florida safety decision making methodology

Florida Safety Decision Making Methodology

Leadership Transformation

Training for PASCO & PINELLAS COUNTY Sheriff’s Office

Workshop Introduction

• Context for the Training• Background on the Family Functioning

Assessment• Training related to Implementation of Florida

Safety Decision Making Methodology• Fidelity of the Family Functioning Assessment

– Philosophy of practice– Intervention purpose and framework– Conceptual and criteria basis for practice and

decision making– Process, practice and outcomes

Participant Introductions

1. Name2. Agency 3. What’s your role with

transformation ?4. What is the one-thing

you are looking forward when your agency rolls out this year ? (From what you have heard)

Baseline Knowledge Assessment

Not a Test

Where is Florida now & where do we need to be?

“Storming the Castle Theory”

How TRANSFORMATION will get us there

Safety Intervention: Storming the Castle

»Culture of Agency and Staff Perception»Hotline and CPI»Ongoing Case Management»Engagement with Families»Information Collection»Safety Planning»Case Planning

Module 2

Florida Safety Decision Making Methodology: Conceptual Framework

Module 2 Learning Objectives

Participants are able to:• Define the Florida Safety Decision Making

Methodology.• Define indicators of success for the Florida

Safety Decision Making Methodology• Define the Family Functioning Assessment

through describing the intervention purpose and objectives of the Family Functioning Assessment.

Session 1

Florida Safety Decision Making Methodology: Safety Intervention Model

Session 2

Purpose and Conceptual Framework for Family Functioning Assessment

Family Functioning Assessment(FFA - Investigation)

Purpose Practice Objectives

Identify families in which children are unsafe and in need of full ongoing Case Management protective services (whether non-judicial or judicial/court ordered)

Determine children who are unsafe

Protect children who are unsafe

Establish and manage safety plans

Verify the occurrence of maltreatment

Identify problems associated with impending danger & caregiver protective capacities

May refer families for community based supports (prevention/family preservation/diversion) for children determined to be “safe”

Focus of the Family Functioning Assessment

Focus– Center of attention

of the assessment

FFA vs. Incident Focused

FFA Incident Focused Effectiveness related to

evaluating safety Information collection

focused on family functioning

Caregiver protectiveness – child needs orientation

Maltreatment is symptomatic of problem

Concerned with factual information

Understanding impending danger and caregiver protectiveness

Effectiveness related to reconciling guilt

Effectiveness related to proving an allegation of maltreatment.

Information collection focused on incident

Perpetrator – victim orientation

Maltreatment is the problem

Concerned with evidence Validating maltreatment

Module 3

Essential Skills (FSDMM) and Family Centered Practice


Participants will:• Review the core tenets of Florida’s Family

Centered Practice Model and understand how the model has been updated to incorporate the Florida SDMM.

• Review application of core tenets through case observation.

Family Centered Practice

• Demonstrate respect and courtesy• Demonstrate genuineness and equity• Respond promptly• Continually seek to engage• Act and respond with the family as the primary

source of information• Provide support and encouragement• Demonstrate professionalism • Enable and promote participation and

involvement• Provide necessary information

Demonstration of Respect & Courtesy

• Engagement with family • Demonstrate empathy & engagement

by the agency

Demonstration of Genuiness & Equity

• Engagement with family

• Investment in family outcomes

• Understanding to seek resolution

Responding Promptly

• Attention & Engagement with the family

• Family feels connected

Constantly Seeking to Engage

• Without the family, practice cannot proceed.

• Information & decision-making will be insufficient.

• The family is our customer we should continually seek to engage the family.

Act & Respond with the family as the Primary source of Information

• Families are the experts on their family.

Provide Support & Encouragement

• Child welfare is intrusive

• Support & encouragement reinforces empathy & understanding by the CPI

Demonstrate Professionalism

• Explore who we conduct out business

• How we present to families?

• How we maintain our professional objectivity?

Enable and Promote Participation & Involvement

• Families participation and involvement is critical.

• Change will not happen without it.

