204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care …...Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview...

The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work

403 East Winding Hill Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

Phone (717) 795-9048 Fax (717) 795-8013 www.pacwrc.pitt.edu

204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview

Standard Curriculum

Developed by: Michelle Rager

For:

The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center

University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work

December 2012

The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center 204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview

Copyright 2012, The University of Pittsburgh

This material is copyrighted by The University of Pittsburgh. It may be used freely for training and other educational purposes by public child welfare agencies and other not-for-profit child welfare agencies that properly attribute all material use to The University

of Pittsburgh. No sale, use for training for fees or any other commercial use of this material in whole or in part is permitted without the express written permission of The

Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center of the School of Social Work at The University of Pittsburgh. Please contact the Resource Center at (717) 795-9048 for

further information or permissions.


Acknowledgements

The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center would like to thank the members of the Safety Assessment and Management Process Workgroup for their assistance in the development of 204: Assessing Safety In Out-of-Home Care Overview.

Khary Atif Lori Baier Amy Banker Kristy Bernard Connie Bridges Robin Cain Lisa Cannon Timothy Chambers Brian Clapier Mary Jo Cline Mary Ann Daniels Tracy Drescher Rachel Duvall Kay Engelbret Bev Ernfield Tina Flick Cathy Fuller Marsha Ganter Sharon Gassert Kristina Gibson Andrew Gier Michael Gill Stacy Gilmore Peter Gottemoller Mary Grant Kerry Greene Raheemah Shamsid-Dean Hampton Jim Hanley Michele Haydt Sherri Irvis-Hill Cindi Horshaw Marybeth Hughes Christie Johnson Shelly-Anne Neptune-Johnson Meredith Ketchum Debbie Leasure Shannon Lehr Diane Litzinger Brenda Lloyd

Nathan Lubold Bonnie Marsh Tracey McCaslin Lindsey Mealy Heather Miller Kurt Miller Nadine Miller Barbara Misosky Patti Moyer Arden Olsen Amy Parola Terry Pease Cindy Pierson Michelle Rager JoAnne S. Roeske Nicole Rosendahl Karla Sanders Jennifer Schumacher May Scholle Mariecia Smith Peter Spengeman Ed Stancombe Pete Stollery Alexis Tasselmyer Charlene Templin Tiffany Titus Virginia M. Trea James Trupp Cathy Utz Lynn Verdone Melissa Walker Ellen Whitesell Lisa Wilcox Jackie Wilson Will Wilson Steph Wolfe Joseph Zelenak Bryle Zickler

Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview


Agenda for the 1-Day Workshop on Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview

Estimated Time Content Page

45 minutes Section I

Welcome and Introductions 1

35 minutes Section II

What Happens before the Child is Placed?

7

45 minutes Section III

Present Danger 13

20 minutes Section IV

Intervals and Worksheet Updates 20

2 hours, 5 minutes Section V

Safety Indicators 25

45 minutes Section VI

Safety Analysis and Decisions 33

30 minutes Section VII

Communicating Safety Concerns 39

15 minutes Section VIII

Workshop Closure and Evaluations

44



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Section I: Welcome and Introductions Estimated Length of Time: 45 minutes Quality Services Review Indicators:

Practice Review 4: Assessment and Understanding Learning/Performance Objectives: Participants will be able to:

Describe the five characteristics of safety and a safe environment Identify the workshop learning objectives and agenda

Method of Presentation: Lecture, large group discussion Materials Needed:

Flip Chart Pads Flip Chart Stands Idea Catcher Laptop LCD Projector/Screen Markers Masking Tape/Poster Putty Name Tents Trainer Prepared Flip Chart “What’s In It For Me” Trainer Prepared Flip Chart “Parking Lot” Safety Assessment and Management Process Reference Manual Handout #1: 204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview

PowerPoint Presentation Handout #2: Action Plan Poster #1: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet Poster #2: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #1: 204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview o Slide #2: Ground Rules o Slide #3: Name Tents o Slide #4: Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment o Slide #5: Information Explored to Identify Characteristics of Safety

and a Safe Environment o Slide #6: Goal and Purpose of the Training o Slide #7: Learning Objectives o Slide #8: Agenda


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Section I: Welcome and Introductions

Trainer Note: Prepare the training room in advance by placing name tents, markers, and handout packets (if using) at each table. Have Poster #1 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet) and Poster #2 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart) hung on the wall. Have Handout #1 (204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview PowerPoint Presentation), Idea Catchers, and the Safety Assessment and Management Process Reference Manual (from this point forward referred to as the Resource Manual) at each table for each participant. As participants arrive, greet each one. Have PowerPoint Slide #1 (204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview) showing as participants enter the room.

Trainer Note: If all of the participants in the room know each other and their role within the agency, you may elect to skip the introduction portions of Step 3 and simply ask participants to describe what a safe home for a child looks like.

Step 1: Welcome (5 minutes)

Welcome participants to the training. Introduce yourself including your name, area of expertise, current position, years of experience, and any other information related to the content. Pass around the sign-in sheet or have it available for signing during breaks on a table or podium at the side or back of the room.

Step 2: Housekeeping and Ground Rules (5 minutes)

Start the training session promptly at 9:00 AM. Reinforce the established training room culture. Later—during introductions—reinforce other important guidelines as needed.

Display PowerPoint Slide #2 (Ground Rules) and review all of the training room guidelines.

Step 3: Introductions (15 minutes)

Display PowerPoint Slide #3 (Name Tents) and guide participants through the completion of their name tents.

Instruct participants to:

Write the county in which they work in the top left corner of the name tent;

Write their position in the agency in the top right corner;


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Write the amount of time they have been in their position in the bottom left corner; and

Describe what a safe home looks like for a child in the bottom right corner. When the name and four corners are complete, ask participants to place their name tent in front of them. Then ask each participant to introduce themselves/their position and to share their description of what a safe home looks like for a child that they wrote down. List each description on the flip chart as they are presented. Step 4: Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment (10 minutes) When introductions are complete, review the list on the flip chart for consistency of what participants describe as a safe home for a child. Ask the group if what they identified describes their own home, their parents’ home when they were growing up, a family they are currently working with on their caseload, a foster home, and/or an adoptive home. Share with participants that the goal of Pennsylvania’s Safety Assessment and Management Process is to ensure that children we work with are in safe homes. The characteristics of a safe home should look the same whether it is an in-home family or an out-of-home family. As child welfare professionals, it is our goal to ensure that the children we are working with are in a safe environment. Display PowerPoint Slide #4 (Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment) and share with participants that we used these characteristics to describe and define safety and a safe environment for our In-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process. But these characteristics describe safety in any home environment. We will use these characteristics as our barometer for safety and a safe environment regardless of the setting. Briefly review the characteristics using the summary below.

An absence of perceived or actual threats – There are NO safety threats to the children: behavioral, emotional, or situational;

Presence of caregiver protective capacities - A safe environment exists because those caregivers with the assigned task of providing a safe home are assuring that protection is occurring, available, and ongoing.

A safe home is experienced as a refuge - A safe environment as a refuge for a child is the first and most obvious place a child thinks of and goes to be safe.

Perceived and felt security - A safe environment is perceived and felt by a child as a place of security. This translates into how they view and feel about their caregivers.


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Confidence in consistency - A child needs to be able to count on a home remaining safe. Children and family members believe that the home environment will be safe each day.

Display PowerPoint Slide #5 (Information Explored to Identify Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment). In order to understand if the above characteristics are in operation we must gather information to determine the following:

How the children are behaving in the home - Children who are in a safe home demonstrate a certain sense of comfort and security that comes from being in that home and feeling a sense of permanency.

How caregivers are performing - This would include any adult who maintains primary responsibility for a child’s safety. With caregivers who provide safe homes, it is easy to find examples of protective behavior.

How the family is operating - Safe homes demonstrate observable interactions that are positive and consistent among all family members clearly showing boundaries, role clarity, effective use of resources, and coping mechanisms.

The caregiver’s capacity to sustain continued safety - Seek facts that will help provide clarity about caregiver plans, intentions, methods, feasibility, and commitment.

How community connections sustain continued safety - Understand how formal and informal resources have been used and that the worker can anticipate and will remain involved with the family.

