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