9 CAR § 40-818. Division contact with caregivers involved in permanency cases

(a) Regular communication and quality interaction between the Division of Children and Family Services and the biological parents, the legal custodian, or legal guardian from whom the child was removed (hereinafter to be referred to only as caregivers) throughout the life of the permanency case are critical to sustaining caregiver engagement and providing appropriate support to help the family work toward achieving reunification. (b)(1) Early engagement with caregivers whose children have been removed from the home is a first step to the overall success of the case. (2) The family may often view the division’s involvement as an unwelcome intrusion. (3) This perception may result in a wide range of reactions from the family including, but not limited to: (A) Defensiveness; (B) Hostility; (C) Resistance; and (D) Ambivalence. (4) Nonetheless, the division must examine the underlying cause of the caregiver behavior and try to empathize with the caregivers by striving to engage them in the assessment and family case planning process from the beginning of the permanency case. (c)(1) When a Social Service Specialist is assigned to a permanency case, he or she will conference with the investigator or on-call specialist who removed the child from the home within seventy-two (72) hours of case assignment. (2) The goal of this conference is to gather all pertinent information the investigator may have regarding the family and reasons for removal. (3)(A) The Social Service Specialist assigned to the permanency case will use this information, along with other relevant sources to include any past division involvement with the family as documented in the division information management system, to begin completing the initial family assessment and family case plan. (B) See 9 CAR § 40-501, family assessments, and 9 CAR § 40-503, services family case plan and related procedures, for more information. (d)(1) Within five (5) days of the child’s entry into the out-of-home placement, the Social Service Specialist who is primary (that is, the Social Service Specialist Investigator if not yet assigned to a Social Service Specialist Caseworker or the Social Service Specialist permanency caseworker if the assignment has been made) will attempt to reach the caregivers by phone to schedule the first contact with the caregivers in their residence to update the caregivers on the status of the case at that point and begin the assessment and family case planning process. (2) Social Service Specialists are encouraged to make this contact as early during the five (5) days following removal as possible. (3) Scheduled first contacts are preferred, but unannounced contacts are acceptable as necessary. (4) If the caregivers are not at their residence when the Social Service Specialist attempts the initial contact, the primary Social Service Specialist will continue to attempt a face-to-face meeting with the caregivers as soon as possible by trying to reach the caregivers by phone to schedule a contact or making unannounced visits to the home. (e)(1) Following the initial face-to-face contact with the caregivers, the Social Service Specialist will meet with the caregiver at least weekly in the residence of the caregiver during the first month the case is opened. (2) Both announced and unannounced contacts are appropriate depending on the dynamics of a particular case. (f)(1) After the first month of the open case, the Social Service Specialist and Social Service Supervisor will determine whether the frequency of in-home contacts with the caregivers will continue to be weekly or be adjusted to biweekly, or, in limited circumstances for cases progressing extremely well, monthly. (2) During these contacts, the Social Service Specialist Caseworker will: (A) Assess caregivers’ progress on family case plan services and goals; (B) Assess caregivers’ new or developing needs, strengths, and risks; (C) Include caregivers in the ongoing assessment and family case planning process; (D) Respond to caregivers’ questions and concerns; and (E) Provide support and guidance to caregivers as needed. (3) If in-home contacts with the caregivers will be held on a biweekly or monthly basis, the division will also use other forms of communication with the family to maintain weekly contact and update them on various aspects of their case and their children’s progress as appropriate. (g) Other forms of communication may include telephone calls, text, and email as well as contact with the family through transports and family team meetings.