Share with participants that as we review the above, we can see the connection to information gathering in the Six Assessment Domains, especially the domains of Child Functioning, Adult Functioning, General Parenting, and Parenting Discipline. This reiterates how critical information gathering is to the Safety Assessment and Management Process regardless of what setting a child may be in. During the In-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process training, we viewed these concepts as an end state. In other words, when families became involved in the child welfare system due to active Safety Threats (or other concerns), we actively worked with these families to foster the development of these characteristics – to enhance their Protective Capacities. When thinking about out-of-home care, we can use these same characteristics, but we begin our work with the assumption that the out-of-home caregivers and their homes have these characteristics already in operation and that they possess enhanced Protective Capacities. The general mind set being – if we remove children from their homes because there are threats of harm identified, we need to ensure that the homes they are moving to are operating in a positive way.


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Step 5: Review of Agenda and Overall Learning Objectives (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #6 (Goal and Purpose of the Training) and tell participants that, during this training, they will be provided a high level review of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process as well as highlight and focus on the changes/updates that were made since they were originally trained. We will continue to explore and define along the way, the specific process by which we will assess safety in out-of-home care. This training is designed to help you become more aware of issues related to safety in out-of-home care and to allow you time to think about, or perhaps rethink, how you currently view your responsibilities to children in out-of-home care. Step 6: Identification of Learning Needs (5 minutes) Ask participants to share what concepts or parts of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process they have questions about, need further clarification about, or were troublesome to them, from their previous training. Record their responses on a flip chart titled “What’s In It for Me”. If an identified need will not be covered during the training day, place the need on a flip chart titled “Parking Lot” and attempt to meet that need via discussions during a break or connecting the participant with a resource that will meet their need.

Trainer Note: As you proceed through the day, attempt to focus more heavily on these areas when necessary to ensure that participants’ needs are met.

Display PowerPoint Slide #7 (Learning Objectives) and review. Display PowerPoint Slide #8 (Agenda) and review. As the agenda and overall learning objectives are reviewed, refer back to the WIIFM list, making connections to those issues raised by the participants that will be covered throughout the workshop. Share with participants that the Idea Catcher is on the tables and is intended for participants to immediately capture interesting concepts that arise when a given section is trained. Share that Poster #1 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet) is hanging on the wall for participants to refer back to throughout the training. It will be used more in depth later in the training. Distribute Handout #2 (Action Plan). Tell participants that throughout the course of the training, they will be learning new terms and concepts and reviewing terms and concepts about which they have not heard for a significant period of time. Encourage


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them to complete Handout #2 (Action Plan) at the end of each section to help remember what they are learning.



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Section II: What Happens before the Child is Placed?

35 minutes

Quality Services Review Indicators: Practice Review 4: Assessment and Understanding

Learning/Performance Objectives: Participants will be able to:

Explain the definition of “informal care”. Offer the importance of information gathering in identifying placement settings

for children.

Method of Presentation: Lecture, large group discussion, small group activity

Materials Needed: Flip Chart Pads Flip Chart Stands Idea Catcher Laptop LCD Projector/Screen Markers Masking Tape/Poster Putty Name Tents Trainer Prepared Flip Chart “What’s In It For Me” Trainer Prepared Flip Chart “Parking Lot” Safety Assessment and Management Process Reference Manual Handout #1: 204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview

PowerPoint Presentation, revisited Handout #2: Action Plan, revisited Handout #3: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart Poster #2: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #9: Definitions o Slide #10: Caregiver of Origin o Slide #11: Informal Care o Slides #12 and #13: Informal Care Considerations o Slide #14: Overview of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment

Process o Slide #15: Global Look At . . . o Slide #16: Knowing the Child to be Placed and Identifying the

Placement Setting o Slide #17: The Six Assessment Domains o Slide #18: Action Planning

Table Resource #1: The Process for Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Table Resource #2: Talking with Children about Placement Table Resource #3: Preparing Children-Youth for Placement


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Section II: What Happens before the Child is Placed? Step 1: Glossary of Terms - Updates (5 Minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #9 (Definitions) and acknowledge that practice varies from county to county and certain terms are defined in different manners depending on specific practice. To help provide clarity around terms relating to the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process (SAMP), a glossary of terms has been developed. Refer participants to the Reference Manual, pages 90-93: Out-of Home Care Definitions. Inform participants that we will only be reviewing those terms which have changed, which include caregiver of origin and informal care. Display PowerPoint Slide #10 (Caregiver of Origin) and review the definition. Inform participants that the definition is essentially the same. The first sentence of the definition was updated to state “…for the child’s care and safety.” The word “care” was added to the definition. The main reason this definition is being reviewed is that previously the term “caregiver of origin” was used interchangeably with the terms “home of origin”, “caretaker of origin”, and “family of origin”. To avoid confusion, the other terms have been removed from the Reference Manual and replaced with “caregiver of origin”.

Caregiver of Origin

The adult(s) who holds the primary responsibility for the child’s care and safety (i.e. the child’s birth parent). In addition to birth parents, a caregiver of origin may be another person who operates in that capacity (i.e. stepparents, an adult companion of a child’s parent, a grandparent, an uncle or aunt, etc.). The caregiver(s) of origin resides with the child. This does not include people who care for a child temporarily, such as relatives caring for a child from time to time or care providers such as day care or other institutions, babysitters.

Display PowerPoint Slide #11 (Informal Care) and review the definition.

Informal Care

Situations in which a child who is not in County Children and Youth Agency custody goes to live with an alternate caregiver on a temporary basis when Safety Threats are present and the child is unable to continue residing with the caregiver(s) of origin. These arrangements include those 1) made by parents/guardians prior to County Children and Youth Agency involvement or 2) agreed upon jointly between the parents/guardians and the County Children and Youth Agency when the situation occurs during the course of County Children and Youth Agency involvement.


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Step 2: What Does Informal Care Mean in Practice (15 minutes) Remind participants that Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Office of Children, Youth and Families (PA DPW OCYF) has established a standard that requires all out-of-home care settings be evaluated using the same criteria and expectations regardless of the setting. This means that kinship care homes, whether they are informal or formal, chosen by the family or not, and foster care homes will be assessed based on the same standards and the resulting safety decisions/responses will be the same.

Trainer Note: The audience should be familiar with this fact, however be prepared for participants to question the rationale for the inclusion of informal arrangements in this definition. Acknowledge that this represents a practice shift for many. By including informal arrangements in this definition we are not saying that informal living arrangements must meet all of the requirements set forth in the 3700 Foster Care Regulations, rather we are saying that when a child is removed from their home we have a responsibility to assure that child’s safety. Remind participants of the Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment. These characteristics are to be in operation regardless of whether the child is in a licensed or informal home.

Share with participants that we will now dissect the definition of Informal Care. With PowerPoint Slide #11 (Informal Care) displayed, explain that it is the intent that these arrangements be temporary and that the child is to return to the home of the caregiver(s) of origin when the presenting issues are addressed and it is safe for the child to return home. Regardless of whether the arrangements were made (prior to or after County Children and Youth Agency involvement), the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet should be used to assess the child(ren)’s safety in the out-of-home care setting and the In-Home Safety Assessment would also continue to be conducted on the caregiver(s) of origin to determine when it is safe for the child to return home or to modify the Safety Plan. The term “temporary” is a subjective term that can be open to interpretation, but it is the position of the Department that these informal arrangements should not exceed 60 days unless there is an exceptional circumstance that is sufficiently documented in the case record. The intention is that the County Children and Youth Agency/child welfare professional make the distinction between “temporary” and “not temporary” based on intent. For example, if it is the intent that efforts be made toward reunification or that the child remain with the alternate caregiver until other arrangements can be made, the arrangement can be considered temporary. If the intent is that the child resides with the alternate caregiver(s) long-term, the intent is not temporary. As time and circumstances progress, the possibility exists that the situation might change. This will need to be assessed on an ongoing basis. If it is determined that the informal living arrangement needs to continue beyond a 60-day period, certain considerations must be made and documented in the case record. Display and review these considerations using PowerPoint Slides #12 and #13 (Informal Care Considerations).


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The term “prior to” refers to situations where the caregiver(s) of origin elected to move the subject child(ren) on their own accord prior to the County Children and Youth Agency becoming involved with the family, for which the trigger is the decision to accept the case for assessment or investigation. The term “involvement” refers to cases that have been accepted for a Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation, General Protective Services (GPS) assessment, or accepted for service. Ask participants to describe scenarios that may prove to be challenging to determine “temporary” and “prior to” that they have encountered previously, based on their county practice, or that may develop based on this definition. As discussion occurs, refer participants back to the definition of informal care as well as to the items which need to be considered if the placement will exceed 60 days. Assist participants in thinking through the scenario(s) to come to a consensus.

