G1.5 Consultation

1. Discusses with the FSOS as necessary to strategize around any immediate safety threats, barriers to the investigative process, and any additional information needed for the investigation/assessment. ​
   
2. Discusses with the FSOS when needed to assist in determining the investigative finding: 
   
1. If necessary, consult with the regional and/or central office. 
   

1. Meets with the SSW to review all investigations, based on the outcome of the safety assessment. 
   
1. ​For cases with the following safety assessment outcome, a consultation should be held once per calendar month; 
   
1. Safe with a safety plan; or 
   
2. Unsafe. 
   
2. For cases with a safety assessment outcome of SAFE, a once-per-calendar-month consultation is not required but may be held at the request of the FSOS or SSW.
3. All pathways not utilizing the safety assessment require one (1) consultation within fourteen (14) calendar days of acceptance and, as requested by SSW or FSOS, thereafter. The following are some examples:
   
1. Fatalities (without a surviving child);
2. Foster homes with no allegations involving birth children;
3. Specialized investigations;
4. Dependency cases;
5. Status cases; and 
   
6. Human trafficking (non-caretaker).
   
2. Considers the following content during the consultations:
1. Who are the household members (describe each member's age, disability, etc.);
2. What are the allegations;
3. What are the strengths of the family;
4. What is the protective capacity of the parents and/or caregivers; 
5. What is the family history with CPS/APS (investigations and ongoing);
   
6. What are the identified safety threats affecting the child(ren);
7. What are the identified risk factors affecting the child(ren);
8. What is the high-risk behavior(s) of the caretaker(s);
   
9. Are there concerns about the children’s safety? If so, why;
   
10. What are the risks of reinvolvement with CPS; ​​
    
11. Who has been interviewed;
    
12. What documentation has been gathered; 
13. What  barriers does poverty present to the family; 
14. What services could lead to the best outcome for the family; and 
15. What are the next steps in the investigation (interviews, referrals for service, etc.)
    
3. Ensures that safety threats have been resolved or addressed through a plan prior to approval of the assessment. 
   
4. Documents investigative consultations in the service recordings, including the following details:
   
1. Date each consultation was held; and
2. Parties involved in the consultation.
   
5. During the consultation and throughout the investigation, if safety threats are identified that​ may prohibit the child(ren) from remaining in the home, FSOS and SSW:
1. ​Consults with the regional office to identify alternatives to removal and utilize joint decision-making when removal is necessary for safety;
2. Participates in consultation with regional office staff. The FSOS chief, acting and/or covering supervisor,​ facilitates the request for the consultation. 
   For emergency and on-call situations, the FSOS and regional office staff may consult without the SSW. 
   
1. If available, a master's degree-level practitioner is recommended as a participant in the consultation. If one is not available, the service region administrator associate (SRAA), service region clinical associate (SRCA), or their designee is appropriate. 
   
2. Participants should agree with the consultation outcome. If participants are not in agreement, the regional SRCA or SRA (if SRCA is involved with the initial consultation) will be consulted; and
   
3. The consultation is not required when the court awards the Department for Community Based Services (Department/DCBS) custody of a child(ren) when DCBS did not request or recommend custody.
1. Any time a child(ren) is placed in DCBS custody when not requested, the FSOS should notify regional leadership that the court awarded custody, even if the consultation is not required. 
2. The Office of Legal Services (OLS) regional attorney should also be contacted within two (2) working days in these situations, especially when the custody order was not the result of a Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Cabinet/CHFS)-filed petition.   
   

1. Prior to the initial case plan/family team meeting (FTM)​;
   
2. After each risk assessment. Required every six (6) months or when significant changes occur;
   
3. Upon any new allegations of maltreatment received, including reports that do not meet criteria; 
   
4. Upon reassignment to a new SSW;
   
5. Prior to case closure; and 
   
6. As requested by SSW. 
   

1. Includes regional office staff in consultation with the SSW for in-home cases that have been open for fifteen (15) consecutive months and every six (6) months thereafter: 
   
2. Considers the following content during all FSOS and regional consultations: 
1. Who are the household members;
2. What are the strengths of the family;
3. What are the dates of the most recent face-to-face contact with the mother, father, temporary custodian (if applicable), and children; investigative assessment, ongoing assessment, case plan, and FTM;
4. What risks were identified with the family that resulted in a case being opened;
5. What are the services in place to reduce risk or further maltreatment;
6. What prevention services are being offered to the family;
7. What date did services start;
8. What is the date the child(ren) was identified as a candidate for foster care;
9. What are the evidence-based practices (EBPs) being utilized with the family to mitigate high-risk behaviors; 
10. What high-risk patterns were identified;
11. What services are in place for each adult to address high-risk patterns of behavior;
12. What progress has been made by the mother, father, or other caregivers to reduce high-risk patterns of behavior and safety threats identified in the case plan;
13. Status of the court case and any court orders in place; 
    
14. What are the final tasks that need to be completed on the case plan for the case to be closed;
15. What does the family identify as barriers to case closure, and how do they believe these barriers can be overcome;
    
16. What does the SSW identify as barriers to case closure, and how do they believe these barriers may be overcome;
    
17. What role does poverty play in the barriers; 
    
18. What is the projected date of closure; and
    
19. What referrals to community resources does the family need to be linked with prior to case closure (formal and informal)? 
3. Refers to SOP C2.8 Investigation Protocol ​if a new report is received and accepted during an ongoing case; 
   
4. Provides consultation to the SSW when safety threats are identified that may prohibit the child(ren) from remaining in the home, and requests consultation with the regional office if it appears the children cannot remain safely in the home;
   
5. Participates, along with the SSW and regional office designee, in the consultation regarding removal. In the absence of the FSOS, the chief or acting supervisor​ may facilitate the request and participate in the consultation. 
   