Provide Necessary Information

• Knowledge is power

• Keeping families informed

Session 2

Essential Skills

5 Essential Skills

• Engagement• Teaming• Safety Assessment• Safety Planning and Identification of

Family Needs• Safety Management

Conclusion of Module 3

Module 4

Pre-Commencement and Commencement:Assessment of Present Danger


Participants are able to • Define and discuss pre-commencement activities

associated with responding to Hotline Intakes.• Discuss the significance of pre-commencement

activities for responding to Hotline Intakes.• Discuss and evaluate supervisory and front line staff

pre-commencement activities associated with responding to Hotline Intakes.

Session 1

Information CollectionProtocol Definition

Information Collection Protocol: Pre-Commencement Pre-Commencement Demonstration: Large Group ActivityPre-Commencement Demonstration: Small Group Activity

Information Collection

KNOW

THE FAMIL

Y

Extent of Maltreatment

Surrounding Circumstances

Child Functioning

Adult Functioning

General Parenting Practices

Disciplinary Practices/Behavior Management

Information Collection Protocol

• Agency policies, intervention standards, procedures, and agreement along with the state of art translated

into a uniform and systematic approach that describes how an activity/process

will be carried out.

Information Collection Protocol: Pre-Commencement

Protocol is being incorporated into Florida Administration Code (FAC)

65c-28, 65c-29, 65c-30 Effective July 1, 2013

Pre-Commencement Demonstration

What that looks like?

Session 2: Present Danger Assessment

Child SafetyDanger Threats and Definitions

Present DangerImpending Danger

Conceptual Framework for Present DangerIdentifying Present Danger

Initial ContactConfirming Present Danger: The Role of the Supervisor

Safe

• Safe: A child can be considered safe when there is no threat of danger to a child within the family/household or when the caregiver protective capacities within the household can manage threats of danger.

• Unsafe: A child is unsafe when there is a danger threat to a child within a family/household and the caregiver protective capacities within the household are insufficient to manage the threat of danger, thus requiring protective intervention (action).

Danger Threat: Present Danger

• Present danger is an immediate, significant and clearly observable family condition occurring in the present tense, already endangering or threatening to endanger a child. It is important to understand that the primary criterion that qualifies present danger is what is happening that endangers a child is happening now; it is currently in process of actively placing a child in peril.

Danger Threat: Impending Danger

• Impending danger is associated with a child living or being in a position of continual danger’ Danger may not exist at a particular moment or be an immediate concern, but a state of danger exists. Impending danger is not necessarily active in the sense that a child might be hurt immediately like is true of present danger. When a child lives in impending danger one can expect severe harm as a reasonable eventuality.

• Impending danger refers to threats to a child’s safety that exist; are insidious; but are not immediate, obvious, or active at the onset of DCF intervention.

• Impending danger refers to threats that eventually are identified and

understood upon more fully evaluating and understanding individual and family conditions and functioning.

Danger Threat Guide

Danger Threat: Assessment of Present Danger

Reading and Debrief

Conceptual Framework for Present Danger

•Present Danger?–If what is being stated is

true, does it equate to Present Danger?

FFA Intervention Standards: Initial Contact

• Diligence in Response • Assessment of Present Danger• Time to Respond– 4 Hours– 24 Hours

Identifying Present Danger at Initial Contact

Rules to live by

Don’t assume parents know what you do. Be able to clearly articulate what your agency does, and

be able to describe your purpose. Remain neutral—don’t minimize but don’t feel the need

to defend. Don’t make promises. Listen and allow for emotion. Begin engaging the family Avoid (at this point in the interview) getting bogged

down by being preoccupied with the specifics of the referral.

Elicit help from the parents--they are the authority figures in their home.

Initial Contact Consultation: Identifying and Justifying Present Danger

• What is the status of information collection? Who has the CPI/Case Manager interviewed or contacted?

• Can the CPI/Case Manager clearly describe the conditions that they believe endanger the child?

• What is the condition of the child and how does the child’s condition fit with the definition of present danger?

• What is the condition of the caregivers and how does the caregiver condition fit the definition of present danger?

• Based on what the CPI/Case Manager is describing, does the danger seem currently active, vivid, and reasonable?

• Is the CPI/Case Manager describing a family circumstance and/or aspect of caregiver functioning that is currently and/or actively threatening child safety?

• Does the CPI/Case Manager feel compelled to take action immediately to assure the protection of the child? And if so, why?

