3000 Family Based Safety Services
3100 Overview
3110 Philosophy, Goals, and Objectives
CPS 1999-5
Philosophy
Management Policy
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Child Protective Services (CPS) Family Based Safety Services (FBSS) Program is child safety centered, family focused, and home-based. At all times, the safety and health of children shall be of paramount concern when providing services. At any point, if staff determine that the safety of a child can no longer be ensured, a plan for the child's safety shall be implemented immediately. The plan may require a child's removal from the home and/or CPS initiated court related activities when necessary.
Item 3171 Immediate or Short-Term Protection
Section 5000 Court-Related Services
Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), Title I, Section 101(a); Title IV-B, Subpart 2, Section 431(1)
Most families when experiencing difficulties which impact their ability to provide a safe and stable environment for their children want help and can change. CPS FBSS staff strive to work in partnership with parents, children, and communities to promote safe and stable families. FBSS services are time-limited, tailored to family needs, culturally sensitive, and focus on the strengths of the family. At all times, services are provided in a manner which respect the fundamental right of the parents to control the education and upbringing of their children.
ASFA, Title IV-B, Subpart 2, Section 431(1)
Texas Human Resources Code 40.002(b)(2)
Goal Description and Objectives
1. To Ensure Child Health and Safety
Objectives:
• Ongoing assessment of factors that impact child health and safety
• Services target issues that impact family violence
• Ongoing assessment and provision of basic needs
2. To Provide Family Focused Services
Objectives:
• Strengths based assessment and services
• Respect and work in partnership with families
• Culturally sensitive
• Meet the family's unique needs
• Impact the family system
3. To Strengthen Families Through Home and Community Based Services
Objectives:
• Primarily provide services in the home, when possible
• Link families with formal and informal community resources
• Increase family support systems
• Increase family stability and self-sufficiency
4. To Establish Permanency for Children
Objectives:
• When safety can be ensured:
• Keep children with their families
• Reunite children with parents
• When families are not willing or able to ensure the safety of their children:
• Work towards other planned living arrangements for children
3111 The Role of the FBSS Caseworker
CPS June 2011
The most important objective of the caseworker in an FBSS case is to ensure a child’s health and safety.
The caseworker also provides ongoing assessment, service planning, and case management to meet the objectives outlined in 3110 Philosophy, Goals, and Objectives.
Equally important is the caseworker’s ability to obtain the family’s trust and to work with the family members as partners. Some families do not want family-based safety services when they are first referred. To engage these families, the caseworker applies an array of assessment and interpersonal skills. As a general rule, most families are receptive to caseworkers who are respectful and genuine.
Throughout the casework process, the caseworker:
• assesses the factors that impact the child’s health and safety;
• conducts interviews;
• identifies the family’s strengths and resources;
• identifies safety issues in the family’s home;
• identifies the changes needed to keep the child safe (the tasks assigned to the family for that purpose and the services to be obtained);
• completes an FBSS Family Assessment, the service plan, and all related documentation; and
• authorizes services.
Roles and Duties
Examples of the FBSS caseworker’s roles and duties are provided below.
Advocacy
Examples of advocacy work include helping family members:
• communicate effectively with teachers, school administrators, doctors, police officers, and officers of the court; and
• find and use the resources offered in their community.
Assessment
Examples of assessment include:
• evaluating the family’s need to develop a thorough family service plan;
• reviewing the factors that impact the child and family members; and
• developing safety plans, when appropriate, to ensure a child’s safety.
Case Management
Examples of case management include:
• arranging for the family to receive a combination of services that address the family’s unique needs; and
• leading discussions about the family’s case at service-planning meetings.
Counseling
Examples of counseling include:
• helping parents understand the issues that place their children at risk;
• highlighting the family’s strengths, protective capacities, and resources; and
• reframing family’s problems to help the family develop solutions.
Role modeling
Examples of role modeling include demonstrating skills in:
• communication;
• parenting; and
• stress management.
Support
Examples of support include:
• empathizing with family members;
• encouraging them to perform the tasks identified in the family service plan; and
• celebrating their successes;
• reassuring them when they experience setbacks.
Teaching
Examples of teaching include:
• teaching communication, parenting, and household-management skills; and
• explaining techniques for managing stress.
Separating Investigation From Service Delivery
To the extent feasible, an FBSS caseworker:
• is not assigned to investigation cases; and
• does not both provide FBSS to and investigate the same family.
Working Cooperatively
Although FBSS and investigation caseworkers maintain distinct roles and duties, those who work with the same family are expected to cooperatively exchange relevant case information with each other to ensure the safety and health of the children in the home.
