Assessing for Key Child Welfare Issues

Version 1.0 | 2014

Child Maltreatment Indicators 2

Overview of the Day• Welcome and Review of the

Agenda• Learning Objectives• Wrap up

Assessing child safety in the context of violence

Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence, and Trauma—Introduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8vZxDa2KPM

Welcome and Introductions

Intimate Partner Violence• One in every four women will experience intimate

partner violence in her lifetime.• An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of

physical assault by an intimate partner each year.• 85% of domestic violence victims are women.• Historically, females have been most often victimized

by someone they knew.• Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the

greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.• Most cases of domestic violence are never reported

to the police.

Exposure

• They may hear one parent/caregiver threaten the other

• Observe a parent who is out of control or reckless with anger

• See one parent assault the other• Live with the aftermath of a violent assault.

Short Term Effects

• Generalized anxiety• Sleeplessness• Nightmares• Difficulty concentrating• High activity levels• Increased aggression• Increased anxiety about being separated from a

parent• Intense worry about their safety or the safety of a

parent

Long Term Effects

• Physical health problems• Behavior problems in adolescence (e.g.,

juvenile delinquency, alcohol, substance abuse)

• Emotional difficulties in adulthood (e.g., depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD)

Impacts Development

• Score lower on assessments of verbal, motor and cognitive skills

• Slower cognitive development• Lack of conflict resolution skills• Limited problem solving skills• Pro-violence attitudes• Believe in rigid gender stereotypes and male

privilege

Assessing Families with IPV

• What parent behaviors does a social worker need to see to say violence is happening in the home AND that violence is creating a safety concern for the child?• What acts of protection does a social

worker need to see in a home to mitigate the potential harm from intimate partner violence?

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Substance Abuse

• Children from homes characterized by parental substance abuse often experience considerable chaos and an unpredictable home life.

• They may receive inconsistent, emotional responses and inconsistent care from substance using adults resulting in specific ‐emotional challenges

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Assessing Families with Substance Abuse

• What parent behavior does a social worker need to see to say that substance abuse is creating a safety concern for the child?• What acts of protection does a social

worker need to see in a home to mitigate the potential harm from substance abuse?

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Mental Health Concerns

Mental health disorders affect parenting in varying degrees based on the severity of their impact. The parent’s capacity to function effectively must be the factor that determines the impact of the mental disorder on the child. Parents with severe disorders can still provide excellent parenting.

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Assessing Families with Mental Health Concerns

• What parent behaviors does a social worker need to see to say that mental illness is creating a safety concern for the child?• What acts of protection does a social

worker need to see in a home to mitigate the potential harm from mental health concerns?

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Safety Mapping

• What are we worried about?• What’s working well?• Complicating Factors• Strengths• Scaling safety• What needs to happen?

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Impact on the child

PRACTICE

• Safety Assessment Tool – – Torres Family Part One

• “Domestic Violence exists in the home and poses an imminent danger of serious physical and/or emotional harm to the child.”

• Assessing Safety Threats and Protective Capacity

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Safety House

What did you find?

• What was the risk level? • Were there any policy overrides? • What was the final risk level? • What is the planned action? • Promote to open case or not?

Discernment

• Poverty?• Domestic Violence?• Mental Health?• Substance Abuse?

Torres Family – Part Three

What’s behind Randy’s behavior?

Trauma and Assessment

• Read the case study• Take the quiz

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Wrap Up

• What did you learn?• Any questions?• Next Steps