PURPOSE & PROCESS OF THE FFA–ONGOING
This is the primary purpose of the FFA–Ongoing.
What is to determine whether each child is safe or unsafe based on sufficient and relevant information?
A child is only unsafe when this occurs.
What is when a danger threat meets all five safety threshold criteria?
These three categories describe the types of caregiver protective capacities assessed in the FFA.
What are behavioral, cognitive, and emotional protective capacities?
This is the timeframe for completing the initial Family-Centered Case Plan.
What is within 60 days of removal or case opening?
This is the primary purpose of the case plan staffing.
What is to collaboratively develop or update the Family-Centered Case Plan with the family and team?
This requirement prevents specialists from relying on assumptions or general impressions when assessing safety.
What is collecting information that is specific, observable, and behaviorally based?
This threshold criteria evaluates whether anyone in the home is capable of controlling the danger threat.
What is determining whether the situation is unmanaged?
These are only documented in Guardian when a dangerous condition is occurring in the household.
What are caregiver protective capacity ratings?
These must describe in present tense what caregivers will demonstrate when protective capacities have improved — not what services they have completed.
What are behavioral change goals?
These individuals must be invited to every case plan staffing.
Who are the parents, youth (as appropriate), caregivers, GAL/AAG when required, and involved service providers?
To determine whether a danger threat exists, specialists must assess the interaction of these three factors.
What are parent/caregiver behavior, child vulnerability, and the surrounding circumstances?
This describes harm that would result in serious pain, terror, extreme fear, impairment, or potential death.
What is severe harm?
This question must be answered before determining whether a caregiver’s protective capacities are sufficient.
What is: “How is the danger threat occurring within this family system?”
Before writing the case plan, the specialist must achieve this with the family and team.
What is shared understanding of danger, protective capacities, and needed behavior change?
Specialists must document this in Guardian immediately following the staffing.
What is the updated Family-Centered Case Plan and a case note summarizing team participation and decisions?
This must be completed before determining whether protective capacities are diminished.
What is identifying impending danger threats using the safety threshold criteria?
This is the criterion that assesses how soon the danger is likely to happen without intervention.
What is imminence?
If a caregiver lacks insight into the danger or does not see their protective role, this area is considered diminished.
What is cognitive protective capacity?
This plan documents what must be true for children to return home when they are unsafe.
What are Conditions for Return?
This requirement ensures that family disagreements, differing perspectives, or concerns raised during the staffing are not ignored.
What is documenting family input accurately and addressing disagreements through teaming and shared decision-making?
These six areas must be explored to form a complete picture of family functioning.
What are the six FFA domains (extent of maltreatment; circumstances; child functioning; adult functioning; general parenting; discipline & behavior management)?
A child is considered this when age, ability, or circumstances prevent them from protecting themselves.
What is vulnerable?
A parent demonstrating empathy, emotional stability, and alignment with the child shows strength in this area.
What is emotional protective capacity?
This must be reassessed at least every six months, or sooner if new information emerges.
What is the case plan?
This must always occur before or during the case plan staffing to ensure transparency about expectations for reunification and have meaningful participation from the family.
What is reviewing and explaining assessment findings (danger threats, protective capacities, and case plan purpose) and Conditions for Return with the family?