overview of assessment procedures module 1 1. …€¦ · · 2017-03-09published by articulate®...

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Overview of Assessment Procedures Module 1

1. Introduction

1.1 California Common Core 3.0

Notes:


1.2 Welcome

Notes:

Audio Narration: Welcome to the eLearning course, Overview of Assessment Procedures, Module 1. This course is part of the Common Core 3.0 Assessment Block.

1.3 Navigation


Notes:

Audio Narration:

Use the PREVIOUS and NEXT buttons to move through the course. You can also skip to individual screens by clicking the screen title in the Menu. You can read the audio transcript for each screen by clicking Transcript. You will find several useful handouts by clicking Resources. This course should take about one hour to complete.

1.4 Introduction

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Consistent and thorough assessment of each family and child’s needs is a critical step in ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children in the child welfare system. In doing a rigorous, balanced assessment of the family’s strengths and needs, coupled with family engagement techniques and standardized tools, you can ensure that you are providing families and children with the services they need.


1.5 About This Course

Notes:

Audio Narration:

This Overview of Assessment Procedures online course is designed to provide you with an introduction to the assessment tools and procedures used in child welfare services. The course is presented in two modules.

In Module One, you’ll learn about the concepts of assessment and structured decision making. You’ll also learn how safety, risk and household strengths and protective actions apply to formal and informal assessments in child welfare cases and safety planning.

In Module Two, you’ll learn about the structured decision making standardized assessment tools and their respective purposes at each of the main decision points in the child welfare system.


1.6 Learning Objectives

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Upon completion of this online module, you will be able to:

Describe assessment procedures and structured decision making;

Define safety threats, risk, household strengths and protective actions, harm, danger and complicating factors;

Define Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC);

Identify elements of an effective safety plan; and

Describe strategies for developing safety plans in a team setting, incorporating existing household strengths and protective actions and community supports.


2. Assessment Procedures and SDM

2.1 Assessment Procedures and SDM

Notes:

Audio Narration:

In this first topic, you’ll learn about the concepts of assessment and structured decision making and how you’ll use these as a child welfare services social worker.


2.2 Assessment Procedures

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Social workers in California use standardized assessment tools to complete assessments with children, youth, young adults, parents and caregivers. Consideration of key factors such as safety, risk, family strengths and needs, reunification readiness and case closure are formally considered at specific points in the family’s experience within the child welfare system. These factors are also considered informally at every contact with the family.


2.3 Structured Decision Making® (SDM) Assessment System

Notes:

Audio Narration:

The Structured Decision Making® (SDM) System provides standardized tools for completing formal assessments with families. SDM® helps you develop critical thinking skills and blends with family engagement to create evidence-based decision making.

SDM System Goals include:

Reducing the rate of subsequent abuse/neglect referrals and substantiations;

Reducing the severity of abuse and neglect;

Reducing the rate of foster care placement; and

Reducing the length of stay for children in foster care.


2.4 Rationale for Standardized Assessment

Notes:

Audio Narration:

The purpose of standardized assessment is to ensure consistency and accountability in decision making. Using standardized tools also helps eliminate bias in decision making and increases the chance that families who need help will get it.


2.5 SDM System Assessment Tools

Notes:

Audio Narration:

The SDM System consists of six assessment tools. Click the SDM Manual cover to learn the names of these tools.

Hotline Tools

Safety Assessment Tool

Risk Assessment Tool

Family Strengths and Needs Assessment (FSNA) Tool

Family Risk Reassessment for In-home Cases Tool

Reunification Reassessment Tool

You’ll learn more about the SDM tools and their respective purposes at each of the main decision points in the child welfare system in Module 2.


SDM Assessment Tools (Slide Layer)

2.6 How We Make Decisions

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Take a moment to think about how we make decisions.

Decisions should not be based on a gut feeling, based on our personal perspective and beliefs, or societal or cultural bias such as middle class standards. In addition, decisions should not be


inconsistent or unpredictable.

2.7 Tools, Skills and Judgment

Notes:

Audio Narration:

To determine safety threats and identify risk, you will want to utilize tools, professional skills and judgment. These include conducting interviews to gather more information, including interviewing the parent to understand psycho‐social information. You’ll also want to evaluate past history, including information in CWS/CMS on prior reports of abuse or neglect.


