8.2 Purposeful Contacts with Families Receiving Family Preservation Services

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(8) Family Preservation Services

Policy Title:

Purposeful Contacts with Families Receiving Family Preservation Services

Policy Number:

8.2

Previous Policy Number(s):

N/A

Effective Date:

January 2022

Manual Transmittal:

2022-01

Codes/References

O.C.G.A. § 15-11-2 Definitions
O.C.G.A. § 49-5-40 Definitions; Confidentiality of Records; Restricted Access to Records
Title IV-E of the Social Security Act Sections 471(a)(9)(c) and 475 (9)
Public Law (PL) 95-608 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978
PL 103-66 Family Preservation and Support Services Act of 1993
PL 104-191 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996
PL 113-183 Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014

Requirements

The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) will:

  1. Prepare for each contact to ensure it is planned and has a clear purpose.

  2. Engage families receiving Family Preservation Services (FPS) in a manner that is beneficial to establishing a partnership by:

    1. Engaging from the viewpoint that families go through developmental stages and encounter common challenges.

    2. Separating the intent from the actions that did or did not take place by:

      1. Normalizing the challenges the family identifies in their everyday life routine; and

      2. Externalizing the problem pattern.

  3. Conduct a joint visit with the sending and receiving Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) and the family during the case transfer process in accordance with policy 19.4 Case Management: Case Transfer.

  4. Establish the frequency of purposeful contacts to sufficiently assess child safety based on the individual family circumstances in accordance with policy 19.15 Case Management: Developing Contact Standards for Purposeful Contacts and Collateral Contacts.

  5. Conduct private face-to-face purposeful contacts every calendar month, to gather information concerning progress toward case plan outcomes, caregiver capacity and family functioning to assess child safety with:

    1. All children who reside in the household;

    2. Primary and secondary caregivers who reside in the home; and

    3. Other household members.

    Contacts may be required with others who live outside of the home based on case circumstances and the individualized contact standards established with the family. For example, when custody has been transferred to a third party and DFCS is working a case plan with the parent/legal custodian, it may be necessary to require purposeful contacts with the child and/or the third party custodian to assess progress towards conditions of return.

  6. Adhere to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and confidentiality provisions outlined in policies 2.5 Information Management: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and 2.6 Information Management: Confidentiality/Safeguarding Information.

  7. Conduct private face-to-face purposeful contacts at a minimum every 14 calendar days when there is an out-of-home arrangement in which the child is cared for outside his/her home to evaluate conditions of return, caregiver capacity and family functioning to assess child safety, with the:

    1. Parent(s), guardian(s) or legal custodian(s)

    2. Voluntary kinship caregiver(s)

    3. Child(ren)

  8. Engage by phone weekly each parent/guardian/legal custodian, kinship caregiver, and child while the child remains in the voluntary kinship or caregiver’s home.

    While phone contact is not considered a purposeful contact, it is important to have a frequent contact with all involved parties when the child is out of the home.

  9. Observe all children for physical signs of maltreatment. If there is cause to believe any child may have been harmed, observe areas of the child’s body that may be covered by clothing. Such observation shall occur in the least invasive manner possible, and every effort should be made to ensure children are not fully unclothed during the observation.

    Physical signs of maltreatment may include suspicious injuries, marks, cuts, bruises, areas of swelling, protruding limbs, damaged skin, malnourishment, lethargy, severe tooth decay, matted hair, pungent body odor, etc.

  10. Observe interactions of parent and child interaction and interaction of all household members to assess family functioning around everyday life tasks including the caregiver’s ability to meet the needs of the child(ren) under his/her care.

    This can be accomplished by convening all family members together prior to or following the private face-to-face contacts. However, before convening the family together, consider circumstances that may create a safety concern, such as domestic violence/intimate partner violence (DV/IPV), etc.

  11. Assess the physical home environment to confirm that it is safe and appropriate to meet the needs of each child, including examination of every room in the home and sleep arrangements for all household members.

  12. Assess and discuss infant safe sleep practices with any caregiver who has an infant (birth to 12 months of age) in the home and address any unsafe sleeping situations prior to leaving the home.

  13. Discuss motor vehicle safety recommendations including hot car safety with caregivers. (See Practice Guidance: Motor Vehicle ‘Hot Car’ Safety Recommendations).

  14. Request law enforcement assistance:

    1. To interview or observe a child when the caregiver denies access and child safety cannot be ensured;

    2. When performing a removal of the child from the home; or

    3. When out of control situations exist.

  15. Immediately report any new known or suspected instances of child abuse/neglect to the CPS Intake Communications Center (CICC) as outlined in policy 3.24 Intake: Mandated Reporters.

  16. Immediately report (no later than 24 hours) to law enforcement any child or youth who the agency identifies as being a known or suspected victim of sex trafficking.

  17. Conduct efforts to locate a family when they cannot be located or has moved to an unknown location in accordance with policy 19.21 Case Management: Unable to Locate.

  18. Document purposeful contacts in Georgia SHINES within 72 hours of the occurrence including uploading any pictures to External Documentation.

Procedures

Preparation

The SSCM will:

  1. Review:

    1. Case plan and documentation from previous contacts to understand the significant factors affecting child’s safety, permanency and well-being, caregiver protective capacities, and a family’s ability to ensure the safety of their children moving forward;

    2. Action plans for progress and effectiveness;

    3. Safety plan for adherence and sufficiency;

    4. Supervisor staffing notes to ensure that any needed follow up is addressed during the purposeful contact; and

    5. Caregiver’s or child(ren)'s recently completed assessments/evaluations for insight into family functioning and recommendations.