Trainer Note: Be prepared with examples of scenarios for “temporary” and “prior to” should the participants not be able to describe such scenarios. If so, assist the participants in thinking through the scenario(s) to come to a consensus.

Step 3: Overview of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process (10 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #14 (Overview of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Process) (transition slide). Share with participants that we will now be taking a look at the overall picture of the step-by-step process to the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process. Display PowerPoint Slide #15 (Global Look At . . .), distribute/refer to Handout #3 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart), and refer to Poster #2 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart). Share with participants that the flow chart will be the road map for the training. The flow chart will be used to address and review each step in the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process and allow participants to identify the changes to the process as the training progresses. Share with participants that since they have implemented the In-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process, they understand the importance of information gathering and how that information informs decisions. This same concept applies to the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process. Good information gathering is critical and informs decisions at every level of service including at a placement level.


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Display PowerPoint Slide #16 (Knowing the Child to be Placed and Identifying the Placement Setting). In situations that result in a child being placed, the information gathered during the In-Home Safety Assessment informs a worker that a child is no longer safe with their caregiver of origin. This information also helps to inform our placement decisions in identifying the most appropriate out-of-home care setting for that child. Consideration of these issues can certainly guide us toward a placement decision that has greater opportunity for success.

Display PowerPoint Slide #17 (The Six Assessment Domains) and ask participants to offer examples of information gathered in each of the underlined domains (i.e., Child Functioning, Adult Functioning, General Parenting, and Parenting Discipline) which helped inform a placement decision. What type of information gathered was helpful? What information gathered was not helpful? Was there more information that could have been gathered which would have helped inform the decision or possibly have changed the decision? Adult Functioning helps us decide if kinship care may be a viable option. We know how the adult might interact with a kin placement for example. Child Functioning helps inform us about the child, their behaviors and emotions, and any special or challenging needs the child may have that need to be met in the out-of-home setting. Share with participants that knowing the child to be placed, through information gathering, assists the child welfare professional in identifying the most appropriate out-of-home care setting. Information to consider regarding Child Functioning i.e., knowing the child to be placed includes:

Does the child contribute in some way to the threat of harm that is present in his or her own home?

Does the child possess any medical or other special needs?

Is the child particularly vulnerable?

Does the child exhibit sexualized behavior?

Does the child exhibit aggressive behavior?

Is the child fearful?

What is the child’s perception of the placement?

Are there sibling group considerations that must take place? Information gathered concerning General Parenting assists in locating an appropriate out-of-home setting. For example, information gathered concerning a lack of supervision where an older child has become parentified, is important for potential resource parents to know.


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Information gathered concerning Parenting Discipline also helps to inform decisions concerning appropriate out-of-home placements. For instance, the caregivers of origin have used harsh physical discipline on the child. The grandmother is a potential placement option. However, through information gathering, it is known that the grandmother believes in and has used corporal punishment. This information should be considered in deciding whether the grandmother is a placement option. Refer participants to the Resource Table which includes the following resources: Table Resource #1 (The Process for Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care), Table Resource #2 (Talking with Children about Placement), and Table Resource #3 (Preparing Children-Youth for Placement). These handouts are good reference tools for both newer and more experienced workers. Step 4: Action Planning (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #18 (Action Planning) and refer participants to Handout #2 (Action Plan). Ask participants to take a few minutes to complete their action plans.



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Section III: Present Danger Estimated Length of Time: 45 minutes Quality Services Review Indicators


Recall the definition of Present Danger. Identify the 20 Present Danger concerns unique to out-of-home care settings. Explain the expectations surrounding completion and documentation of Present

Danger Assessments. Method of Presentation: Lecture, large group discussion, small group activity Materials Needed:


PowerPoint Presentation, revisited Handout #2: Action Plan, revisited Handout #3: Assessing Safety in Out of Home Care – Flowchart, revisited Handout #4: Present Danger: Definitions and Examples Poster #2: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #19: Defining Present Danger in Out-of-Home Care o Slide #20: Present Danger Defined o Slide #21: Safety Responsibility Standard o Slide #22: Present Danger: Definitions and Examples o Slide #23: Documenting Present Danger o Slide #24: Documenting Present Danger Assessments o Slide #25: County Policies Surrounding Present Danger

Assessments o Slide #26: Action Planning


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Section III: Present Danger Step 1: Defining Present Danger in Out-of-Home Care (10 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #19 (Defining Present Danger in Out-of-Home Care) (transition slide). Refer to Handout #3 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart) and Poster #2 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart) and state that Present Danger Assessments first appear in the fourth step of the Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flowchart. Acknowledge that the first three steps of the process are important – deciding that placement of a child is required, knowing the child to be placed, and matching the child with an alternate caregiver that can meet that child’s unique set of needs. These steps are critical components of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process. The next step in the process is assessing for Present Danger. Remind participants that they have been trained on and are using the concept of Present Danger in the In-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process. Explain that this is the same concept but is applied somewhat differently to out-of-home care settings. Assessing for Present Danger should be integrated into a child welfare professional’s daily casework practice. Share with participants that child welfare professionals must be assessing for Present Danger at every contact regardless of the setting – with their caregiver(s) of origin, with a relative, in a foster home, or in an adoptive home. The child welfare professional should be observant of and assessing the environment in which the child is presently located. It is possible that Present Danger can exist in out-of-home settings, regardless of whether the setting is a formally licensed home. No family remains static, they are ever changing and are impacted by a host of events that can strengthen or challenge them. Just because a family has been approved as a foster home does not mean they are immune from the challenges that all families face. In addition, out-of-home families change over time, so we cannot approach contacts with blinders. Each time we make contact with children or providers, from before/at the time of placement until case closure, we need to see each potential placement setting with fresh eyes and with a neutral approach, controlling for our biases, whether they be positive or negative. Through this approach we have a greater opportunity to assess from an objective point of view whether this out-of-home placement currently is and will remain suitable and safe for each particular child.


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Share with participants the importance of recognizing that each child is different and unique. What may be a safe placement for one child may not be for another. As discussed earlier in the training, “knowing the child” and “identifying the placement” is critical. The gathering of information in the Six Assessment Domains assists the child welfare professional in making those critical decisions. Display PowerPoint Slide #20 (Present Danger Defined) and explain that this definition is the same one used in the In-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process. Ask participants what they would do if they conclude that a child is in Present Danger when they encountered a placement home and family? Present Danger should compel an immediate action. When Present Danger is apparent, the child welfare professional should first respond by fully understanding the nature and quality of the danger. For instance, consider the child who is afraid of the kin situation. You may not want to use that fact as the sole basis for not placing, but this should compel you to examine in detail what the reality and source of the fear is. Is the child fearful because his grandmother has strict rules or grandmother will allow the parents to harm the child? Then a decision must be made about the need to avoid or maintain the home as a placement or to locate the child to another home. Based on that understanding, which involves identifying and examining the Present Danger Safety Threat(s), the child welfare professional would take appropriate action to:

address the Present Danger (if it is immediately remediable, perhaps like an environmental change, securing needed medical supplies for example);

avoid using the home for placement; or

place the child elsewhere (if the child has already been placed in the home). Identifying and understanding Present Danger is based on interviews, conversations, observations, and data collected from reliable family members or others familiar with the family. Information collection should occur with all persons who reside in the home or frequent the home regularly. Display and review PowerPoint Slide #21 (Safety Responsibility Standard). There is no instance when a child should be placed or remain in an out-of-home setting if Present Danger is apparent and cannot be immediately addressed. Often times in the field we justify placing in situations that are highly questionable by saying that it is preferable to have children with family which is an argument that has merit. However, when we take children from unsafe situations there is no justification for placing or keeping them in an unsafe out-of-home care setting. When children are harmed in placement, it often is the result of this type of flawed thinking accompanied by a failure to recognize Present Danger.


