Slide 1 - Welcome · 07/01/2015 · Slide 11 - Three Levels of Preservation Services - 3 Slide notes Family Preservation for families with an Informal Adjustment or In-Home CHINS,

Case Planning and Intervening for Permanence: Permanency Along the Case Continuum

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

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Slide 1 - Welcome

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Welcome to the Case Planning and Intervening for Permanence: Permanency Along the Case Continuum training. Developed and presented by the Indiana Child Welfare Education and Training Partnership.



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Slide 2 - Introduction

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In this training we will address permanency across the case continuum. By the end of this training you will be able to:

Recognize when permanency planning begins in the life of a case. Indicate on what basis family preservation decisions are made. Identify the three levels of preservation services the Indiana Department of Child Services uses

to keep a family unit together. Trace the continuum of least to most restrictive placement options. Identify permanency options utilized by the Department of Child Services. Identify the goals of the Permanency Roundtable.



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Slide 3 - Worksheet Question Icon

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As you view this training, you will complete the Permanency Along the Case Continuum Worksheet questions located in the front section of your Permanency Participant Manual. Locate the Permanency Manual now to complete the worksheet. You will see this icon appear on a slide when the content answers part, or all of a worksheet question.



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Slide 4 - What is permanency?

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What is permanency?

According to the Indiana Department of Child Services, permanency for a child means a safe, stable and secure home and family, love, unconditional commitment, and lifelong support in the context of reunification, adoption, or legal guardianship, where possible. Permanency is the goal for every child.



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Slide 5 - When Does Permanency Planning Begin?

Slide notes When does permanency planning begin in the life of a case? Permanency planning begins with a family’s initial assessment and continues through the ongoing case management process.



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Slide 6 - Family Preservation is Key

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When engaging in permanency planning, Family Preservation is Key. The Department of Child Services must make reasonable efforts to keep a family together, unless the child is at imminent risk, and removal is in the best interest of the child’s safety.



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Slide 7 - Safely Home, Families First - 1

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Safely Home, Families First, is a renewed and heightened effort to keep kids safely at home, or with appropriate relatives, with the goals of: 1) Children are safely home with resources available and in place to support the family or 2) They are with appropriate relatives who can lessen the effects of removal and increase their likelihood of achieving the permanency they deserve.



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Slide 8 - Safely Home, Families First - 2

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On what basis does an FCM make family preservation decisions? On each individual family’s circumstances. On the children’s levels of risk and safety.



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Slide 9 - Three Levels of Preservation Services - 1

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DCS uses three levels of preservation services to keep a family unit together. They are Prevention, Family Preservation, and Intensive Family Preservation.



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Slide notes

Prevention: For unsubstantiated assessments of child abuse and neglect, DCS may refer a family to the Community Partners Program. Community Partners’ goal is to prevent an episode of abuse or neglect against a child by providing support to the family.



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Slide notes

Family Preservation for families with an Informal Adjustment or In-Home CHINS, services are offered to maintain children safely in the home. Family preservation services address a family’s underlying needs.



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Slide notes

Intensive Family Preservation. For families with an In-Home Chins, whose children are at imminent risk of removal, Intensive Services (at least 10 hours per week) can address immediate safety concerns to prevent the removal of the child. Note, that not all families with an In-Home Chins have a child who is at imminent risk of removal.



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Slide 13 - Least to Most Restrictive Placement - 1

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Now, let’s look at the Least to Most Restrictive Placement Options Continuum. Family Case Managers should follow this continuum when deciding placement options for children who must be removed from the home. The goal is to find the most home like placement option. This will also be the least restrictive option for the child. The least restrictive placement option will help to preserve the child’s essential connections and support family preservation. Remember, Family preservation is key.



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Slide notes

The least restrictive placement option is the child’s own home.



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The next best choice is the non-custodial parent.



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Next, consider Relative care.



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Then, consider kinship care. Kinship care can involve either a relative, or a non-relative who is a significant adult in a child’s life.



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Resource parent care is another option. Resource Parents provide a substitute family life experience to children in our community who, for a temporary period of time, cannot be with their own families.



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Then, Therapeutic Resource Care is an option for placement. Note, that extra training is required for the Therapeutic Resource family, and they are able to have children in their care who have greater need.



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Next, is a Group Home. Group homes are small, residential facilities located within a community, and designed to serve children or adults with chronic disabilities.

Read more: http://www.minddisorders.com/Flu-Inv/Group-homes.html#ixzz3GncTAE5z



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Slide notes

And last, and most restrictive, is residential placement or a hospital. Residential care is a child caring institution, a private secure facility, or a group home licensed by DCS to ensure that the placement is the most appropriate setting available, and close to the parent’s home, consistent with the best interests, and special needs of the child.



