Chapter 2: Section 7

Safety Planning

Procedures

Safety Planning

When a child is assessed as unsafe, the DCS Specialist will develop and immediately implement a Safety Plan to control all identified impending danger safety threats.

A Safety Plan will not be implemented for children assessed as safe. Refer to Providing Services for Families with Children Assessed as Safe for information on assessment and service planning for families in which the children are determined to be safe.

A Safety Plan is a written arrangement between the parent, guardian, and/or custodian; the responsible adult(s) who will take action to control danger threats; and the Department. The Safety Plan establishes how impending danger threats to child safety will be controlled. The Safety Plan describes safety actions that must be taken in order to control anticipated danger and prevent harm to the child.

Safety Plans are not the same as case plans. Safety Plans describe actions to control danger threats and may describe supportive resources (such as child care or nurse home visiting services) to support those actions. 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.

Safety Plans must:

• be sufficient to control or manage impending danger threats;

• have an immediate effect;

• be immediately accessible, feasible, and available;

• contain safety actions to be taken by responsible adults

• when applicable, describe other people and resources that will support safety actions;

• be sustainable as long as the Safety Plan is expected to be needed; and

• not contain promissory commitments by a parent as a safety action (such as a parent promising not to use drugs/alcohol or agreeing to participate in a treatment service

Sufficient, feasible, and sustainable are defined as follows:

• Sufficient means the plan is a well thought-out approach that identifies the most suitable people that will take the necessary actions at the right times and frequency to control threats of danger to the child(ren) and/or substitute for diminished parent/caregiver protective capacities.

• Feasible means that the responsible adults and the Department are accessible and available to implement and oversee the plan immediately and without delay.

• Sustainable means that responsible adults will be accessible and available until the child is safe from impending danger and a Safety Plan is no longer needed; that there is willingness and cooperation on behalf of the parent(s), guardian(s), and/or custodian(s) to participate in change-related activities, including willingness to meet, discuss, and ultimately begin necessary change-related activities.

The written safety plan must:

• specify the impending danger safety threat(s);

• identify how each safety threat(s) will be controlled, including:

  • the responsible adult(s) who will implement each action;

  • the safety action(s) required to control threats of danger;

  • the circumstances under which the responsible adult(s) will perform the safety actions (e.g., location, who else will be there, etc.);

  • other people and resources that will support safety actions;

  • the timeframes for when the safety actions will occur (frequency, duration, and exact times and days);

• be based on an assessment of the suitability of the responsible adult(s) who will implement the safety actions, and include confirmation of their availability and accessibility at the times the threats are present and need to be controlled; and

• describe how the DCS Specialist will oversee that the Safety Plan is being followed and sufficient to maintain child safety, including a communication plan among participants.

A Safety Plan must be in place until the impending danger threat is no longer active or the parents have been able to enhance protective capacity in order to manage all impending danger threats, and the child has been assessed as safe.

In-home Safety Analysis

The determination that a child is unsafe does not always mean that the child must be removed from the home. In some cases, the danger can be sufficiently controlled, and the child can remain in the home, with help and support from family members, other responsible adults, and other people or resources that support safety actions.

Safety Plans can use in-home, out-of-home, or a combination of actions. For a Safety Plan to effectively use in-home actions, or a combination of in-home and out-of-home actions, the DCS Specialist must know how the impending danger occurs uniquely within the family, and what must be controlled. The DCS Specialist must know the following about each identified impending danger threat that occurs in the home:

• Duration: the length of time the condition has been concerning or problematic.

• Consistency: how often the negative condition is an active problem or affecting parent/caregiver performance.

• Pervasiveness: the extent or intensity of the problem, how consuming is it to caregiver and overall family functioning.

• Influence: what stimulates or causes the threat to child safety to become active.

• Effect: the effects the negative condition have specifically on the ability of a caregiver to provide for the care and protection of the children.

• Continuance: the likeliness the negative condition will continue or get worse without DCS intervention.

The DCS Specialist must complete an analysis of whether an in-home or a combination Safety Plan can be implemented by determining the answers to the following questions.

