SDM® Safety Assessment February 28, 2020

Michelle Cunningham, Program AdministratorLinsay Tomlinson, Investigation/Alternative Response

Program Specialist

Goals

• Provide a brief overview of the Structured Decision Making® (SDM) System

• Explain basic concepts used within the SDM System

• Questions and Closing

SDM® System Overview

Assessment Customization

Click to edit Master title styleModel Objectives

Structure Critical Decision Points Increase Consistency in Decision Making

Use Data to Inform Policy and Practice

Increase Accuracy of Decision Making

The SDM® Model As Part of a Broader, Family-Centered Practice Framework

Family and Safety Network

Engagement

Research

Structure

Clinical Judgment

• Assessments do not make decisions—people do.

• Research and structured assessments can help guide and support decision making to improve outcomes.

• Should be integrated within a context of family and youth engagement strategies and strong social work practice approaches.

Family and Safety Network

Engagement

Research

Structure

Clinical Judgment

Safety Assessment

Work with families

Safetyassessment

Riskassessment

Familystrengths and

needs assessment

Reunificationassessment

Risk reassessment

Screening andresponse priority

assessment

First phone

call

Safety,permanency,

well-being

Should we screen this

in?Should we

open a case for ongoing

work?

What arethe most important

things to go on

a case plan?

Can the childsafely remain

in the community?

Can we safely reunify

this child?

Can we safely close this

case?

Definition of Safety

Protective actions taken by the caregiver that mitigate the dangerand are demonstrated over time.

Purpose of Safety Assessment

Safety Assessment Overview

Section 1: Factors Influencing Child

Vulnerability

Section 2: Current Danger Indicators

Section 3: Household Strengths and

Protective Actions

Section 4: Safety Interventions

Section 5: Safety Decision

Section 1:Factors Influencing Child Vulnerability

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Section 2:Current Danger Indicators

• Physical Abuse

• Substance Abuse

• Sexual Abuse

• Domestic Violence

• Mental Health

• Lack of Supervision

• Cooperation of the Family

• Physical Needs

• Caregiver’s Protect Ability

• Physical Living Conditions

Caregiver BehaviorImpact on the child

Section 3:Household Strengths and

Protective Actions

Rigorous and Balanced Assessment

We do not know how worried to be if we

do not know what is working well.

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Including the Network in the Safety Plan

Safety plans are always guided by this critical question.

If there is a danger, what are the family and network willing and able to do about it?

Section 4:Safety Interventions

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Section 5:Safety Decision

What are we worried about?

What is working well?

What needs to happen?

Three Questions That Organize Safety Discussions

Safety Assessment Logic

Do any of the danger indicators in Section 2

apply to the household?

Do any children require removal from

the home?

Safe

Safe with plan

Unsafe

No

Yes

Yes

No

Risk Assessment

Work with families

Safetyassessment

Riskassessment

Familystrengths and

needs assessment

Reunificationassessment

Risk reassessment

Screening andresponse priority

assessment

First phone

call

Safety,permanency,

well-being

Should we screen this

in?Should we

open a case for ongoing

work?

What arethe most important

things to go on

a case plan?

Can the childsafely remain

in the community?

Can we safely reunify

this child?

Can we safely close this

case?

Connecting Safety and Risk

Safety Assessment

Informs what we

are worried about

RiskAssessment

Informs how

worried we should be

Ongoing Services Tools

Work with families

Safetyassessment

Riskassessment

Familystrengths and

needs assessment

Reunificationassessment

Risk reassessment

Screening andresponse priority

assessment

First phone

call

Safety,permanency,

well-being

Should we screen this

in?Should we

open a case for ongoing

work?

What arethe most important

things to go on

a case plan?

Can the childsafely remain

in the community?

Can we safely reunify

this child?

Can we safely close this

case?

Click to edit Master title style