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Share with participants that as child welfare professionals, our goal is to ensure that any home a child is placed in is safe. If a child has to be removed from their caregiver(s) of origin, the home they are placed in should be free of Present Danger and Safety Threats. If a Present Danger is active in a home, the child is not safe. Other options will need to be explored for the child. Step 2: Present Danger Threats (15 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #22 (Present Danger: Definitions and Examples) (transition slide). Distribute/refer to the Handout #4 (Present Danger: Definitions and Examples). This handout is a listing of all of the Present Danger Threats and a few examples for each one. Inform the participants that the Present Danger definitions can also be found in the Reference Manual, pages 101-105. This list of Present Danger concerns emphasizes specific issues related to out-of-home care that may not be appropriate to In-Home Safety Assessment. (e.g., one or both caregivers believe that the child deserved what happened in the child’s home.) This list is unique for assessing safety in out-of-home care. Since it is crucial that you know and understand what Present Danger is and how it occurs, we are going to go over each of them briefly. Provide participants with a high-level description of each Present Danger concern, simply highlighting what is at the heart of each concern. Refer participants to Handout #4 (Present Danger: Definitions and Examples). Review item by item. Cover definitions and consider examples. Advise the participants to raise questions and make comments as we go. Step 3: Present Danger and Documentation – Updates (15 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #23 (Documenting Present Danger) (transition slide). Up until this point, we have defined Present Danger in relation to out-of-home safety and explored the specific Present Danger concerns that are unique to out-of-home safety. We know that we are always assessing for Present Danger at each and every contact, but what are the expectations surrounding documentation? Ask participants if they can recall the intervals at which Present Danger was to be assessed for and documented previously.


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Display PowerPoint Slide #24 (Documenting Present Danger Assessments). Share with participants that there are key transition points for children in out-of-home care when they are more emotionally vulnerable and compromised. Share with participants that those two key points are 1) at the time of the initial placement and 2) at the time of any subsequent placement moves. Ask participants to offer why they believe these transition points to be critical. At the Time of the Initial Placement Children, who have experienced abuse and/or neglect from their caregiver(s) of origin, which led to identification of a Safety Threat and their subsequent removal, are dealing with the emotional and physical trauma from that abuse and/or neglect. In addition, they are dealing with the grief and loss of their parents, siblings, home, friends, school, and their belongings. They are potentially being placed in a resource home with people whom they do not know or with a kinship family with whom they may have only occasional contact. The future appears unknown to them. The child is in an emotionally compromised state. At the time of any Subsequent Placement Moves Children are removed from out-of-home settings and placed in other out-of-home settings for varied reasons. Maybe the resource family is having their own family issues and no longer wishes to continue to provide care. Perhaps the child is being moved due to his/her behaviors. Perhaps the resource family feels they can no longer meet the special needs of the child. Maybe an abuse or neglect issue caused the county agency to move the child for safety reasons. However, share with participants that the child is compromised for many of the same reasons that we just discussed: loss of the resource family, the resource siblings, the resource home, their school, and their friends. The future appears unknown to them. The child is in an emotionally compromised state. It is imperative at these times that the child welfare professional ensure that the setting the child is being placed into is a safe environment. Therefore, child welfare professionals are required to fully document Present Danger Assessments at these key transition points. Refer participants to the Reference Manual, page 151: Present Danger Assessment Worksheet: Out-of-Home Care Settings. Inform participants that the option now exists for child welfare professionals to document their assessments using the state provided Present Danger Assessment Worksheet (or comparable tool that includes all of the Present Danger components) OR structured case note. This will be determined by their county’s policy. At the two key transition points, documentation must be at a greater level of detail than during all other contacts. At the key transition points, if documentation is completed via


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a structured case note, the child welfare professional would provide the same information in the structured case note that would be provided if completing the worksheet. Ultimately, documentation should clearly illustrate how the child welfare professional reached their conclusion(s) surrounding the existence or lack of existence of Present Danger. If someone else read their documentation, it would be clear to them how the worker reached their conclusions.

Trainer Note: If participants ask about documentation requirements surrounding

Present Danger outside of the two key transition points, inform them that the level of

documentation required will be based upon their agency’s policy.

Trainer Note: The following is a non-exhaustive list of sources of information that can be considered and included in documentation surrounding Present Danger Assessments if participants ask:

Information from agency records;

Information from ChildLine;

Information from the police;

Is the out-of-home setting an active resource home in good standing;

Has the child welfare professional worked with the resource home in the past or currently;

Observations of how the out-of-home caregivers welcome the child into their home;

Observations of the interactions between the out-of-home caregivers and the child;

Observations of the interactions between others in the home and the child;

Observations of the home - is the home clean and free of safety hazards; and

Observations of how the child is responding to the out-of-home caregivers and their family.

Display PowerPoint Slide #25 (County Policies Surrounding Present Danger Assessments).

OCYF is allowing the Present Danger Assessment to be completed by the county worker, a qualified worker, or the private provider worker. However, counties should establish policy surrounding who can complete the Present Danger Assessment, whether follow-up is required, and the timeframes concerning follow-up. The county worker, a qualified worker, or the private provider worker is required to conduct and document a Present Danger Assessment prior to or at the time of the initial placement as well as at the time of any subsequent placement moves (i.e., the key transition points).


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Previously, if a private provider worker completed and documented the assessment, the county worker was required to conduct a follow-up visit to confirm the information within a certain timeframe, depending on the circumstances. The follow-up timeframe requirements are no longer in place; however county agencies should establish policy surrounding situations in which they are unable to personally place the child. It is important to stress that best practice requires that a child welfare professional accompany the child to the placement setting to help ensure continuity and a more comfortable and smooth transition for the child. It is recognized that circumstances do not always allow for this to take place. As in all circumstances, the child welfare professional must gather and document, in the record, sufficient information from the appropriate sources to determine whether Present Danger exists.

Trainer Note: Refer participants back to their county for their county specific policy regarding the documentation of the Present Danger Assessment and situations in which they are unable to personally place the child.

Step 4: Action Planning (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #26 (Action Planning) and refer participants to Handout #2 (Action Plan). Ask participants to take a few minutes to complete their action plans.



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Section IV: Intervals and Worksheet Updates Estimated Length of Time: 20 minutes Quality Services Review Indicators:


Offer the intervals at which the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet must be completed.

Identify changes made to the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet in 2012.

Method of Presentation: Lecture, large group discussion, small group activity Materials Needed:


PowerPoint Presentation, revisited Handout #2: Action Plan, revisited Poster #1: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #27: Interval Updates o Slide #28: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Intervals o Slides #29 and #30: Old Interval #3 o Slide #31: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet o Slide #32: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet –

Updates o Slide #33: Action Planning


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Section IV: Intervals and Worksheet Updates Step 1: Interval and Documentation – Updates (10 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #27 (Interval Updates) (transition slide). Refer participants to the Reference Manual, pages 93-97: Out-of-Home Care Policy. State we have established the fact that the decision to place a child begins the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process. We have reviewed “knowing the child”, “identifying the placement setting”, and “Present Danger Assessments”. Now we will move on to review the ongoing assessment of safety for children in out-of-home care, which occurs after the determination is made that Present Danger does not exist and the child has been placed in the out-of-home care setting. Display PowerPoint Slide #28 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Intervals) and share with participants that, for children in out-of-home care, including those in informal or formal placements, the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet must be completed at the intervals designated below:

1) Within 60 days, or 2 months, from the date of placement in the current setting.

2) Within 180 days, or 6 months, from the previously completed worksheet.

3) Within 72 hours upon the identification of evidence, circumstances, or information that suggests a negative change in the Safety Indicators yet the child remains in the home.

Trainer Note: The intervals according to the April 2011 Manual are provided below for reference purposes:

1. No later than 60 days, or 2 months, from the date of placement in the current setting.

2. Within 180 days, or 6 months, from the date of placement in the current setting and every 6 months thereafter, from the date of placement throughout the life of the placement. Note: this is not in conjunction with the CPP Review.

3. Within 72 hours upon the identification of evidence, circumstance, or new information that suggests a change in the child’s safety. This includes:

New adult household members who are in the home longer than 30 days within the calendar year. Note: young adults who are already family members but are returning home from college would not be included in this interval.

Whenever there is a significant loss/change in the household that may impact child safety e.g. separation, divorce, serious illness, death, etc.


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Information is received from another county that may impact a child’s safety.

In conjunction with a Regional Office investigation: If the child remains in the home throughout the time of the

investigation. If the child is returned to the home following an investigation.

4. If a case is transferred from one worker to another, assessments would continue to be completed as detailed in the above intervals.

When a child is moved to a different out of home setting, the process begins again with the Present Danger Assessment and then follows the above listed intervals.