2.8 SDM as a Guide for Decision Making

Notes:

Audio Narration:

SDM represents a way of guiding social workers through a decision making process. It’s important to use both the tools and clinical judgment when you are assessing families for safety, risk and household strengths and protective actions in child welfare services cases. Remember, it is a policy that you do SDM but policies about case recommendations that come from SDM are guidelines rather than rules. SDM seeks to help you provide safety, permanency and well-being for the families you serve.


2.9 SDM Tools Help Increase Consistency

Notes:

Audio Narration:

SDM can help you make your risk and safety assessments. It addresses a common set of factors at each decision point, thus creating more uniformity among decisions. Each factor is defined so that there is less chance of varied interpretations. SDM can help eliminate personal bias and emotionality in making decisions and each tool leads to a presumptive decision. SDM structures help increase consistency but it doesn’t always mean uniformity because social worker judgement can vary. SDM creates a situation where the relative weight of each item as it relates to the final decision in safety and risk assessments is consistent.

2.10 Knowledge Check

(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 1 attempt permitted)


Correct Choice

X Guides social workers through a decision making process with standardized

assessment tools and clinical judgment

Practice model to assess children and families for safety threats, risk and

household strengths and protective actions

Decision making process that relies on a gut feeling

Only used for formal safety and risk assessments

Feedback when correct:

That's right! Structured decision making guides social workers through a decision making

process with standardized assessment tools and clinical judgment.

Feedback when incorrect:

Sorry, that's incorrect. Structured decision making guides social workers through a decision

making process with standardized assessment tools and clinical judgment.

Notes:


Correct (Slide Layer)

Incorrect (Slide Layer)


3. Safety and Risk

3.1 Safety and Risk

Notes:

Audio Narration:

While SDM provides us with a set of tools to help us make critical decisions, it does not serve as a practice model, interview guide or engagement tool. When assessing for safety and risk, these tools assist us to determine which information is important, and guide us in ways of gathering that information from families.


3.2 Assessing for Safety vs. Risk

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Understanding key concepts and how they contribute to decision making and the assessment process will help you to best use the SDM tools. It can be challenging to differentiate between safety threats and risk. Safety threats are about immediate danger where as risk refers to the likelihood of future maltreatment.

The immediacy of a threat to a child’s safety requires a different response than the possibility of harm identified by assessing for risk - treating risk like harm could lead to unnecessary removal.

Not seeing the immediate need to address a safety threat could result in children being left in unsafe situations without adequate safety plans - treating safety like risk could lead to child injury that could have been prevented with safety planning.


3.3 Safety Assessment

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Safety assessment is a process to determine if a child is in danger of immediate harm due to the presence of safety threats. This process includes the use of standardized tools and professional judgment. It is used as a mechanism for decision-making in child maltreatment cases, grounded in critical thinking and evidence-based practice.


3.4 Safety Assessment Looks At

Notes:

Audio Narration:

When you are assessing for safety and identifying safety threats, consider these factors:

What is the immediate threat?

What is the nature of the harm to the child?

How severe are or could the consequences be?

How vulnerable is the child?

How imminent is the possibility of harm?

Severe harm is defined as danger to a child’s life or health, impairment to his or her mental well-being (including emotional abuse), disfigurement and severe developmental impairment.


3.5 Three Basic Questions

Notes:

Audio Narration:

In doing a rigorous, balanced assessment, three basic questions can guide us with our work. At their most basic, SDM assessments come down to answering these three questions. Every interview and every stage in a case (e.g., emergency response, family maintenance, family reunification) needs to cover these issues.

While they are very simple questions, sometimes, such as in the middle of a complicated assessment or home visit, simple maps or guides can remind us where we want to go. How to ask the questions and what content to focus on will change, but these are the three most central questions.

They are valuable at every stage in a child welfare case, from screening to adoption. They also serve to prepare caregivers, family members, collaterals and even children for the interview. Telling a person, "I'm going to ask you a lot of questions, but they all come down to these three," prepares the interviewee for what you are looking for. It starts you off on the right foot for collaboration and helps them better prepare to participate.


3.6 Keeping the Focus on Safety

Notes:

Audio Narration:

When seeking answers to "What are we worried about?" we must not focus too widely. We can worry about a lot of things in families, but this framework can focus our inquiry for child welfare services. Think about:

The Caregiver. In child welfare, if a stranger on the street, a teacher, or even an uncle who doesn’t live with the child hurts the child, you may be saddened by it, but it may not require action by child welfare services.