• If the CPI/Case Manager were to take no action based on what is being considered during consultation, what can be anticipated to occur with respect to the concerning family conditions and potential effects on the child?

Session 3

Present Danger Plan

Present Danger Plan

DefinitionAn instantaneous (same day), short-term, sufficient strategy that provides a child responsible adult supervision and care to allow for the completion of the family functioning assessment.

PurposeTo suspend what is going on long enough to support continuing the family functioning assessment.

What Present Danger Plans Must Must Do:

Immediate• Must be in motion and confirmed before worker

(CPI/Case Manager) leaves the home.

Short-Term• Must control danger threat from the present

until sufficient information can be gathered and analyzed to determine the need for forming an ongoing safety plan.

Present Danger Plans Must Be Sufficient

Sufficient• Identification of present danger to a child;• Confirmed to manage present danger: description of how

the plan will work;• Confirmation of person(s) responsible for protection;

trustworthiness, reliability, commitment, availability, alliance to plan;

• Willing parents to cooperate with the plan;• Evaluation of home if child is released or placed with other,

or if family-made arrangement is opted;• Estimated time frames of plan and oversight.

Conclusion

Module 4

Module 5

Information Collection and Documentation


Participants are able to:• Further define, discuss, and develop the six domains of

information collection for staff.• Define and discuss the application of the information collection

protocol for information collection.• Evaluate staff interviews, utilizing essential skills associated

with the Florida Safety Decision Making Methodology, for information collection through case application.

• Analyze, evaluate, and justify determination of sufficiency of information collection and documentation when applied to case application.

Session 1

Information Collection: Six DomainsCharacteristics and Common Errors Influencing Information

Collection and Decision MakingFamily Functioning Assessment Information Standard

Determining Information Collection Sufficiency: An Exercise

Information Collection

KNOW THE

FAMILY

Extent of Maltreatm

ent

Surrounding Circumstanc

es

Child Functionin

g

Adult Functionin

g

General Parenting Practices

Disciplinary Practices/Beh

avior Management

Family Functioning Information Standard

There is hardly anything so necessary as the ability to distinguish between that

which is important and that which is not.– William Barclay

Information Collection Protocol

Reading

Information Collection as Competency

I know what I must learn about a family. I know what information I must collect on each case I am assigned.

I understand the purposes or reason for needing to know this information.

I demonstrate the ability to gather the information. I demonstrate the awareness that everything I do before and

during information collection influences the quantity and quality of the information I will collect.

I can discuss and write about the information I collected logically, succinctly, and in a way that justifies my conclusions

Engaging Families: Application of Essential Skills and Field

Assessment

Documenting Information Collection

Session 2

Florida Family Functioning Assessment

FFA Documentation

Conclusion

Module 5

Module 6

Assessment of Impending Danger and Caregiver Protective Capacities


Participants are able to:• Defend and compare the concepts of safe and unsafe.• Illustrate and justify the application of the danger threshold.• Evaluate family conditions as danger threats utilizing the danger

threshold.• Assess and justify the identification of danger threats at impending

danger through case application.• Discuss caregiver protective capacities.• Interpret the significance of caregiver protective capacities to inform

safety decision making.• Illustrate the application of the concept of caregiver protective

capacities.• Analyze safety decision making utilizing the concepts of danger

threats and caregiver protective capacities.

Session 1

• Assessment of Impending Danger• Definition of Safety

• Impending Danger

• Criteria • Danger Threshold

• Qualifying the Danger Threshold Criteria• Identifying Family Conditions that meet the Danger Threshold • Impending Danger Threats

Safe

• Safe: A child can be considered safe when there is no threat of danger to a child within the family/home or when the caregiver protective capacities within the home can manage threats of danger.

• Unsafe: A child is unsafe when there is a danger threat to a child within a family/home and the caregiver protective capacities within the home are insufficient to manage the threat of danger, thus requiring outside intervention.

Definition of Impending Danger

• A state of danger in which family behaviors, attitudes, motives, emotions and/or situations pose a threat which may not be currently active but can be anticipated to have severe effects on a child at any time– Commonly may not be obvious at the onset of CPS

intervention or occurring in a present context but can be identified and understood upon more fully evaluating individual and family conditions and functioning.