  2. Develop a plan for the purposeful contact:

    1. Determine whether the contact should be announced or unannounced based on the extent and circumstances of the child abuse or neglect and the safety plan in place;

    2. Determine strategies for engaging the family members separately as well as together. Discuss information gathering approaches, including persons to be engaged, order, location and when purposeful contact will occur. Consider factors such as DV/IPV, child safety, etc., when determining how or whether to convene the family together;

    3. Prepare a list of questions to ensure all issues/concerns are addressed;

    4. Determine the need for interpretation services for non-English speaking individuals or auxiliary aids for sensory impaired individuals. If required, Limited English Proficiency and Sensory Impaired Customer Services (LEP/SI) is used to assist DFCS in providing meaningful language access to customers. Contact LEP/SI via lepsi@dhs.ga.gov. The use of family members as interpreters is not appropriate; and

    5. Identify potential child safety and family service needs and safety interventions.

  3. If the purposeful contact will occur in a correctional facility, become familiar with the facility’s procedures for contact and visitation:

    1. Who must initiate the process and how?

    2. Are liaisons provided by the correctional facility to work with child welfare professionals?

    3. How far in advance does the visit need to be scheduled?

    4. What are the visiting hours of the facility?

    5. Does the facility have a dress code when visiting?

    6. What types of contact are allowed (e.g., physical touch, telephone, face-to-face)?

  4. Gather forms and other material for the purposeful contact, including but not limited to:

    1. Copy of the current case plan and action plan

    2. Authorization for Release of Information

    3. Brochures:

      1. Safe Sleep for Your Baby

      2. Helping Keep Children Safe

    4. Consent to Receive Targeted Case Management Services (see policy 19.18 Case Management: Targeted Case Management)

    5. Suggestions for Parents/Tips Sheet

    6. Notice of Privacy Practices

    7. Notice of Case Record Information Available to Parents/Guardians

Child/Youth

The SSCM will:

  1. Engage the child in a private face-to-face conversation using age and developmentally appropriate language and questions to assess and discuss:

    1. Child safety

    2. Any needs, concerns, or fears of the child

    3. Progress toward action plan outcomes (family and individual level outcomes):

      1. What is working better in their family?

      2. What is not working or needs to be adjusted?

    4. Services provided to the family as a part of their case plan:

      1. Who is the provider?

      2. How often do they participate in services?

      3. What changes are they seeing form the services?

      4. Are they helpful?

      5. Are services in the home or at a facility?

    5. Physical, education and mental health needs and any services the child is receiving

    6. Extracurricular activities or interest of the child

    7. Illnesses the child may have experienced that month, current medications, and any recent hospital visits

  2. Observe all children for physical signs of maltreatment. If there is cause to believe that a child has been harmed:

    1. In the least invasive manner possible, observe areas of the body that may be clothed.

      1. Explain to the caregiver and child the reason for observing areas of the body that may be covered by clothing.

      2. Arrange for another adult to be present (e.g., caregiver, non-offending parent or legal guardian, relative, foster parent, school nurse, daycare staff, etc.).

      3. If the child is four years old and under, ask the caregiver to adjust one area at a time (e.g., raising a shirt sleeve, pant leg, raise the shirt to view their back, etc.), ask them to replace the clothing before proceeding to the next area of the body. Take pictures of any injuries noted.

      4. If the child is older than four and is capable, ask the child to adjust their own clothing as outlined above.

      If a full examination is needed, a medical provider should be used.

    2. If observation of the child uncovers injuries or other signs of maltreatment:

      1. Determine whether there are any additional injuries that are not immediately apparent. Is there bruising or is the area sensitive to the touch? Does the child complain of discomfort or pain?

      2. Gather information around the circumstances surrounding the injury and the parent’s knowledge and response to the injury asking who, what, when, where, and how. What was used to cause the injury (ex: hand, fist, belt, bat, extension cord)? Describe the object that was used to cause the injury. Where did the incident that resulted in the injury occur (ex: bedroom, bathroom, grandma’s kitchen)?

      3. Evaluate and determine whether injuries to the child or condition of the child requires an immediate medical or psychological evaluation or medical treatment;

      4. Whenever there is a question of whether a child needs to be examined by a medical professional have the caregiver seek a medical consultation (e.g., 24-hour nurse helpline, poison control center). If medical treatment is recommended from the consult, insist the caregiver take the child to be examined by a medical professional within a specific timeframe.

      5. Document any observed injuries or physical signs of maltreatment by taking quality pictures and/or a detailed written description.

        Pictures can also be used to document a lack of maltreatment, injury, or condition.

      6. Consult with the Social Services Supervisor regarding making a report to the CPS Intake Communications Center (CICC) as outlined in policy 3.24 Intake: Mandated Reporters.

  3. Make a safety determination (safe or unsafe) prior to concluding each purposeful contact with the caregiver(s), child, or alleged maltreater. If it is determined that the child is unsafe, in consultation with the Social Services Supervisor (SSS), take immediate and appropriate action to control the safety threats to ensure child safety by:

    1. Developing and implementing with the caregiver an in-home or out-of-home safety plan; and/or

    2. Initiating court/legal intervention.

Parent (Custodial/Non-Custodial), Caregiver or Adult Household Member

The SSCM will:

  1. Engage the parent/guardian/legal custodian, caregiver, or adult household member in a private face to face conversation of child safety, permanency, and wellbeing.

    1. Discuss and explain confidentiality and safeguarding of information, including HIPAA privacy laws:

      1. DFCS has an obligation to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of protected health information (PHI) and other personal information;

      2. DFCS cannot share protected health information (PHI) with any person, agency, or contractor without prior written authorization from the owner of the PHI, unless otherwise permitted by law.

      3. Provide a copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices and obtain signature, if not previously completed.

    2. Explain and complete the following forms:

      1. Consent to Receive Targeted Case Management Services (see policy 19.18 Case Management: Targeted Case Management)

      2. Notice of Case Record Information Available to Parents/Guardians, if not previously completed (see policy 2.10 Information Management: J.J. v. Ledbetter Parent or Guardian Request for Information).

    3. The consensus developed with the family around the everyday life situation(s) that is challenging for the family to manage that makes the child unsafe, or places the child at risk for maltreatment;

    4. Safety management strategies and interventions:

      1. Current in-home or out-of-home safety plan:

        1. The sufficiency of the safety plan; and

        2. Parent/caregiver progress in correcting or mitigating the safety threats;

      2. Progress and status of any Plan of Safe Care developed for an infant prenatally exposed to illegal substances, when applicable.

