CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES POLICY - West Virginia

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES POLICY

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Children and Families Office of Children and Adult Services

Revised February 2019 February 2019

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Section 1 Philosophy and Foundation ..................................................................... 8 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 8 1.2 Philosophical Principles ............................................................................................... 9 1.3 Mission of the Bureau for Children and Families ...................................................... 11 1.4 Roles ........................................................................................................................... 11 1.5 Legal Basis ................................................................................................................. 12 1.6 Target Population ....................................................................................................... 16 1.7 Casework Process ....................................................................................................... 17 1.8 Reporting .................................................................................................................... 17 1.8.1 Reporting and communication with the Family and Circuit Courts ....................... 20 1.9 Meaningful Contacts................................................................................................... 21

Section 2 Definitions ................................................................................................ 22 2.1 Terms Defined by Statute ........................................................................................... 22 2.2 Operational Definitions .............................................................................................. 26 2.2.2 Neglected Child ...................................................................................................... 28 2.3 Additional Operational Definitions ............................................................................ 30

Section 3 Intake Assessment .................................................................................. 34 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 34 3.2 Intake Assessment Protocol........................................................................................ 34 3.3 Report Screening ........................................................................................................ 37 3.4 Response Times.......................................................................................................... 38 3.5 Reporting to Law Enforcement, Prosecuting Attorney and Medical Examiner......... 44 3.6 Centralized Intake....................................................................................................... 44 3.7 Repeat Maltreatment (Intake)..................................................................................... 44 3.8 Reports Involving another Jurisdiction....................................................................... 45 3.9 Reports Involving Non-Custodial Parents.................................................................. 46 3.10 Reports Involving Certain Abandoned Children (Safe Haven).................................. 46 3.11 Reports Made by the Court during Infant Guardianship Proceedings........................ 47 3.12 Reports Involving Critical Incidents................................................................................. 47 3.12.1 Definitions: ................................................................................................................ 47 3.12.2 Procedures............................................................................................................... 48 3.13 Reports Involving DHHR Employees or Other Potential Conflicts of Interest ......... 48 3.14 Reports Involving Medical Neglect of a Disabled Child ........................................... 49 3.15 Reports Involving Domestic Violence ....................................................................... 50 3.16 Reports Made by the Court during Domestic Violence Protective Order Proceedings 50 3.17 Reports Involving Parents Knowingly Allowing Abuse and/or Neglect ................... 51 3.18 Reports Involving Allegations Made During Divorce/Custody Proceedings ............ 52 3.19 Reports Involving Substance Use or Abuse ............................................................... 53 3.20 Reports Involving Informal, Unlicensed/Unregistered Child Care Settings .............. 54 3.21 Reports Involving Non-caregivers and/or Requests from Law Enforcement ............ 55 3.22 Reports Involving Sexual or Abusive Interactions between Children ....................... 56 3.23 Reports Involving Registered Child Sex Offenders ................................................... 57 3.24 Reports Involving Individuals on the Child Abuse and Neglect Registry ................. 58 3.25 Reports Involving Pregnant Women Who do not have Children............................... 59 3.26 Reports Involving Educational Neglect...................................................................... 59

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3.27 Reports Involving Children Found at Clandestine Drug Laboratories and/or Exposed to Methamphetamine Residue Contamination.......................................................................... 60 3.28 Reports Involving Human Trafficking ....................................................................... 61 3.30 Reports Involving Institutional Investigative Unit (IIU) and Child Maltreatment in Group Residential and Foster Family Settings ......................................................................... 62 3.31 Reports Involving the Institutional Investigative Unit (IIU) and Child Maltreatment in School Settings.......................................................................................................................... 64 3.32 Reports involving Institutional Investigative Unit (IIU) and Licensed Child Care Centers/Registered Family Child Care Facilities/Registered Family Child Care homes ......... 66 SECTION 4 FAMILY FUNCTIONING ASSESSMENT.................................................. 68 4.1 Purpose of the Family Functioning Assessment......................................................... 69 4.2 Family Functioning Assessment Protocol .................................................................. 69 4.3 CPS Social Worker Preparation ................................................................................. 70 4.4 Initial Family Contact ................................................................................................. 71 4.5 Notification of Parent's and Children's Rights .......................................................... 72 4.6 Information Collection ............................................................................................... 73

