach a mutual understanding of what must change in order for them to be able to safely care for and protect their child(ren). The Specialist must actively manage child safety and gather further information about the parent and/ or caregiver’s diminished protective capacities in order to develop a case plan that focuses on what behaviors must change in order to eliminate (or manage) existing impending danger threats.
Mother and father are divorced but share custody of their children. A step-mother has become involved and she cares for the children. The children visit both parents’ homes. The children have been assessed as unsafe in father and step-mother’s home. A safety plan has been implemented with the children’s mother as the responsible adult. Which household would be the focus of the case plan?
Father and step-mother.
Name three pieces of information a DCS Specialist needs to collect from a non-offending parent who resides in a different household (there are more than three).
-who resides in the parent’s, guardian’s, or custodian’s household
-extent and nature of substance use in the home
-nature of relationships between the parents and between adults in the home, including shared-parenting arrangements and any history of violence
- mental health of the adults in the home
- disciplinary practices in the home
-general parenting practices in the home
-supervision and child care arrangements
-whether the child identifies harm from, or fear of, a person in the home
(There is a difference between an interview and an assessment) We interview sources such as hospital staff, teachers, doctors etc. but they are not included in our FFA)
When there is more than one household of maltreatment, each household requires a separate FFA.
TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
(Different households have different people and circumstances and each needs to be assessed to determine the level of functioning with in each home to assess for impending danger)
A report is received from the hotline alleging maltreatment that occurred 6 months ago when the family lived at a different address. Now the family lives in a home with additional household members. Who needs to be included in the FFA-Investigation?
The children, parents, caregivers, and the alleged perpetrator would need to be included in the FFA.
(Still interview household members to inform us of any information happening in the home of maltreatment)
1. Policy requires that these two steps be completed if the Specialist learns there is an allegation of maltreatment in the home of the non-offending parent...
a. Make a report to the Child Abuse Hotline 1-888- 767- 2445
b. 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.
When a child is in out of home care and a parent moves into a new home with other people who might be or will likely become a support or a caregiver to the child, this must be completed...
FFA Progress Update
(This is one of many reasons to update an FFA outside of the minimal requirement of 90 days which could also be: those who exit the home, case plan reassessment and revision, if there is an indication a child is unsafe, changing the permanency goal, considering unsupervised visits or reunification or case closure)
An aftercare plan only needs to be completed for the parent who completed their case plan goals.
TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE
How are working with the parent who completed their case plan to determine what sort of supports they could continue to provide to the parent who did not complete their case plan so they are able to co-parent.
How will the parent who completed their case plan know what and when to look for when the other parent achieves their case plan so they can identify when to transition to unsupervised contact, etc?
How are we supporting the parent who did not complete the case plan to complete it despite DCS closing out? (community resources, supports etc. they can continue to access to achieve their case plan goal)
When a parent’s significant other resides in the home of maltreatment and provides care to the child victim this information needs to be gathered...
Information to inform the six domains of the family functioning to inform on the significant other's protective capacity.
One safety plan is adequate to manage the impending dangers for two separate households.
TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE
Each household would need their own safety plan as each family is different with unique needs. We need to know the specific dangers occurring in each household and the safety plan would clearly describe the actions to control the danger threats and may describe the supportive resources for each household.
This region has the BEST SUPERVISORS AND PM'S in the state...
What is Maricopa West Region!!!!!
When a child victim’s half sibling/s resides in a separate household from the household of maltreatment; the DCS Specialist must consider doing this as part of information gathering...
Interview the half siblings to learn about what they know about the child victim(s) as well as any other information that may help inform us about the six domains of family functioning in the home of maltreatment.
(Half siblings would not be a part of the FFA...what could or would we need to learn from them. Knowing difference between frequenting the home and who would and would not be included in the FFA)
A safety plan is the same as case plan so they only need to be updated every 6 months.
TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE
Safety Plans describe actions to control danger threats. Safety plans are a written agreement between caregiver and responsible adult(s) and DCS who will take the actions to control the danger.
Case plans describe services and supports to effect long-term behavioral change by enhancing parental protective capacities to eliminate the need for a Safety Plan.
A specialist approaches you and ask where he or she can find information in policy on the FAA at investigation?
What is Chapter 2, Section 5.