Specific Behavior. The caregiver has done something or failed to do something. It is a specific behavior. Can you get good at naming what that is?

Impact. There must be some significant impact on the child. What is it? Can you describe it? How can we see it? Who can we talk to?

All of our work should be organized around these elements and we should be able to articulate them for any case we have open. What was the caregiver action? What was the impact on the child?

We use this framework as a way to focus our inquiry where it should be for child welfare services.


3.7 Be Specific

Notes:

Audio Narration:

As you think about linking the caregiver’s behavior to the impact on the child, it is important to be very specific and use behavioral descriptions. Rather than saying “He’s an alcoholic,” describe the behavior and explain how it impacts the child. Do we open a case on every parent in our area who is an alcoholic? Why not? What helps us to distinguish? Rather than simply stopping with “He’s an alcoholic,” we need to inquire about specific behavioral detail about impact on the child.

Click what, when, where and how to learn more.

What: Specific behavioral examples include: What does he drink? And What are the caregiver behaviors associated with it?

When: Specific behavioral examples include: When does he drink? And When Do those behaviors show themselves?

Where: Specific behavioral examples include: Where is the child when he drinks? And Where is the alcohol in the house?

How: Specific behavioral examples include: How do those behaviors impact the child? How do you know? And How do you find out?


What (Slide Layer)

When (Slide Layer)


Where (Slide Layer)

How (Slide Layer)


3.8 Helpful Concepts in Identifying Safety

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Here are four important terms that can help define the work we do and keep us focused on safety. We want to be sure that every time we use these terms while talking with families, co-workers and collaterals, this is what we mean.

Click each term to learn more.

Harm is past actions by the caregiver that hurt the children physically, emotionally or developmentally. Harm is about the past.

Danger is about the short term. When we talk about danger in the context of the SDM system, we are looking for serious and imminent threat to a child. Imminent means the social worker reasonably expects that harm will occur in the next week or month. Danger is related to safety.

Risk is about the long term. Instead of serious and imminent harm, we are asking about the probability that any child maltreatment will occur in the next one to two years. That may sound like we are trying to predict the future, but we are really trying to assess the odds, using a research-based actuarial assessment to help us.

Needs/Complicating factors are anything that further complicates the situation. This includes conditions that are worrisome but not to the level of harm and may include risks and needs.


Harm (Slide Layer)

Danger (Slide Layer)


Risk (Slide Layer)

Needs/Complicating Factors (Slide Layer)


3.9 Communicating Harm, Danger and Safety

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Using harm and danger to communicate our concerns will keep us grounded in safety.

Harm statements are clear and specific statements about the harm or maltreatment that has happened to the child.

Danger statements are simple behavioral statements of the specific worry we have about the child now and in the future.

Safety goals are clear, simple statements about what (not how) the caregiver will DO that will convince everyone that child is safe now and into the future.


3.10 Harm Statements

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Harm is defined as something that happened in the past and impacted the child physically, developmentally or emotionally. Harm statements are “clear and specific statements about the harm or maltreatment that has happened to the child.” This may be the easiest statement in many ways, because it is based on things that already happened.

One easy formula for writing a good harm statement is to think of it in three parts:

Begin with a brief phrase about who is saying what happened. By law, you may not divulge the reporting party’s name. You may say “It was reported that…” After you gather some information, you may be able to add names to this because one or more people you interview may tell you what happened and may give you permission to share that with the family.

Next, describe the facts regarding what the caregiver did, to the best of your knowledge.

Finally, describe the impact on the child.


3.11 Harm Statement Example

Notes:

Audio Narration:

You can see in this example of a harm statement that there is a brief phrase about who is saying what happened (Jacob’s sister). Next, the facts regarding what Jacob’s mother, Carly Soren did - she hit Jacob several times on his face with her hand yesterday. And finally, this harm statement example describes the impact on the child - causing several bruises on Jacob’s left cheek.


3.12 Risk Assessment

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Risk assessment is a process to determine the long term future harm to the child. Like safety assessments, it is used as a vehicle for decision making in child maltreatment cases and includes the combined use of tools and professional judgment.


3.13 Risk Assessment Looks At

Notes:

Audio Narration:

When you are assessing for risk and identifying risk concerns, consider these factors.

Which factors increase the likelihood the child will be harmed in the future? As you’ll see in the SDM tools, research has identified certain factors associated with increased likelihood for future harm. These factors include things like parental substance abuse, parental mental health concerns, previous history of maltreatment and child vulnerability.


