Child Protection Services By: Katrina Schimke

Introduction Please watch video before going through PowerPoint Presentation t. (Right click and then open hyperlink. If error has occurred click on 1 video on top it will go to another page with a picture of a baby title of video is “Child Abuse Why”. Another way is to type in the hyperlink on your web page) Please try to watch it. It set the tone of my presentation.

Cont. of Introduction After watching the video my presentation is about child protection services and how the process of child abuse/neglect is handled. Then the next part of my presentation is about my interview with a CPS social worker.

What is Child Protection Services (CPS) Child Protection Services (CPS) is the name of a governmental agency in many states of the United States that responds to reports of child abuse or neglect. (Wikipedia Online). Child Protection Services is a small part under the Department of Children and Family Services.

Five Levels of Child Protection Services These five levels are used by Child Protection Services to provide adequate services to all their clients. The five levels include: –Vision: Safe, healthy individuals, families, and communities –Mission: DSHS/DCFS will improve the safety and health of individuals, families, communities by providing leadership and establishing and participating in partnerships. –Values: Excellence in Service, Respect, Collaboration and Partnership Diversity, and Accountability –Orientations: Early childhood development, Person- and family-centered –Our Impact: Together we will decrease poverty improve the safety and health, status of citizens and increase educational and employment success to support people and communities in reaching the ir potential.

Services that Child Protection Services Provide Receive and assess referrals from the intake line. Investigate intakes alleging abuse or neglect by assessing the risks of abuse or neglect to the child performing a comprehensive assessment and using the risk assessment model Provide early intervention information and referral services to advise parents about services to strengthen families and prevent serious or continuing child abuse or neglect

Cont. of Services Develop culturally responsive case plans which: –Prevent or reduce the need for out-of- home placement. –Provide a safe and permanent home for a child.

Process After Referrals come in The referral information is recorded in CAMIS/FamLink (employee database) within: –4 hours from the date and time that emergent, non emergent, or family Reconciliation Services referrals came in –2 days from the date and time for information only, third party, licensing complaints, and home study referrals came in

Cont. Of After Referrals Response time for intake worker to notify the intake supervisor: –4 hours for emergent referrals –4 business hours ( 8 to 5) for non- emergent referrals

Cont. of after referrals After business hours, weekends, and holidays: The intake worker notifies the after hours supervisor. After hour supervisor determines if a social worker will go out on it or wait until normal business hours.

Cont. of After Referrals The time responses for CPS after a supervisor has assigned the referral to a social worker. These response times have to be a face-to-face contact with child(ren): –Emergent referrals which are children who are in imminent harm or risk have a responses time of within 24 hours –Non-emergent referrals which are children who are not at imminent risk or harm have a responses time of 72 hours

Cont. of After Referral If for some reason a social worker assigned to the referral cannot have a face-to-face contact with a child there are some time line extensions, which are called Law Enforcement Extensions. These extensions allow an extra 24 to 72 hours for a social worker to response to referral.

Face-to-Face Contact The social worker will meet with the child at school to do their investigation if the child is school aged. If child is not old enough to be in school they will see the child at home or daycare.

After Face-to-Face Contact Social worker will go see the parents at home if the child was interviewed at the school to discuss the allegations of abuse or neglect If child was seen at home the social worker will meet the parents there and discuss the allegations of abuse or neglect If child was seen at daycare the social worker will go to the home of the parents to discuss the allegations of abuse or neglect. Depending on the availability of the parents schedule the social worker may not be able to talk to the parents the same day they interviewed the child

During Visit with Parents Social worker will discuss the allegations of abuse or neglect to help them decide if the allegations are true or not true. By law the social worker must have the parents fill out some paper work which include: GAINS form: drug/alcohol use or mental illness Indian Inquiry form: to see if the family is Indian because these cases are dealt differently

If Child Abuse Occurred A social worker cannot pull a child law enforcement has too. A social worker can ask for a Voluntary Placement Agreement, so that law enforcement does not have to do a Protective Custody. If a Voluntary Placement is signed and not a Protective Custody the social worker does not have to go to court within in 72 hours from removing the child or children from the home.

