ORANGE COUNTY CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

Orange County Children and Family Services

Team Decision Making Protocol

Family to Family and Team Decision Making--Definitions

The Family to Family initiative is a value-based, principle driven program designed to improve outcomes for children in foster care by involving their family, extended support members and community in key safety and placement decisions. Based on the belief that children need a family, families need the support of strong, nurturing communities, and child welfare agencies can best help families by partnering with their communities, the Family to Family initiative is implemented via four key strategies.

Building Community Partnerships enables the child welfare agency to reach out to individuals and other public and private agencies to build a strong, diverse network of supportive resources committed to helping children and families. Recruitment, Training and Support identifies and develops resource families that will support the reunification process, and also provide stable, caring home environments for children when they cannot remain in their own home. Team Decision Making brings key people together to discuss families’ strengths and needs, identify and provide resources, and make strength-based plans that will provide for children’s safety and make decisions regarding placement. On-going Self Evaluation gathers and analyzes outcome data, providing feedback that is used to guide Agency practice towards the goal of continuous quality improvement, resulting in improved lives for the children and families of Orange County.

Goal

The goal of TDM is to involve family and community members, along with caregivers, service providers and agency staff in all decisions regarding child removal, placement and reunification, and to ensure a network of support for children and the adults who care for them.

The focus of the TDM meeting is to preserve the family, and at the same time, provide for the child's safety and well being. When possible, the family and community’s strengths are used to form safety plans that will enable children to safely remain or immediately return home with appropriate services. When this is not possible, plans are made that reflect the least restrictive placement possible for each child that will both keep the child safe, and preserve and nurture the child’s familial and community connections.

Meeting Types and Requirements

TDM meetings are required under each of the following circumstances (see Implementation Schedule for meeting availability):

Child removals (Phase I):

· Prior to removing a child, or

· Within one working day of an emergency removal

NOTE: When removing a child who has been released to parents through the Conditional Release Intensive Supervision Program (CRISP), a TDM removal meeting is to be held either before, or within one working day following the removal, depending on the child’s needs and the safety factors involved.

Placement Changes (Phase II):

· Prior to any change in a child’s placement, including:

· Potential/requested placement changes

· Emergency placement changes

· Move to a concurrent planning home, unless change already planned in a prior TDM meeting

· Move to an adoptive home, unless change already planned in a prior TDM meeting

· A TDM meeting is to take place as soon as possible following an unanticipated court ordered placement change

· When a child is away without leave (AWOL) from a placement, the TDM meeting will be held after the child returns.

Permanency (Phase III):

· Reunification

· Prior to a trial visit, (schedule when the child first begins overnight visits) or

· Immediately following a court ordered reunification

· Prior to any hearing in which a permanency recommendation will be made

· By 9 months post-detention if a permanency TDM meeting has not yet occurred

· NOTE: The purpose of a TDM permanency meeting is to seek consensus regarding the child’s possible return home, reunification, guardianship, adoption or long term foster care.

Foster Care Investigations

When children are removed from a foster home or group home due to allegations of abuse or neglect by the caregivers, a change of placement TDM meeting is to occur within 3 days of removal. The meeting is to be scheduled and attended by the assigned social worker. Foster care or group home monitoring staff may attend the TDM meeting, depending on case circumstances.

The focus of the meeting is to be on the placement needs of the children, not the allegations. The caregivers may or may not be invited to attend the meeting. The case carrying social worker is to make this decision, depending on the circumstances of the case, and the best interest of the children.

Case carrying staff will consult with FFA or group home monitoring staff regarding participants for the TDM meeting.

Adoptions

TDM meetings for adoptions will be held when:

· An adoptive placement, or a prospective adoptive placement, is at risk.

· There has been an emergency removal from a prospective adoptive placement.

· The adoptions application process is not progressing as scheduled, and a child has been placed in the home.

Confidential Adoptions

TDM meetings for adoptive placements will be evaluated on a case by case basis, considering the potential value and possible consequences to the adoption process. Prospective adoptive parent’s desire for confidentiality will be respected.

Birth Parents

Birth parents may be exempted from attending adoption TDM meetings, on a case by case basis. Birth parents may participate through teleconferencing, when necessary and appropriate.

