Module 3: Safety Managementcenterforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/Preservice/CMSpecialityTrack/CM… ·...

Case Management Pre-Service Curriculum | Module 3-TG 1

Module 3:

Safety Management

Florida Department of Children and Families June 2016


Module 3: Safety Management

Display Slide 3.0.1

Time: 6 hours Module Purpose:

This module provides an overview of how Case Managers monitor and manage Safety Plans within the Child Welfare Practice.

Display Slide 3.0.2 (PG: 2)

Agenda:

Unit 3.1: Case Manager’s Responsibility for Safety Management Unit 3.2: Managing Safety Plans Unit 3.3: Modifying Safety Plans

Materials: • Trainer’s Guide (TG)

• Participant’s Guide (PG) • PowerPoint slide deck • Flip chart paper and markers


• Blank index cards, no lines on either side • Videos: No videos • Additional Resource Materials (ARM): No ARM • Handouts needing to be printed:

o Sandler/Braun Impending Danger Safety Plan for Activities B and C

References: Links:

• Florida Statute: http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/flstat/FloridaStatues.shtml

• Florida Administrative Code: http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/HorizontalTab/FloridaAdminCode.shtml#

• Operating Procedures/Practice Guidelines: http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/HorizontalTab/DeptOperatingProcedures.shtml

References: • CFOP 170-7, Safety Planning • CFOP 170-7, Chapter 2-3 • 65C-30.007, F.A.C. • 65C-30.007 1(b), F.A.C.

Activities: Unit 3.1:

• Activity A: Creating a Child Care Strategy – A Hypothetical Exercise - TG: 15, PG: 8

Unit 3.2: • Activity B: Safety Management with the Sandler/Braun Family – TG: 27,

PG: 14 • Activity C: Identifying Appropriate Safety Categories and Services – TG:

37, PG: 22 Unit 3.3: • Activity D: Safety Plan Management with the Sandler/Braun Family – TG:

58, PG: 33 Credits: Much of the material in this course was adapted from ACTION for Child

Protection training materials and articles.

http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/flstat/FloridaStatues.shtml

http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/HorizontalTab/FloridaAdminCode.shtml



http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/HorizontalTab/DeptOperatingProcedures.shtml

http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/HorizontalTab/DeptOperatingProcedures.shtml


Module 3: Safety Management ............................................................................................. 2

Unit 3.1: Case Manager’s Responsibility for Safety Management ................................................. 5

Unit 3.2: Managing Safety Plans ................................................................................................... 19

Unit 3.3: Modifying Safety Plans ................................................................................................... 40


Unit 3.1: Case Manager’s Responsibility for

Safety Management Display Slide 3.1.1

Unit Overview: The purpose of this unit is to review the Case Manager’s role and

responsibility for safety management after case transfer. References: • CFOP 170-7, Safety Planning

• 65C-30.007, Case Management Responsibilities After Case Transfer Display Slide 3.1.2 (PG: 3)

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the Case Manager’s responsibility for safety management after case transfer.

2. Define the key objectives of safety management.


Before talking about safety management we are going to go through some true/false and fill-in the blank statements to review the information on Safety Planning learned in CORE. Take a moment to respond to the statements listed on PG: 3. Display Slide 3.1.3 (PG: 3)

1. Safety Plans are concerned more with keeping things under control than making things different. • TRUE: A Safety Plan manages or CONTROLS the condition that results

in a child being unsafe. Treatment (such as substance abuse treatment, batterer’s intervention or anger management intervention) cannot begin until the threat is under control.

2. Having a Safety Plan in place is non-negotiable while a family is receiving

case management services. • TRUE: Safety Planning and safety management are needed when

threats to child safety exist with insufficient caregiver protective capacities. When those circumstances exist, Child Welfare Professionals are responsible to assure that a child is protected.

3. Safety Plans are the parent/legal guardian/caregivers responsibility.

• False: Safety Plans are not the parent/legal guardian/caregivers responsibility; they are the agency’s, as a system, responsibility. Once a Safety Plan is put in place, the agency, as a system, assumes the oversight and substitute protector roles by working through others to assure child safety is managed in the household.


4. The safety analysis criteria needs only to be completed when there is an

Out-of-Home Safety Plan. • False: The safety analysis criteria needs to be completed to

determine if a Safety Plan should be out-of-home or in-home.