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Slide 22 - DCS Will Provide Services - 1

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It is important to note that the Department of Child Services will provide services to children and families with an open case to address needs related to permanency.

For Informal Adjustments and In-Home Chins, FCMs, will utilize preservation services. When removal is necessary for child safety, FCMs will use reunification services. For unsubstantiated cases, FCMs are encouraged to refer the family to Community Partners for

Child Safety (CPCS) or Healthy Families Indiana (HFI).



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Slide 23 - Permanency Options - 1

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While reunification is always the primary goal for all families, there are other options available that should be discussed regularly with the child and family. Family Case Managers must be prepared to have difficult discussions to explore each option.



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Slide 24 - Permanency Options - 2

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There are several Permanency options utilized by the Department of Child Services, they are: Reunification Adoption Legal Guardianship Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement Fit and Willing Relative



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Slide 25 - Permanency Options: Reunification - 1

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Reunification is the process by which a child returns to live with a legal parent, guardian, or custodian without continued DCS supervision and/or intervention. Reunification is the most favorable permanency goal for a child as long as the parent, guardian, or custodian is able to provide a safe, nurturing, and stable home.



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Slide 26 - Permanency Options: Reunification - 2

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Adoption is the legal process by which a child becomes the legal child of a person, or persons other than the biological parents. After reunification, adoption is considered the optimum permanency option. Adoption offers the most stability to a child who cannot be reunited with his or her parents.



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Slide 27 - Permanency Options: Legal Guardianship

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Legal Guardianship is the transfer of parental responsibilities, and legal authority for a minor child to an adult caregiver, who intends to provide permanent care for the child. Guardianship may be an appropriate permanency goal for children who are placed with a relative, for at least six months, and are at least thirteen-years-old.



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Slide 28 - DCS Will Provide Services - 2

Slide notes Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement refers to a situation in which DCS maintains care

and custody of a child, and places the child in a setting where he or she is expected to remain until adulthood.

Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangements may only be identified as a child’s permanency goal,

if there is a compelling, documented reason that it would not be in the best interest of the child to be working towards a more favorable permanency goal. (i.e. reunification, adoption, or legal guardianship).

Keep in mind, that DCS does not consider APPLA as a favorable permanency option. APPLA is the least favorable option, since it does not provide legal permanency for a child.



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Slide 29 - Permanency Options: Fit and Willing Relative

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Fit and willing relative, means the permanent placement of a child with a relative who is able to provide adequately, for the long term care for the child’s needs. Placement with a fit and willing relative may be an appropriate goal, for children who have been in placement with the relative for the past six months, and the relative has made a commitment to provide for the child until the child reaches the age of majority.



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Slide 30 - Permanency Roundtables - 1

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Next we will address an important tool for achieving permanency for children, Permanency Roundtables. What is a Permanency Roundtable? A Permanency Roundtable is a team of DCS experts that come together in a very structured setting to review permanency options for a child with uncertain permanency.



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Slide notes

Intervention is designed to facilitate the permanency planning process for children placed in out-of-home care, by identifying solutions for obstacles to permanency. The goal of the Permanency Roundtable is to help find permanency for every child in out-of-home care.



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Slide notes

What do Permanency Roundtables accomplish? Develop an action plan that will expedite legal permanency for a child. Stimulate thinking and learning about pathways to permanency for children. Identify, and address systemic barriers to expedited permanency.



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Slide 33 - Permanency Roundtable Team

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Who is involved in a Permanency Roundtable? Permanency Roundtable Team members include: Facilitator Master Practitioner Scribe FCM FCM Supervisor Central Office Liaisons Permanency Experts Service Experts Clinical Consultant Practice Consultant Peer Coach Peer Coach Consultant Central Office Permanency Roundtable Support Team



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Slide 34 - Permanency Roundtable Questions

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Some key Questions asked at Permanency Roundtables: What will it take? What can we try again that has been tried before? What can we do differently? What can we do concurrently? How can we engage the youth in developing & implementing the plan? These questions all

have the goal of helping the members of the permanency roundtable succeed in achieving permanency.

Click here for more information on Permanency.



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Slide 35 - Thank you!

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Thank you for taking the Case Planning and Intervening for Permanence: Permanency Along the Case Continuum training! ELM will reflect your completion of this training within 24-48 hours. Developed and presented by the Indiana Child Welfare Education and Training Partnership.

Documents

Slide 1 - Welcome · 07/01/2015 · Slide 11 - Three Levels of Preservation Services - 3 Slide notes Family Preservation for families with an Informal Adjustment or In-Home CHINS,