Chapter 3 : Section 3.3

Planning For Services and Supports to Achieve Permanency

Procedures

Services and Supports

Throughout the case, determine the services or supports that are most appropriate to achieve the necessary behavioral changes, case plan outcomes, and permanency goal in consultation with the family, child (12 years and older), and other service team members.

When APPLA is selected as the permanency goal for a youth age 16 or older, the Department must conduct intensive and ongoing efforts to return the youth home or secure a caregiver for the youth with a fit and willing relative (including adult siblings), a legal guardian, or an adoptive parent.

Efforts to return a child home shall include a thorough assessment of safety threats that prevented the parent(s) from caring for the child without the involvement of the Department. See Family Reunification.

Efforts to secure a caregiver with a fit and willing relative, legal guardian, or an adoptive parent shall include child specific recruitment efforts such as:

• the use of State, regional, and national adoption exchanges, including electronic exchange systems, to facilitate orderly and timely in-state and interstate placement; and

• search technology (including social media) to find biological family members for the children. See Child Specific Recruitment for Adoption and Locating Missing Parents & Family for Notification.

Depending on the needs of the child and family, services or supports may be provided by:

• the DCS Specialist or other Department staff;

• contract providers;

• community providers, such as behavioral health;

• extended family members or those with whom the family has a strong connection; or

• community resources and/or volunteers.

Services and supports should be scheduled or otherwise arranged to complement the work and personal schedules of family members.

Services and Supports to Achieve Remain with Family or Family Reunification

In consultation with the family, child (12 years of age and older), and other service team members, the DCS Specialist shall determine services and supports that are most appropriate to achieve the desired behavioral changes.

After the caregiver protective capacities are understood and well-defined, identify services that will assist in facilitating necessary change, achieving the desired behavioral changes, enhancing specific diminished protective capacities, and helping the parents regain and sustain primary responsibility for their child’s safety. Services such as parenting classes, substance abuse treatment, or intensive family services may be utilized when appropriate. Services may also include support and assistance from individuals in the family network, community, or other resources.

Using information gained during the Family Functioning Assessment – Ongoing, including the assessment of caregiver protective capacities and determining the child’s needs, the DCS Specialist will engage the parents, guardians, and/or custodians to:

• decide what interventions/services will assist the family in making necessary changes; and

• explore culturally relevant, individualized intervention/service options to maximize the family’s self-determination and commitment to the process of change.

Services for Children and Youth

Prior to and during the case plan staffing, provide service team members comprehensive information on the needs of the child (including the child’s physical/dental health, emotional/behavioral health, educational status, and other support needs) and the services and support needs of the out-of-home care provider.

Elicit the comments and recommendations of the service team members and seek to reach consensus on:

• the behaviors and services required to meet the child's needs, including the needs of children age 14 and older to build skills necessary to prepare for a successful adulthood (see Services and Supports to Prepare Youth for Adulthood);

• for children who have been identified as victims of sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation, the specific services that have been implemented to address this issue;

• the behaviors and services or supports required to maintain the out-of-home caregiver's ability to care for the child;

• actions necessary to assure the child's safety in out-of-home care; and

• if applicable, services to achieve a concurrent permanency goal or a goal other than family reunification, and steps to be taken to achieve the goal, such as efforts to:

  • identify an adoptive family or other permanent living arrangement for the child, including child-specific recruitment efforts;

  • place the child with an adoptive family, a relative, or a permanent guardian; or

  • finalize the adoption or permanent guardianship.

Court Ordered Services

If the court orders services supplemental to the services of the Department:

• inform other team members of the name of the service provider(s);

• request all documentation/reports from the service provider(s) at least monthly;

• invite the service provider(s) to meetings regarding the child and family, including Team Decision Making meetings and case plan staffings; and

• share all documents and information with the provider(s) as permitted under law. See Safeguarding Records & Records Requests.

Facilitating the Change Process and Monitoring Services

The DCS Specialist’s role in facilitating change is critical to the effectiveness of the case plan and family success and should include:

• continually encouraging the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s self-awareness regarding issues affecting child safety;

• seeking to facilitate readiness necessary to promote change (enhancing caregiver protective capacities), and;

• respecting and reinforcing self-determination and personal choice.