Display PowerPoint Slides #29 and #30 (Old Interval #3) and share with participants that the sub-bullets / examples have been removed from old interval #3. Despite the deletion of the examples, similar information should be considered during Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessments. In addition, circumstances perceived as positive examples of change should be included as well. Ask participants to offer some examples of positive changes within a family that may impact a child’s safety in a negative way. Responses may include:

marriage

a new baby

a new home

a new job Ask participants why these positive changes have the potential to affect a child’s safety. They add new stresses, roles, finances, etc. Even though these are positive changes, they still have the potential to affect positively or negatively the family dynamics. Therefore, it is important to assess those changes and their impact upon the child/ren placed in that home. Share with participants that when a child is moved to a different placement setting, the process begins again with a Present Danger Assessment followed by the first interval. The Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process focuses on the safety of the child within a particular family. As discussed earlier in the training, a safe placement for one child may not be for another child. Each child and each out-of-home care family is unique. Therefore it is necessary, as child welfare professionals, to assess each home to ensure that it is a safe environment for the child. If a child is moved to a different placement setting due to safety concerns, it is necessary to complete the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet. Remind participants that regardless of whether the child is in an informal or formal placement, In-Home Safety Assessments must continue to be completed for the caregiver(s) of origin. The In-Home Safety Assessment would be conducted as if the


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family were intact to determine whether reunification is possible or the Safety Plan should be modified. Step 2: Worksheet Updates (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #31 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet) (transition slide). Share with participants that the remainder of the training will follow the order of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet. We will briefly review the worksheet and changes made to the worksheet before walking through each section in more detail. Refer participants to the Reference Manual, pages 118-122: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet and Instructions: Safety in Out-of-Home Care Tool and Poster #1 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet). Display PowerPoint Slide #32 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet – Updates). Share with participants that the contents of this worksheet have not changed except for the following:

Under Section I. Identifying Information, “Date Completed” was added to the top right-hand corner of page one of the worksheet.

Under Section V. Safety Analysis, item number five was removed, which read, “If another county has a child(ren) placed in this setting and the information gathered requires the completion of an Alert to Affiliated Counties Document as defined in the interval policy; record, in the space provided, the date that the Alert Document was sent to:

Other county agency Provider agency Regional Office”

Under Section VI. Safety Decision

o Unsafe

The second bullet was changed. It previously read, “If other children from another county are placed children in the home, contact the other county agencies, provider agencies, and Regional Office to inform them of the safety concerns.”

Walk through the worksheet, starting with Sections I, II, and III. Explain that these sections capture basic identifying information for the placed child and out-of-home caregivers/family, as well as dates of specific occurrences.


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Refer participants to the Reference Manual, page 120: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet Instructions and review the instructions for completing the “Date Completed portion of Section I. Share with participants that the 10 Safety Indicators are documented in Section IV. Stress that only the identified children are listed in the columns. Any information related to the other children would be included in the Safety Analysis. The remaining sections of the tool are designed to guide case decision making. Section V is the Safety Analysis. Section VI is the Safety Decision. Section VII is the Signature of Approval. We will be discussing these sections in more detail as the training progresses. As well, we will explore the other worksheet changes later in the training. Step 3: Action Planning (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #33 (Action Planning) and refer participants to Handout #2 (Action Plan). Ask participants to take a few minutes to complete their action plans.



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Section V: Safety Indicators Estimated Length of Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes Quality Services Review Indicators:


Outline the definition of and general themes associated with the Out-of-Home Care Safety Indicators.

Explain the process for rating Out-of-Home Care Safety Indicators. Method of Presentation: Lecture, large group discussion, small group activity Materials Needed:

Flip Chart Pads Flip Chart Stands Idea Catcher Laptop LCD Projector/Screen Markers Masking Tape/Poster Putty Name Tents Trainer Prepared Flip Chart “What’s In It for Me” Trainer Prepared Flip Chart “Parking Lot” Safety Assessment and Management Process Reference Manual Handout #1: 204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Overview

PowerPoint Presentation, revisited Handout #2: Action Plan, revisited Handout #3: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flowchart, revisited Handout #5: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment: Safety Indicators and

Characteristics Handout #6: Applying What You Know: Thinking About Safety Poster #1: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #34: Indicators of Safety in Out-of-Home Care o Slide #35: Safety Indicators o Slide #36: Positive Characteristics o Slide #37: Characteristics of Concern o Slide #38: Negative Characteristics o Slide #39: Exploring the Safety Indicators and Characteristics o Slide #40: Small Group Activity o Slide #41: Rating the Indicators



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o Slide #42: Action Planning Table Resource #4: Information Collection: Key points Table Resource #5: Quality Visitation Table Resource #6: Information Collection: Safety in Out-of-Home Care

Sample Interview Questions


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Section V: Safety Indicators Step 1: Indicators of Safety in Out-of-Home Care (15 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #34 (Indicators of Safety in Out-of-Home Care) (transition slide) and tell participants that we will now be considering Section IV of the worksheet, which is the Safety Indicators. Refer to Handout #3 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart) and Poster #2 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart). Remind participants that in the In-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process, child welfare professionals are required to make a determination if circumstances in operation within the family have crossed the Safety Threshold for each of 14 In-Home Safety Threats. The response was a simple yes or no. With the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process, we do not have a safety threshold to fall back to. The rationale for this truly rests in the threshold itself. We do not want to place a child in a setting where the caregiver(s) and/or the situation is out of the caregiver(s)’ control, nor do we want to place a child in a setting where they will be harmed in the near future. Instead, in the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process, we have 10 Safety Indicators and corresponding characteristics that are representative of what is generally known about what constitutes safe homes at one end of the continuum and unsafe homes at the other end of the continuum. Share with participants that there were no changes to the Safety Indicators. We will be providing a review of the Safety Indicators. Ask participants to offer the three categories of Safety Indicator Characteristics. They should identify positive, concerning, and negative. After participants have identified the categories, display PowerPoint Slide #35 (Safety Indicators) and explain that we will now consider each category i.e. what they mean and possible results of identifying each category as existing in a given home. Prior to introducing each characteristic, ask participants to offer a description.

Display PowerPoint Slide #36 (Positive Characteristics) and review.

The Positive Characteristics describe for us those traits that we attribute to caregivers who are effective, caring and protective caregivers. They are similar to the Protective Capacities you learned about in the In-Home Safety Assessment training but are described in more detail here and within the context of out-of-home care.


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Display PowerPoint Slide #37 (Characteristics of Concern) and review.

The Characteristics of Concern are just that, family conditions or circumstances that tell us that the child, family, or caregivers’ functioning in the Indicator area is compromised, marginal, or perhaps deteriorating from a previously higher level. Concerning Characteristics tell us to wake up and pay attention if you will. They are areas for additional study and consideration. At times these characteristics may be quickly and readily resolved.

Display PowerPoint Slide #38 (Negative Characteristics) and review.

The Negative Characteristics are those traits, attributes, or conditions that indicate that a placement setting may be unsafe. The Negative Characteristics are designed to tell you that you should be very concerned about the safety of the child and perhaps other children in the placement. The identification of any one characteristic in any of the Indicators requires intensive scrutiny and assessment.

We must exercise caution if there are any Negative Characteristics present. Presence of any Negative Characteristic requires in-depth analysis of how it is in operation within the family, what the current effects on child safety are now, and what impact this characteristic is likely to have on child safety in the placement in the near future. While similar analysis is needed for Positive and Concerning Characteristics, it is critical with the Negative Characteristics because they have been constructed in a way that they indicate situations that are potentially or likely UNSAFE. When a Negative Characteristic is identified, immediate consultation with your supervisor must occur to further analyze the setting and make the Safety Decision. The presence of Negative Characteristics may mean that there are Present or Impending Danger Threats that must be addressed.

Share with participants that continued information gathering is critical to the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process. Not only are child welfare professionals gathering information as it relates to the Six Assessment Domains but also as it relates to the 10 Safety Indicators. We are not only gathering information about the child but about how the family functions as a unit. This involves interviews, conversations, and observations not only with your identified child but also other children in the home, as well as caregivers and other professionals involved with the family. Step 2: Exploring the Indicators (1 hour, 10 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #39 (Exploring the Safety Indicators and Characteristics) (transition slide). Distribute/refer to Handout #5 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment: Safety Indicators and Characteristics).


