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G1.11 Onsite Provision of Services

Legal Authority

42 USC 622: State plans for child welfare services...

Introduction

Agency protocols for onsite provision of services ensure that children and their parents have access to a local caseworker if a member of the family or case resides outside the county of case responsibility, such that the distance prohibits regular face-to-face contact or the worker's knowledge of community-based services.

Practice Guidance

Onsite supervision ensures access to services and best use of resources when a:

Child is placed in a Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) resource home, a kinship care home, or relative placement that is fifty (50) miles or more (one way) from their county of origin; or
Non-custodial parent who is currently part of a case plan and working with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS) regarding their child(ren) resides in another county. This could also include offering services to a parent who is not currently involved in case planning regarding their child(ren).

On-site supervision may also be beneficial in some cases when:

The child resides in another location when the referral is received; or
A foster home referral is received. The decision to allow another county/region to handle a foster home investigation is based on regional protocol and must be deemed appropriate by the service region administrator (SRA).

Considering the quarterly visit requirement and therapeutic nature of the placement, on-site supervision would not meet the child's needs for continuity if the child resides in a:

Private child placing (PCP) foster home; or
Private child caring (PCC) residential facility.

Rare exceptions to these best practice guidelines may be considered in unusual circumstances, such as when termination of parental rights (TPR) has occurred, and the child is in a planned permanent living arrangement (PPLA) PCP foster home. However, all decisions should be based on the best interest of the child.
All problematic issues will be negotiated and resolved between the SRA or designee in each region.

Procedure

Interviewing protocol when child/family member resides out of state/county

The SSW:

Contacts the county or state where the perpetrator resides and requests that services be provided to the perpetrator;
Contacts the appropriate law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction where the alleged incidents were reported to have occurred for assistance when assigned a sexual abuse investigation;
Follows these procedures when the Cabinet receives a referral of abuse or neglect that occurred in another state, but the child is now residing in Kentucky:

Contacts the social service agency in that state to make a referral and Cabinet staff interviews the child at the request of the out-of-state agency;
Assesses the current safety of the child due to risk of harm should the other agency not request interviews;
Completes the referral in Kentucky, if the entire family is living in Kentucky; however, the SSW will:

Notify law enforcement in the other state; and
Document this notification;

Makes attempts to locate the family through the following methods if a family moves during an investigation:

Family support;
The school system;
Driver’s licenses; or
Any other methods of locating available.

Shares the case so information can be entered in TWIST and requests onsite interviews of individuals needed to complete the referral if the investigation has been initiated with an interview of the child and the family moves;
Follows these procedures, after consultation with the FSOS, when requesting interview assistance:

Calls the county intake with the following information:

The name and location of the individual(s) to be interviewed;
The specific information, if any, that needs to be obtained during the interview; and
The name and location of any collateral contacts that need to be interviewed;

Sends a follow-up request in writing (by email or fax);

Follows these procedures, after consultation with the FSOS, when requesting documentation assistance:

Calls the central intake (CI) team with the exact documentation needs, including the contact’s:

Name;
Address; and
Phone number;

Shares the case with the county, providing the onsite services;

Follows procedures outlined in SOP C5.2 Timeframes and Ongoing Service Requirements for All In-Home Services Cases or SOP C7.12 Timeframes for All Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) Cases for referrals that result in a case being opened for ongoing services.
The SSW providing the onsite services completes and documents all information in TWIST within fourteen (14) working days.

Protocol for Ongoing Services

The onsite SSW:

Provides the following onsite services for the child(ren):

Visits the child within seventy-two (72) hours of assignment;
Visits the child in the foster home at least monthly, or as per policy, and enters the information in the shared case in TWIST;
Serves as the contact for the foster parents if an emergency with the child arises;
Assists with transportation if necessary when the caregiver is unavailable;

Assists with the emergency and notifies the SSW with case management responsibility within twenty-four (24) hours;
Provides the following onsite services for non-custodial parents:

Visits the parent within seven (7) working days of assignment;
Visits the parent monthly, or as per policy, and enters the information in the shared case in TWIST;
Refers the parent to services per their case plan, such as counseling, drug testing, educational services, etc., while following up with any providers to determine the level of progress of the parent;
Attends case conferences or participates by phone if distance prohibits;
Attends court hearings as needed to provide information on the parent’s progress; and
Facilitates visitation between the parent and child(ren) in cooperation with the SSW assigned case management responsibilities.