    5. The family’s progress toward achieving family level outcomes (FLO) and individual level outcomes (ILO), specifically as it relates to behavioral change needed to enhance caregiver protective capacities and ensure child safety (see policy 8.3 Family Preservation Services: Case Planning);

    6. The family’s execution of action plans, including managing setbacks and relapse prevention skills being utilized within the home to manage unwanted behaviors, and the need to update the action plan (see policy 8.3 Family Preservation Services: Case Planning):

      1. Caregiver’s ability to prevent high risk or difficult situations that may have surfaced since the last visit;

      2. Caregiver’s ability to identify their early warning signals;

      3. Caregiver’s ability to prevent high risk situations;

      4. Caregiver’s ability to interrupt risk situations; and

      5. Caregiver’s ability to escape situations not interrupted.

    7. The family’s participation in services related to their case plan and progress or barriers with services (see policy 19.17 Case Management: Service Provision);

    8. Information obtained from collateral contacts, as appropriate, related to child safety, permanency, and well-being, and to evaluate case plan progress;

    9. Any major changes or issues in the family’s home or life that may impact their ability to meet the needs of the child(ren);

    10. Areas of family functioning (see policy 19.13 Case Management: Family Functioning Assessment);

      1. Maltreatment/presenting problem

      2. Maltreatment context and circumstances

      3. Family developmental stages and tasks

      4. Family’s pattern of disciplining their children

      5. Family support

      6. Child/youth development

      7. Individual caretaker patterns of behavior

    11. The results and/or recommendations of any assessments or evaluations conducted; and

    12. The need to modify contact standards for the family, when applicable (see policy 8.4 Family Preservation Services: Case Evaluation);

  2. If injuries or signs of maltreatment were discovered during observation of the child:

    1. When did the injury take place? Who was present during the incident that resulted in the injury?

    2. Was an object used to cause the injury (ex: hand, fist, belt, bat, extension cord)? Describe the object that was used to cause the injury (example: black belt with studs)? Observe the object used to cause the injury.

    3. Where did the incident that resulted in the injury occur (ex: bedroom, bathroom, hallway, etc.)? Observe the specific location in the home where the incident occurred.

    4. Document the observed object or location of the incident where the injury occurred by taking quality pictures and/or a detailed written description.

    5. What was the caregiver’s response to the injury or being notified of the injury? Was medical treatment sought?

    6. Has the child suffered any other injuries or does the child have a history of injuries?

    7. Whenever there is a question of whether or not a child needs to be examined by a medical professional have the caregiver seek medical consultation (e.g., 24-hour nurse helpline or poison control center). If medical treatment is recommended, insist the caregiver take the child to be examined by a medical professional.

  3. Assess the physical home environment to determine if it is safe and appropriate to meet the needs of each child:

    1. Examine every room in the home for present or potential environmental concerns or hazards. Take appropriate action to remedy environmental concerns or hazards (i.e., loose wires or cords, alcohol or beer bottles, any drug paraphernalia, broken glass or windows, medications or toxic cleaning items that are in reach of small children) prior to leaving the home;

    2. Never leave a child in a home without addressing present or potential environmental concerns or hazards;

    3. Review the sleeping arrangements for all household members;

    4. When an infant (birth to 12 months of age) is in the home, assess and discuss safe sleep practices with the parent(s)/caregiver(s). Take appropriate action to remedy unsafe sleep situations prior to leaving the home such as helping the parent/caregiver to prepare a safe sleeping area for an infant (see Infant Safe to Sleep Guidelines and Protocol in Forms and Tools);

    5. Take pictures and/or document in writing the condition of the home when concerns or hazards are identified.

  4. Celebrate the caregiver(s) behavioral change (i.e., managing the safety plan or satisfying elements of the conditions for return);

  5. Make a safety determination (safe or unsafe) prior to concluding each purposeful contact with the caregiver(s), child, or alleged maltreater. If it is determined that the child is unsafe, in consultation with the Social Services Supervisor (SSS), the Social Services Cases Manager (SSCM) shall take immediate and appropriate action to control the safety threats to ensure child safety by:

    1. Developing and Implementing with the caregiver in-home or out-of-home safety plan (see policy 19.12 Case Management: Safety Plan & Management); and/or

    2. Initiating court/legal intervention.

  6. Summarize any strengths and/or barriers to goal completion identified during the visit with the caregiver and any new strategies discussed at the visit; and

  7. Review commitments agreed upon and next steps and confirm future visits.

Voluntary Kinship Caregivers

The SSCM will:

  1. Address the areas outlined in Purposeful Contact for Parent (Custodial/Non-Custodial), Caregiver, or Adult Household Member.

  2. Review, assess and discuss the following during the private face-to-face conversation with each voluntary kinship caregiver to assess child safety, permanency, and well-being:

    1. How the child is functioning and adjusting in the home of the voluntary kinship caregiver:

      1. Is the child respectful and obedient of household rules?

      2. Does the child seem sad, depressed, or anxious?

      3. Is the child doing well in school or has relocating to the voluntary kinship caregiver’s home negatively impacted their behavior and progress at school?

      4. Has the child been able and willing to communicate with their parent/legal custodian?

      5. If other children are in the home, how does the child interact with those children?

      6. Does the caregiver feel overwhelmed or stressed about the child(ren) being there?

      7. Is the caregiver supportive of the parent and child relationship?

      8. Is the child taking any medications, and if so, what is the routine?

      9. If needed, is the caregiver willing to be a more permanent placement?

    2. Any issues that could disrupt the voluntary kinship arrangement prior to being able to safely return the child home.

    3. Any new household members.

    4. Progress or barriers to returning the child(ren) home.

    5. Visitation plans for the child and legal custodian.

      If visits with the parent, guardian or legal custodian are prohibited during this period, ensure that the voluntary kinship caregiver understands visits should not take place.

    6. Any issues concerning finances for caring for the child(ren).

    7. Any services that the child may be involved in while at the voluntary kinship caregiver’s home.

    8. Observe interactions between the voluntary kinship caregiver(s) and the child(ren).

    9. Any safety threats.

Family

The SSCM will:

  1. Convene/reconvene the family members together:

    1. Discuss consensus reached with the family around the everyday life situation(s) that is challenging for the family to manage; and the solutions (actions) agreed upon to address those situations.

    2. Ask the family members to discuss progress toward achieving family level outcomes (FLO) and individual level outcomes (ILO), including execution of action plans;

    3. Explore how the family is managing setbacks and relapse prevention skills included on the action plan.

    4. Discuss whether the action plan may need to be modified based on progress or lack of progress made.

    5. The need to modify contact standards for the family, when applicable (see policy 8.4 Family Preservation Services: Case Evaluation).