An FBSS caseworker constantly assesses risk and safety throughout the FBSS case. If the allegations of child abuse or neglect that were previously addressed in an investigation continue or worsen, the FBSS caseworker addresses that as part of the FBSS case.
If new allegations of child abuse or neglect are reported about a family that is the subject of an open FBSS case, the investigator completes a separate investigation on the open FBSS case.
For detailed procedures on conducting assessments, holding staffing meetings, and transferring a case from investigations to FBSS, see:
3120 Transferring a Case From Investigation to FBSS
3310 Regular Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
3320 Moderate Family-Based Safety Services (M-FBSS)
3330 Intensive Family-Based Safety Services (I-FBSS)
3112 The Role of the FBSS Supervisor
CPS June 2011
The supervisor in an FBSS case trains, advises, supports, and evaluates the FBSS caseworker. Of particular importance is the role the supervisor plays in addressing the safety of the child in FBSS.
The essential functions of a supervisor include:
• approving the caseworker’s decisions or documenting the reasons for changing them;
• approving the FBSS Family Assessment and family service plan;
• reviewing on a regular basis the worker’s caseload through conferences with the worker and through casework documentation, such as the worker’s monthly narratives;
• accompanying the caseworker, periodically, on home visits or meetings with a child or family member;
• ensuring that appropriate child safety plans are developed;
• ensuring that the appropriate steps are taken to keep a child safe when new injuries are reported;
• working closely with the caseworker to monitor the safety of the child while family-based safety services are offered to the family; and
• consulting with caseworkers, CPS management, and the courts regarding a child’s removal.
3113 Purpose and Criteria for Providing FBSS
CPS June 2011
Purpose
Family based safety services are provided to families and children to:
• protect children from abuse and neglect;
• help families reduce the risk of abuse or neglect; and
• either:
• prevent the removal of children from their home (the optional means of protecting them from abuse or neglect), or
• make it possible for children to return home and live there safely, after the CPS worker has removed them and placed them in substitute care (see 5200 Court-Related Services for Children at Risk of Abuse or Neglect and 6000 Substitute-Care Services).
Criteria for Providing FBSS
CPS provides family based safety services when all of the following criteria are met:
• A child in the family is at risk of abuse or neglect.
• The family cannot reduce the risk of abuse or neglect without CPS assistance.
• CPS is able to provide or arrange for services that:
• protect the child in the home or return the child to the home,
• reduce the risk to the child, and
• enable the family to function effectively without CPS assistance in the future.
DFPS Rules, 40 TAC §700.701(a)-(b)
3114 Types of Family-Based Safety Services
CPS June 2011
Three levels of family-based safety services (FBSS) and three levels of family reunification services (FRE) are offered to families, based on the family’s level of need, as assessed by CPS staff.
Family-Based Safety Services
Family-based safety services provide protective services to families whose children are not in the managing conservatorship of DFPS.
CPS may provide family-based safety services to any family who needs CPS assistance to reduce the likelihood that a child in the family will be abused or neglected in the foreseeable future.
The three levels of family-based safety services are:
• regular;
• moderate; and
• intensive.
The level of service a family receives is determined by the degree of risk to the child.
Any family-based safety service may be provided by CPS, directly, or through service providers under contract with CPS.
DFPS Rules, 40 TAC §700.702
Family Reunification Services
CPS provides reunification services to families whose children are returning home from substitute care.
The purpose of family reunification services is to support the family and the child during the child’s transition from living in substitute care to living at home.
The three levels of family reunification services are:
• regular;
• intensive early; and
• intensive.
The level of service a family receives is determined by the degree of risk in the home.
Any reunification services may be provided by CPS, directly, or through service providers under contract with CPS.
DFPS Rules, 40 TAC §700.703
Reunification services do not include the services CPS provides to families over the general course of a child’s stay in substitute care, even though those services are usually directed toward family reunification.
Additional Information
For detailed information about each of these types of service, see:
Appendix 3114: Types of Family-Based Safety Services
3300 In-Home Safety Services (I-HSS)
3310 Regular Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
3320 Moderate Family-Based Safety Services (M-FBSS)
3330 Intensive Family-Based Safety Services (I-FBSS)
3400 Family Reunification Services (FRS)
3420 Regular Family Reunification Services (R-FRS)
3430 Moderate In-Home Safety Services in the Reunification Safety Services Stage
3440 Intensive Early Family Reunification Services (IE-FRS)
3450 Intensive Family Reunification Services (I-FRS)
3115 Constitutional Requirements for Family Based Safety Services and Family Reunification Cases
CPS June 2011
During the initial assessment or follow-up visits of family reunification cases and family-based safety services cases, the caseworker must follow the constitutional requirements related to:
• entering a family’s home;
• conducting a visual examination of a child in the home;
• transporting a child; and
• removing a child.