4.6.1 Family Functioning Assessment Areas................................................................... 75 4.7 Present Danger Assessment........................................................................................ 76 4.8 Temporary Protection Plans ....................................................................................... 80 4.9 Safety Evaluation........................................................................................................ 82 4.10 Maltreatment Findings................................................................................................ 92 4.11 Safety Evaluation Conclusion .................................................................................... 93 4.12 Case Transfer Conference .......................................................................................... 94 4.13 Safety Analysis and Safety Planning.......................................................................... 95 4.14 In-home Safety Plan ................................................................................................... 96 4.15 Reasonable Efforts to Prevent Removal ..................................................................... 97 4.16 Safety Services ........................................................................................................... 98

4.16.1 Safety Services and Socially Necessary Services ................................................. 102 4.17 Out-of-Home Safety plan ......................................................................................... 103 4.18 Statutory Remedies for Protecting Children............................................................. 104 4.19 Imminent Danger...................................................................................................... 105 4.20 Completion of the Family Functioning Assessment................................................. 106 4.21 Notification to individual's subject of the Family Functioning Assessment. Note: Pilot Counties refer to special instructions regarding notification letters ............................. 108

4.21.1 Notification to parents who are not subject of the Family Functioning Assessment 108

4.21.2 Mandatory reporter notification............................................................................ 109 4.22 Diligent Efforts to locate children who are reportedly abused or neglected ............ 109

4.22.1 Administrative Subpoena...................................................................................... 110 4.23 Incomplete Family Functioning Assessments .......................................................... 110 4.24 WV Birth to Three Program Referrals ..................................................................... 111 4.25 Personal Safety ......................................................................................................... 112 4.26 Family Functioning Assessments where children are determined to be abused or neglected but safe.................................................................................................................... 113 4.27 Completing Family Functioning Assessments in which reasonable efforts to prevent the child from removal of the home is not required (49-4-602(d).......................................... 114

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4.28 Family Functioning Assessments Involving another Jurisdiction............................ 115 4.29 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Certain Abandoned Children (Safe Haven) 116 4.30 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Child Custody .................................... 117 4.31 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Allegations Made During Infant Guardianship Proceedings ...................................................................................................... 118 4.32 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Critical Incidents........................120 4.33 Family Functioning Assessments Medical Neglect of a Disabled Child (Baby Doe)

122 4.34 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Domestic Violence............................. 123 4.35 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Allegations Made During Domestic Violence Protective Order Proceedings .................................................................................. 125 4.36 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Parents Knowingly Allowing Abuse and/or Neglect......................................................................................................................... 127 4.37 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Allegations Made During Divorce/Custody Proceedings................................................................................................. 129 4.38 Investigations Involving Informal, Unlicensed/Unregistered Child Care Settings .. 130 4.39 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Non-Custodial Parents ....................... 133 4.40 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Substance Use or Abuse........................... 133

Drug-Affected infants: ........................................................................................................ 133 4.42 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Sexual or Abusive Interactions between Children................................................................................................................................. 138 4.43 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Registered Child Sex Offenders......... 139 4.44 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Registered Child Abusers .................. 140 4.45 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Educational Neglect ........................... 140 4.46 Repeat Maltreatment................................................................................................. 142 4.47 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Human Trafficking............................. 142 4.48 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Unaccompanied Children in Disasters...................................................................................................145 4.49 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Referrals on Families in the Military.147 4.50 Family Functioning Assessments Involving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Drug Testing........................................................................149 4.51 Investigations Involving Institutional Investigative Unit (IIU) and Child Maltreatment in Group Residential and Foster Family Settings ................................................................... 148 4.52 Investigations Involving the Institutional Investigative Unit (IIU) and Child Maltreatment in School Settings............................................................................................. 153 4.53 Investigation Involving Institutional Investigative Unit (IIU) and Licensed Child Care Centers/Registered Family Child Care Facilities/Registered Family Child Care Homes ...... 155 SECTION 5 CPS ONGOING SERVICES.................................................................... 158 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 158 5.2 Purpose of the Protective Capacities Family Assessment and Family Case Plan .... 159 5.3 Protective Capacity Family Assessment Concepts................................................... 159

