Allegation System | Rule and Procedure | Decision Trees | Federal and State Law | Clinical Skills and Research | Table of Contents
7.5.1 Determining the Goal for Permanency Risk Cases | 7.5.2 Determining the Goal to Achieve Early Reunification | 7.5.3 Determining the Goal for Longer-Term Intervention
During the first forty-five days after case opening, the family may show:
· lack of trust
· hopelessness
· denial about the maltreatment
· a tendency to minimize the problem
· a tendency to diminish the effect of the maltreatment
· skepticism about engagement
· resistance to treatment
In the beginning phase of work with clients (the first three to four months) these behaviors are sometimes present. However, they do not necessarily mean that the family is "uncooperative." In addition, these responses are reversible. Families need help, support and encouragement to change. As parents become engaged in the process of change, as caseworkers build a trusting relationship with the parent and advocate for change, these initial behaviors should diminish.
One of the most critical decisions that must be made within the first 45 days is the determination of the permanency goal. Unless the case meets the requirement of expedited termination, all cases will have a permanency goal of return home.
When a case meets the criteria for permanency risk (refer to Chapter 6, Section 6.3, "Permanency Risk Cases"), a permanency goal of "return home within twelve months" must be selected with a planned achievement date within twelve months. Because these families exhibit high-risk behavior - some may have experienced previous involvement in the child welfare system - they must immediately avail themselves of services and demonstrate a willingness to change. Tasks and objectives must have timeframes that are consistent with the planned achievement date. Because the children in these circumstances are often the most vulnerable and often have special needs (substance affected infants, for example), their need for permanency is urgent. Concurrent planning is particularly germane in these cases as reunification is considered to be unlikely and caseworkers need to plan towards implementation of the alternative permanency goal in a timely manner.
Because they are in a state of crisis and distress, most families are highly amenable to change, making the first 3-6 months of placement the best opportunity for reunification. Where an assessment reveals that the conditions and behaviors that resulted in placement are of the kind that are responsive to clinical intervention and social services within the child's sense of time, early reunification may be appropriate. It is important that clinical intervention be provided immediately. Reunification should be accomplished as soon as safety has been ensured and the court approves it. These families may be able to be reunified and served as an intact family status where health, safety, and well-being can be ensured through casework and social service intervention until no longer needed.
For these "early reunification" cases, a permanency goal of "reunification within five months" will be selected. The planned achievement date will reflect a realistic date within one to five months in which reunification can be achieved. In setting the planned achievement date, the caseworker must pay careful attention to the age and needs of the child, the severity of the maltreatment and its impact on the child and the child's ability to self-protect.
The following factors must be considered in determining whether early reunification may be achieved:
· No prior history or minor history of child abuse and neglect.
· The maltreatment was not severe or life threatening.
· The parent's need for continued attachment to the child is high.
· The parent has an understanding of the impact of the maltreatment on the child and accepts responsibility for the maltreatment.
· The parent shows a willingness to engage in a process to correct the conditions or change the behaviors that resulted in the maltreatment.
· The family shows a willingness to participate in a plan of assisted visitation and continued parenting responsibilities.
· The parent has a social network and/or family support. The family demonstrates the capacity to meet self needs.
· The parent expresses empathy for the child's individual needs and the willingness to meet the needs of the child over that of the adult members in the family.
· The family shows sufficient knowledge and skills to provide for the child's daily care, safety and health.
· The conditions or behaviors are of the type and degree that are responsive to clinical intervention and social services.
The role of the worker during the early stages of reunification service is to work with the family to quickly identify the services and interventions needed to accomplish reunification.
With some families, the conditions or behaviors that led to the removal of the children are more serious, raising the severity of the safety and risk factors. Assessment of such families shows that longer-term casework intervention and clinical treatment are necessary. For these cases, the worker may select the preferred permanency goal of "reunification within twelve months" and establish a realistic planned achievement date between six and twelve months.
Factors to consider in determining whether longer-term intervention is needed:
· Prior history of child abuse or neglect
· Injury was serious or life-threatening given the child's age, development level and physical needs.
· The parent's attachment to the child is low.