– Child lives in a general state of danger within a family that requires safety intervention to prevent severe harm.

How to Judge When a Family Condition is Impending Danger

Safe Child:Negative Family Conditions are able to be controlled/managed by the family that do not result in unsafe children.

Threshold Criteria:ObservableImminentOut of ControlSeverityVulnerable Child

Unsafe Child: Negative Family Conditions have crossed the Threshold and are no longer able to be managed/controlled by the Family.

Differentiating Family Conditions:

Danger Threshold Criteria

ObservableOut of Control

SevereImminent

Vulnerable Child

Qualifying the Danger Threshold

What Must We Know?• How long have family conditions been occurring?

(Duration)• How often do the family conditions happen?

(Consistency)• What is the extent of the family conditions?

(Pervasiveness)• What stimulates/contributes to the family conditions?

(Influence)• What is the impact on the family? (Impact)• How likely is that family conditions will continue?

(Continuance)

Impending Danger Threats

Handout

Session 2

Caregiver Protective Capacities


Caregiver protective capacities are personal and care giving behavioral, cognitive and emotional

characteristics that specifically and directly can be associated with being protective of one’s young.

Caregiver protective capacities are personal qualities or characteristics that contribute to vigilant

child protection.


Reference Handout

Behavioral Protective Capacity

Specific action, activity, performance that is consistent with and results in parenting and protective vigilance.

Cognitive Protective Capacity

Specific intellect, knowledge, understanding and perception that results in parenting and protective

vigilance

Emotional Protective Capacity

Specific feelings, attitudes, identification with child and motivation that results in

parenting and protective vigilance.

Caregiver Protective Capacity

Discussion

Conclusion

Module 6

Module 7

Safety Planning: Impending Danger


Participants are able to:• Discuss the purpose of a safety plan in response to

impending danger.• Justify the concepts of safety planning and

treatment services.• Justify the need for a safety plan in response to

impending danger through the use of the safety planning analysis.

• Evaluate case information to justify the development of a safety plan to control for impending danger.

Session 1Plans That Form Intervention

Safety Plan Safety Plan vs Treatment/Case Plan

What is a Safety Plan? Criteria for a Safety Plan

Definition of In-Home Safety Actions Actions Within Safety Plans

Scope of a Safety Plan Responsibility for Safety Management and Sufficient Safety Planning

Controlling for Danger

What and When

Present Danger Plan

Initial Contacts

Safety Plan

Conclusion of Family Functioning Assessment

Why Control safety Control safety

What Present danger Impending Danger

Purpose Manage Present Danger while completing the Family Functioning Assessment

Manage Impending Danger while allowing case management services to occur

Safety Plan: Same Template; Different Purpose

When First Contacts Conclusion of Family Functioning Assessment

Ultimat

e Responsibility for Safety Management: AGENCY

Why Control safety Control safety

What Present Danger Impending Danger

Purpose Manage Present Danger while completing the information collection and Family Functioning Assessment process

Manage Impending Danger while allowing safety management and full case management services to occur

Requires safety management and vigilant monitoring

Requires:

Safety management and vigilant monitoring

Case management and case planning

Safety Plan vs Case Plan

Safety Plan Case Plan

Why Control safety Treatment

What Danger Caregiver Protective Capacities

Purpose at conclusion of FFA process

Manage Impending Danger while allowing case management services to occur

Enhance Caregiver Protective Capacities

• It has been determined by your doctor that due to the severity of a recent medical condition it is going to be perhaps several months until you are feeling up to par. Due to this illness, you are generally unable to consistently attend to primary and essential parenting responsibilities on your own. (i.e., feeding, bathing, dressing, supervision, structure, etc.)

Creating a Strategy for MaintainingChild Care: The Scenario

What is a Safety Plan?

• A written arrangement between caregivers and the agency that establishes how impending danger threats to child safety will be managed

• Must be implemented and active as long as threats to child safety exist and caregiver protective capacities are insufficient to assure a child is protected

What are the criteria for Safety Plans?

• Must control or manage Impending danger.

• Must have an immediate effect. • Must be immediately accessible and

available. • Must contain safety services and

actions only.• No promissory commitments.

