16.3 RBWO Placement Referral

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(16) Room Board and Watchful Oversight (RBWO)

Policy Title:

RBWO Placement Referral

Policy Number:

16.3

Previous Policy Number(s):

N/A

Effective Date:

September 2017

Manual Transmittal:

2017-10

Codes/References

N/A

Requirements

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

  1. Complete a common referral application for a child in foster care to participate in a Room Board and Watchful Oversight (RBWO) provider program and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) placement; and

  2. Make referrals to providers qualified to meet the individual needs of the child requiring placement.

Procedures

To make a RBWO Placement Referral, the Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) will:

  1. Assess the placement needs of each child, taking into consideration such things as physical and emotional needs, school of origin, sibling(s), permanency plan, placement preferences, etc. using the guidelines in policies 10.1 Foster Care: Placement of a Child and 10.4 Foster Care: Selecting a Placement Resource.

    If the child has significant needs that cannot be adequately maintained at the RBWO program designation levels of base, traditional and/or additional watchful oversight, a specialty program designation may be required. See policy 16.4: Room Board Watchful Oversight: Specialty Program Designation for policy and procedures for submitting a request for specialty program designation.

  2. Refer to the RBWO Provider Profile Guide for information about approved RBWO providers.

  3. Complete the Universal Application, answering all questions thoroughly and completely.

  4. Email or fax the completed application directly to RBWO providers being considered as a placement resource.

  5. Call the provider(s) to discuss the referral.

    The RBWO provider makes the initial matching decision.

  6. If the application is approved by the provider, provide the following to the provider upon placing the child or within three business days of the placement:

    1. RBWO Program Designation Waiver, if applicable

    2. RBWO Placement Agreement;

    3. Copy of birth certificate;

    4. Copy of social security card or social security number;

    5. Medicaid card or Medicaid number;

    6. A 30-day supply of all currently prescribed and over the counter medication(s), if applicable;

    7. Health Information:

      1. A current dental exam performed within the last six months;

      2. A current vision exam performed within the last year;

      3. A current hearing exam performed within the last year;

      4. A current physical exam completed by a licensed physician within the last year;

      5. Medical history;

        If no medical history is available or there is not a current physical exam that information should also be provided to the RBWO provider. The RBWO will schedule and obtain a well-check for the child.

      6. Current record of immunizations; and

        The school immunization form may be used for this purpose.

      7. Developmental Assessment/Babies Can’t Wait records.

    8. Education Information (preferably obtained via the Department of Education Longitudinal System link in Georgia SHINES):

      1. Copy of current transcripts or report cards since the beginning of the current school year;

      2. IEP or educational records (or name of last school attended); and

      3. Consent letter for school enrollment (on DFCS letterhead).

    9. Emotional Health Information:

      1. Psychological or trauma assessment;

      2. Discharge summary from any psychiatric hospitalization and/or previous placements; and

      3. If possible, three months of notes from outpatient counseling.

    10. Placement History Information:

      1. Complete placement history, including hospitalizations, since the original custody order; and

      2. Release of Information (ROI) for phone conversation with prior placement(s) and/or DJJ.

    11. Case Information:

      1. Comprehensive Child and Family Assessment (CCFA)/social history;

      2. Core provider information;

      3. Copy of the child’s social services case plan;

      4. Court order showing DFCS has custody; and

      5. Date and time of any upcoming meetings/appointments, such as family team meetings (FTM), court dates, scheduled doctors’ appointments, etc.

    12. Complete history of any DJJ involvement or any current or pending charges;

    13. Name/contact information for the birth parent(s) for family visits and transporter (if applicable);

    14. Authorized visitation list;

    15. Consent for services;

    16. Current clothing allowance balance, yearly clothing allowance amount and renewal date for clothing allowance; and

    17. Any other relevant progress or placement notes.

  7. Update the placement information in Georgia SHINES within three business days of the physical placement.

    The RBWO provider will not have the ability to enter documentation in Georgia SHINES until the placement is updated.

Practice Guidance

Applications for a RBWO placement should only be submitted to RBWO providers who are approved to serve the type of youth for whom placement is being sought. Health or psychological information of any other individual related to the case, besides the youth whom placement is being sought, should not be included with the application or the material submitted after placement approval to prevent HIPPA violations (see policy 2.5 Information Management: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)).

Provider Profile Guide

The RBWO provider guide is a comprehensive listing of all approved RBWO providers, provider profiles and quarterly performance-based placement score/grade. It contains a description of services and contact information for each provider and is updated quarterly.

Universal Application

The Universal Application serves as the singular document for RBWO Program Designations requests, Specialized Foster Care requests and placement referrals. It replaces the RBWO Match Screening Summary (MSS), RBWO Program Designation and Waiver Application, and Specialized Foster Care Per Diem Application. For DFCS staff, the Universal Application is located in Georgia SHINES in the FCC stage under the Placement Tab. Many of the fields on the Universal Application pre-populate. To take full advantage of this feature, prior to launching the Universal Application in Georgia SHINES thoroughly complete the Person Detail, Health Detail, and Education Detail pages. Following completion save the Universal Application in PDF format and submit to the Placement Resource Operations (PRO) Unit on the Georgia Score’s website at www.gascore.com/proteam/step1.cfm. For RBWO providers, the Universal Application can be located on Georgia Score’s website at www.gascore.com. Click on the DFCS PRO Team Link for further instructions and guidelines.

Forms and Tools

Room Board and Watchful Oversight Placement Agreement
RBWO Provider Profile Guide