If all five criteria are present, an in-home Safety Plan option will be considered and typically can be used.

If any of the following criteria are not present, an out-of-home Safety Plan must be implemented, and the Department must take custody of the unsafe child either through a Voluntary Placement Agreement or filing a dependency petition and placing the child in out-of-home care. Follow policy and procedures outlined in Voluntary Placement and Out-of-home Dependency.

An in-home Safety Plan will be considered and is typically appropriate when all five of the following questions are answered yes (indicating the criteria is present):

Question #1: Is there a combination of safety actions and supportive resources capable of sufficiently controlling the identified danger threats, and are there sufficient resources within the family network or community to control the identified threats?

To answer this question yes, the DCS Specialist must know the duration, consistency, pervasiveness, influence, effect, and continuance of each impending danger threat in the home. In addition, the safety actions must occur at the necessary days, times, and locations, and must be sufficient to control the identified danger threats. Responsible adults must have the knowledge, skill and ability to address the danger threats, and be immediately available whenever the danger threats are or could be present.

Question #2: Are the parents, guardians, or custodians willing for an in-home or combination Safety Plan to be implemented and have they demonstrated that they will cooperate with the responsible adults, safety actions, and supportive resources identified in the Safety Plan?

Willing to accept and cooperate means that the parent(s), guardian(s) and/or custodian(s) allow a Safety Plan to be implemented in the home, to participate according to agreed assignments, and to allow the Department access to the home to actively manage the Safety Plan. The parents, guardians, and/or custodians do not have to agree that a Safety Plan is the right thing, nor are they required to like the plan; but they must be willing to accept and cooperate with the plan in order for it to be effective.

Question #3: Is the home environment calm and consistent enough for an in-home Safety Plan to be implemented and for responsible adults to be in the home safely?

Calm and consistent refers to the environment, routine, how constant it is, and its predictability to be the same from day-to-day. The environment must accommodate plans, schedules, and safety actions and be non-threatening to those participating in the Safety Plan.

Question #4: Can an in-home Safety Plan and the use of in-home safety actions sufficiently control impending danger without the results of outside professional evaluations (psychiatric/psychological or medical)?

To answer this question yes, it must be clear how each impending danger threat is occurring in the household. This question is answered no when 1) specific information is needed to understand impending danger threats, caregiver capacity or behavior, or family functioning related to impending danger threats in order to know what is required to control threats, and 2) a clinical or forensic evaluation by a professional is needed to obtain the necessary information. Evaluations that are concerned with treatment or general information gathering (not specific to impending danger threats) can occur in tandem with in-home Safety Plans.

Question #5: Do the parents, guardians, or custodians have a suitable place to reside where an in-home or combination Safety Plan can be implemented?

A suitable place to reside means a home/shelter exists and can be expected to be occupied for as long as the Safety Plan is needed, and the caregivers live there full time. A domestic violence or other shelter, or a friend’s or relative’s home, qualifies as a suitable place to reside if other criteria are met (e.g., expected to be occupied for as long as the Safety Plan is needed, caregivers live there full time, etc.).

If any of the above five questions are answered “no,” an out-of-home Safety Plan is established and in most circumstances, conditions for return must be developed and recorded within the Safety Plan. For circumstances in which conditions for return are not developed, see Conditions for Return.

In investigations with a criminal conduct allegation, where a child has a severe injury that is likely an inflicted injury and the perpetrator of the abuse is unknown, an in-home Safety Plan cannot be established in a household where an adult resides who has not been ruled out as a perpetrator of the abuse because there is insufficient information about how the impending danger occurs and the circumstances that must be controlled. See Investigations Involving Allegations of Criminal Conduct.

An in-home Safety Plan may not be sufficient and appropriate in a household where any of the following are true:

• The parent, guardian, and/or custodian has expressed an unwillingness to care for the child.

• The child is profoundly afraid of a caregiver who continues to live in or have access to the home.

• An in-home Safety Plan would violate the child’s victim rights, such as when the non-offending parent does not believe the child’s description of abuse or neglect, placing the child at risk to be coerced.

• Medical child abuse is suspected (see Medical Child Abuse).

