7.21.1 Development of an Aftercare Plan
During the post-reunification period, support of the family must continue if the reunification is to succeed. The caseworker's emphasis becomes helping the family assume responsibility for the care of the child. It is imperative during this period that flexible community-based services are available to meet the needs of the family. DCFS will continue to provide services for at least six months after return home to monitor the safety of the child, to enhance the family's ability to function in a healthy way, and to provide a smooth transition to reunification. Under no circumstance can a worker lose sight that the child's health and safety is paramount.
Frequently, the child's return increases the family's stress level by placing additional financial demands on the family while they adjust to being together again. Often the family membership has changed since the child's removal and all family members must renegotiate their new roles and their newly formed family system. This requires that the parents must adjust to the child's change in age, development and behavior since leaving the family, while accepting that the child may be struggling with feelings of grief for the caregivers. Simultaneously, the child must accept and adjust to changes in behavior that the parents have made.
Professionals working with the newly reunified families should anticipate that as a part of the process of readjustment, families would experience a point of crises when they come to terms with the original reasons for the child's removal. Family systems theory suggests that these are all normal and expected milestones in the family's challenge to attain a new sense of equilibrium and move on. The caseworker needs to be aware of this dynamic and develop a crisis intervention plan with the family. Where the reason for the child's removal was substance abuse or mental illness on the part of the parent, the crisis intervention plan should address relapse prevention. The safety network identified by the family in the reunification service plan should be accessed in times of need. In addition, consultation with service providers involved with the family and the caseworker's supervisor should be sought. Workers will have available reunification funds, which can be used for aftercare services such as homemaker, counseling, advocacy, psychiatric evaluations, day care, respite and housing services.
An aftercare plan must be developed with the family prior to termination of services. The aftercare plan must be in writing and include the following:
· A description of any recommended services, including type of service, frequency of services, who will provide the service and reason for the service. A specific plan for obtaining the services must be included. The worker needs to assist the family to access the services.
· A list of referrals
· Documentation that the worker has encouraged the family to call the worker in the future if the family needs services
The family receives a copy of the aftercare plan. In addition, the plan is attached to the closing summary.