See 3400 Family Reunification Services (FRS).
Obtaining Consent to Enter and Remain in a Family’s Home
Before entering a family’s home, the caseworker must:
• clearly identify himself or herself as a CPS caseworker; and
• explicitly request permission to enter the home.
The caseworker must obtain consent to enter the home, even if:
• the caseworker has an ongoing relationship with the family and has been to the home before; or
• the family has been ordered by the court to participate in family-based safety services.
If the parents defy a court order to make the children available to a CPS caseworker at the home or any other location, the caseworker consults with his or her supervisor to determine the next appropriate step.
If at any time after the caseworker has entered the home the family withdraws the consent to enter, the caseworker must
• leave the home; and
• consult with the supervisor to determine what action, if any, is appropriate.
See 2245 Visits to the Home.
Consent to Visually Examine the Child in the Home
If the caseworker needs to visually examine the child for signs of neglect or physical harm and the injuries are not in plain sight, such as the neck or forearms, the caseworker must first obtain consent to examine the child.
See 2251.1 Visual Examinations.
Consent to Transport the Child
If as a part of family-based safety services the child is required to receive services, the caseworker must first attempt to have the parent take the child or make arrangements to take the child to the appointment for services.
The parent must participate to the extent possible and may ride with the caseworker and the child, if necessary.
| Circumstance |
Parental Consent to Transport |
|---|---|
The caseworker must transport the child without the parent. |
Consent is required, even if the parent has previously agreed to allow a CPS caseworker to transport the child. |
The court order for family-based safety services specifically gives the CPS caseworker the authority to transport the child for services. |
Consent is not required, but the caseworker must confirm that the court order has not expired. |
DFPS has conservatorship of the child. |
Consent is not required, but if the case is in the reunification stage and the child is living with the parents again, the best practice is to obtain consent to transport from the parent or caretaker. |
Removing the Child
Family-Based Safety Services
If the caseworker determines the child needs to be removed during a family-based safety services case, the caseworker must follow the procedures explained in:
2234.41 When a Removal Is More Appropriate Than a PCSP
2600 Removing a Child From the Home
3152.1 Transferring From Family-Based Safety Services to Substitute Care.
Family Reunification
If the caseworker determines that the child needs to be placed back into substitute care during a family reunification case, the caseworker follows the protocol in 3153 Removing a Child From the Home After Reunification.
3120 Transferring a Case From Investigation to FBSS
3121 Referring a Case From Investigation to FBSS
CPS June 2011
All staff must take the reasonable steps necessary to ensure that a child’s needs for protection and safety are met and that the case is transferred effectively to FBSS, based on available information.
To facilitate the timely referral, assessment, and transfer from Investigations to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS), investigation and FBSS staff must take the steps explained in 2238 Case Transfers.
3122 Conducting the FBSS Family Assessment
3122.1 Constitutional Requirements for an FBSS Family Assessment
CPS June 2011
Obtaining Consent to Enter and Assess
The Family Based Safety Services (FBSS) or investigation caseworker must obtain the parent’s verbal consent to:
• enter the family’s home and remain in the home; and
• enter the family’s home to conduct a family assessment.
See 2245 Visits to the Home.
If the parent indicates that he or she no longer consents to the worker remaining in the home or conducting the family assessment, the FBSS or investigation caseworker must leave the home and stop conducting the assessment.
Obtaining Consent for a Visual Exam
If the FBSS or investigation caseworker needs to visually examine the child, the worker:
• explains the need for the examination;
• explains the scope of the examination; and
• offers the parent an opportunity to consent to the exam before performing it.
See 2250 Examinations of Alleged Victims and Other Children in the Home.
Documenting Consent
The investigation caseworker documents in the IMPACT system (in the Investigation stage, in the Contact Detail Narrative):
• the parent’s consent to enter the home to conduct the assessment; and
• the parent’s consent to conduct a visual examination, if applicable.
If the investigation caseworker is unable to attend the assessment, then the FBSS caseworker documents the parent’s consent using either of the following methods:
• Document the consent as a secondary worker, in IMPACT, in the Investigation stage, in the Contact Detail Narrative.