• Any of the aggravating circumstances listed below are present (for more information on aggravating circumstances, refer to: Selecting the Permanency Goal).

  • The child previously was removed, adjudicated dependent due to physical or sexual abuse and, after the adjudication, the child was returned to the parent or guardian and then removed within eighteen months due to additional neglect or abuse.

  • The parent, guardian, or custodian has expressed no interest in reunification with the child.

  • The parent or guardian is suffering from a mental illness or mental deficiency of such magnitude that it renders the parent or guardian incapable of benefiting from the reunification services. This finding shall be based on competent evidence from a psychologist or physician that establishes that, even with the provision of reunification services, the parent or guardian is unlikely to be capable of adequately caring for the child within 12 months after the date of the child's removal from the home.

  • The parent or guardian:

    • committed an act that constitutes a dangerous crime against children as defined in A.R.S. § 13-705; or

    • caused a child to suffer serious physical injury or emotional injury; or

    • the parent or guardian knew or reasonably should have known that another person committed an act that constitutes a dangerous crime against children as defined in A.R.S. § 13-705; or

    • caused a child to suffer serious physical injury or emotional injury.

  • The parent's rights to another child have been terminated, the parent has not successfully addressed the issues that led to the termination, and the parent is unable to discharge their parental responsibilities.

  • The child has been removed from the parent on at least two previous occasions, reunification services were offered or provided to the parent/guardian after removal, and the parent/guardian is unable to discharge parental responsibilities.

  • The parent or guardian of a child has been convicted of:

    • a dangerous crime against children as defined in A.R.S. § 13-705; or

    • murder or manslaughter of a child; or

    • sexual abuse, sexual assault or molestation of a child; or

    • sexual conduct with a minor; or

    • commercial sexual exploitation of a minor; or

    • sexual exploitation of a minor; or

    • luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

  • The parent or guardian of a child has been convicted of aiding or abetting or attempting, conspiring or soliciting to commit any of the crimes listed directly above.

  • A child who is currently under six months of age was exposed to a drug or substance and the exposure was not the result of a medical treatment administered to the mother or the newborn infant by a health professional and both of the following are true:

    • the parent of the child is unable to discharge parental responsibly because of a history of chronic abuse of dangerous drugs or controlled substances; and

    • reasonable grounds exist to believe that the parent’s condition will continue for a prolonged or indeterminate period based on a competent opinion from a licensed health care provider with experience in the area of substance abuse disorders, as follows:

      • physician;

      • psychologist;

      • nurse practitioner who focuses on psychiatric mental health; and

      • licensed independent substance abuse counselors.

The Department may file an In-Home Intervention or In-Home Dependency Petition for court supervision and oversight (see Determining the Level of Department Intervention, Services and Court Oversight).

The DCS Specialist will request a Safety Team Decision Making (TDM) meeting, as needed. See Team Decision Making.

Safety Actions and Supportive Resources in Safety Plans

Safety actions are active and intentional efforts made by responsible adults (family members, informal supports, or other members of the family network) who take responsibility for assuring that a child’s basic needs and need for safety are met.

Supportive resources may also be included in the Safety Plan to assist responsible adults in the completion of safety actions.

Developing a Safety Plan that is not full time out-of-home placement requires knowledge about other actions or methods that might immediately control threats of danger. Safety actions and supportive resources can provide practical resources, crisis management, social support and connection, behavior management, and separation of the child and parent. The following safety actions and supportive resources may help substitute for a parent/caregiver’s diminished protective capacities:

Practical Resources

These actions and services provide practical help to the family in order to mitigate threats of danger to the child. Examples include:

• resource acquisition related to a lack that affects child safety (such as a crib or food);

• transportation services to address an issue associated with a safety threat;

• employment or financial assistance to decrease resource gaps affecting child safety; and

• housing assistance to meet the family’s basic need or to replace dangerous housing.

Crisis Management

A crisis event or situation overwhelms the caregiver’s and family member’s emotions, abilities, and resources so that the caregivers are unable to solve problems and manage their lives. A crisis for families may not necessarily be a traumatic situation or even in actuality, but a perception of those individuals involved.