3.14 Risk Assessment and Danger Statements

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Danger statements describe specific worries about the child. The SDM risk assessment helps us identify the likelihood those worries will happen.

3.15 Danger Statement Example


Notes:

Audio Narration:

Danger statements are simple behavioral statements identifying the specific worry we have about the child now and in the future. This example of a danger statement describes the specific worries about the child - that Jacob’s mom, Carly, may hit Jacob again, leaving him with bruises and even more serious injuries.

3.16 Linking Danger and Risk

(Drag and Drop, 0 points, 1 attempt permitted)

Drag Item Drop Target

Danger

What exactly we are worried about (the

danger statement)


Risk

How worried we should be

(the risk level)

Drag and drop properties

Return item to start point if dropped outside any drop target

Snap dropped items to drop target (Stack offset)

Delay item drop states until interaction is submitted

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Identifying risk concerns can help determine the long term future harm to the child. It does not predict when or how serious the harm may be, but rather the likelihood that harm will occur. Risk assessment, based on an examination of factors, attempts to address whether the harm may continue, and whether the harm is acute or chronic in nature.


Untitled Layer 1 (Slide Layer)

3.17 Knowledge Check


Correct Choice

Danger


X Harm

Safety

Risk


That's right! This is an example of a harm statement.


Sorry, that's incorrect. This is an example of a harm statement.

Notes:




4. Household Strengths and Protective Actions and MSLC

4.1 Household Strengths and Protective Actions and MSLC

Notes:

Audio Narration:


In addition to assessing for safety and risk, it is important to consider mitigating or protective factors also known as household strengths and protective actions. It is also essential to take into account the Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC); the point below which a home is unsafe for the care of a child.

4.2 Keeping the Focus on Safety

Notes:

Audio Narration:

It’s important to ask this question, “What is working well?” to gather information for a rigorous, balanced assessment. Remember, if we ask only about the history of harm and not about the history of protection, we do not know how worried to be.

Inquiring heavily about the history of protection, such as when the parent was able to respond to danger and safety threats, can help us learn whether the parent was able to protect his/her child many times, or whether the caregiver has not done much in response. We want to know about acts of protection taken by the caregiver that mitigate the danger demonstrated over time.


4.3 What’s Working Well?

Notes:

Audio Narration:

When we ask, “What’s Working Well?” we want to look at strengths, household strengths and protective actions and safety.

Click each term to learn more.

Strengths are skills of living or nurturing or support that are important but do not directly address harm and danger.

Household strengths and protective actions are demonstrated abilities and qualities that could be used to create safety. Strengths and household strengths and protective actions are great things to have, but until they are converted to acts of protection, demonstrated over time, they are not the same as safety. Household strengths and protective actions are a reflection of potential. A key task of child protection work is determining a family’s household strengths and protective actions and helping the family convert those into action.

Safety is “acts of protection taken by the caregiver that directly mitigate the danger, demonstrated over time.” Note that you can have acts of protection and still not have safety if those acts have not been demonstrated over time or do not go far enough. Acts of protection can also be used to minimize current and future trauma.


Strengths (Slide Layer)

Household Strengths and Protective Actions (Slide Layer)


Safety (Slide Layer)

4.4 Household Strengths and Protective Actions

Notes:

Audio Narration:

What kinds of household strengths and protective actions are social workers looking for? You want to look for behavioral, cognitive and emotional characteristics that demonstrate the ability to protect the child. Action for Child Protection defines these categories of household strengths


and protective actions.

Click each category for a brief description and a list of questions to consider.

Click Resources to download these questions in the handout, Household Strengths and Protective Actions to use in your practice.

Behavioral characteristics are defined as “specific action, activity and performance that is consistent with and results in parenting and protective vigilance.”

Scroll to read some questions which could help you identify behavioral characteristics that reflect household strengths and protective actions.

Cognitive characteristics are defined as, “the specific intellect, knowledge, understanding and perception that contributes to protective vigilance.”

Scroll to read some questions which could help you identify cognitive characteristics that reflect household strengths and protective actions.

Emotional characteristics are defined as, “specific feelings, attitudes and identification with the child and motivation that result in parenting and protective vigilance.”

Scroll to read some questions which could help you identify emotional characteristics that reflect household strengths and protective actions.