    6. Reach consensus regarding any progress made or lack thereof, including any needed modification to the action plan.

    7. Celebrate progress made based on behavior changes identified or observed with the family.

  2. Observe the interaction and family functioning around everyday tasks:

    1. Parent/caregiver-child interaction:

      1. How the parent/caregiver(s) relates to the child.

      2. Whether the parent/caregiver(s) appears to be calm, gentle, relaxed, and confident about parenting or if the caregiver appears anxious, easily frustrated, inattentive, indifferent, or detached.

      3. What the caregiver(s) communicates to the child non-verbally (e.g., looks, touches, and gestures).

    2. Interactions of all household members.

    3. Caregiver’s ability to meet the needs of all children under their care and supervision.

  3. Discuss next steps, including commitments made related to the FLOs and ILOs.

Analyzing Information

Upon completion of each purposeful contact SSCM will:

  1. Immediately report to the CICC any new, known or suspected instances of child abuse or neglect using the guidelines outlined in policy 3.24 Intake: Mandated Reporters.

  2. When information gathered indicate a child/youth is a known sex trafficking victim or red flags are indicated suggesting a child/youth might be a sex trafficking victim:

    1. Contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation immediately to within 24 hours to provide notification and to discuss next steps, if the information was not previously reported;

    2. Follow the procedures outlined in Human Trafficking Case Management Statewide Protocol in the Forms and Tools; and

    3. Refer the family to specialized services to address the needs of child/youth victim(s) of sex trafficking or those identified as at risk (see policy 19.17 Case Management: Service Provision).

  3. Review and analyze the information gathered during the interview(s).

    1. Identify inconsistencies or any information that requires clarification and a manner to resolve any inconsistencies or discrepancies.

    2. If injuries were observed or discussed:

      1. Does the caretaker appear truthful during your interview with them?

      2. Is the injury consistent with the story the caregiver provided?

      3. Is the caregiver’s and child’s story consistent with each other?

      4. Was medical attention needed and provided?

      5. If medical attention was provided, is the follow up clear and planned?

      6. Does the medical team have any concerns regarding the injury and caretaker’s explanation regarding the injury?

      7. Is there a history of injuries with this child or any other children in the home?

    3. Identify areas for discussion and follow up during the next visit.

    4. Make necessary safety decisions in response to information gathered during the contact.

  4. Consult with the Social Services Supervisor and/or subject matter expert (Field Assessment and Support Team, Field Program Specialists, Safety Master Practitioners, etc.) for assistance as needed.

  5. If a safety plan was developed and implemented with the caregiver(s) during the purposeful contact:

    1. Obtain the SSS signature of approval on the safety plan (see policy 19.12 Case Management: Safety Plan & Management); and

    2. Complete the Present Danger Assessment in Georgia SHINES within 72 hours of the purposeful contact, if present danger was identified.

  6. Document purposeful contacts in Georgia SHINES within 72 hours of occurrence, including uploading any pictures, safety plans or documents to External Documentation.

  7. Conduct safety screenings on new household members or caregivers revealed during purposeful contact and update the Person Detail Page in Georgia SHINES (see policy 19.9 Case Management: Safety Screenings).

  8. Engage individuals identified as collateral contacts to obtain pertinent and purposeful information for determining progress towards case plan goals, child safety, well-being and permanency; assessing caregiver protective capacities, as well as progress on managing child safety (safety plan) and satisfying the conditions of return (see policy 19.16 Case Management: Collateral Contacts).

  9. Follow up on services provided to the family as a part of their case plan by formal and/or informal service providers.

  10. Make appropriate referrals necessary to implement needed services within five business days or one business day for emergency needs (see policy 19.17 Case Management: Service Provision).

  11. Follow up on commitments made during the visit.

Supervisor’s Role

The Social Services Supervisor (SSS) will:

  1. Ensure purposeful contacts are established and occurring according to policy or as frequent as necessary to assess progress toward case plan outcomes to ensure safety and determine family functioning.

  2. Ensure contact standards are set to a minimum of every 14 calendar days when there is an arrangement for the child to be cared for outside his/her home (voluntary kinship).

  3. Use the following reports to track purposeful contacts:

    1. Case Worker Visitation Compliance Report (Lenses);

    2. Cases without Case Manager Parent Visit List Report (Georgia SHINES); and

    3. Log of Contacts (Georgia SHINES)

  4. Assist the SSCM in preparing an agenda to ensure purposeful contacts are focused on the everyday life situations the family is having difficulty managing and safety, permanency, and wellbeing.

  5. Ensure he/she is accessible to the SSCM to provide guidance and consult with the SSCM in “real time” to discuss:

    1. Information gathered concerning areas of family functioning;

    2. Present danger situations that exist or indications of impending danger safety threats;

    3. Making a safety determination (safe or unsafe);

    4. Developing the in-home or out-of-home safety plan to control the present danger situation or impending danger safety threats; and/or

    5. Sufficiency of the safety plan to manage safety threats.

  6. Discuss the SSCM’s ongoing engagement with the family and ability to develop a partnership to ensure purposeful contacts are able to move the family toward achieving case plan outcomes and gathering the necessary information to assess child safety.

  7. Ensure purposeful contacts are documented timely in Georgia SHINES within 72 hours of the occurrence, including pictures and observations.

  8. Review purposeful contacts documented in Georgia SHINES to determine the sufficiency of the purposeful contacts. Consider the following:

    1. Does the documentation meet guidelines as outlined in Practice Guidance: Documenting Purposeful Contacts?

    2. Does the documentation support that the purposeful contact(s) are sufficient to help the family make progress toward achieving case plan outcomes?

    3. Is the information gathered sufficient to support the safety decision?

    4. Was the family engaged in a manner that is conducive to building a partnership?

    5. Was the discussion with the family focused on the everyday life tasks the family is struggling with?

    6. Are inconsistencies documented that need to be resolved?

    7. Identification of any needed linkage of services for the family.

Practice Guidance

All contacts made with parents and their children provide an opportunity to build a trusting and supportive partnership. Contacts should be well planned and have a clear purpose. In order to thoroughly assess a child’s safety, permanency, and well-being, it is important to assess the functioning of the family that is caring for the child. Some key principles to consider when conducting purposeful contacts include:

  1. Recognizing the family providing care as a system
    Each member of the family, including the child, has a role and responsibilities within the family. If any one person is unable to fulfill their responsibilities, then the whole family is impacted.