Crisis management aims to halt a crisis and mobilize problem solving to return a family to a state of calm. Appropriate crisis management handles precipitating events or sudden conditions that immobilize parents’ capacity to protect and care for children. Examples include:

• crisis intervention and counseling;

• resource acquisition when lack of resources creates a crisis;

• emergency financial and/or housing assistance; and

• help with basic parenting tasks.

Social Support and Connection

These actions and resources may be useful with young inexperienced parents who are not meeting basic protective responsibilities; anxious or emotionally immobilized parents; parents needing encouragement and support; parents overwhelmed with parenting responsibilities; and developmentally disabled parents. For example, actions and resources include:

• friendly visitor (formal or informal supports directly related to purposefully reducing isolation and connecting caregivers to direct support);

• basic parenting assistance and teaching (focused on essential knowledge and/or skill a caregiver is missing or failing to perform);

• homemaker services pertinent to issues associated with the impending danger;

• home management services pertinent to issues associated with the impending danger;

• supervision and monitoring that occurs during scheduled in-home contacts with social conversations;

• formal and informal social networking that is focused and purposeful; and

• in-home babysitting that allows for social contact, conversation, and support.

Control or Manage Threatening Behavior

This type of service in a Safety Plan controls aggressive behavior, passive behavior, or the absence of behavior – any of which can threaten a child’s safety. For example, actions and supportive resources include:

• in-home health care that manages health care issues affecting caregiver behavior or a vulnerable child;

• substance abuse intervention, such as detoxification, management, or monitoring that controls substance intake;

• supervision and monitoring of caregiver behavior and circumstances that influence caregiver behavior;

• stress reduction to reduce stressors that are influencing caregiver behavior;

• out-patient or in-patient medical treatment;

• emergency medical care that treats immediate physical conditions that affect caregiver behavior; and

• emergency mental health care that treats and manages acute mental health conditions.

Separation of Parent and Child

Separation as a safety action may range from one hour, to a few days, to extended out-of-home care. Separation may involve hourly babysitting, temporary out-of-home placement, or both. In addition to child safety, separation may provide respite for parents and children to reduce stress and provide opportunities for social connection. Separation creates alternatives to family routine, scheduling, and daily pressures. Separation also can serve a supervisory or oversight function. Examples include:

• planned parental absence from home;

• respite care;

• child care;

• after school care;

• planned activities for the children;

• short term out-of-home placement of child for weekends, several days, few weeks; and

• extended out-of-home care.

A dependency petition must be filed with the juvenile court if the least intrusive intervention necessary to keep the child safe requires:

• a parent, guardian and/or custodian to leave the home for longer than the duration of the present danger plan; and

• there are no current court orders that already restrict or deny contact between the parent guardian, and/or custodian who is leaving the home and the child.

Refer to Determining the Level of Department Intervention, Services and Court Oversight and Out-of-Home Dependency for procedures related to filing a dependency petition.

Identifying Responsible Adults to Implement Safety Actions

In order to implement a Safety Plan, a responsible adult must be identified who is able to carry out the required safety actions. The responsible adult(s) may be a parent, guardian, and/or custodian in another household, a family member, or another adult who meets the criteria listed below. The responsible adult(s) must be present and immediately able to take action at any time a threat of danger is present. The DCS Specialist may not be assigned as a responsible adult.

Engage the family members and ask for their assistance in identifying appropriate individuals who are relatives or have a significant relationship with the child and can assist to control threats of danger to the child. Obtain information to determine if the prospective responsible adult(s) and members of their household (if applicable) are appropriate for this role. Meet in-person with any identified prospective responsible adult to assess their ability to be responsible for safety actions, to include whether they:

• has demonstrated the ability to protect the child in the past (with or without DCS involvement) while under similar circumstances and family conditions;

• believes the child’s report of maltreatment and is supportive of the child;

• is capable of understanding the specific threat to the child and the need to protect the child;

• displays concern for the child and the child’s experience and is intent on emotionally protecting the child;

• has a strong bond with the child and they understand the number one priority is the safety and well-being of the child;

• is physically able to intervene and protect the child;