Legal Guardianship

When a legal guardianship, either dependent or non-dependent, is at risk, an Imminent Risk of Placement TDM meeting will be scheduled.

Exceptions

No parent available

TDM meetings are not mandated for initial removals when both parents’ whereabouts are unknown, reside out of the state or country, are incarcerated, and are unable to participate in the TDM meeting either in person or by phone. Staff are encouraged to schedule a TDM meeting even when parents are unavailable if circumstances are such that a group discussion of placement possibilities would benefit the child.

When staff choose to not schedule a TDM meeting due to absent parents, the assigned social worker is to call the TDM scheduler by the morning following the removal to report the reason for not scheduling the meeting.

If parents are scheduled to participate in a meeting, and then do not arrive on time, staff are to wait a minimum of 20 minutes before concluding the meeting. If a parent arrives after staff have left, the facilitator will advise parents that they have missed their meeting, but will also attempt to contact staff to resume the meeting, if possible.

Denial of Application for Petition

A TDM meeting will not be held following an emergency removal if the application for petition is denied and the child is returned home.

CAST Interview

If a CAST interview is scheduled to occur following an emergency removal and prior to the detention hearing, a TDM meeting is not mandated.

Placement Change Meeting

A mandated placement change meeting may be exempted, with approval from the deputy director assigned to the social worker’s program.

“Safely Surrendered Baby”

A child coming into custody through the Safely Surrendered Baby program will not have a TDM meeting unless the mother approaches the Agency to regain custody of the child.

Wraparound Participants

When a child is an active participant of Wraparound, the Wraparound Team will schedule an Emergency Team Meeting (ETM) regarding most safety and placement decisions for that child.

· Exception: A TDM meeting will be scheduled if a child is re-detained, or there is imminent risk of re-detention.

Implementation Schedule	Implementation of Team Decision Making meetings in Orange County will be phased in according to the following tentative schedule. SSA management will make adjustments to the phase-in schedule, as necessary.
	Phase I—Child Removals
	Case Circumstances	Location/Other Circumstances	Implementation Date
	Considered or emergency removal Other meeting types	· All cities · Removed with SSA involvement · Includes accelerated petitions · As requested	March 1, 2004 Voluntary
	Considered or emergency removal	· Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange · Removed with SSA involvement	July 1, 2004
	Considered or emergency removal	· All other Orange County cities · Removed with SSA involvement	August 2, 2004
	Phase II—Placement Changes
	Placement Change—Possible or Emergency	All cities	August 2, 2004
	Phase III—Permanency
	Reunification with parents, including trial visits	· All cities · Prior to trial visit (schedule when the child first begins overnight visits), or · Immediately following a court-ordered reunification	October 1, 2004, voluntary January 3, 2005, mandatory
	Permanency	All cities, case circumstances including reunification, adoption, guardianship and LTFC: · Prior to a hearing in which a permanency recommendation will be made · To occur no later than 9-months post-detention, if a permanency TDM meeting has not yet occurred.	June 30, 2006

Confidentiality

The focus of TDM meetings is to reach a decision regarding child placement, including the option of the child remaining or returning home, if safe. The meeting is not an investigation, and a re-examination of the allegations is not to occur.

All information shared in a TDM meeting is considered confidential, and is to be treated with respect. Information learned in a TDM is not to be repeated or discussed unnecessarily. However, information discussed in a TDM may be disclosed in court proceedings, and it may be used for case planning purposes. All mandated reporting laws will be in effect, and if further abuse is disclosed, this information may be used in a subsequent investigation.

Limits of confidentiality will be explained to parents at the beginning of the meeting, and they will be asked to sign a release of information form.

Scheduling

TDM meetings will be held throughout the day, Monday through Friday, except for County holidays. During the implementation process, it is tentatively planned that meetings will be scheduled for 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with exceptions for emergencies and special circumstances. The 1:00 p.m. time slot will generally be held open for emergencies, and for protective custodies occurring the previous night or non-working days. This meeting schedule will be evaluated and adjusted as needed.