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This handout is a good resource for use in the field. Refer participants to the Reference Manual, pages 106-113, which also include the Indicators and Characteristics. Remind participants that these Indicators and Characteristics are based on information from years of research by Action for Child Protection and knowledge gained from child welfare professionals across the country. Point out to participants that each Indicator is accompanied by a critical question and a descriptive statement to provide clarity about the purpose of the Indicator. Remind participants that this is the guide that you use when evaluating each Indicator for each child’s out-of-home setting. Our goal now is to really understand how these Indicators work, how you evaluate each one, then decide if the setting is safe…that is, is the overall picture a positive one, a concerning one, or a negative one. Divide participants into five groups. Each group will be assigned two Safety Indicators. Inform the small groups that they will be preparing a review of their assigned Safety Indicators to present to the other participants. They will become the “experts” on their two assigned Safety Indicators. The Safety Indicators are assigned as follows: Group 1: Indicators 1 and 2

Child Functioning: How are the children functioning cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, physically, and socially?

Adult Functioning: How are the adult out-of-home family members functioning cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, physically, and socially?

Group 2: Indicators 3 and 4

Caregiver Supervision: How are out-of-home caregiver(s) actively caring for, supervising, and protecting the children in the home?

Discipline: How are discipline strategies used with the children in the home?


Acceptance: How do the out-of-home family members demonstrate in observable ways that they accept the identified child into the home?

Community Supports: How do the out-of-home family members access/use community supports to help assure child safety?


Current Status: How do the out-of-home family members respond to the current issues, demands, stressors within the home that affect the child’s safety?


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Placed Child’s Family– Out of home Family Relationship: How do the dynamics between the caregiver(s) of origin and the out-of-home family support the safety of the child?


Oversight: How does the out-of-home family demonstrate that they are agreeable to and cooperative with CCYA and other formal resources?

Planning: How do the out-of-home caregiver(s) demonstrate that they are capable of and actively engaged in planning for the identified child’s day to day safety?

Display PowerPoint Slide #40 (Small Group Activity). For each of their two assigned Indicators, instruct the small groups to:

1) Describe what is being assessed in the Safety Indicator.

2) Identify which of the Six Assessment Domains help to inform the Safety Indicator?

3) What information gathered in those domains helps to inform the Safety Indicator?

4) What general themes run throughout the Safety Indicator? Each small group should record their answers to these questions on flip chart paper. Once each small group has completed the activity, ask the small groups to hang their flip charts on the wall. Allow 15 minutes for the participants to complete this activity.

Trainer Note: During this small group activity, be sure to walk around the room monitoring each small group’s progress, clarifying the instructions, answering questions, and assisting participants in processing the activity.

Reconvene the large group. Starting with Group 1, have each group answer the four questions for their first assigned Safety Indicator. Listen for information that fits and does not fit the Safety Indicator. Redirect if anything is not correct by providing the correct information yourself or, if you think the group can reach the correct conclusion, helping them process the information. If any pertinent information is not present, make sure to present that information. Then continue with the second assigned Safety Indicator using the same format. Continue then with each small group until all 10 Safety Indicators have been covered.

Trainer Note: Refer participants to the Resource Table which includes the following resources: Table Resource #4 (Information Collection: Key Points), Table Resource #5 (Quality Visitation), and Table Resource #6 (Information Collection: Safety in Out of Home Care Sample Interview Questions). These handouts are good reference tools for both newer and more experienced workers when gathering information to assist them in evaluating the 10 Safety Indicators.


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Step 3: Rating the Indicators (10 minutes) Refer participants to Handout #6 (Applying What You Know: Thinking about Safety). Display PowerPoint Slide #41 (Rating the Indicators) and explain that the handout is a resource to use as you are learning how to rate the Indictors. The handout summarizes all of the information that we have talked about so far related to understanding the Indicator and determining a rating. Review each step on the handout:

1. Review each set of Characteristics for the Indicator.

2. Do not consider other Indicators at this point.

3. Identify all Characteristics that apply.

4. Consider intensity, frequency, duration, and impact on the child of the Characteristics.

5. Answer this question: Considering all you know about this child, what set of characteristics, traits, and attributes best represent what you know and have observed?

6. Think seriously about any Negative Characteristics you have identified in the home, and decide if they offset any Positive Characteristics in terms of impact on the child.

7. Decide if the Indicator overall is positive, concerning, or negative. These seven steps are used to rate each individual Safety Indicator. In addition to rating the indicator as positive (P), concerning (C), or negative (N), child welfare professionals must write a narrative that provides a summary of the information gathered to inform the rating. This includes any Positive, Concerning, or Negative Characteristics present for each indicator. This does not; however, mean that one would simply record the characteristic as is from Handout #5 (Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment: Safety Indicators and Characteristics), rather how is that characteristic occurring. In applying these concepts it is important to note that we are concerned with how these Indicators describe the family in predominant and overall ways. In other words, when taken as a whole, is the Indicator mostly positive, mostly concerning, or mostly negative. Step 4: Connection to Case Examples (25 minutes) Share with participants that we will look at one of the 10 Safety Indicators, through the use of a case example, and walk through the process of applying what we just reviewed in an effort to rate that Indicator as positive, concerning, or negative. Ask participants for a volunteer to offer a case example for one of the 10 Safety Indicators. The volunteer can chose any one of the Safety Indicators. Instruct the volunteer to offer a description of the case example concerning that Indicator such as


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information they gathered or observed. Ask the participant to be as detailed as possible so the large group can get a true sense of the case example. Instruct the volunteer to focus on sharing information related to the Safety Indicator they chose and not on the other nine Indicators. Invite the large group to ask questions about the volunteered case example to ensure the group has enough information to rate the Indicator. Record the information gathered on a flip chart.

Trainer Note: Be prepared with a detailed case example to use should the large group not volunteer an example or not be able to come up with an example. Through the course of the training, participants may have shared case examples which you could use if no case example is volunteered. If this is the case, you can ask the participant to use that case example. You would then instruct the participant as detailed above.

Once the large group feels they have enough information concerning the case example, using Handout #6 (Applying What You Know: Thinking about Safety), walk the large group through the process of rating the volunteered Indicator. Listen for information that fits and does not fit. Redirect if anything is not correct by providing the correct information yourself or, if you think the group can reach the correct conclusion, helping them process the information. If any pertinent information is not present, make sure to present that information. Through this process, the large group should come to a consensus as to whether the chosen Safety Indicator is positive, concerning, or negative. Share with participants that we will not be able to process each of the 10 Safety Indicators. However, through this exercise, they should get a better understanding of what goes into the rating of an Indicator, and, hopefully, that can be generalized to the other nine Indicators. Step 5: Action Planning (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #42 (Action Planning) and refer participants to Handout #2 (Action Plan). Ask participants to take a few minutes to complete their action plans.



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Section VI: Safety Analysis and Decisions Estimated Length of Time: 45 minutes Quality Services Review Indicators:

Practice Review 4: Assessment and Understanding Learning/Performance Objectives: Participants will be able to

Describe the Safety Analysis process and how the correct Safety Decision is reached.

Method of Presentation: Lecture, large group discussion, small group activity Materials Needed:


PowerPoint Presentation, revisited Handout #2: Action Plan, revisited Handout #3: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flowchart, revisited Poster #1: Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet Poster #2: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #43: Safety Analysis o Slides #44 through #47: Safety Analysis Questions o Slide #48: The Safety Decision o Slide #49: Safe o Slide #50: Unsafe o Slide #51: Structured Case Note o Slides #52 and 53: Structured Case Note Details o Slide #54: Action Planning


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Section VI: Safety Analysis and Decisions Step 1: Safety Analysis (20 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #43 (Safety Analysis) (transition slide). Refer participants to Section V: The Safety Analysis of the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet. In this section, you are asked to integrate everything you know about the child and resource caregivers and describe the rationale and justification for how the Safety Decision is made. A supervisor should be able to read and review this section and fully understand how you reached your decision. While Section IV asks you to describe each Safety Indicator independently of the others, the Safety Analysis requires that you consider the interplay and interaction between all of the Safety Indicators. We know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and here you are considering the whole, the big picture. For example:

How do the child’s behaviors affect other indicators like Current Status and Acceptance?

How does Adult Functioning affect the child’s behavior and emotions?

How do Community Supports affect Adult Functioning in terms of resources that they draw on to help them out?

How do Community Supports affect the ability of caregivers to provide adequate supervision for the child?