  2. Engagement and partnership building
    Purposeful contacts are not only about engaging and building a relationship with the caregiver, but also about engaging and building a relationship with the entire family including absent parents.

  3. Involvement of families and youth
    Because each member of a family has a role and responsibilities, it is essential to obtain input from all family members when assessing family functioning. When family members are engaged, this will re-affirm their significance in ensuring the success of the family system.

  4. Recognizing all members are individuals
    Each family member will adjust differently to challenges to everyday life tasks. It is important to recognize the individuality of each family member and the impact DFCS involvement has on their lives.

  5. Cultural awareness
    Each family has their own culture. Culture impacts family rituals and traditions. As family functioning is assessed, being respectful of all cultures involved and how they impact the functioning of the family is important for engaging families and developing partnerships.

  6. Empathy, authenticity, and transparency
    During purposeful contact with family, be mindful of empathy, authenticity, and transparency. When engaging families, it is important to identify their thoughts and feelings even if we may not always agree. Be genuine and open in communicating with all family members and recognize your accountability regarding the success or failure of the family. Purposeful contacts are also a time for the family to hold us accountable for what we may or may not be doing on behalf of the family who has joined in partnership with us.

  7. Remaining focused on safety, permanency, and well-being throughout the process.

Observing Children for Physical Signs of Maltreatment

Observing children for physical signs of maltreatment is an important part of ensuring child safety. To determine if there is cause to believe a child has been physically harmed, consider the following:

  1. Non-verbal cues from the child or the caregiver that raise concern.

  2. The age and special needs of the child. Young children and those with certain special needs are especially vulnerable and may not be able to verbalize when they are being abused or neglected. Therefore, the SSCM cannot depend on the child to say how they are feeling and must be keenly aware of non-verbal cues. For instance, if the child is wincing or drawing back slightly, it may be an indication of pain.

  3. Statements made by the child, other children/household members/collaterals, etc. that indicate him/her may have been subjected to physical harm or neglect, etc.

  4. Physical indicators of maltreatment such as suspicious injuries, marks, cuts, bruises, areas of swelling, protruding limbs, damaged skin, malnourishment, unexplained weight loss, lethargy, severe tooth decay, matted hair, pungent body odor, etc.

  5. The child resides with the caregiver or other individual that harmed the child or another child.

  6. The child indicates that physical discipline is being used; or that inappropriate methods of discipline is utilized by the caregiver or others in the home.

The SSCM may need to view areas of a child’s body that are covered by clothing to observe for signs of maltreatment and determine if the child needs medical treatment. This may require that the child (or caregiver for younger children) adjust their clothing. This can be embarrassing and anxiety provoking for the child. SSCMs must be sensitive to the child’s level of comfort and make every effort to reduce their discomfort. This can be accomplished by having an adult present that the child knows and trusts, and by asking the child or the caregiver (for children four years and under or those with special needs) to adjust one area of a child’s clothing at a time. Asking the child or the caregiver to raise a child’s pant leg or shirt sleeve one at a time, is less invasive, while allowing the SSCM to observe for signs of maltreatment. The child should never be fully unclothed. When possible, arrange for a staff person of the same sex as the child to conduct the observation.

Assessing Injuries

Some characteristics of injuries are considered red flags and warrant further scrutiny, these include but are not limited to:

  1. Injuries on children who are not mobile, especially infants.

  2. Injuries on protected surfaces of the body, such as the back and buttocks, ears, inside the mouth, the neck, arms or legs, and underarms.

  3. Multiple injuries in various stages of healing (i.e., skin injuries, lesions of varying ages, bruises).

  4. Patterned trauma, even if the object used to commit the abuse cannot be determined.

  5. Injuries that routine, age-appropriate supervision of the child should have prevented.

  6. Significant injury with either no explanation or an explanation that is not plausible.

The SSCM may also need to observe the scene of the injury, to ascertain whether the caregiver and/or child’s statement of what happened is plausible.

  1. Ask the caregiver and/or child to show him/her exactly what happened, and where.

  2. Note anything about the physical environment that refutes the statement(s) provided. For example, if the caregiver claims that the child fell out of bed and hit their head on the floor, causing a severe bruise, the SSCM should look at the bed, the floor, and height from the bed to the floor. Is the floor carpeted? Is it plausible that the injury occurred on the carpeted floor?

  3. Obtain a detailed, precise timeline of events surrounding the incident or track the sequence of events. The more detailed the history, the more likely the assessment of the injury will be accurate. This can be helpful when communicating with medical staff to determine if the injury could have been caused in the manner described by the caregiver and/or child.

Deliberate Information Gathering (DIG)

Seek to understand the caregiver, his/her point of view, story, and experience. That means to dig deeper for the information needed in order to understand the person, the situation and how these help explain both threats to child safety and caregiver protective capacities. The DIG[1] idea is to be very deliberate in gathering information and seeking to understand while behaving very naturally. The following interpersonal techniques can be used while gathering information:

  1. Attending Behavior
    Attending behavior refers to focusing attention on the caregiver rather than the SSCM’s agenda or line of questioning. Attending behavior involves “matching” a caregiver’s nonverbal behavior by consciously manipulating and controlling the SSCM’s own nonverbal skills and responses. Primary attending behaviors include eye contact, facial expressions, body language, posturing and gesturing, following, reflecting and vocal qualities-tone and pace.

  2. Open Questions
    Open questions help to remove the SSCM from the responsibility of “carrying” the interview by establishing a conversational quality to the interaction. Open questions cannot be answered “yes” or “no” or in just a few words. Open questions require the caregiver to elaborate with a wider range of responses. Open questions are the “what” and “how” type questions.

  3. Closed Questions
    Closed questions should be used to restrict or narrow the focus of a caregiver’s response. Closed questions should be used purposefully when precise detail and greater clarity is needed from the caregiver. As an exception, closed questions may be used more frequently when there are time constraints or when the SSCM is interviewing a caregiver who is very concrete or is not very verbal.

