Service Provision

(1) METHOD OF PROVIDING SERVICE: (a) Children must not be accepted into group care before it is clearly established that their own families, with help, cannot meet their needs. (b) The facility must not admit any children in excess of its licensed capacity. (Refer to 0250-4-2- .11 Emergency Shelter Care, for exception.) (2) ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: The agency must have written policy and procedures for admission and discharge which must be available to all appropriate parties involved with the child. (a) Admission. Admission criteria must include the following: 1. A description of the population served, defined needs of this population, and a description of agency services related to these needs; 2. A positional statement, when appropriate, that surrender for adoption is not a criteria for admission; 3. A defined preadmission summary which must require a written evaluation addressing the appropriateness of resident needs to agency services; and (4) A description of agreed upon preplacement procedures which must include preplacement visits when feasible. (b) Discharge. Discharge policy must set forth the legal requirement that a custody transfer may only be made through court action after proper investigation by a designated agency. Discharge criteria must include: 1. A description of conditions under which a resident may be discharged; 2. A description of procedures for preparing a child for discharge to include designated time frames; 3. A documented discharge plan which addresses the resident’s continuing needs and planned servaices to meet these needs; and (Refer to 0250-4-2-.11 Emergency Shelter Care For Exception.) 4. Provision for a written agreement assuming responsibility for the child to be signed by the resident’s legal custodian. (3) CASEWORK SERVICES: (a) There must be at least one (1) hour per week of casework services for each child in care. (b) Casework services must be provided by a graduate of an accredited four (4) year college or university with a major in social work or a related degree, (c) Casework services must include, but are not limited to: 1. A written intake/preevaluation study focused on determining whether group care is appropriate for a particular child. (Refer to 0250-4-2-.11 Emergency Shelter Care for Exception.) 2. Preparation of the child and his family or prior placing agency for admission to include preplacement visits when feasible. (Refer to 0250-4-2-.11 Emergency Shelter Care for Exception.) 3. An individual plan of care setting forth the agency services to be provided each resident, the rationale for this service, and documentation of the service as it is provided. (Refer to 0250-4-2-.11 Emergency Shelter Care for Exception.) STANDARDS FOR GROUP CARE HOMES CHAPTER 0250-4-2 AND FAMILY BOARDING HOMES 4. Periodic evaluation of the child’s family situation and their ability and willingness to make a home for the child according to the time tables set forth in the foster care review law. (Refer to 0250-4-2-.11 Emergency Shelter Care for Exception.) 5. Serving as liaison and communicator between family, custodian, and agency. 6. Working with appropriate staff toward evaluating the needs of the child and obtaining resources to meet those needs. 7. Assuring that all provisions of the Foster Care Review law are met. (Refer to Appendix E. Refer to 0250-4-2-.11 Emergency Shelter Care for Exception.) (4) RESTRICTION TO ONE TYPE OF CARE: Agencies providing full-time care must not provide part- time care to children except with the prior knowledge and consent of the Department. (5) PROVISION OF CONTINUOUS SUPERVISION: A responsible adult must supervise the program for children in care at all times. Teenagers may be left unattended for brief periods of time if they have met the requirements of the agency’s program and have demonstrated their ability to responsibly handle freedom. A written plan must be developed to obtain additional help for times of emergency. Regardless of age, emergency shelter care requires the presence of a responsible adult at all times. Residents of contiguous independent living programs will have individual program plans regarding the amount of supervision they require. For community-based non-contiguous independent living programs refer to Licensing Standards for Child-Placing Agencies.