Chapter 3 : Section 2.2

Family Functioning Assessment - Progress Update

Procedures

Family Functioning Assessment - Progress Update

The DCS Specialist conducts the Family Functioning Assessment (FFA) – Progress Update in order to evaluate the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s progress toward enhancing the diminished protective capacities and eliminating the impending danger threats identified in previous Family Functioning Assessments.

The FFA – Progress Update analysis shall:

• provide an evaluation and scale progress of each child’s well-being indicators;

• provide an evaluation and scale each parent’s, guardian’s, or custodian’s progress toward behavioral changes and enhanced protective capacities;

• inform decisions surrounding the sufficiency of the safety plan, including whether or not the Conditions for Return have been met for a child in out-of-home care or need to be changed;

• inform the safety determination of the child(ren), including any determination that a safety threat no longer exists because the parent, guardian, or custodian has successfully enhanced the necessary protective capacities to manage the danger threat; and

• inform the case plan, including any change to case plan goals or services, parenting time (visitation), or the permanency goal.

Based on the results of the FFA – Progress Update, the DCS Specialist will:

• determine if the impending danger threats in the home are being sufficiently managed in the least intrusive way possible;

• determine if the services being provided as part of the case plan to enhance parental protective capacities are effective and sufficient;

• determine if the parent’s, guardian’s and/or custodian’s perspective or awareness of the danger threats and diminished protective capacities has shifted; and

• engage the family and service team to make adjustments to the case plan and safety plan, as needed.

An FFA – Progress Update is not completed for Adoption and ICPC case types.

Conducting the FFA – Progress Update

The DCS Specialist engages in ongoing communication and partnership with the family, team members, and the court (if applicable) to effectively evaluate family progress. The DCS Specialist conducts the FFA – Progress Update through high quality contacts with the parents, guardians, and/or custodians in order to guide a mutual understanding of what must change for the parents to regain responsibility for the care of the child.

The DCS Specialist will continuously gather information to understand:

• what conditions must change to achieve lasting child safety and permanency;

• changes in family dynamics that indicate a need for changes in safety management;

• the extent of progress towards enhancement of child functioning and caregiver protective capacities;

• whether the behavioral change goals and outcomes of the case plan remain appropriate or have been met; and

• whether the strategies, services, and interventions are working effectively, including cultural considerations that may impact the family’s engagement in services.

The DCS Specialist prepares for the FFA – Progress Update by:

• reviewing the prior Family Functioning Assessment(s);

• gathering additional and clarifying information about family functioning, including child functioning, adult functioning, general parenting practices, and discipline and behavior management through contact with:

  • parents, guardians, and/or custodians;

  • child(ren);

  • extended family members;

  • out-of-home care providers;

  • other household members;

  • collateral contacts; and

  • service providers and other team members;

• reviewing service provider reports;

• analyzing the information to assess progress related to:

  • the enhancement of parental protective capacities; and

  • alleviating any previously identified impending danger threat(s); and

• assessing the presence of any additional danger threat(s).

If a parent, guardian, and/or custodian whose whereabouts were previously unknown is located after a case has been opened for services, the DCS Specialist will gather information about the person and their household through interviews, in-person observations, and applicable background checks. If the information gathered indicates that a situation or adult behavior in the household could pose a safety threat to a child, collect additional information to explore the area of concern. Make a report to the Child Abuse Hotline and 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. See Family Functioning Assessment – Investigation.

Conduct the Family Functioning Assessment based on the child remaining in the home or the child's return to a parent, guardian, and/or custodian.

If there are indications that the child is a victim of sex trafficking and/or commercial sexual exploitation, a new report should be made to the Hotline and Law Enforcement.

Child Well-Being Indicators

The DCS Specialist continuously assesses child functioning, which includes specific indicators of child well-being. The Child Well-Being Indicators will be assessed throughout the family’s involvement with the Department, to identify child needs that must be addressed in the child’s case plan.