  4. Paraphrasing
    The primary intent of paraphrasing is to facilitate the clarification of statements, issues, and concerns. Paraphrasing may involve the SSCM selecting and using a caregiver’s own keywords. Paraphrasing involves formulating the essential message that the caregiver is conveying and then stating that message back to the caregiver in the SSCM’s own words. When paraphrasing, check for accuracy of the statement by concluding the paraphrase with a simple question such as, “Is that correct?” or “Does that sound accurate?”

  5. Encouraging
    This technique serves to keep people talking about a particular topic, issue, or concern. Encouraging may be as simple as using a slight verbal prompt, such as “uh-huh”, “I see”, “go on”, or “then what?”

  6. Conversational Looping
    Conversational looping is a skill for gathering information that first involves the SSCM identifying some key general topic or area for discussion with a caregiver (e.g., approach to parenting, problem-solving, dealing with stress, etc.). Once a topic has been identified, begin the conversation with a broad non-threatening open question. As the conversation progresses related to the identified topic, continue with a line of questioning (primarily open-ended) based on previous caregiver responses that progressively moves the discussion toward a more specific and intimate inquiry. A key to effective conversational looping is the ability of the interviewer to maintain a caregiver’s focus on a particular topic, which will then enable the interviewer to gather more detailed information from the caregiver about the issue, concern, or topic inquiry.

    Example: Parenting Approach
    “So, how would you describe yourself as a parent?”
    “Where do you learn parenting skills from?”
    “What brings you the most satisfaction as a parent?”
    “How does what you’re saying relate to your feelings about being a single parent?”

    The content areas that are explored through conversational looping or for any technique are the six family functioning areas.

  7. Reflective Listening Statements
    Reflective listening statements involve the SSCM’s attempts to interpret what a caregiver believes, thinks and/or feels, and then state the SSCM’s interpretation back to the caregiver. The interpretation of what the caregiver is communicating is based on both verbal responses and nonverbal cues from the caregiver. A statement is used rather than a question because the statement is less likely to produce caregiver resistance, and, further, a statement triggers the caregiver to re-examine the accuracy of his/her perceptions and thoughts.

    Example:
    Caregiver: “I may have a couple of beers every once in a while, with my friends, but I don’t have a drinking problem.”
    SSCM: “For you, drinking is no big deal…it’s just something you do socially with your friends?”

Separating Intentions from Actions

An individual can experience differing even conflicting feelings about any given situation. It is not uncommon to have two thoughts on the same subject “I would like to…​, but I am scared”. Individuals who may have caused harm to a child also experiences these conflicting feelings. “He deserved to be punished for not following the rules…, but I didn’t mean to hurt him. “He just would not stop crying, I was exhausted and wanted to sleep…, but I didn’t mean to shake him that hard.”

Separating intentions from actions means joining in partnership with the part of the person’s thoughts (intentions) related to not wanting this event to occur again, while helping them to acknowledge their unacceptable actions. Two methods used to help separate intentions from actions are:

  1. Normalizing Family Struggles
    Normalizing is a form of empathy (understanding) that acknowledges the family’s problems is part of the struggle of negotiating difficult life cycle stages, as well as strengths and efforts in coping with the problems. It also helps families learn that many others are in the same situation. It does not downplay or dismiss the problem. It also does not condone or endorse the harmful behavior.

    For example, can you remember failing a test in college to only find out the majority of the class failed the test too? It does not remove the failing grade, but deep down it does make you feel a little better that others are in the same situation. Sometimes knowing others failed too provides confirmation that the test was difficult.

    It is not unusual for families to start off defensively in their relationship with the case manager. Sometimes a simple introduction can evoke a defensive response from the family. Normalizing can enable an assessment to be more complete by minimizing the possibility of the family or individual becoming defensive and refusing to engage with the case manager. When a partnership is not established, information is not being shared openly, therefore obstructing the gathering information process (assessment). Normalizing a family’s struggles can reduce the risk of defensive behavior by the family by attributing the family’s problems to struggles associated with difficult life cycle stages.

    Problem Normalizing Language

    Father who locked his teenage daughter in the basement to prevent her from leaving the house during the night while he sleeps.

    “Teenagers today sometimes fail to understand the dangerous out in the world and the struggles to keep them away from harm. I found it so difficult when dealing with my teenage daughter, particularly if I knew she was hanging with the wrong crowd. You must feel horrible, how did the evening start?”

    A mother who has neglected her children due to drug use (previous sex abuse victim by the biological father).

    ”Single mothers say all the time how hard it is raising children alone; I can only imagine how difficult it is to focus on the constant demands of raising two children while simultaneously trying to overcome the abuse you sustained as a child. It must be so hard. Tell me when you noticed things were more than you could handle?”

    A mother who (education) neglects her children.

    “As a parent, I found mornings extremely stressful. It took all I had to get the children up and out of the house to catch the school bus on time. I am sure it is especially difficult for you when your child makes up illnesses to avoid going to school and you do not have a car to transport him to school if he misses the bus. Tell me when this began.”

    Foster mother spanks a child in foster care in her home. (policy violation assessment)

    “A lot of foster parents have expressed how challenging it is to integrate a child into their home when the child may have come from a home with different rules or values. How did this all get started?”

    Relative placement resource who spanked a child in foster care placed in their home who is diagnosed ADHD.

    “Relatives who agree to be a placement resource for the child often experience problems adhering to the no spanking guidelines required by DFCS, especially when they have cared for the child before the child went into foster care and was able to use physical discipline with the child. Tell what behaviors you were trying to deter?”

    Adolescent in foster care who is experiencing problems adjusting to the school environment after being brought into foster care.

    “I understand you are trying to focus on school, but it is hard to focus after being removed from your family and placed into foster care. Teenagers have told me how difficult it is returning to school after being brought into foster care and everyone at school is aware of the situation. Tell me about that.”

    Adolescent in foster care who is having a problem establishing his career objectives for the creation of the WTLP.

    “Teenagers often have trouble pinpointing their career path, it seems so far off and not like a big deal at this age. Let’s talk about it, what things are you good at?”

    Adoptive parents who are experiencing doubts about adopting a child.

    “This is not uncommon, several adoptive parents have expressed their apprehension to adopting a child following the adoptive placement, you are not alone, and adding a member to your family is a difficult process. Tell me about your concerns.”

