19.15 Developing Contact Standards for Purposeful Contacts and Collaterals Contacts | CWS

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(19) Case Management

Policy Title:

Developing Contact Standards for Purposeful Contacts and Collaterals Contacts

Policy Number:

19.15

Previous Policy Number(s):

N/A

Effective Date:

September 2020

Manual Transmittal:

2021-06

Codes/References

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

Establish standards (face-to-face purposeful contacts and collateral contacts) at the level necessary to:
1. Ensure child safety;
2. Assess safety plan sufficiency and adherence;
3. Assess and facilitate progress toward case plan outcomes;
4. Assess safety, permanency and well-being; and
5. Determine family functioning.
Establish the minimal standards for face-to-face purposeful contacts and collateral contacts, at/or during:
1. Case transfer staffing (see policy 19.4 Case Management: Case Transfer); and
2. Initial Family Team Meeting (FTM) (see policy 19.3 Case Management: Solution-Focused Family Team Meetings).
3. Case Evaluation or case review
Set and approve the contact standards in Georgia SHINES within three business days of establishment or update.
Continue to assess the sufficiency of contact standards to ensure child safety throughout the life of the case.

Review and analyze the current case record and any DFCS history in accordance with policy 19.10 Case Management: Analyzing DFCS History.
Determine how often purposeful and collateral contacts shall occur, based on the:
1. Maltreatment identified
2. Specific present danger situations, impending danger safety threats and/or risk factors
3. Caregiver protective capacity
4. Safety plan (out-of-home or in-home)
5. Child vulnerabilities
6. Service provisions
7. Court ordered requirements
8. Plan of Safe Care requirements, when applicable (see policy 19.27 Case Management: Plan of Safe Care for Infants Prenatally Exposed to Substances or a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD))
9. Purposeful contacts requirements (see policy 8.2 Family Preservation Services: Purposeful Contacts with Families Receiving Family Preservation Services and 10.18 Foster Care: Purposeful Contacts in Foster Care)
10. Collateral contacts requirements (see policy 19.16 Case Management: Collateral Contacts)
Set purposeful and collateral contact standards and submit to the Social Services Supervisor (SSS) in Georgia SHINES within three business days of establishment or update.
Re-assess the sufficiency of the contact standards during Case Evaluations and case reviews (see policy 8.4 Family Preservation Services: Case Evaluation and 17.2 Legal: Case Review/Permanency Plan Hearings).

Guide the SSCM through the process of establishing case contact standards.
Review and analyze the current case record and any DFCS history in accordance with policy 19.10 Case Management: Analyzing DFCS History.
Determine if the purposeful and collateral contact standards are sufficient, consider the following:
1. Progression toward case plan outcomes or conditions of return;
2. Does the documentation support the contact standards are sufficient to assess child safety and family functioning;
3. Court ordered requirement regarding contact standards;
4. Have additional maltreatment allegations been reported on the parent/caregiver;
5. Is there an active safety plan;
6. Purposeful contacts requirements (see policy 8.2 Family Preservation Services: Purposeful Contacts with Families Receiving Family Preservation Services and 10.18 Foster Care: Purposeful Contacts in Foster Care);
7. Has the child suffered injuries (accident or intentional) since DFCS involvement; and
8. Collateral contacts requirements (see policy 19.16 Case Management: Collateral Contacts).
Review and approve the contact standards in Georgia SHINES within three business days of establishment or update.
Continue to assess the sufficiency of the contact standards through monthly supervisor staffings, case reviews and Case Evaluations.

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