So, you are analyzing how all of the family conditions and circumstances come together to form the reality of this placement for this child. Remind participants that the five Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment are the foundation for the out-of-home care setting. Are there any changes in these five characteristics that are rising to a level of concern that may change the Safety Decision of the child(ren) in the home. Care must be taken to describe family conditions/indicators and characteristics accurately and completely. In each area you must guard against your biases, either positive or negative, about the resource home. This is an objective, neutral evaluation. Avoid considering what you will do if the placement is unsafe. Avoid considering resource availability. Just professionally and objectively evaluate the placement. Refer participants to the Reference Manual, pages 114-116: Safety Analysis: A Closer Look at the Analysis Questions. In the Safety Analysis you are also asked to thoughtfully respond to the following questions. Display PowerPoint Slides #44 through #47 (Safety Analysis Questions) as each analysis question is reviewed.


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1. Have any changes (positive or negative) occurred within the out-of-home family since your last assessment? Describe the changes and explain what prompted the change. Include in the explanation whether or not the change in the family resulted in a change in response to the 10 Safety Indicators. (Note: if this is the initial assessment, check here ).

This is the place where you do a comparative analysis of how the resource family and child are doing now in relationship to previous assessments. Are things better, worse, or the same? How have the 10 Safety Indicators changed? What has contributed to the change and what is the impact of these changes on child safety in this home? Point out to participants that the first time the worksheet is completed, it assumed that one would not be able to assess for changes in the home. In these instances, the child welfare professional should check the provided check box. Beyond the first assessment; however, this box should remain unchecked and an analysis summary provided. Over time, the purpose of this analysis question is to call attention to the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes that are occurring. Change could trigger that supports may need to be put into place to avoid placement disruption.

2. Considering all of the 10 Safety Indicators, are there sufficient positive Safety

Indicators present and in operation that give you confidence that the child will remain safe in the setting? Provide your rationale for this judgment. This analysis question requires you to think about all of the 10 Safety Indicators and determine if they in combination translate to a decision that the child is safe. You need to describe all of the positive indicators in specific ways that contribute to this resource home being a safe one for this child now and in the future. Do not overstate the strengths, but present an objective picture. That said, the child welfare professional should not restate the same information that was recorded in Section IV. Rather, provide an analysis about how do/will the positive indicators work to offset any Concerning or Negative Characteristics.

3. Describe in behavioral terms, any Negative Characteristic and/or Safety Indicators that are present. Include intensity, frequency, and duration of the Characteristic and/or Safety Indicator and the impact on this child. If there are negative Safety Indicators and the decision is to leave the child in this home, describe the rationale and justification for this decision. Supervisory signature below indicates agreement with this rationale. Here you are asked to describe any negative indicators AND any Negative Characteristics that are in operation in the home. This is a critical piece of the analysis. You must control for your biases and for external pressures. You cannot minimize or overlook these indicators or characteristics because you do


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not have another placement available, or because the child has been doing well up to this point in the placement. If your assessment of safety in out-of-home care is going to have real meaning, you must tackle these issues head on and decide what kind of environment this really is for this child. Remember that a Safety Plan is never appropriate in a placement setting.

4. A) Consider and describe any Safety Indicators that are rated as “concerning”. B) Are there supports (e.g. respite care, child care, training on the child’s specific needs, etc.) that will enhance the resource family’s ability to provide a safe environment for the child? Provide your rationale for this judgment. For supports already in place, describe the effectiveness/impact/continued need for that support. This question asks you to consider concerning indicators that are present in the resource home. Again describe them clearly including the intensity, frequency, and duration. Evaluate the likelihood of them becoming negative indicators. Think about what supports might help sustain the child in this placement. Decide if increased worker visitation is needed to continue to evaluate these indicators. Remember that this is not a Safety Plan. If any of the concerning indicators lead you to think that a Safety Plan is needed then they are likely operating as negative indicators and you need to rethink your assessment decisions.

Step 2: The Safety Decision (10 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #48 (The Safety Decision). By this point in the process you should be able to arrive at the actual Safety Decision. This decision should be made in conjunction with your supervisor. You will notice that a child is either found to be Safe or Unsafe. Display PowerPoint Slide #49 (Safe). Safe means that sufficient indicators exist that cause you and your supervisor to confirm that the setting remains safe for this child. Display PowerPoint Slide #50 (Unsafe). Unsafe means that sufficient indicators exist that cause you and your supervisor to conclude that the setting does not remain safe for this child. If this is the decision then child must be removed from the setting. When this decision is made the following additional steps must also occur within the designated timeframe:

Review the child’s current Safety Plan to determine modifications needed and document any and all necessary changes.


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If children from another county are placed in the home, concerns, as they relate to those children, should be communicated to the appropriate entities according to your County Children and Youth Agency’s policy.

There is no option for safe with a plan because again, these resource caregivers are expected to provide a higher level of care and protection for children than they had in their own homes. Remind participants that the five Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment should continue to exist in the out-of-home care setting through the life of the child(ren)’s placement. If a Safety Plan is needed the child is unsafe and needs to be moved immediately. However, because there are instances where the courts will leave a child in a setting you have determined to be unsafe you have a place to document this. This section asks you to check the box if the agency determines that the child is unsafe but remains in this setting as a result of a court order, and to enter the date of the court order and the date that the county filed an appeal, if one was filed. ***While we have stressed that we do not do Safety Plans in out-of-home care settings, if a court orders a child to remain in a placement determined by the CCYA to be unsafe, a Safety Plan is needed and the protocol to follow for that plan is the same as an in-home Safety Plan. Step 3: The Structured Case Note (10 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #51 (Structured Case Note) (transition slide). Share with participants that the requirements for the structured case note have not changed. We will now briefly review the requirements of the structured case note. Display PowerPoint Slides #52 and 53 (Structured Case Note Details) and briefly review the requirements. All of the identified elements from the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment Worksheet should be considered and documented as necessary, in the structured case note. Review briefly the elements to consider:

1. Information gathered related to the Six Assessment Domains and any or all of the 10 Safety Indicators;

2. The Safety Decision and Analysis for that decision;

3. Supports put into place to address concerns (not yet a safety plan); and

4. If the decision was made that the child is unsafe but the child is court ordered to remain in placement, documentation should be included to reflect how child safety will be assured. This would be considered a Safety Plan.

Also documented within the structured case notes should be:

1. Judgments about changes within the family that reflect on safety;

2. The status of child safety; and


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3. Changes to the out of home caregivers’ ability to provide a safe home for the placed child.

As part of ongoing safety management, structured case notes should continue to reflect not only that the child is safe or unsafe, but the criteria used to determine this including all information obtained during the continuing assessment process.

Trainer Note: Refer participants back to their county for their county specific policy regarding the structured case note.

Information from Private Providers Working with private providers to meet the goals of safety, permanence, and well-being for children in the child welfare system is critical. Counties are encouraged to work collaboratively with private providers so that children are safe in their homes, their needs are met, and the appropriate services are provided. Meeting the goals of safety, permanence, and well-being are the responsibility of all the professionals working with the child and his/her family. This can be accomplished by maintaining regular contact with the private providers so information sharing can occur. In many cases, the private provider is having more frequent contact with the placed child and the out-of-home caregiver than the child welfare professional. Because of this, the child welfare professional relies heavily on the information gathered and observations made by the private provider in their assessment of whether the out-of-home setting is safe for that child. Therefore, regular and open communication between counties and private providers is vital to the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process.

Trainer Note: Refer participants back to their county for their county specific policy regarding private providers and their contractual role regarding documentation of Present Danger Assessments and information gathered surrounding the 10 Safety Indicators.

Step 4: Action Planning (5 minutes) Prior to moving onto the next section, display PowerPoint Slide #54 (Action Planning) and refer participants to Handout #2 (Action Plan). Ask participants to take a few minutes to complete their action plans.



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Section VII: Communicating Safety Concerns Estimated Length of Time: 30 minutes Quality Services Review Indicators:

Practice Review 1a: Engagement Efforts Practice Review 4: Assessment and Understanding

Learning/Performance Objectives: Participants will be able to

State how the Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment can be used to identify concerns about child safety.

Contemplate considerations that should be made when determining appropriate lines of communication when concerns of child safety are identified.