Behavioral Characteristics (Slide Layer)


Cognitive Characteristics (Slide Layer)

Emotional Characteristics (Slide Layer)


4.5 Be Specific

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Just like in the “worries,” we need to be rigorous about getting behavioral detail regarding what is working well. In this example, what does “stable” mean? How is it impacting the child? Is it protecting the child? Does it have anything to do with the child?

Click what, when, where and how to learn more.

What: Specific behavioral examples include: Stable meaning what? Stable from what? And What are the caregiver behaviors associated with being stable?

When: Specific behavioral examples include: When do those behaviors show themselves?

Where: Specific behavioral examples include: Where is the child when the caregiver demonstrates behaviors associated with being stable?

How: Specific behavioral examples include: How do those behaviors impact the child? How do you know? And How do you find out?


What (Slide Layer)

When (Slide Layer)


Where (Slide Layer)

How (Slide Layer)


4.6 Minimum Sufficient Level of Care

Notes:

Audio Narration:

In addition to assessing for safety threats, risk and household strengths and protective actions, you’ll need to consider the Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC). This standard is meant as a minimum, not an ideal. If parents or caregivers are unable to meet this minimum standard, intervention is needed to ensure the safety of children.

Consider community and cultural factors as part of the assessment for the MSLC.

The key question to ask is, “Are the caregivers providing consistent care at a basic level that keeps the child safe and protected in the areas of physical, emotional and developmental needs?”


4.7 Minimum and Sufficient

Notes:

Audio Narration:

The terms minimum and sufficient are crucial to the concept that MSLC is not an ideal state of care. The standard is related to the objective of keeping children safe and protected. The terms minimum and sufficient are used to explicitly differentiate from higher standards.


4.8 MSLC Factors

Notes:

Audio Narration:

MSLC is case specific. A variety of factors must be considered for each child, and there are no fixed criteria for assessing when a home falls below this minimum standard. This decision must be made by informed judgment that evaluates each case individually.

The MSLC must remain consistent for the duration of the case. Once the MSLC is developed for a given child, it does not change throughout the life of the family’s case unless the needs of the child change (e.g., the child develops a high risk health condition). When a child is in placement, the decision about reunification must be based on the same MSLC baselines as when the child was removed.

Click the children to learn more.

The MSLC:

Considers both the child’s right to safety and the parents’ right to their children;

Is required by law (as a practical way to interpret the “reasonable efforts” provision of Public Law 96-272);

Protects (to some degree) from individual biases and value judgments;

Discourages unnecessary removal from the family home;

Discourages unnecessarily long placements in foster care;

Keeps decision-makers focused on what is the least detrimental alternative for the child; and

Is sensitive across cultures.


MSLC Text (Slide Layer)

4.9 Knowledge Check



Correct Choice

MSLC is case specific

MSLC must remain consistent for the duration of the case

MSLC is a social standard describing a minimum of parent behavior

X MSLC is an ideal


That's right! The Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC) is not an ideal.


Sorry, that's incorrect. The Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC) is not an ideal.

Notes:




5. Applying the Concepts

5.1 Applying the Concepts

Notes:

Audio Narration:


In this topic, you’ll apply the concepts of assessing for safety, risk and household strengths and protective actions to a case scenario.

5.2 Case Scenario

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Consider this situation and apply the concepts of safety, risk and household strengths and protective actions.

9-year-old Jordan was left home alone overnight in their apartment when his mother, Pam, was arrested for a DUI. His grandparents, June and Bob, live nearby but did not know about the arrest until after CPS called. Pam has now been sober 2 weeks. Prior to this incident, Pam had been sober since Jordan was born.


5.3 What Are the Worries Regarding Jordan?

Notes:

Audio Narration:

What are the worries regarding Jordan? Think about which of Pam's behaviors impacted Jordan negatively.


5.4 Harm and Danger

Notes:

Audio Narration:

The primary safety issue we see here is that Jordan was left home alone indefinitely at age 9. In making this determination we considered these factors:

What is the immediate threat?

What is the nature of the harm to the child?

How severe could the consequences be?

How vulnerable is the child?

How imminent is the possibility of harm?

5.5 What are the Complicating Factors?

(Drag and Drop, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)



Jordan’s grandparents being unaware of the

arrest

Jordan left home alone for an indefinite period

Pam’s past drinking Oval 1

Pam’s DUI Oval 1

Jordan’s age

The condition of the home



Snap dropped items to drop target (Snap to center)




That's right. Pam’s DUI and Pam’s past drinking complicate the situation but don’t reflect actual

harm.