If a Protective Custody was filled out by law enforcement If a Protective Custody was filled out by law enforcement because parent(s) refused to sign a Voluntary Placement social worker has to prepare to go to court in 72 hours from the time the child or children was removed from the home. Social workers have to provide evidence at court that there is risk or harm for the child or children to remain in the home.

Child or Children removed If a child or children are removed from the home and court was established depending on how severe the abuse or neglect it will determine on the time frame for the child or children remain out of the parents home. In addition, after court is established CPS transfers the case on to a Child Welfare social worker within the Department of Children and Family Services.

My Interview The person I interviewed name is Margie Arocho. Margie has worked in child welfare for 15 years of that 15 years 6 of them were in Washington state. Margie’s title is a CPS/Conflict Resolution Social Worker for Region 1. Conflict Resolution Social Worker is where a SW carries cases of parents who are worker for the DSHS office or a DCFS office These cases are kept very confidentially and only a few SW know about them, for example Margie’s supervisor, the AA and RA for Region 1

What Margie Likes About Her Job Margie likes that her investigation take her all over Region 1, so she likes to travel and meet different DCFS agencies and parents. Margie likes to help out families that are in need for services Margie loves to be able to work with children Margie likes to make sure children are safe

What Margie Dislikes About Her Job Margie dislikes the politics that go along with her job which can include: The demands for services and not having the funding to provide them to parents and children. Not all services can be provided in Grant County so they have to be referred out which is costing more money without the funding. The demands of the job and caseloads with not enough staff to provide adequate services to families. The Indian Child Welfare cases where the Indian tribes will not terminate on children, so these children cannot be adopted to families.

Margie’s Organization The organization that Margie works for is called Children and Family Services from Moses Lake, Washington. The DCFS office proves serves to help prevent out –of- home placements, strengthening of families, and maintain family unity. The agency does investigations on allegations of abuse or neglect, place child out of home to keep child safe. The agency works towards family unification The agency contracts out to providers when services are needed by parents or children

Margie’s Ideas on Causes of Abuse or Neglect Some of the causes that Margie thinks that may be causing child abuse or neglect are: Poverty Substance Abuse Mental Illness Domestic Violence Child abusers were a victim of abuse as a child

Margie’s Essential Elements of Intervention Margie believes that early intervention is an essential key on helping with child abuse or neglect. Some early interventions could include: To work together with the community to help reduce or prevent abuse/neglect If three ARS (referrals with not enough cause of risk or harm of a child for CPS to go out on) or Informational Only referrals come in to have a CPS social worker go out and asses the family. They may need services or help and CPS can provide support

Margie's Essential Elements on Prevention Community awareness on child abuse and neglect issues going on More funding for programs to help educate parents and the community More funding for services that parents are involved with CPS may need Lobbying on the politics and laws that surround the issues of child abuse or neglect. (Did you know that animals have more rights for protection then children). For law enforcement to get educated on child abuse or neglect because sometimes they do not make right decisions when they should be removing a child and they do not.

Margie’s Ideas for Future Social Workers That to make sure that they know that child abuse issues are real and not made up in all economic levels worldwide Keep on training, education, and research child abuse/neglect Try to learn medical terms and terminology because sometimes you may have to deal with these cases. For example, know the different drug names or know the different types of fractures. Think like a criminal because it will help you with your job Future social workers needs to deal or asses their own life before coming to work at Child Protection Services because if not these social workers may not make a good social worker.

My thoughts I enjoyed my interview with Margie. I learned many different things doing this presentation about Child Protection Services, such as the process. I learned Margie’s ideas on preventions and interventions which I found where so much like my own ideas. Child abuse is a form of violence which affects may children and I believe we need to educate our community on these issues, so that our own community can be a better place with less violence.

Reference Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. (2010). Retrieved on March 10,2010 from ml?qt=cps+services&x=6&y=10 ml?qt=cps+services&x=6&y=10 Interviewer Margie Arocho on April 12, Wikipedia. (2010). Definition of child protection. Reprieved on March 22, 2010 form e e