• does not have significant individual needs that might affect the safety of the child, such as severe depression, lack of impulse control, medical needs, etc.;

• is emotionally able to carry out a plan and/or to intervene to protect the child (not incapacitated by fear of the maltreating person);

• has adequate knowledge and skill to fulfill caregiving responsibilities and tasks (this may involve considering the caregiver’s ability to meet any exceptional needs that the child might have);

• has asked, demands and expects the maltreating adult to follow the conditions of the Safety Plan and can assure the plan is effectively carried out;

• consistently expresses belief that the maltreating person is in need of help and that he or she supports the maltreating person getting help (this is the individual’s point of view without being prompted by DCS);

• if having difficulty believing the other person would maltreat the child, the individual describes the child as believable and trustworthy;

• has adequate resources necessary to meet the child’s basic needs;

• is cooperating with the DCS Specialist’s efforts to provide services and assess the specific needs of the family; and

• does not place responsibility on the child for the problems of the family.

 

If the Safety Plan includes a child remaining in the home of his or her parent, guardian, and/or custodian, complete a search for prior AZ DCS involvement and a criminal records check of public records for the responsible adult(s).

 

Gather information from the prospective responsible adult(s) regarding:

• criminal history;

• complete a public records check;

• contact local law enforcement to complete a records check; and

• if appropriate, request history from out of state child welfare systems (when the responsible adult(s) has resided in another state and there is an indication that there is a history of out of state child welfare involvement).

If the Safety Plan includes the placement of a child in the home of an unlicensed relative or non-relative, follow the procedures for background checks located in Kinship Care.

Parents as Responsible Adults

If a child has been determined to be unsafe due to impending danger in the household where the alleged abuse or neglect has occurred, and an in-home safety analysis reveals that an in-home Safety Plan cannot sufficiently manage the safety threats in that home, and the child is placed with a parent, guardian and/or custodian in another household, a Safety Plan must still be developed and implemented. Placement of a child with a parent, guardian and/or custodian in another household does not, in and of itself, resolve the safety threat in the household of the abuse or neglect.

If the Safety Plan includes the child residing with a parent, guardian, and/or custodian who resides in a different household from the home of the alleged abuse or neglect, and this household was not comprehensively assessed using the Family Functioning Assessment - Investigation, consider the following:

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian has experience with parenting this or other children. The parent, guardian and/or custodian has parenting and child development knowledge.

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian knows and practices positive methods of discipline.

• The required supports the parent, guardian and/or custodian must have to provide for the child’s needs have been identified. These supports include medical, behavioral health, dental, special needs, transportation, communicating with professionals, etc.

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian has identified sufficient and appropriate supervision for the child, including after-school or childcare if necessary. (Include case plan if childcare will be paid for by DCS.)

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian is appropriately able to assist the child in family time/visitation and other forms of communication with the other parent, guardian and/or custodian and siblings.

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian is willing and able to participate in meetings (TDMs, CFTs, IEPs, etc).

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian is aware that DCS and service providers will visit the home in order to fulfill Safety Plan oversight and service provision responsibilities.

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian have identified the anticipated expenses if the child is placed in the home. The parent, guardian and/or custodian is able to provide sufficient care for the child without causing financial hardship for the family.

• The parent, guardian and/or custodian have determined whether there is a need for services or supports to maintain the child safely in the home. (Include any needed services and supports in the case plan).

Responsible adult in a Safety Plan who is a qualified patient of medical marijuana

If a potential responsible adult identified in the Safety Plan is also a qualifying patient, designated caregiver, or cultivator of medical marijuana, the following factors should be addressed in evaluating the person’s suitability, reliability, and ability to control threats of danger to the child(ren):

• any action taken by the prospective responsible adult/placement to ensure any child in the home does not have access to the marijuana;

• action taken by the prospective responsible adult/ placement to ensure any child in the home is not adversely affected by the patient’s medical use of marijuana;

• the effects of the “debilitating medical condition” and the medical use of marijuana on the prospective responsible adult’s ability to provide a safe home environment for the child, and meet the child’s placement needs, including transportation to/from appointments, visitation, and other routine activities; and

• concerns by the prospective responsible adult’s physician about their ability to provide for the child’s safety and well-being (if the adult is a qualifying patient).