Or
• Send documentation of the parent’s consent by e-mail to the investigation caseworker for that caseworker to paste into the Investigation stage in IMPACT.
See 1230 Constitutional Protections.
3122.2 Scope and Purpose of an FBSS Family Assessment
CPS June 2011
Scope of a Family Assessment
The family assessment includes:
• the reason for CPS involvement;
• details on the children, parents, and all adults who care for the children in the home;
• details on the children in the parental child safety placement (PCSP) and PCSP caregivers, if applicable, and
• the overall state of the family’s functioning.
When necessary, the caseworker may contact people outside the family (such as relatives, friends, teachers, neighbors) to gain a better understanding of the family’s functioning.
Before contacting people outside the family, the caseworker ordinarily discusses the prospect of doing so with the family, unless the child’s safety is in question.
See:
1450 Confidentiality of Information
Appendix 2262: Confidentiality of School Records
Purpose of a Family Assessment
The purpose of the family assessment is to enable the caseworker and the family to do as follows:
• Understand the issues that placed the child at risk and determine the underlying cause of the risk.
Example issue: A mother leaves a four-month old unattended on a couch. The infant rolls off the couch and is injured.
Example cause: The mother has little knowledge of child development or parenting.
• Identify the family’s strengths, sources of support, concerns, expectations, goals, needs, and outside resources to help the family resolve the issues that placed the child at risk.
Examples of a family’s strengths could include that a parent is employed, the home life is stable, the children are in good health, the family receives support from other family members and from the community.
• Identify the issues that will be the focus of the family service plan. The issues may include services, as needed, for the parents, the caregivers (if different than the parents), and the children. In all cases, the link between the family assessment and the family service plan must be clear.
• Identify the family’s community relationships and cultural sources of support that may assist the family in completing tasks and services.
3122.3 The Investigator’s Role in an FBSS Family Assessment
CPS June 2011
In an FBSS case, the FBSS caseworker’s first task with the family is to conduct an FBSS Family Assessment.
The investigator must attend the family assessment with the FBSS caseworker to:
• introduce the FBSS caseworker to the family; and
• provide information about the need for services.
Exception
If both the investigation and FBSS caseworkers attend the Family Team Meeting (FTM), it is optional for the investigator to attend the formal family assessment.
3122.4 Steps for Conducting a Family Assessment
CPS September 2011
To conduct a family assessment, the family-based safety services (FBSS) caseworker takes the following steps.
Step 1: Identify Key Issues
Before completing the FBSS Family Assessment, the caseworker identifies the key issues to discuss with the family by reviewing:
• the allegations;
• the risk assessment and safety assessment from the investigation;
• the child’s safety plan;
• all previous CPS history with the family, if any; and
• all previous criminal history with the family, if any.
Step 2: Meet With the Family
To conduct the family assessment, the caseworker usually meets with the family in the family’s home. The meeting is normally the caseworker’s first contact with the family. It is also the caseworker’s first step toward developing the family service plan and to help establish relationships in the Family Tree in IMPACT.
If a Family Team Meeting (FTM) is held before the family assessment and the FBSS caseworker attends the FTM, the caseworker may meet with the family after the FTM to conduct the family assessment.
See:
3122.1 Constitutional Requirements for an FBSS Family Assessment
2237 Family Team Meetings
2238 Case Transfers
1432 Family Tree
Step 3: Complete Form 2627 FBSS Family Assessment
After the assessment meeting with the family, but before the FBSS staffing, the FBSS caseworker completes Form 2627 FBSS Family Assessment.
Step 4: Document the Assessment
After the meeting with the family, the caseworker:
• documents the Family Assessment on Form 2627 FBSS Family Assessment;
• documents the completed form in the External Documentation section in the IMPACT system; and
• documents the results and recommendations of the family assessment, either by:
• assigning the FBSS caseworker as a secondary caseworker on the case to enter the information directly into the IMPACT system, on the Contact Detail page of the investigation (INV) stage, or
• sending the results and recommendations of the family assessment in an e-mail to the investigator.
See 3145 Documenting an FBSS Case in IMPACT.
3123 Conducting the FBSS Staffing
CPS June 2011
One or more of the following staff meet to consult in what is known as the FBSS Staffing to determine whether to transfer a case from Investigations to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS):
• The investigator, the investigator’s supervisor, or both
• The FBSS caseworker who completed the FBSS Family Assessment, or the FBSS caseworker’s supervisor, or both
Other staff who may attend, as appropriate, include:
• the program directors for Investigations and FBSS;
• other investigation or FBSS caseworkers;
• the disproportionality specialist, to assist in identifying racial biases and culturally relevant services;
• subject matter experts, as needed; and
• a child safety specialist.