Sorry, that’s incorrect. Pam’s DUI and Pam’s past drinking complicate the situation but don’t

reflect actual harm.

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Which factors complicate the situation but don’t reflect actual harm? Drag the correct factors into the Complicating Factors Circle, then click SUBMIT.




Try Again (Slide Layer)

5.6 What is Working Well?

(Drag and Drop, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)



Jordan’s grandparents are nearby and can help

keep Jordan safe

Oval 9

Jordan left home alone for an indefinite period

Pam’s past sobriety Oval 9

Pam’s DUI

Pam‘s history of effective problem solving Oval 9

Jordan’s age allows him to participate in a

safety plan

Oval 9

The condition of the home




Snap dropped items to drop target (Snap to center)



That's right. Jordan’s grandparents being nearby indicates they can serve as a support system

for Pam and Jordan. Pam’s history of effective problem solving and her past sobriety indicate

that she can safely parent in the future. Jordan’s age indicates that he can participate in his own

safety plan.


That's not right. Jordan’s grandparents being nearby indicates they can serve as a support

system for Pam and Jordan. Pam’s history of effective problem solving and her past sobriety

indicate that she can safely parent in the future. Jordan’s age indicates that he can participate in

his own safety plan.

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Which factors mitigate the likelihood Jordan will be harmed in the future? Drag the correct factors into the Protective Circle, then click SUBMIT.


Try Again (Slide Layer)

5.7 Safety and Risk Decision Making Process

Notes:

Audio Narration:

This is the safety and risk decision making process: gathering information about risk, safety, household strengths and protective actions, and MSLC and using that information in the decision making process. As a social worker in California, you’ll use structured decision making


and standardized, research-based assessment tools to help you consider key factors as you are making these decisions.

6. Safety Planning

6.1 Safety Planning

Notes:

Audio Narration:

In this topic, you’ll learn about the elements of an effective safety plan and the strategies for developing safety plans in a team setting.


6.2 Setting the Stage

Notes:

Audio Narration:

While safety is the prevailing concern of the first face‐to‐face contact, engaging with the family will depend upon your social work clinical skills. Whenever possible, use a strength‐based approach to initiate the contact, while remaining observant for the presence or absence of safety threats. The first face‐to‐face contact may be limited to assessing safety if there are significant safety issues. At other times, you’ll also begin to gather information regarding risk and/or strengths and needs items, as well as additional clinical information.


6.3 Steps for Building an Effective Safety Plan

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Some steps in building an effective safety plan include:

Build relationships, assess danger and safety

Orient the family and the children to the task

Identify and involve the network

Address the critical concerns

Reach agreement on the plan

Bring it back to the children

Monitor, build on it, and continue to assess


6.4 Safety Plans

Notes:

Audio Narration:

It’s important that the safety plans are easily understood by the parent as well as the child. Language should be simple and specific. It should be action oriented, specifically spelling out what the parent, child or support network will do. Goals should be specific. For example, using our scenario, the plan should say something like “If Pam feels like she wants to drink, she will call her sponsor for support.” It should not say “Pam will stay sober.”


sample safety plan language (Slide Layer)

6.5 Don’t Forget the Children!

Notes:

Audio Narration:

If the child has the cognitive, physical and emotional capacity to participate in safety interventions, include the child in your safety planning. Use simple language in the child’s safety plan. Ensure strategies are developmentally appropriate. Write it down, practice and include the


family’s network of support.

6.6 Reminder

Notes:

Audio Narration:

When writing your safety plan, be sure to look for household strengths and protective actions. These are the areas that can be built upon when developing your plan.


6.7 Safety Planning with Community Supports

Notes:

Audio Narration:

In addition to Pam and Jordan, their social worker will want to include other supports in the safety planning. The goal is to build a support network that can collectively protect Jordan. In this case, the social worker will want to include Jordan’s grandparents and perhaps others, like Pam’s sponsor.


6.8 Who to Engage From the Community

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Here are some examples of who you might engage when you are developing safety plans for families on your case load.

Click each group for a brief description.

Natural supports are those support people identified by the family such as their church family, pastor, friends, sponsor and family.

Cultural or neighborhood supports may include community leaders and cultural leaders. Note that it is important to ask if the family has Native American ancestry or is a member of a federally recognized nation/tribe. If you have an Indian child, engage with the designated ICWA specialist in your county.

Service providers may include the family’s therapist, school teachers, public health nurse, etc.