5. Once a Safety Plan is in place it should never have to be modified. • False: Safety Plans are not one time events. Safety Plans must be

vigorously managed and modified whenever circumstances in the household change and the danger threat(s) in the household is not controlled.

6. Safety Management only occurs when the case is transferred from investigation to case management and the Case Manager initiates contact with the family. • False: Safety management occurs from the time the child(ren) are

determined to be unsafe until the danger threat no longer exists or caregiver protective capacities have been sufficiently enhanced to return the protective responsibility to the parent/caregiver.

7. Safety Plans may involve the use of formal and informal safety service providers. • TRUE: Safety service providers may be formal (professionals) or

informal (friends and family).

8. __________ are what need to be achieved before a child can return home from an Out-of-Home Safety Plan. • Conditions for Return are what need to be achieved before a child

can return home from an Out-of-Home Safety Plan.

9. Case Managers must take an ___________ role in safety management. • Case Managers must take an active role in safety management.

10. Safety Plans are put in place to control ________ within a household.

• Safety Plans are put in place to control danger within a household. Now that we have reviewed the knowledge you have on Safety Plans we are


going to talk about the role of the Case Manager as the primary manager of safety and what they must do to carry out the function of safety management. When I say the word “manager” what comes to mind?

Accept all responses. Display Slide 3.1.4 (PG: 4)

Safety Plans do not work unless there is someone responsible for managing and supervising the plans. This means that safety management is not a title, but a role that must be fulfilled. This role is initially filled by the CPI after the Safety Plan is established. Depending on how each local area has it set-up, the function of safety management may at times be a shared function. For example, in the early days, with the CPI establishing the Safety Plan and case management brought in to assist, engage safety service providers, etc. At no time should there be a lack of clarity about who has the primary responsibility for safety management, whether the Safety Plan is an in-home or an out-of-home plan. The responsibility for safety management fully transfers to the Case Manager after the Case Transfer Conference. We make the distinction between establishing the Safety Plan and implementing the plan because in the majority of cases there will be different people carrying out these steps. The CPI is primarily responsible for establishing and implementing the plan. Although they may be responsible for safety management briefly, the long-term implementation and management of the plan is the responsibility of the Case Manager.


Safety management is an active function; it is not simply monitoring through passive observation. It requires hands on observation and a thorough understanding of both the way in which impending danger is manifesting in the family and the sufficiency of the safety services to manage the impending danger. Safety management includes oversight of all of the Safety Plan members, both formal and informal. Safety management includes making necessary modifications to the Safety Plan based on the ongoing assessment of family conditions, circumstances and caregiver protective capacities. In cases with Out-of-Home Safety Plans the role of safety management includes facilitating the case process to move towards reunification when the conditions for return have been achieved. Next we are going to go through the practice responsibilities you must fulfil as the safety manager. Trainer Note: The next section will go through the four safety management practice responsibilities. Refer participants to PG: 4-5, Safety Management Practice Responsibilities. Display Slide 3.1.5 (PG: 4)

The first safety management practice responsibility is to: Participate effectively in the Safety Planning process which occurs at different stages of intervention. Participating effectively in the Safety Planning process means:

a. Understanding the impending danger – This means understanding the


impending danger threats and how they are manifesting in this family. It also includes understanding the caregiver protective capacities that have been determined to be lacking and therefore warrant an agency-managed Safety Plan (in-home or out-of-home).

b. Determining how specific safety services control for impending danger – The Case Manager may or may not have helped to create the Safety Plan, but they must know exactly who has what role in the plan. They must know the details of supervision or contact or any other element of the Safety Plan. This should all be detailed in the written Safety Plan and should be covered in detail with the family. (This may happen in a family team meeting or some other process).

c. Establishing a plan for communication and oversight of the Safety Plan – This is the process that the Case Manager will establish to plan for frequency of communication with key members in the Safety Plan, plans for face-to-face contact to provide oversight of the Safety Plan. Again, the Safety Plan is not developed and filed; it is actively managed by the Case Manager. That is safety management.

The second safety management practice responsibility is to: Manage impending danger as specified in the Safety Plan. The critical question here is “Is the plan working?” Is impending danger being controlled so that the child or children are not continuing to be maltreated? The Safety Plan details who is involved in the plan and what their responsibility is, at what frequency, etc. The Case Manager has the responsibility to assure that those who have a role are carrying out their role as intended and this is controlling the danger threat. The Case Manager must not assume the Safety Plan is working if they don’t hear otherwise. They must take an active role in ensuring the plan is effective.