During the FFA – Progress Update, the DCS Specialist will use all information gathered about child functioning to evaluate progress in each of the Child Well-Being Indicators and identify child needs that should be the focus of case plan services and interventions. Refer to the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing for additional information regarding assessment of the Child Well-Being Indicators.

The DCS Specialist will assess child functioning and the Child Well-Being Indicators by:

• talking about child functioning, including current well-being strengths and needs, with the child’s parents, other involved caregivers, service providers, and the child if age appropriate; and

• observing parent-child, sibling, and other family interactions to assess protective capacities and child needs.

Scaling Criteria

Each indicator is rated as Excellent, Acceptable, Some Attention Needed, or Intensive Support Needed. An Excellent or Acceptable rating reflects that a child is doing well in that area. A Some Attention Needed or Intensive Support Needed rating reflects that a child is not doing well and requires attention.

The common criteria applied to each individual rating are:

• Excellent – Child demonstrates exceptional ability in this area.

• Acceptable – Child demonstrates average ability in this area.

• Some Attention Needed – Child demonstrates some need for increased support in this area.

• Intensive Support Needed – Child demonstrates need for intensive support in this area.

Refer to Child Well-Being Indicators On-Going Scaling Reference Guide, DCS-1594 for the specific scaling criteria for each indicator

Caregiver Protective Capacities

The DCS Specialist will use all information gathered in the domains of family functioning in order to update, evaluate, and rate progress in each of the caregiver protective capacities using a four-point scale. Refer to Family Functioning Assessment – Investigation for additional information regarding assessment of the caregiver protective capacities. The DCS Specialist may change the protective capacities ratings identified in the FFA – Investigation. The ratings of caregiver protective capacities are used to identify those that need to be the focus of behavioral change goals and interventions in case planning.

Scaling Criteria

Each caregiver protective capacity is rated as Excellent, Acceptable, Some Attention Needed, or Intensive Support Needed. An Excellent or Acceptable rating reflects that a parent, guardian, and/or custodian is doing well in that area. A Some Attention Needed or Intensive Support Needed rating reflects that a parent, guardian, and/or custodian requires attention in that area.

The common criteria applied to each individual rating are:

• Excellent – Caregiver demonstrates exceptional ability in this area.

• Acceptable – Caregiver demonstrates average ability in this area.

• Some Attention Needed – Caregiver demonstrates some need for increased support in this area.

• Intensive Support Needed – Caregiver demonstrates need for intensive support in this area.

Refer to the Caregiver Protective Capacities On-Going Scaling Reference Guide, CSO-1588 for specific rating criteria for the individual caregiver protective capacities.

Identifying and Encouraging Readiness for Change

During the FFA – Progress Update process, the DCS Specialist will identify the parent’s, guardian’s, or custodian’s current readiness for change, using the Stages of Change. During contacts with the parent, guardian, or custodian, the DCS Specialist will make efforts to move the parent, guardian, or custodian forward through the Stages of Change. See Parent Readiness for Change for additional information.

The Stages of Change are as follows:

• Pre-contemplation: The parent, guardian, and/or custodian has no perception of having a problem or a need to change and is not aware that life can be improved if they change their behaviors.

• Contemplation: There is an initial recognition that behavior may be a problem and ambivalence about change. A parent, guardian, and/or custodian may start to gather information about possible solutions.

• Preparation: The parent, guardian, and/or custodian desires change and makes a conscious determination to change. A motivator for change is identified.

• Action: Parents, guardians, and/or custodians take steps to implement change.

• Maintenance: A parent, guardian, and/or custodian actively works on sustaining change strategies and maintaining long term change.

Engaging the Parent, Guardian, and/or Custodians

When the parent, guardian, and/or custodians are unable or unwilling to engage in these discussions or the change process, or there is disagreement about the reason for the Department’s involvement or what needs to change, the DCS Specialist will continue to actively seek the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s engagement and recognition of the danger and exploration of diminished protective capacities. Refer to Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing as well as High Quality Parent Contacts and Parent Readiness for Change for more information on engagement strategies.