Method of Presentation: Lecture, large group discussion Materials Needed:


PowerPoint Presentation, revisited Handout #2: Action Plan, revisited PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #55: Communicating Safety Concerns o Slide #56: Concerns About Other Children in the Home o Slide #57: The Alert Process o Slide #58: Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment o Slide #59: Considerations for County Alert Process Policy o Slide #60: Action Planning


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Section VII: Communicating Safety Concerns Step 1: Concerns about Other Children in the Home (15 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #55 (Communicating Safety Concerns) (transition slide). We discussed the important variable of gathering information not only for the identified child, but also other household members, including other children in the home. The information we learn through conversations with and observations of other children in the home informs our safety decisions for the identified child. This information gathering process may also identify concerns about the other children in the home. Display PowerPoint Slide #56 (Concerns About Other Children in the Home). Communication between child welfare professionals throughout the system who have children in the same out-of-home care home is very important. This communication not only needs to occur within the county agency, but also with other CCYAs who have children placed in the same homes. If we identify information that has an impact on the other children in the home, it is important that the information is shared with the other county worker whether that worker is in another county or in your own agency. Unfortunately, in the state of Pennsylvania, this type of communication does not occur consistently. To improve communication, it is expected that the child welfare professional consider the safety of all children in an out-of-home care home, regardless of whether they are that child’s assigned worker. As a reminder, this does not mean that a formal assessment is done on each of these children by the child welfare professional. It does mean that the child welfare professional will observe other children who are in the home at the time of the visit and inquire about how they are doing from the resource caregiver(s) as well as from the children themselves. Ideally, child welfare professionals will speak with the children in private so they are more comfortable sharing. The child welfare professional will also discuss the other children with the child they are assessing, both to determine the nature and quality of the child-to-child interaction and also as a method of gathering information on all children in the home. As previously discussed, out-of-home care families are dynamic not static. Each member of the family impacts another member. They face the same challenges all families face. These challenges can result from a negative or even positive life event. Therefore, as child welfare professionals, we must fully assess the entire family unit to ensure it is a safe environment. If we do not assess the entire family unit, we may miss something which could ultimately lead to a child being unsafe and possibly harmed. For example, in one case a child in an out-of-home care setting was seemingly being targeted and was the subject of extreme and harsh discipline. Meanwhile, a worker from another county had a child in that same home who was viewed as the “golden child” who could do no wrong. The worker for that child did not know, (was not informed) of


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the situation, with the” targeted” child”. Ultimately, it was discovered that both children were being subjected to the harsh physical discipline. If the worker for the “golden child” had known about the situation she could have been proactive in terms of looking at safety and the child would not have been maltreated. Ask the group to think about their own experiences as child welfare professionals. Have there been instances in the past where information came to light after a child was harmed (or before) that, if known, would have changed the overall safety assessment/decision for that child? These examples clearly show how communication among child welfare professionals is critical. Step 2: Identifying Concerns (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #57 (The Alert Process) (transition slide). Share with participants that the goal of Pennsylvania’s Safety Assessment and Management Process is to ensure that children receiving CCYA services are in safe homes. The characteristics of a safe home should look the same whether it is an in-home family or an out-of-home family. As child welfare professionals, it is our goal to ensure that the families we are working with are a safe environment for the child. Display PowerPoint Slide #58 (Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment) and remind participants that these characteristics describe safety not only within a child’s own home but in any home environment. We will use these characteristics as our barometer for safety and a safe environment regardless of the setting. If a child is not experiencing all of these characteristics, a concern is present and should be communicated to the appropriate person, whether they be within your county agency, a private provider, another county agency, etc. Step 3: Communicating Concerns (5 minutes) Share with participants that they will now discover why the other two changes were made to the worksheet. Refer to the Reference Manual, pages 158-161: Safety in Out-of-Home Care: Alert to Affiliated Counties. The Alert to Affiliated Counties Document is a form that is provided by OCYF. Previously, use of this document was required; however, that is no longer the case. Counties may choose to continue to use this document, but are not required to do so.


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While use of the specific Alert Document is no longer required, it is still expected (and considered best practice) that other counties are notified when there are concerns that arise surrounding their children. Rather than creating policy for the counties, it is the expectation of OCYF that each county establish its own policy surrounding the Alert Process. If anyone indicated that they have implemented use of the Alert to Affiliated Counties document during the name tent exercise, ask them if they are willing to share what, if any, policies their agency has surrounding notification of other counties. Display PowerPoint Slide #59 (Considerations for County Alert Process Policy). Consideration in the policy should include:

Who will be notified? (e.g., private providers, child welfare professionals from the same county, child welfare professionals from other counties, ChildLine, Regional Office(s))

Who will be responsible for notification? (Additional consideration should be given to situations in which a private provider home has children from other counties. Who is responsible for notifying the other counties?)

What information will be communicated?

How will notification take place (verbal, written, etc.)?

How will the notification be documented?

Where will notification be documented?

Where will records of notification be maintained?

What timeframes will be associated with notification?

How will the type of concern present influence above considerations? (e.g., home conditions, substance use/abuse, failure to protect child from others, corporal punishment, injury)

Share with participants that notifying another county of concerns regarding their child is necessary. However, many times these children are placed in private provider homes. It is also best practice for the child welfare professional to inform the private provider of concerns regarding the child and the resource family. This allows the private provider to also assess the dynamics of their resource family and provide any support that may be necessary or to take other action. In addition, depending on the concern, it may be necessary for the child welfare professional to contact their Regional Office. This is a decision that is made by the child welfare professional and their supervisor based on county policy. If such notifications to a private provider or the Regional Office are necessary, as an option for counties to utilize, the Alert to Affiliated Counties Document allows for those


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notifications. However, since communication is critical in these situations, best practice dictates that phone contact be made with the respective parties (other county, private provider, Regional Office) first and then followed by written documentation.

Trainer Note: Refer participants back to their county for their county specific-policy regarding the Alert to Affiliated Counties Document.

Step 4: Action Planning (5 minutes) Prior to moving onto the next section, display PowerPoint Slide #60 (Action Planning) and refer participants to Handout #2 (Action Plan). Ask participants to take a few minutes to complete their action plans.



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Section VIII: Workshop Closure and Evaluations Estimated Length of Time: 15 minutes Quality Services Review Indicators:

N/A Learning/Performance Objectives:

N/A

Method of Presentation: Large Group Discussion, Individual Reflection/Exercise Materials Needed:


PowerPoint Presentation, revisited Handout #2: Action Plan, revisited Handout #3: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart, revisited Handout #7: References Poster #2: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart PowerPoint Presentation:

o Slide #61: Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment o Slide #62: Information Explored to Identify Characteristics of Safety

and a Safe Environment o Slide #63: Review of Action Plan o Slide #64: Wrap Up and Evaluations


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Section VIII: Workshop Closure and Evaluations Step 1: Summary of the Out-of-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process (5 minutes) Refer participants back to Handout #3 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart) and Poster #2 (Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care – Flow Chart) and share with participants that we have reviewed the entire Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process as well as the updates. Display PowerPoint Slide #61 (Characteristics of Safety & Safe Environment) and remind participants that we began the training with a review of the five Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment and referred back to those Characteristics several times throughout the day as our foundation for a safe home. Share with participants that this training was designed to enhance our knowledge and ability to determine if an out-of-home setting has each of these characteristics and is subsequently a safe environment for a child. Our abilities, as child welfare professional, to assess for the presence of these characteristics help to achieve the outcomes of safety, permanence, and well-being for children. Display PowerPoint Slide #62 (Information Explored to Identify Characteristics of Safety and a Safe Environment). Remind participants that information gathering is the foundation of the Safety Assessment and Management Process whether In-Home or Out-of-Home Care. It is this information gathering that allows child welfare professionals to make the decisions necessary to assure that a child is in a safe home. Step 2: Review of Action Plan (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #63 (Review of Action Plan) and direct participants attention back to Handout #2 (Action Plan). Remind participants that this handout has been used throughout the training to capture thoughts, questions, and areas for additional exploration. Ask participants to review the notes they took throughout the day and add any additional information that they will find helpful to continue to implement the Out-of-Home Care Safety Assessment and Management Process into their casework practice. Respond to any outstanding questions.


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Step 3: Evaluations (5 minutes) Display PowerPoint Slide #64 (Wrap Up and Evaluations). Distribute Handout #7 (References) and training evaluations. Have participants complete their training evaluations. Thank participants for their participation.


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References Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (2009.) Safety Assessment and Management Process Reference Manual. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (2012.) Safety Assessment and Management Process Reference Manual. University of Pittsburgh. (2012). Charting the course towards permanency for children in Pennsylvania: Module 8: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care. Mechanicsburg, PA: University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center. University of Pittsburgh. (2012). 204: Assessing Safety in Out-of-Home Care Updates. Mechanicsburg, PA: University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center.

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