Natural Supports (Slide Layer)

Cultural and Neighborhood Supports (Slide Layer)


Service Providers (Slide Layer)

6.9 Family Team Meetings

Notes:

Audio Narration:

To effectively safety plan, utilizing a family team meeting can be very helpful in engaging the family and support network. It allows for the balancing of strengths and needs, creates a shared understanding of safety issues and facilitates commitment from the network.


6.10 Safety Decision

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Think back to the situation about Jordan and Pam. The social worker identified that one or more safety threats are present. Without effective preventive services, the planned arrangement for Jordan will be out-of-home care (e.g., foster family, group home). Safety interventions have been initiated and Jordan will remain in the home as long as the safety interventions mitigate the danger.

6.11 Supporting Jordan

(Essay, 0 points, 1 attempt permitted)


Feedback:

Thank you for your reflections.

Notes:


Thank You (Slide Layer)

6.12 Jordan’s Support Network

Notes:

Audio Narration:


Here are some possible people we thought of from Jordan’s family and community supports who could be part of his support network. Did you think of others?

6.13 Develop a Safety Plan for Jordan

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Here’s what Jordan’s safety plan might look like:

If my mom drinks, I will call Nana and Pop Pop at 555-6481.

Everyday after dinner, I will talk with Nana and Pop Pop. I will tell them about my day and how my mom is doing.

If my mom leaves me home alone, I will call my Nana and Pop Pop.

I will tell my Nana, Pop Pop or my teacher if I am afraid or scared of something.

6.14 Write a Safety Plan for Jordan and Pam

(Essay, 0 points, 1 attempt permitted)


Feedback:

Thank you for your reflections.

Notes:


Thank You (Slide Layer)

6.15 Write a Safety Plan for Jordan and Pam

Notes:

Audio Narration:


Here is our example of a good safety plan for Jordan. Did your safety plan contain any of these elements?

6.16 Would You Close the Referral?

Notes:

Audio Narration:

With this safety plan in place, Jordan and Pam’s social worker will use the SDM Risk Assessment Tool to determine if the referral should be closed. Think about Jordan and Pam’s situation. Would you close the referral?


7. Conclusion

7.1 Conclusion

Notes:

Audio Narration:

In this first of two online modules on assessment procedures, you learned about the assessment process and structured decision making and how you’ll use these as a child welfare services social worker.

You learned about assessing for safety, risk and household strengths and protective actions. You also learned about the importance of conducting consistent, rigorous and balanced assessments for the children and families you serve.

You learned about the elements of an effective safety plan and the strategies for developing safety plans in a team setting, incorporating existing household strengths and protective actions and community supports.

And, you learned about the importance of keeping the focus on safety, while incorporating a family’s strengths and needs, to help ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children in the child welfare system.


7.2 Posttest

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Now, it’s time to see what you learned in this online module. You will need to score 80% or higher on the Posttest to receive credit for this course.

Click NEXT to begin the Posttest.

7.3 Draw from Question Bank 1

Draw all questions randomly from Question Bank 1

7.4 Results

(Results Slide, 0 points, 1 attempt permitted)


Results for

7.3 Draw from Question Bank 1

Result slide properties

Passing Score 80%


Success (Slide Layer)

Failure (Slide Layer)


7.5 References

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Here are the references we used to develop this course. Please click Resources to download the References handout.

7.6 Safety Organized Practice


Notes:

Audio Narration:

Some content in this curriculum was developed by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) Children’s Research Center and the Northern California Training Academy as part of the Safety Organized Practice Curriculum.

Safety Organized Practice (SOP) is a collaborative practice approach that emphasizes the importance of teamwork in child welfare. SOP aims to build and strengthen partnerships with the child welfare agency and within a family by involving their informal support networks of friends and family members. A central belief in SOP is that all families have strengths.

SOP uses strategies and techniques that align with the belief that a child and his or her family are the central focus, and that the partnership exists in an effort to find solutions that ensure safety, permanency, and well-being for children.

7.7 Congratulations

Notes:

Audio Narration:

Congratulations! You’ve completed the eLearning course, Overview of Assessment Procedures, Module 1.

Now, you should take the Overview of Assessment Procedures, Module 2. You’ll need to complete both modules to complete the eLearning content for Assessment Procedures.

Click Exit to exit the course.

overview of assessment procedures module 1 1. …€¦ · · 2017-03-09published by articulate®...

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