Definition of In-Home Safety Actions:Taking Control of an Out-of-Control Family

Condition

• Active and intentional efforts made by DCF (CPI or Case Manager), the family, informal and formal resources that will assume the responsibility for assuring that a child’s basic needs and safety needs are met.

Actions within Safety Plans

• Safety Categories:– Behavioral Management– Crisis Management– Social Connection– Resource Support– Separation

What is the Scope of Safety Plans?

• Use of in-home, out-of-home, combination of actions.

• Clarification of the role of parents (caregivers) in the plan.

• Protective role of others. • Specification of the safety services from a

limited to extensive perspective. • Use and responsibility of the family network and

professionals. • Parent (caregiver) access to child. • Identification and rationale for different kinds of

separation. • Anticipated time limits that govern separation.

Developing Sufficient Safety Plans

Once threats to child are identified, the responsibility for assuring safety

management rests with DCF!

When is a Safety Plan Sufficient?

A safety plan is sufficient when it is a well thought-out approach containing the most suitable people taking the necessary actions, frequently enough to control danger threats and/or substitute for diminished caregiver protective capacities.

Purpose for Safety Planning Analysis

• Analyze the relationship between specific pieces of information for determining the degree of intrusiveness and the level of effort necessary for assuring that a DCF safety plan will be reasonably effective in protecting a child.

• The parents/legal guardians are willing for an in-home safety plan to be developed and implemented and have demonstrated that they will cooperate with all identified safety service providers.

Safety Analysis

Question #1

• The home environment is calm and consistent enough for an in-home safety plan to be implemented and for safety service providers to be in the home safely.

Safety Analysis

Question #2

•Safety services are available at a sufficient level and to the degree necessary in order to engage the way in which impending danger is manifested in the home.

Safety Analysis

Question #3

Safety Analysis Questions

•An in-home safety plan and the use of in-home safety services can sufficiently manage impending danger without the results of scheduled professional evaluations.

Safety Analysis Question

4

•The parents/legal guardians have a residence in which to implement an in-home safety plan.

Safety Analysis Question

5

Safety Planning Determination Meeting: Focus Points

• Focus on how to manage the safety factors—know and understand.

• Identify action areas that match up with danger threats.

• Consider actions/services within action areas that seem relevant.

• Apply the 4 – Ws and the Big H.• Based on the group analysis, judge sufficiency.• Complete the safety plan.• Be prepared to explain and justify your safety

plan.

Developing the Safety Plan

Case Application Florida Case ReviewSmall Group Exercise

Conclusion

Module 7

Module 8

Completing the Investigation


• Participants are able to:• Apply the Child Maltreatment Index for Maltreatment

Finding• Define and illustrate the purpose of the risk

assessment for investigation completion.• Evaluate the application of the risk assessment

through case application.• Evaluate the investigation closure for appropriateness.• Assess the actions necessary for case transfer to

community based care and ongoing safety management.

Session 1

Maltreatment Finding

Definition of Maltreatment

“Maltreatment” means a specific type of injury or harm

Determining the Finding

Finding: • The determination as to whether there is a preponderance of

credible evidence supporting the reported harm or threat of harm for each alleged maltreatment. • VERIFIED. This finding is used when a preponderance of the

credible evidence results in a determination that the specific harm or threat of harm was the result of abuse, abandonment or neglect by a parent or caregiver.

• NOT SUBSTANTIATED. This finding is used when there is not a preponderance of credible evidence to support that the specific harm or threat of harm was the result of abuse, abandonment, or neglect by a parent or caregiver.

• NO INDICATORS. This finding is used when there is no credible evidence to support the allegations of abuse, abandonment, or neglect by a parent or caregiver.

Risk Assessment

Safe Children: • provides a measure for identifying

families for prevention services. Unsafe children: • Risk assessment does not determine

families for case management services, regardless of risk level.

Session 2

Case Transfer

Case Transfer Sufficiency

Checklist to Guide Transfer Process

Case Transfer Meeting

Purpose and Outcomes

Conclusion

Module 8

Training Conclusion

POST ASSESSMENTThank you & Have an Inspirational Day!

florida safety decision making methodology

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