6. For emergency and on-call situations, the FSOS and regional office may consult with the SSW. 
   
1. If available, a master’s degree level practitioner is recommended as a participant in the consultation. If not available, the SRAA/SRCA or designee is appropriate. 
2. Participants should be in agreement with the consultation outcome. If participants are not in agreement, the regional SRCA or SRA (if SRCA is involved with the initial consultation) will be consulted; and  
3. The consultation is not required when the court grants DCBS custody of a child(ren) when DCBS did not request or recommend custody. However, SSW or FSOS should notify regional OLS within two (2) business days. 
   
7. Ensures, along with the SSW, that if the decision is to place the child(ren) outside the home, the custodial parent or caregiver is provided with a copy of the When Your Child is Removed From Your Care Guide for Parents brochure. (Please refer to SOP C7.4 Initial Placement Considerations​; 
   
8. Documents ongoing in-home consultations in service recordings, including the following details:
   
1. The date the consultation was held; and
   
2. Parties involved in the consultation.
   

1. Consults with the SSW: 
   
1. Within ten (10) calendar days of the temporary removal hearing  and prior to the ten (10) day case plan; ​
   
2. Prior to the ninety (90) calendar day FTM;
3. Prior to the six (6) month case plan FTM;
4. At the point of any significant change in the case; 
   
5. Upon reassignment to a different SSW; 
   
6. Upon any new allegations of maltreatment received, including reports that do not meet criteria;
7. ​Prior to the annual permanency review; 
8. Prior to the beginning of a trial home visit;
9. Prior to reunification/reunification assessment;
   
10. Prior to case closure; and 
11. As requested by SSW. 
    
2. ​​Considers the following content during the consultation: 
   
1. ​When and why did DCBS get involved with the family;
2. What is the risk;
3. What safety threats are preventing reunification;
   
4. What are the barriers to permanency; 
5. Have all parents been identified and contacted;
6. All familial and non-relative connections for potential placement or for support/connections for youth;
7. Status of the family’s case plan progress on family level objectives (FLO), individual level objectives (ILO), and child youth action plan (CYAP);
8. ​Barriers to engaging the birth family, foster family/placement provider, youth and community partners towards permanency;
9. Were all case members and other appropriate parties invited to the case plan meetings;
10. Who should be involved in future family team/case planning meetings;
11. Is there a family-specific partnership plan that was developed with the family/ care providers to remove barriers to communication and effective service provision to the youth;
12. Has this child been determined to have a cognitive and or/ or intellectual disability;
13. Does the child have a medical complexity;
14. What services could lead to the best outcome for the family;
15. What barriers does poverty present to reunification;
16. Frequency and quality of monthly home visits with parents and youth; and 
    
17. What are the next steps in the investigation? (interviews, referrals for service, etc)?
3. Documents OOHC consultations in the service recordings, including the following details: 
1. ​​Date each consultation is held; 
2. Parties involved in the consultation.
4. Includes the OOHC specialist, in consultation with the SSW, for the following OOHC case; 
1. After a child has been in OOHG for three (3) months; 
2. When a child has been in OOHC for nine (9) months. The pre-permanency conference may be documented as the regional OOHC consultation when the child has been in OOHC for nine (9) months.  
3. When a child has been in OOHC for twelve (12) months; 
   
4. When a child has been in OOHC for fifteen (15) months; and
   
5. Every six (6) months thereafter, according to the child's entry date into OOHC, until the child achieves permanency.
   
6. Youth on extended commitment only require a regional OOHC consult once every twelve (12) months from the date of their extended commitment.
   
5. Documents all OOHC consultations in service recordings, including the following details: 
1. The date the consultation was held:
2. The parties involved in the consultation;
6. Ensures that safety threats have been resolved or addressed through a plan, prior to closure of the case.​​​​
   

​​Provide Case Consultation 

The FSOS:​

1. May provide consultation on any potential foster/adoptive homes under study,  and document these consultations in service recordings.
2. Conducts a consultation quarterly when a child is placed in the home. If a family is experiencing significant stressors, the placement is at risk of disruption, or the family requires additional services and support, then a monthly consultation should be held. The consultation will include:
1. ​Current status of the home;
   
2. Children currently placed in the home;
   
3. Current exceptions;
   
4. Review any prior action plans developed during the annual reevaluation of the foster/adoptive home review.
   
3. Conducts a consultation every six (6) months if no child(ren) is placed in the home.  
   
   

1. Meets with the SSW at least monthly to review all investigations;
   
2. Along with the SSW, considers the following content during the consultation: 
1. Who are the household members (describe each member's age, disability, etc.); 
2. What are the allegations; 
3. What are the strengths of the adult;
   
4. What is the adult’s history with child protective services (CPS)/APS (investigations and ongoing); 
5. What are the identified safety threats affecting the adult; 
6. What are the identified risk factors affecting the adult;
7. What is the high-risk behavior(s) of the adult or caretaker(s); 
8. Are there concerns about the adult’s safety? If so, why; 
9. Who has been interviewed so far; 
10. What documentation has been gathered; and 
11. What are the next steps in the investigation?
    
3. Ensures that, prior to approval of the assessment, safety threats have been resolved or addressed with the adult, and that a plan is offered to attempt to resolve outstanding safety threats.