What actions can you, as a Case Manager, take to determine if the impending danger threat is being fully controlled by the Safety Plan?

Endorse: • Face-to-face visits with safety service providers to observe their capacity

and confirm their ability to meet the requirements of the plan. • Ask formal and informal safety service providers, children, parents, and

collateral contacts if the plan is working as intended. • Observe the home.

In Out-of-Home Safety Plans with supervised or unsupervised family time visitation management must also actively occur. This means ensuring the Safety Plan is also managing the danger threats during visitation. Display Slide 3.1.6 (PG: 5)

The third safety management practice responsibility is to: Effectively manage, perform and coordinate safety services as set forth in the Safety Plan. The foundation of a Safety Plan is the person or persons providing the safety services. The establishment of the plan includes the consideration of caregiver willingness to allow in-home safety services providers, both formal and informal. An initial willingness on the part of a caregiver to allow for and participate in in-home safety services is just that, it is an initial indication. The Case Manager must assure that this ongoing willingness continues and the safety providers have access to the home and the ability to supervise or provide services as defined in


the plan. The Case Manager must take an active role in discussing the Safety Plan with the caregiver, discussing who is in the home, the schedule, how the caregiver is engaging with the provider(s), how the child is reacting to the provider(s) in the home, etc.

A Case Manager may have a service provider role in a Safety Plan. Serving a role in a Safety Plan can allow for in-home contact to observe and carry out general case management functions. The level of involvement obviously must be considered in light of overall workload, but it should not be seen as an impossible feat given that it can serve multiple purposes such as information collection for the Ongoing FFA, an opportunity to observe in the home and it can be effective and meaningful even if it is only a one hour per week visit as part of a Safety Plan. The fourth safety management practice responsibility is to: Facilitate overall case management and safety management to support the family toward meeting the conditions for return (for Out-of-Home Safety Plans). The Case Manager has a key role in assisting the family to meet the requirements of the established conditions for return. It is ideal if the Case Manager also has a role in establishing these conditions for return. When they are established in a collaborative way between the CPI, the family, and the Case Manager it allows all parties to have a shared understanding of the conditions and input in defining those conditions. Display Slide 3.1.7 (PG: 5)


Read quote on slide:

Management by objectives works if you first think through your objectives. Ninety percent of the time this doesn’t occur.

What do you think this quote means?

The first step should always be establishing our objectives. Many times we dive in without clearly establishing objectives and then it is much more likely that we are less clear about what we are trying to accomplish. In this work we want to be very clear that we have an objective related to safety management and separate objectives related to change management.


Let’s talk about the importance of having clearly defined objectives for safety management, and for examining the characteristics of effective safety management. Refer participants to PG: 6-7, Effective Safety Management Trainer Note: Review the slide with participants, leading the discussion and providing examples of what each section means. Most of these concepts are a review from CORE and the material just presented. Optional: Ask class what they believe word means before giving the definition for the concept.

Controlling Intervention – Safety management is a controlling intervention. An intervention is a combination of program elements or strategies designed to control the impending danger. As an intervention it is an intrusion into the life of the family in order to substitute for lacking caregiver protective capacity. A key part of the intervention process is the facilitation of a process to support the enhancement of caregiver protective


capacities. This is the point at which safety management and change management have a shared focus. Provisional/Conditional – Safety management is adjustable, changing as needed.

• Provisional safety management refers to specific plans, arrangements and actions taken by Child Welfare Professional when there are a) the presence of threats to child safety and b) the absence of sufficient caregiver protective capacities to assure protection.

• Provisional safety management stays in place pending a more permanent arrangement, namely returning protective responsibilities to caregivers or other permanency options beyond the child’s own home or family.

Action Oriented – Safety management is not passive observation, but planned activity and actions. Safety Plans are action plans not promises of action. Dynamic – The Safety Plan is constantly changing based upon progress or change. Successful safety management is responsive to these changes. Organized – Effective safety management is not spontaneous or stimulated by daily or weekly occurrences; it is planned, controlled, structures and well defined in terms of activities and assigned responsibilities. These are all set forth in Safety Plans. Proactive – Active safety management is alert to family circumstances and conditions which may necessitate changes to the Safety Plan. This is proactive, talking to key Safety Plan members, observing family conditions and discussing them, gathering information from safety service providers. Directed – Safety management is focused, very specific and directed by the impending danger which required the creation of the plan. Regulated – The regulation of the written Safety Plan is pivotal in ensuring child safety and in evaluating change within the household.