· The parent does not accept responsibility or minimizes the impact of the maltreatment on the child.
· The parent demonstrates resistance to intervention but does acknowledge concern about the child.
· There is a pattern of social isolation or absence of support from the extended family or social network.
· The parent demonstrates an inability to place the needs of the child above his/her own needs.
· The parent lacks sufficient knowledge, skills or ability to meet the child's daily care, safety and health needs.
· There is abuse of drugs or alcohol requiring inpatient or outpatient treatment.
· There is a medical condition, developmental disability, mental illness or other condition or need that contributed to the child's maltreatment and such condition requires clinical treatment or management.
In those cases where safe reunification can be achieved within six to twelve months, intervention activities with the parents must occur with diligence. By the first quarterly family meeting, the family members should be involved in treatment. The caseworker should be looking for patterns, positive or negative, that may be used to determine the investment on the part of the parents. In addition, the worker must examine whether the recommended services are appropriate. Sometimes lack of investment is related to inappropriate or ineffective services. The key question here is whether the parents are becoming increasingly engaged in the service plan and the change process. The family should be demonstrating self-directing action; e.g., taking responsibility for getting to appointments and being more involved in parental responsibilities.
The caseworker must use every opportunity to plan with, and engage, the client during the crucial time period after the crisis has passed (roughly 4-9 months after case opening). If things are going well, the client needs to be complimented. If the client is backsliding, the caseworker needs to continue to support and motivate. If movement stops, however, the client needs to be confronted and the caseworker and client need to be clear about the consequences; e.g., moving toward another permanency plan. Open and honest communication - full disclosure - is critical.
Parents involved in alcohol or other drug abuse should be well on their way in the treatment process by the first quarterly meeting. They should be demonstrating efforts to stay clean and they should at least be in the beginning steps of changing their lifestyle, particularly association with others who are drug users. Clients will need increased support and encouragement when asked to terminate relationships with others, no matter how dysfunctional those relationships were.
"Relapse" for both those who use drugs or alcohol as well as those engaged in other types of treatment is predictable. Caseworkers should help the family look for the warning signs that precipitate stress. The caseworker and family together should work through how to prevent - or at least support - the client during this period.
Similarly, the mentally ill client should be engaged in treatment by the first quarterly meeting. That treatment may take the form of support groups, therapy, medication or other recommended services. The client should be demonstrating behavior that is more stable and predictable than when his/her child was removed. If changes in lifestyle are necessary, the caseworker needs to assist the client in making these changes. Support and encouragement is essential so the client will continue to make progress and adhere to the recommended treatment. Frequent consultation with the client's mental health provider (at least monthly or more frequently depending on the case dynamics) is important in order for the caseworker to understand the mental health issues and know how to assess change.
Clients whose presenting problem is domestic violence will need to make vital lifestyle changes during this period. Not only will the client need to be engaged in domestic violence counseling (individual and/or group), but will also need to be supported while he/she begins the often dangerous process of separating from the abusing partner, if this is what the client chooses to do. The caseworker needs to be aware at this time of the danger the client may be in, develop a safety plan with the client and be ready to take immediate steps to assist the client to relocate to a safe place. The client should be demonstrating specific behavioral changes by now: recognizing his/her patterns in relationships with people who batter, taking responsibility for the conditions that led to the removal of the child, distancing him/herself from the batterer and actively seeking mental health services. Failure to separate from a perpetrator who is a danger to the child and/or failure of the perpetrator to seek treatment may lead to an alternate permanency goal.
If the caseworker is diligent with efforts with the client during this period, progress toward increased parental competence and willingness to make needed changes should be seen. If not, the caseworker must seek consultation from the supervisor and discuss his/her concern with the family and the team. If the parent fails to demonstrate a willingness to continue progressing, the caseworker, in consultation with the supervisor, should schedule a multi-disciplinary permanency staffing to discuss moving to another permanency plan.
7.5.1 Determining the Goal for Permanency Risk Cases | 7.5.2 Determining the Goal to Achieve Early Reunification | 7.5.3 Determining the Goal for Longer-Term Intervention