    Non-custodial parent who has a limited bond with the child wants to be a foster care kinship placement.

    “Parents who do not live with their child and only see the child sporadically, say it is very challenging to establish and maintain a bond with the child, particularly when the relationship with the caregiver who is caring for the child each day is strained. Tell me about that.”

    Non-custodial parent who has limited interaction with the child wants to be a foster care kinship placement.

    “I understand you were trying to get yourself financially established before engaging in your child’s life because you wanted to have something to offer your child. Parents who are not involved in their child’s life or have limited interactions with their child often say it is difficult to just show up when you have nothing tangible to offer. Tell me about this.”

  2. Externalizing the Problem Pattern
    Externalizing the problem allows the family or individual to detach themselves from their problem. Externalizing the problem does not mean minimizing the personal responsibility or shifting blame, rather, it allows the individual to view the problem as something that is separate from their identity as a person. In short, the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem. Language that externalizes the problem can reduce criticism, blame, and guilt. If one of the family members has an “anger” problem, externalizing the problem will free up the family to work on the problem rather than exhausting energy opposing each other or defending themselves. This opens up the opportunity for the SSCM to work with the family to address the problem.

    For example, asking the individual, “How long have you struggled with the problem of controlling your temper?” Has the anxiety problem been around for a while?” Can you see how anxiety has limited your family from engaging in fun activities?” “If your family wasn’t plagued with the anxiety problem, what kind of activities would your family enjoy?”

    Problem Externalizing Language

    Mother who beats her child (prior abuse victim)

    “Maybe you would like to put an end to this cycle of violence that has been passed on to you; would you like to be one to defeat this monster and keep it from hurting future generations.”

    Stepfather who slapped his teenage stepdaughter

    “When you described those episodes when everybody gets into it and you end up losing it, you seemed to be saying that you hate these episodes because they keep you from being the father you really want to be to your stepdaughter.”

    Mother who neglects her children due to depression

    “This dark curtain that you mentioned, tell me about a time when you fought back, or slipped by, or fooled this dark curtain that descends on you.”

    A mother who neglected her child due to drug use.

    “When you said you vowed not to be like your mom and use drugs and not care for your children, you seemed to be saying the drug use keeps you from being the mother you really want to be to your children.”

Engagement of the Noncustodial Parent

Engagement of noncustodial parents is more than making contact with them inquiring as to their interest in having involvement with the child(ren). It requires making an effort to understand their situation and why they may feel the way they do. It is important to be aware of certain dynamics that may come into play in this process. Their behavior may be in response to previous negative experiences they have had with the custodial parent, preconceived notions about how they are perceived by others regarding the status of their parental involvement, or they may be reluctant because of their views about the child welfare system. Engagement of noncustodial parents can be facilitated by educating them on the process and exploring with them their possible role and how they can be a resource for the child(ren). The discussions with the custodial parent surrounding the involvement of the non-custodial parent need to occur during the development of the case plan. Engagement should revolve around the noncustodial parent’s presence/engagement in the child’s life, caregiving abilities, cooperative parenting, and emotional contributions to the child. A determination must be made about the non-custodial parent involvement with the child and their ability to contribute the outcomes of the case plan prior to establishing contact standards for the non-custodial parent.

How to Tell When a Family Is Functioning Well

Some characteristics identified with a well-functioning family include support, love, mutual caring, feeling secure, feeling a sense of belonging, open communication, and making each person within the family feel valued. Some questions to consider when determining whether or not a family is functioning well include:

  1. Does the family have fun together despite their daily demands? What activities do they do together? What were they doing the last time they laughed together as a family? Does the family sit down to meals together?

  2. Are there clear family rules that apply equally to all members? Are these rules flexible enough to adapt to a change in the family dynamics/situation?

  3. Are family members’ expectations of each other realistic, mutually agreed upon, and usually met?

  4. Do family members achieve their goals, and are their needs being met?

  5. Do all the children in the home have the same opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities?

  6. How does caregiver spend individual time with each child?

  7. Is there genuine respect between the parents and children? How do they demonstrate love, trust, and concern for one another? Do they demonstrate these the same way even when disagreements occur?

  8. How does the family adapt to change? Do household members get upset or unhappy with change?

Observing Interactions – Parent/Caregivers and Child

Direct observation of parent and child interactions: What is the quality of the parent and child bonding? Does the parent engage the child in developmentally stimulating activities? Does the parent handle the child roughly or is there an apparent comfort level in providing for the child’s needs? Does the parent identify the child’s needs and respond to them in a nurturing way? Does the child seem fearful of the parent?

Hearing and seeing how the parent and child communicate: Is communication verbal, non-verbal, physical, positive, negative, passive, more negative than positive? Determine if progress on the specified steps of the case plan are met: What changes in the parent’s interaction with a child are observed since the previous meeting? Is the parent learning and practicing better ways of parenting? Are they utilizing their action plan to avoid, interrupt or escape situations that would usually lead to high risk behaviors? Does the parent redirect the child when unwanted behaviors are noticed?

These are only a few of the many insights that may be gained from direct observation of parent and child interactions. Using what is directly observed as a major component of case decision making is vital. A case decision based only on what is reported by the parent is never sufficient. This is especially true for CPS where the ultimate goal of all case plans is to change the behaviors that led to child maltreatment.

Why Make Contacts in the Home?

It is important to visit children in the home environment to assess safety and gain an understanding of the child’s living conditions and provide important firsthand observations of the home environment to which a child may be returning. Home visits allow for case managers to observe the interactions between the children and parents, as well as the way the family functions together in the home. Home visits provide optimum observations of families as they reflect how they behave in their natural setting.

Announced or Unannounced Home Visits

When a case manager is trying to build a partnership and consensus with a family, he/she must remember that courtesy and mutual respect are core components of building effective and sustainable solutions to the difficult tasks or situations identified by a family. [2] When possible, a scheduled visit with a family can be an effective, convenient, and efficient process for all parties. The visit can be set to a time that is mutually convenient and include all household members. This alleviates the need to make multiple visits to complete interviews; saving time and effort for the case manager and caregiver(s) and shows an effort to be courteous and respectful of the family and their time. Making an unannounced visit should be associated with timeliness, immediacy, or emergency situations. Unannounced visits are not discouraged when they are appropriate, but they should be necessary and justified based upon the individual circumstances of the case.