In Summary: Safety management is concerned with controlling danger and threats of danger only – not changing family functioning or circumstances. Safety management is provisional. It promotes the concept that Child Safety and Caregiver Protective Capacity possess potential for improvement, thus requiring different safety management responses. Safety management is conditional based on the conditions within the family associated with child safety. Safety management is caregiver-centered so that caregivers can participate in all aspects of Safety Planning and safety management. Activity A: Creating a Child Care Strategy - A Hypothetical Exercise Display Slide 3.1.9 (PG: 8)

Time: 40 minutes Purpose: To build on skills participants already have related to Safety Planning and

to apply safety management skills. Materials: • PG: 8-9, Creating a Child Care Strategy: A Hypothetical Exercise

worksheet Trainer Instructions:

• Break participants up into small groups. If the training group is very small consider approaching the exercise with the whole training group.

• Inform participants that this exercise is a two part activity based

around a hypothetical scenario. Participants should complete both Part 1 and Part 2. After groups complete the activity a full- class debrief will be held.


Part 1: Ask participants to read the Scenario. Next, they are to create a plan for child care by following the limitations and related questions.

Part 2: Ask participants to read the addition to the scenario and answer the related questions.

Debrief after Participants finish the activity: • Ask for responses for questions associated with the parent. Include

consideration of feelings that the parent might have felt, challenges faced, obstacles, opportunities, etc.

• Ask for responses related to what is considered in the added dimension to the scenario about the person who is available to help the mother figure out what can be done to keep her child cared for and protected.

• Conduct a brief general discussion about the common day aspects of this experience; the logic of problem solving; the need for support and assistance for a motivated caring mother etc.

Activity Instructions:

1. Read Part 1 of the scenario. After reading the hypothetical situation, proceed in working with your practice group to come up with a strategy/plan for ensuring that “your child” as identified in the scenario will be sufficiently cared for during the period of time that you are unable to consistently provide for his care and supervision.

2. For this exercise, each of you should consider your situation as the same as for the parent described in the scenario.

3. Together, brainstorm and discuss potential practical options for creating and establishing a plan (or plans) for child care for your child.

4. Read Part 2, Addition to the Scenario, and again work with your group to answer the questions.

Scenario: You are a single parent of a three-year-old boy. Your work week varies from half time to ¾ time; you receive supplemental assistance; when necessary you have access to a day care option. A month ago you started feeling increasingly fatigued. As the days progressed, you have become increasingly tired to the point of exhaustion. You eventually reached the point where you have needed to call in sick. As the physical exhaustion started to become more debilitating, you have also become emotionally immobilized and depressed. As a result, you have become much less responsive to your child, and are having difficulty staying on top of his care. You have gone to the doctor already, with limited results. You are now not only having trouble


caring for yourself and your child, but you are frustrated and demoralized. You have been referred to a specialist and it has been determined by the specialist and your doctor that due to the severity of this recent medical condition, it is going to be a few months until you are feeling up to par. Due to this illness, you are generally unable to consistently attend to primary and essential parenting responsibilities on your own (i.e., feeding, bathing, dressing, supervision, structure, etc.). There are periods during the day when you are more active and have more energy, generally the first few hours of the morning. By noon, your attentiveness drops off significantly, requiring you to sometimes lie down for an hour or two, at which point you regain some limited independent capability.

Part 1: Creating a Plan for Child Care: Limitations:

• You cannot have someone move into your home on a full time basis.

• You cannot send your child to live with someone else while you are receiving treatment.

