An in home CPS case is opened when the assessed level of risk determined by the assessment process, the parental/guardian capacity to protect and the level of informal and formal supports indicate that a child may be safely maintained in their home. A referral for prevention services can be made by the SSW on all open in home CPS cases with a substantiated or a services needed finding (see SOP Chapter 6) for information about DCBS prevention services and referrals.
The services that a SSW may perform are social work functions such as:
- Family and individual counseling;
- Advocacy;
- Case coordination; and
- Referral to other agencies or community resources.
The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) emphasizes key provisions around prevention and family preservation services. FFPSA stresses that children thrive best and deserve to be in family like settings whenever they can do so safely. The use of foster care should be an intervention of last resort. FFPSA has made partial federal title IV-E funds specific to prevention services available to states for the first time.