Pictures

Pictures are useful for documenting injuries and/or the condition of the home environment; and may be used as evidence in an investigation or in court.

  1. When taking pictures to document injuries, ensure the following:

    1. The caregiver and the child are informed of the need for taking the pictures.

    2. Each photograph should have one identifier present (i.e., piece of the child’s clothing), at least one photograph should include the child’s face and the clothing, to assure that the evidence collected demonstrates the series of pictures of the same child.

    3. Use measurable objects (i.e., ruler, coin, pencil) to depict the size of the injury. Photograph the object that caused the injury (whether the injury was accidental or not).

  2. When taking pictures of the condition of the home related to safety hazards to the children, include all the areas that demonstrate a safety hazard, such as inside and outside the home, including the yard, when applicable.

    If the safety hazard is an infant unsafe sleep situation, take a picture of the area in which the infant currently sleeps.

  3. All pictures should be identified with the following information: the individuals who took the photo, the date it was taken, name and date of birth of the alleged child victim, and if applicable the address where the injury occurred or the home with the safety hazards.

Consideration for Additional Purposeful Contacts

Circumstances which may warrant additional visitation include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Children are moved to a voluntary kinship caregiver’s home;

  2. Children are not adjusting to being in the voluntary kinship caregiver’s home;

  3. Children are considered vulnerable because of age or disability;

  4. The safety plan is no longer sufficient;

  5. Progress is not being made on the safety plan or the family is in crisis;

  6. There are possible present danger situations or impending danger safety threats identified through contact with formal/informal providers or collaterals; and

  7. Child Protective Services history with the family.

Purposeful Contacts When the Caregiver or Child Resides in Another County

County A may request County B to conduct a purposeful contact with a caregiver or child who is residing or temporarily living in County B if County A cannot conduct the visit. Both counties should have a discussion prior to the contact to address case plan goals, purpose of the contact and frequency of the visits. The assigned SSCM in County B should be added as a secondary SSCM in Georgia SHINES so that they may document the contact.

When an out-of-home safety plan results in caregivers and children living in separate counties, the county of the caregiver’s residence has case management responsibility. This includes:

  1. Conducting the monthly face-to-face contact(s) with the caregivers and children;

  2. Encouraging caregivers to maintain ongoing visits with their children; and

  3. When applicable, requesting the county of the children’s temporary residence to provide services to the children, including the required monthly face-to-face contact with the children and documenting this for the county with case management responsibility (see policy 22.1 Kinship: Use of Voluntary Kinship Caregivers in Child Protective Services).

Safe Sleeping Recommendations for Infants up to One Year of Age

Caregivers of infants (birth to 12 months old) must be informed of conditions that constitute a safe sleeping environment and that reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)/Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), also known as “crib death”. At minimum, caregivers should be advised of the three primary safe sleep recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) commonly referred to as the ‘ABCs’ of safe sleep:

  • Alone – The baby’s sleep area should be close to, but separate from, where caregivers and others sleep. The sleeping area should be free of soft objects, toys, and loose bedding.

  • Back – Infants should always be placed on their back to sleep for naps and at night.

  • Crib – Place infants on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet.

Further additional information and guidance regarding safe sleeping and SIDS/SUIDS see Infant Safe to Sleep Guidelines and Protocol in Forms and Tools.

Motor Vehicle ‘Hot Car’ Safety Recommendations

Children are sensitive to heat as their body temperature can heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s. Children will die if their body temperature exceeds 107 degrees. Even at a temperature of 60 degrees outdoors, the temperature inside a car can exceed 110 degrees. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends the following precautions to take in order to avoid child heatstroke.

  1. Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle – even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running, and the air conditioning is on;

  2. Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away;

  3. Ask the childcare provider to call if the child does not show up for care as expected;

  4. Do things that serve as a reminder that a child is in the vehicle, such as placing a phone, purse, or briefcase in the back seat to ensure no child is accidentally left in the vehicle or writing a note or using a stuffed animal placed in the driver’s view to indicate a child is in the car seat;

  5. Always lock your vehicle when not in use and store keys out of a child’s reach, so children cannot enter unattended. Teach children that a vehicle is not a play area;

  6. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.

Documenting Purposeful Contacts

All visits must be documented on the Contact Detail page in Georgia SHINES within 72 hours of the contact. A narrative must be completed for each Contact Detail. At a minimum, the documentation entry must include:

  1. The type of contact (e.g., face-to-face, announced, unannounced, etc.).

  2. The date the contact occurred.

  3. Person(s) present at the visit.

  4. The purpose of the visit.

  5. What was discussed.

  6. Where the visit occurred.

  7. Whether the caregiver or child was interviewed privately. If the child was not interviewed privately document the reason(s) why this did not occur.

  8. Summary of information (What happened at the visit):

    1. Progress toward action plan outcomes

    2. Progress toward case plan outcomes

    3. Sequencing of the event/situation that is causing concern;

    4. Safety, permanency, and well-being issues discussed;

    5. Consensus developed with the caregivers;

    6. Safety determination (safe or unsafe)

    7. Safety plan management;

    8. Change that was noticed and celebrated with the caregiver(s).

  9. Observations of the home environment, children for injuries or signs of maltreatment and interactions of family members.

  10. Any concerns or red flags identified.

  11. Next steps and the plan for addressing identified issues or concerns, as well as documentation of issue resolution.

Forms and Tools

Authorization for Release of Information
Authorization for Release of Information - Spanish
Human Trafficking Case Management Statewide Protocol
Infant Safe to Sleep Guidelines and Protocol
Intimate Partner Violence (Domestic Violence) Guidelines & Protocol
Notice of Case Record Information Available to Parents/Guardians
Notice of Case Record Information Available to Parents/Guardians (Spanish)
Notice of Privacy Practices
Notice of Privacy Practices - Spanish

1. Deliberate Information Gathering, November 2006 ACTION for Child Protection, Inc.
2. Developed from the Administration for Children and Families; Unannounced Home Visits – Critical Assessment Tool or Barrier to Family Engagement? Centennial Topical Webinar Series September 26, 2012, Theresa Costello, Presenter