1. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 1 PATHWAYS TO STRENGTHENING AND SUPPORTING FAMILIES IN ILLINOIS Module 3D - Initial Safety Assessment

2. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Job Competencies Identify information consistent with the threats to child safety Analyze safety threats to determine how they are occurring within a particular family Control identified safety threats April 5, 2010 2

3. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Who Does What? CFS 1441-Initial (Investigations) CFS 1441 Investigations, Intact, & Placement Recognizes that all of the information to make a specific threat may not be available Information to assess the threat or threats must be obtained within 25 days Must be incorporated into the service plan April 5, 2010 3

4. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development What should the DR Specialist do if they discover the parent/caregiver has an indicated report, or a pending investigator or a prior DR case? Immediately inform the DR supervisor, who will contact the SCR and refer the case to investigations April 5, 2010 4

5. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development What should the DR Specialist do if they go out on a DR Referral and its really a safety situation? Transfer case to the investigative Track. (A familys refusal to accept the assessment pathway is not, in and of itself, justification to transfer the report to the investigation track.) April 5, 2010 5

6. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development What should the DR Specialist do if the family refuses to accept the assessment pathway? Immediately contact the DR Supervisor (w/i one hour) to assess all available info. April 5, 2010 6

7. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Safety Review When is a child safe? Define Safety Threat. April 5, 2010 7

8. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Small Group Presentations 1.Identified safety threats? 2.Family strengths that promote child safety? Characteristics associated with Protective Capacity Caregiver Safety Planning that suggest Protective Capacity 3.Family factors that make the child unsafe? 4.How does the safety threat impact the childs safety? 5.Groups Safety Decision? April 5, 2010 8

9. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Safety Decision Signatures Must be signed and dated by the worker and supervisor after completion. Supervisor must sign the form within 24 hours after the worker signs it. Supervisor must forward it to the manager for approval (if required). April 5, 2010 9

10. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Summary – Safety Assessment Can you… Identify information consistent with the threats to child safety? Analyze safety threats to determine how they are occurring within a particular family? Control identified safety threats? April 5, 2010 10