Evaluating Safety Plan Sufficiency and Progress toward the Conditions for Return

The DCS Specialist, in consultation with the DCS Program Supervisor, will identify existing impending danger threat(s) within the family, the sufficiency of the current safety plan, and if applicable, the written Conditions for Return. The DCS Specialist will do the following:

• Review the updated information about the six domains of family functioning and determine whether or not a threat of danger exists.

• Determine whether the child is in impending danger by applying the five safety threshold criteria. All five criteria must be met for at least one identified safety threat in order to determine a child is in impending danger. For more information, see Family Functioning Assessment – Investigation and Family Functioning Assessment – Field Guide, DCS-1639.

  • If information gathered during this process indicates that a child previously assessed as unsafe is now safe, consult with a DCS Program Supervisor to identify the appropriate level of services to be provided or recommended to the family. See Providing Case Management and Services for Families with Children Assessed as Safe. If case closure is appropriate, see Aftercare Planning and Services.

• Determine if the current safety plan is the least intrusive option sufficient to control the impending danger safety threat(s).

  • Review the in-home safety analysis questions to determine whether an in-home safety plan can be implemented or should continue.

  • If the safety plan is not sufficient to manage the danger threat(s) and circumstances indicate that a more restrictive safety plan is needed to manage the danger threat(s), convene a Safety TDM. See Safety Planning and Team Decision Making for more information.

• If applicable, review the Conditions for Return and determine if the conditions provide in sufficient detail what needs to occur for a sufficient, feasible, and sustainable in-home safety plan to be implemented. If the Conditions for Return will be changed or updated:

  • consult with the DCS Program Supervisor to discuss the recommended changes;

  • meet with the family to explain the changes (see Conditions for Return procedure for more information); and

  • provide the updated Conditions for Return in writing to all parties involved in the case, using the Safety Plan and Safety Plan Signature Page, CSO-1034B.

• If Conditions for Return have been met and the child can return home with an in-home safety plan or the child is assessed as safe, convene a Permanency TDM. See Team Decision Making for more information.

Recommending Changes in Parenting Time (Visitation)

When a child is in out-of-home care, visitation and parenting time opportunities must be evaluated for quality and frequency. See Parenting Time and Family Contact Plan.

Evaluation of Progress Toward Permanency

Based on the assessment of the parent’s progress towards achieving the desired behavioral change goals, the amount of time the child has been in out-of-home care (if applicable), and the child’s best interests, the DCS Specialist will, in consultation with the DCS Program Supervisor, determine whether to:

• continue efforts to achieve the current permanency goal;

• initiate concurrent planning activities, and/or add a concurrent permanency goal; or

• consider changing the permanency goal.

Refer to Selecting the Permanency Goal and Concurrent Planning for additional information.

When considering reunification of a child currently in out-of-home care, follow the procedures in Family Reunification. In addition to completing the FFA-Progress Update as outlined above, the DCS Specialist will:

• Complete a criminal records check of adult household members and all adults who have been identified as having caregiving responsibilities of the child in the home, as outlined in Kinship Care, within 10 days prior to the return of the child including:

  • a DPS Criminal History Records Check by submitting to DPS; and

  • a Public Records search (https://apps.azcourts.gov/publicaccess/caselookup.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1).

Conduct a visit to the home to observe the current conditions of the home.

For children with a permanency goal of APPLA, the DCS Specialist will complete the FFA – Progress Update:

• minimally every 90 days when parenting time (visitation) with the parent, guardian, and/or custodian is occurring;

• when considering whether to initiate or change current parenting time (visitation) (e.g. supervised to unsupervised); and

• when considering changing the permanency goal to reunification.

Documentation

Document the conclusions of the FFA – Progress Update for each applicable household.

Document contacts with case participants and case collaterals in Notes.

Document relevant contacts, observations, behaviors, conditions, circumstances, and activities of the family in Notes.

 

Effective Date: December 2, 2021

Revision History: January 31, 2018, February 1, 2021