Scheduling—Initial Considered and Emergency Removals

Assigned Senior Social Worker:

When there is a possibility a child may have to be brought into protective custody, or when an emergency protective custody has occurred, the assigned Emergency Response (ER) worker is to:

· Consult with his or her supervisor regarding the situation (for a possible removal).

· Call the TDM scheduling desk and request a TDM meeting to be held that same day, or the next working day.

§ If completing the removal after working hours, leave a message on the Clerk’s voice mail requesting that a meeting be scheduled for the 1:00 p.m. time slot the following day.

· Notify TDM staff of any special needs or concerns.

· If multiple time slots are available, give the parents a choice of the available times.

· Fill out the back of the TDM brochure (Attachment II), indicating the date, time and location of the TDM meeting.

· Give the brochure to the parents, explain the meeting, and encourage their participation.

· Provide parents with a bus ticket, if needed.

· Encourage the parents to invite extended family members and other support people to the meeting. Some possible support people for the parents to invite are:

§ Family, and non-related extended family members

§ Service providers

§ Substitute care providers

§ Clergy and other church personnel/members

§ Teachers/school staff

§ Any others who may support the parents and child(ren).

· Ask parents if they would like a Parent Advocate to contact them and/or be available at the meeting (when Advocate is available). If parent agrees, notify TDM scheduler.

· Discuss the meeting with the child. If appropriate, invite the child to the meeting (See Participants and Roles below for further information).

· Encourage the child to invite support people (see list above for suggestions).

On-Call

On-call workers completing an emergency removal during non-business hours are to complete the following procedure:

· Call the TDM scheduling desk at 704-8472 and leave a voice mail message to schedule a TDM meeting for the 1:00 p.m. time slot for the next working day.

· When leaving the voice mail message, ER workers are to include essential client information, including any alerts, as well as a callback number for TDM staff to follow up with to acquire additional information, if necessary.

· The ER/Intake worker assigned to the family is to call the TDM scheduling desk the morning of the next working day and confirm the meeting.

· The ER/Intake supervisor will e-mail the case assignment information to the TDM clerk as soon as it is completed each morning.

Scheduling—Placement Change and Permanency Meetings

The assigned social worker or supervisor may request a change of placement/reunification meeting or a permanency TDM meeting by calling the TDM scheduling desk. Placement change meetings will generally be held within 3 working days of the request for the meeting.

Meeting Notification/ Invitation	Meeting notification/invitations will be completed as follows:
	Possible Participant	Person responsible TO NOTIFY
	Parents	Assigned social worker
	Child(ren)	Assigned social worker
	Other participants requested by the parents	Parents (pre-detention) Parents and assigned social worker (post-detention)
	Participants requested by the child	· Child, or · Assigned social worker (if participant is known to the worker)
	Other agencies (e.g. HCA), CalWORKs staff, contracted service providers, CASA volunteers	Assigned social worker, or TDM staff, at the social worker’s request
	Parent Advocate	TDM staff
	Other resource providers identified by TDM staff	TDM staff

Location

During the initial phases of implementation, TDM meetings will be held at Social Service offices. Community-based facilities may be identified for future use.

Security

Staff may consider the following special arrangements to address security concerns:

Referring Social Worker:

· Alert TDM staff of any security concerns when requesting the meeting, or as soon as the concerns become known.

· Request that the TDM meeting be held in a Social Services office.

TDM Facilitator:

· Alert the Special Officer of any security concerns.

· Arrange seating to provide quick access to the door.

· When serious concerns are present, consider arranging for the person to participate from another location through a conference call.

· See Domestic Violence and Special Circumstances sections below for further information.

Participants and Roles—Parents, Family and Other Support People

Non-CFS participants at TDM meetings may include the following. Please see the “Special Circumstances” section below for further information.

· Birth parent(s)

§ The expert on the child and family—essential to the TDM process.

§ Provides consent for release of information

· Child

§ Assigned Social Worker to discuss option of attending with all children age 10 and over.

§ Assigned Social Worker to discuss meeting with younger children, obtaining child's input regarding the issues to be discussed, as appropriate.

§ Some circumstances to consider when deciding if a child should attend:

¨ Child's choice—child can decide not to attend.

¨ Circumstances—paren