Supervisors are encouraged to use conference calls or other forms of technology when it is not feasible for a caseworker or supervisor to consult in the FBSS staffing in person.
The FBSS caseworker takes copies of the completed FBSS Family Assessment, Form 2627, to the staffing for attendees.
3123.1 Deciding Whether to Transfer a Case
CPS June 2011
At the conclusion of the FBSS Staffing, held to determine whether to transfer a case from Investigations to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS), both the investigation and FBSS supervisors must agree to one of the following decisions:
1. Transfer the case from investigations to FBSS
2. Close the case in the investigation (INV) stage of the IMPACT system because the caregiver is capable of protecting the child and controlling any existing threats to the child’s safety and a safety plan is not needed; or
3. Consult with DFPS Legal staff in a staffing about the possibility of legal intervention (that is, obtaining a court order, if the parents do not want to participate in services, or requesting the child be removed from the home).
For more information on case transfer decisions and how to handle case transfer disagreements, see 2238.11 Making Key Decisions About Transferring a Case to FBSS.
See 2238.16 Documenting an Investigation Without Offering FBSS.
3124 Maintaining Contact With the Family During an FBSS Transfer
3124.1 The Necessity of Making Face-to-Face Contact During an FBSS Transfer
CPS June 2011
Making initial and subsequent contact with a child and family within the established timeframe during transfer from Investigations to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) is critical to keeping a child safe. The entire family, including all of the children, must be visited by CPS staff every 10 calendar days, until the process of assessing whether to provide FBSS is complete.
If the transfer of a case to Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) is delayed by the Investigation unit, the Investigation unit maintains contact with the family every 10 calendar days.
If the delay is caused by the FBSS unit, the FBSS unit maintains contact with the family every 10 calendar days.
If it is not clear which unit must maintain contact with the family because of a delay:
• the caseworkers and supervisors immediately consult with their program directors; and
• the investigator maintains face-to-face contact with the entire family, until management determines how best to proceed.
This information also appears in 2238.12 Maintaining Contact With the Family During the Transfer to FBSS.
3130 Making Initial Face-to-Face Contact in an FBSS Case
3131 When to Make Initial Face-to-Face Contact in an FBSS Case
CPS June 2011
Each stage of service delivery has specific criteria for making initial face-to-face contact with a family and child.
How soon a caseworker must make initial face-to-face contact with a family and child depends on the level of family-based safety services being provided, as follows:
• Intensive FBSS – within five calendar days of the stage being progressed from investigation (INV) to family preservation (FPR) in IMPACT
• Moderate FBSS – within five calendar days of the stage being progressed from investigation (INV) to family preservation (FPR) in IMPACT
• Regular FBSS – within 10 calendar days of the stage being progressed from investigation (INV) to family preservation (FPR) in IMPACT
See 3114 Types of Family-Based Safety Services.
Other Factors When Determining the Timing and Location of a Contact
In addition to specific criteria for making initial face-to-face contact, the caseworker and supervisor must consider all relevant case history and information in all stages of service delivery when determining:
• the need for face-to-face contact;
• the environment in which the initial contact will take place; and
• other issues that reflect the unique circumstances of the case.
For specific time frames for initial face-to-face contacts, see:
3172 Parental Child Safety Placement
3310 Regular Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
3320 Moderate Family-Based Safety Services (M-FBSS)
3330 Intensive Family-Based Safety Services (I-FBSS)
3440 Intensive Early Family Reunification Services (IE-FRS)
3450 Intensive Family Reunification Services (I-FRS)
3132 Notifying a Supervisor When Unable to Meet the Time Frames for Face-to-Face Contact
CPS June 2011
If a pattern of unsuccessful attempts to make initial or subsequent face-to-face contact with the child or family emerges, the supervisor and caseworker must develop a plan to ensure that the child is safe. No more than three unsuccessful attempts to make face-to-face contact may occur without supervisor notification.
The assigned caseworker must notify his or her supervisor within one work day, if he or she:
• cannot meet the standards for initial face-to-face contact consistent with CPS policy;
• cannot meet any other standard for face-to-face contact consistent with CPS policy; or
• has made three unsuccessful attempts to make face-to-face contact with the child and parents.
In most situations, the caseworker and supervisor can develop a reasonable plan to meet the established standards.
Documenting Approved Exceptions
In the event that a supervisor approves an exception to the established standard, the caseworker must clearly document the decision and rationale in the case record.