Overview of the Child Welfare System International Center for Innovation in Domestic Violence Practice (ICIDVP)

Questions to Frame Our Conversation What is the advocate’s role in supporting partnerships between child welfare and survivors related to the safety and well-being of children? What is an advocate’s role in partnering with child welfare on behalf of a domestic violence survivor? What is an advocate’s role in raising questions about child welfare’s concerns and responses to DV perpetrators? What child welfare interventions have been helpful for survivors? How can the Safe and Together model enhance your advocacy for child welfare involved survivors? What would you like to know about child welfare? (c) 2014 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Florida Child Welfare Processes: Investigation Investigations are commenced after a report of abuse/neglect is accepted by the hotline Investigators have different time frames in which they must contact the family Investigators must meet with all household members to assess the safety of the children. Investigators must assess for present danger and impending danger (Family Functioning Assessment) Removals may or may not happen Caregivers have rights Case outcome can include Verified, Not Substantiated, or No Indicators (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

What does Information About Investigations Mean for Advocates? Advocates may assist survivors in knowing what to expect and how long a CPI may be involved Advocates can ensure they contact a CPI within the correct time frame if they have questions or have information regarding a survivor’s strengths, safety planning, and concerns about the perpetrator’s behaviors Advocates can engage the CPI about the Six Domains of Information through the lens of the Safe and Together model Advocates can advocate for separate interviews and separate safety plans, as well as the importance of keeping safety planning confidential or redacted Advocates can play an important role in the Family Functioning Assessment, Present Danger Safety Plan and Impending Danger Safety Plan, including helping a CPI stay focus on the perpetrator pattern and accurately assess a survivor’s protective capacities ) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Case Management Some cases will not need ongoing case management Some cases may have court involvement whether a child has been removed or not Case management or Community Based Care (CBC’s) are private agencies Case managers will use information from the Investigation and meeting with the family to create a case plan Case plans may include services and behavioral goals (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

What Does Information About Case Management Mean for Advocates? Advocates can work with case managers to ensure survivors are not mandated into unnecessary services Advocates can assist case managers in understanding survivors’ strengths, including safety-planning and providing nurturance, routines, and stability Advocates can help keep the perpetrator “visible” in the case Advocates can help case managers understand the connection between the perpetrator’s behavior and the children’s treatment needs Advocates can advocate for separate case plans and keeping the survivor’s safety planning confidential Advocates can help Case Managers to understand the work that is being done at the agency with the survivor and the child to promote child safety (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Survivors Have Rights A survivor must be given information about her rights at the start of an Investigation A survivor has the right to an attorney for any dependency court hearings and may have an attorney or advocate present during interviews Survivors can request separate hearings A survivor has the right to refuse to work with child welfare (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Limits to Child Welfare Interventions Child welfare workers are limited by laws, regulations and policies, both federal and state Removals and findings are outlined by policy Supervisors and managers have discretion to make decisions, even if a CPI or Case Manager disagrees Judges have ultimate say (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Safety Decision Making Methodology (SDMM) Very new; not all staff has been trained Great aspects to approach consistent with national and international trends o Family engagement o Least intrusive o Focus on empowering families to change Systematize child welfare work Enhance decision making around safety and risk (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

SDMM Safety is immediate danger vs. Risk which is continuous state of danger Includes assessments and tools to help child welfare more accurately assess and intervene Compatible with Safe and Together Model. FCADV is currently working with DCF to ensure the training and pre-service is more DV informed May provide some new challenges for advocates (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Safe and Together™ Principles (c) 2014 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission Keeping child Safe and Together™ with non-offending parent Safety Healing from trauma Stability and nurturance Partnering with non-offending parent as default position Efficient Effective Child-centered Intervening with perpetrator to reduce risk and harm to child Engagement Accountability Courts

Safe and Together™ Critical Components Perpetrator’s pattern of coercive control Actions taken by the perpetrator to harm the child Full spectrum of the non-offending parent’s efforts to promote the safety and well being of the child Adverse impact of the perpetrator’s behavior on the child Role of substance abuse, mental health, culture and other socio- economic factors (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Using Safe and Together as a Common Framework Many circuits in FL have had and continue to have and utilize the Safe and Together model Safe and Together Principles and Critical Components can serve as a common framework for case discussions and case consultation The Critical Components provide a template for asking child welfare about both assessment and case planning: Can a worker fully articulate and document the perpetrator’s pattern of coercive control and the actions taken to harm the children? (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Articulating the perpetrator’s pattern is critical to seeing survivor’s strengths Perpetrator’s pattern of coercive control and actions taken to harm the children Interfere with/sabotage survivor’s parenting Survivor Safety plans Parenting strengths Supportive behaviors Survivor’s strengths Children Healing experiences Needs met stability safety Impact children’s safety and well being/create chaos and instability

Assessing Survivor’s Protective Capacities Parenting Supporting the children’s day-to-day needs Providing children with what they need after being exposed to the perpetrator’s behaviors o Safety, both physical and emotional o Stability and routine o The ability to talk about what has happened; including feelings about the perpetrator Safety planning, including the children and in some cases, with the children (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Confidentiality Privileged communication between survivors and advocates is paramount How you communicate your role as an advocate and the role of confidentiality to child welfare is important for the survivor and for establishing relationships Releases can be as limited or as broad as is most beneficial to the survivor, i.e sharing information about her strenghths (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Practice Tips Assess for strengths when working with survivors and help her share them with child welfare Find out where in the process the case is and help a survivor to understand the process Ask a survivor if she would like advocacy. An advocate can be present at interviews, hearings and meetings Ensure that the child welfare worker is assessing/engaging/intervening with the perpetrator Assist child welfare in understanding the perpetrator’s behaviors and the survivor’s protective capacities (c) 2013 David Mandel Associates LLC Do not reproduce or distribute without permission