CPS has developed practice guides to help staff bring the practice model to life in their everyday work. The practice guides offer staff tips and tools for engaging children, families, safety networks and support staff to use their best critical thinking skills.

Practice guides are organized based on the core competencies of the Texas CPS Practice Model.

Core Competencies

Engaging

Engaging is the heart and soul of what we do. It’s is how we develop trust-based relationships with children, youth, families and safety networks to drive positive change.

Assessing

The purpose of assessing is to gather and analyze information to make informed judgments about harm, danger, and risk that will determine child safety, well-being, and permanency.

Teaming

Teaming is the process of assembling the family and safety networks and actively implementing an achievable plan for safety, permanency, and well being of children and youth. 

Planning

Planning is the process of setting goals, developing strategies, and prioritizing tasks and schedules to accomplish the agency and family goals developed throughout the teaming process.

Intervening

Intervening is the process of the agency stepping in or being involved in a situation in order to alter or hinder and action or development that is causing the child harm or danger.

Evaluating

Evaluating is the process of continuously assessing the developed plans with children, youth, families, and the safety network to determine our need for involvement with the family and to be able to describe what safety looks like for the family.