Team Decision Making Update

Team Decision Making Meetings (TDM’s) are currently being held on all initial placement decisions that occur during normal working hours. These cases do not include weekend and after hours cases in which law enforcement removes a child without agency assistance.

These cases account for approximately 50% of children removed. Approximately half of the children brought into custody by law enforcement are returned home within 72 hours.

Orange County has implemented a “second shift” for Emergency Response workers that will employ regular staff until 10:00 p.m. This will expand Emergency Response Services, increase prevention services and allow more children coming into care to have a Team Decision Making Meeting. In addition, a rapid police response workgroup has convened to strategize how the agency can respond to the law enforcement requests for assistance quicker.  A special hotline for law enforcement agencies has been activated so they can request a social worker join them in the field to assist with a child abuse assessment.

More TDM Facts:

• Currently there are 6 ½ TDM facilitators
• TDM’s have occurred in 10 languages including English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Sign, Korean, Mandarin, Chinese, Japanese, and Farsi
• Approximately 50% of placement change TDM’s have either maintained the current placement or resulted in the child being placed in a less restrictive environment.
• Since TDM’s began in March of 2004, over 2000 TDM’s have been held.
• The largest volume of TDM Meetings are for placement moves