5.3.1 Caregiver Protective Capacities............................................................................ 159 5.3.2 Safe Home Environment....................................................................................... 164 5.3.3 Family Centered Practice...................................................................................... 164 5.3.4 Solution Based Intervention.................................................................................. 164

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5.3.5 The Involuntary Client.......................................................................................... 165 5.3.6 Motivation and Readiness..................................................................................... 165 5.3.7 Active Efforts........................................................................................................ 167 5.4 Ongoing CPS Social Workers Responsibilities........................................................ 167 5.5 Safety Intervention Competencies............................................................................ 168 5.6 The Ongoing CPS Social Worker's Role during the Protective Capacity Family Assessment and Family Case Plan.......................................................................................... 169 5.7 SAMS Ongoing Case Management Responsibilities ............................................... 172 5.8 Case Transfer-Preparing for the Protective Capacities Family Assessment ............ 172 5.8.1 Documentation Review......................................................................................... 173 5.8.2 Case Transfer Staffing .......................................................................................... 174 5.8.3 Safety Management Responsibilities.................................................................... 175 5.8.4 Case Transfer meeting with the family................................................................. 177 5.9 Ongoing Safety Management ................................................................................... 177 5.9.1 Managing the In-Home Safety Plan...................................................................... 178 5.9.2 Managing the Out-of-Home Safety Plan .............................................................. 179 5.10 Continuing Formal Evaluation of Child Safety........................................................ 181 5.11 Conducting the Protective Capacities Family Assessment....................................... 183 5.11.1 PCFA Decisions.................................................................................................... 184 5.11.2 The Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) ...................................................................... 184 5.12 Initiation of the PCFA-Introductory Stage ............................................................... 185 5.12.1 Foster Care Candidacy.......................................................................................... 186 5.13 Completing the Protective Capacities Family Assessment-Discovery Stage........... 186 5.14 Assessment of the Children's Needs in Ongoing CPS ............................................. 188 5.15 Caregivers who refuse to cooperate with the PCFA................................................. 192 5.16 Family Case Plan-Change Strategy Stage ................................................................ 192 5.17 Documenting the Family Case Plan ......................................................................... 193 5.18 Family Case Plan Components................................................................................. 195 5.19 Conclusion of the PCFA and Family Case Plan....................................................... 195 5.20 Managing the Family Case Plan and Service Provision........................................... 196 5.20.1 Role of the CPS Social Worker in Family Case Plan Service Provision.............. 197 5.21 Family Case Plan Evaluation.................................................................................... 198 5.21.1 The purposes of the Family Case Plan Evaluation are: ........................................ 198 5.21.2 Completing the Family Case Plan Evaluation ...................................................... 198 5.22 PCFA and Family Case Plan Change Strategy in relation to Foster Care Legal Requirements for a Child or Family Case Plan ...................................................................... 199 5.23 Conditions for Reunification with Caregivers.......................................................... 204 5.23.1 Contact with Caregivers and Children Following Reunification.......................... 204 5.23.2 Contact with Safety Service Providers Following Reunification ......................... 205 5.23.3 Supervisory Consultation and Approval............................................................... 205 5.24 CPS Ongoing Case Closure...................................................................................... 205 5.25 Ongoing Services to children abused or neglected but not unsafe ........................... 206 Section 6 General Information............................................................................... 208 6.1 Nondiscrimination, Grievance Procedure & Due Process Standards, Reasonable Modification Policies .............................................................................................................. 208 6.2 Confidentiality.......................................................................................................... 213

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