Safety Plan Oversight and Management

The DCS Specialist maintains responsibility for oversight of the sufficiency and implementation of the Safety Plan, which includes oversight to ensure that all responsible parties are carrying out the actions and duties in the plan. The use of a responsible adult does not relieve the DCS Specialist of responsibility for oversight and management of the Safety Plan or continued assessment of the child’s safety.

A Safety Plan must be implemented, active, and continuously managed and monitored by the DCS Specialist. The DCS Specialist must continuously reassess the family conditions and dynamics, and the sufficiency of the plan. This may include interviewing the child(ren), parents/caregivers, and any responsible adults in-person and alone, and asking questions to determine if the actions as outlines in the Safety Plan continue to control the impending danger threat. The DCS Specialist is responsible for Safety Plan oversight as long as threats of danger to a child exist and caregiver protective capacities are insufficient to ensure the child is protected in the home.

For the duration of the Safety Plan, the DCS Specialist must continually review the adequacy of the safety action(s), and modify the written plan when necessary. In addition, the DCS Specialist is responsible for updating the written Safety Plan whenever the following changes occur:

• the responsible adult(s) identified as responsible for actions in the Safety Plan have changed;

• the safety actions required to manage new or existing impending danger threats have changed;

• new or additional safety actions, supports, or arrangements are being included;

• parent-child contact restrictions or supervision described in the Safety Plan have changed;

• an assessment reveals that the Safety Plan is insufficient and must become more restrictive; or

• an assessment reveals changes to behavior or circumstances that indicate a plan can become less intrusive.

For effective oversight, the DCS Specialist must have an adequate understanding of the status of the safety threats and the sufficiency, feasibility, and sustainability of the safety action(s) identified; and must anticipate potential crisis situations.

A case cannot be closed when a Safety Plan is in effect. A case must be opened for services if a child has been assessed as unsafe.

Supervisor Consultation

A DCS Program Supervisor must be involved in developing the Safety Plan and must approve any Safety Plan the DCS Specialist initiates with the family. The DCS Program Supervisor should confirm that the actions in the Safety Plan are the least intrusive actions that are sufficient to control the identified impending danger threat(s). If the plan is an out-of-home Safety Plan, the DCS Program Supervisor and DCS Specialist will develop the conditions for return prior to discussing them with the family.

The DCS Program Supervisor shall discuss how the DCS Specialist will continue to provide oversight and management of the Safety Plan and the plan for continued assessment of the child’s safety.

Complete a review of the sufficiency of any active Safety Plan with the DCS Specialist during clinical supervision.

Document supervisory consultations as described in Providing Strength-Based Supervision.

Documentation

Document the in-home safety analysis and the Safety Plan for each applicable household, and conditions for return (if applicable) on the Safety Plan and Safety Plan Signature Page, CS0-1034B or in Guardian. File a copy of the Safety Plan in the case record and upload in Guardian as an Artifact, if needed. Give a copy of the Safety Plan documents to each parent/caregiver, and any responsible adult(s) identified in the plan.

If an out-of-home Safety Plan is created, assess the responsible adult’s home by completing the Family and Home Evaluation.

Using Notes, indicate that the criminal background and DCS history checks for all responsible adults named in the Safety Plan were completed. Include the individual’s name, their relationship to the child, and the name of the DCS Program Supervisor who reviewed the information and approved the individual as a responsible adult named in the Safety Plan.

Document discussions with all responsible adults about their ability to use judgment and take actions that will protect the child, and to be present with the child at all times when there are anticipated threats to the child’s safety in Notes.

Document the results of the search for relatives in Notes.

If the child is removed as part of an out-of-home Safety Plan, complete the Removal Details in Guardian.

Follow documentation procedures in Voluntary Placement if a voluntary foster care agreement was implemented.

Effective Date: February 1, 2021

Revision History: November 30, 2012, May 31,2013, June 9th, 2017, October 25, 2017 , January 31, 2018, August 03, 2018, April 1, 2019