During in-person contacts, the DCS Specialist assists the parent, guardian, and/or custodian to move through the stages of change. Discussions should focus on the following:

• progress being made toward addressing what must change associated with enhancing diminished caregiver protective capacities;

• internal and external barriers to change;

• the parent, guardian, and/or custodian’s readiness to participate in case plan services and to make necessary changes;

• clarification and/or adjustment to behavior change statements;

• use of existing caregiver protective capacities to support change;

• relationship between the parent, guardian, and/or custodian and DCS;

• relationship between the parent, guardian, and/or custodian and case plan service providers;

• treatment service effectiveness; and

• needs of children (in-home and out-of-home) and parent, guardian, and/or custodian involvement in addressing the needs of children.

The DCS Specialist should discuss with case plan service providers:

• efforts being made with the parent, guardian, and/or custodian toward meeting the behavioral change statements;

• service effectiveness in enhancing diminished caregiver protective capacities;

• where the parent, guardian, and/or custodian is in the Stages of Change;

• how the caregiver is progressing in making necessary changes; and

• how the service provider can assist the parent in making the behavior changes outlined in their case plan.

The DCS Specialist will have contact with the parent, guardian, and/or custodian, children, treatment service providers, and responsible adults identified in the safety plan at least monthly. See Contacts with Children, Parents and Out-of-Home Caregivers.

The DCS Specialist will solicit input from family and other service team members regarding the effectiveness of the current services, including whether they are necessary and helpful.

The DCS Specialist will gather information to assess whether there has been any change in the attitudes, behaviors, or perceptions of the parent, guardian, and/or custodian regarding safety threats and diminished protective capacities.

The DCS Specialist will engage the family and other service team members to identify necessary changes to services and supports, and consult with the DCS Program Supervisor as needed to implement changes in services or supports necessary to achieve the desired behavioral changes.

The DCS Specialist will clearly communicate any change in services and provide necessary information to the recipient of the service, the service provider, and, as appropriate, other service team members.

The DCS Specialist will convene a case plan staffing and involve the family in discussions about changes to the plan if there is a significant change in case circumstances or a change in permanency goal is considered.

For all permanency goals, the DCS Specialist will monitor case progress every 30 days to:

• review progress toward case plan outcomes;

• follow-up with service provider(s);

• follow-up with the person receiving services to assess progress; and

• determine whether there is a need for adjustment(s) to services and supports.

If specified tasks have not been completed, the DCS Specialist will review the tasks to identify possible barriers such as:

• whether the tasks were clearly communicated;

• the expectations and obligations of the child and family (review whether the child and family have multiple systems involved in their lives, each with separate and possibly competing tasks);

• cultural needs of the family and possible challenges with the provision of services; and

• whether the supports and/or service providers are able to timely fulfill the responsibilities specified in the case plan.

The DCS Specialist will take actions necessary to facilitate continued case progress, including:

• clarify tasks or expectations;

• modify tasks; or

• arrange for the use of different resources or service providers.

The DCS Specialist will immediately respond to and address any complaints or problems in the delivery of services.

If necessary, the DCS Specialist will convene a case plan staffing to discuss case progress and initiate changes in the case plan.

Family Contact Plan

All case plans for children in out-of-home care must include a contact and visitation plan between the child and the child's parents, family members, other relatives, siblings, former foster parents, and individuals with significant relationships to the child to preserve and enhance relationships and attachments to the family of origin. See Parenting Time and Family Contact Plan.

Documentation

Document in Notes:

• contacts with family members, Department personnel, out-of-home care providers, members of the service team, tribal social services representatives, and/or other interested parties regarding the case; and

• observations of the family's interactions and environment, written in behavioral terms and using professional judgment or fact.

Documentation of contacts will include information on dates, places, individuals involved, and the nature of the contact.

Document the initial selection of services in the case plan.

For cases involving children three years of age and younger at the time of removal, document in Notes that you have informed the parents of the following:

• A permanency hearing will be held within six months of the child's removal from the home.

• Substantially neglecting or willfully refusing to participate in reunification services may result in a court order to terminate parental rights at the permanency hearing.

For cases involving children identified as victims of sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation, document the specific services implemented to address this issue. Ensure the Sex Trafficking Details tab is updated.

File hard copy medical, educational, and mental health records in the hard copy case record.

Document the child's special needs and medical, educational, and mental health status and needs in the Health and Education tabs.

Document the plan for frequent and consistent visitation between the child and the child's parents, siblings, family members, other relatives, friends, and any former caregiver in the Family Contact Plan.

Document progress made toward achieving outcomes specified in the case plan in Notes.

Effective Date: February 1, 2021

Revision History: November 30, 2012, February 12,2016, June 29th, 2017, January 31, 2018, October 19, 2018