In considering the scenario, what essentially needs to be controlled for or managed with respect to the care of the child? What actions would need to be taken to take control of the situation and when would these actions be required? Who and/or what resources are available to participate in doing what is required? Part 2: Addition to Scenario You are not the person who has the medical condition BUT you have been given the charge to actively assist in helping to directly manage the plan as well as have responsibility for a specific action/ service identified in the plan. In assisting in directing and managing the plan, what issues are most important to take into account and stay on top of; what conversations would you initiate with the parent (with the medical condition) or others involved in the plan? Activity STOP


The point of the activity you just finished was to illustrate that the Case Manager’s responsibilities for safety management are not a far stretch from what is called for and required in very common day-to-day scenarios. The activity showed a parallel process, the challenges you experienced in keeping “your child” safe, in many respects, was parallel to what caregivers involved with case management and Case Managers responsible for Safety Plans experience. Now that we have explored what safety management is we are going to spend the rest of the module learning how to perform safety management.


Unit 3.2: Managing Safety Plans

Display Slide 3.2.1

Unit Overview:

This unit provides Case Managers with a complete picture of what safety services are, how they can be used to manage danger, and what safety services are available in their local area.

References: • CFOP 170-7, Safety Planning

• 65C-30.007, Case Management Responsibilities After Case Transfer • 65C-30.018, Out-of-County Services



1. Identify Safety Plan management requirements. 2. Explain how ongoing observations of family conditions and dynamics

influence Safety Plans. 3. Identify what safety services are available and how to match services with

needs.


4. Identify the safety service providers available in the Case Managers’ local area.

After the Safety Plan has been reviewed at the case transfer meeting, even if everyone agrees that it is working well, what might go wrong early on in the case?

Endorse: • Safety service providers may be having difficulty meeting the

expectations for their role in safety management • Family’s willingness to cooperate may change and the family may hope

that the Case Manager will be more flexible and push to reduce safety monitoring

• Family conditions may be changing rapidly, for better or worse, and Safety Plan needs adjustment


The Case Manager and Case Management Supervisor must ensure the ongoing Safety Plan is sufficient within five business days after the following events:

• Case is transferred from investigations to Case Management. • Case is transferred from one Case Manager to another Case Manager.

When determining if the Safety Plan is sufficient the Case Manager must assess whether the Safety Plan is effectively managing the danger threat and if any modifications are needed to the plan. It is impossible to ensure the Safety Plan is sufficient simply by reviewing the plan


from your desk. This means that Safety Plan management must be a major focus during your initial face-to-face contact with the parents/caregivers. Even though the family should be familiar with what the Safety Plan is from their discussions with the Child Protective Investigator it is important that you clarify any information they are unclear on and explain your role in safety management. The initial discussion with the caregivers should include:

• The Case Managers responsibility to manage the Safety Plan and what ongoing activities the Case Manager will be performing to ensure that the Safety Plan is working.

• An explanation of the difference between the Safety Plan and the case plan.

• A review of the current Safety Plan to determine if all of the actions in the plan are occurring and to gather feedback and input on how the plan is working overall.

• A review of the Conditions for Return for Out-of-Home Safety Plans. It is essential for the parents to understand these conditions and have input on how they can be achieved. This will be discussed further in Unit 3.

(PG: 10) When determining the sufficiency of the Safety Plan who else should you make contact with?

Endorse: • The safety service providers • All household members • All children included in the Safety Plan. This should include face-to-face

contact and a private interview with all verbal children to discuss the child’s feelings about safety in the home.

• Any other person who sees the child frequently and can discuss how the child is doing and whether they have any safety concerns.

A consultation with your Supervisor is required within the first five business days regarding the sufficiency of the Safety Plan. This will give you the opportunity to discuss and receive feedback on how the Safety Plan is working to control and manage the danger threats and whether or not any modifications are needed.


Display Slide 3.2.4-3.2.5 (PG: 11)

Once you determine the Safety Plan is working you are responsible for continuously monitoring and assessing the plan for sufficiency. This will require you to make regular contact with the family, other person’s familiar with the family, and the safety service providers. Law and policy provide us with strict timeframes regarding contacts; however, contacts will need to be more frequent if warranted to ensure the child’s safety. After case transfer, the Case Manager must have initial face-to-face contact with child(ren) within two working days of case transfer or the date of court supervision, whichever is earlier. It is important to note that while the child is in shelter status, the face-to-face visits must continue to occur a minimum of every seven days. Thereafter, the Case Manager is required to make face-to-face contact with every child under supervision and living in Florida no less frequently than every 30 days in the child’s residence. If the contact with child occurs outside of the child’s current residence, as the Case Manager, you must ensure the visit occurs in an environment in which the child is comfortable, such as school, or child care education center or child’s therapeutic setting. Also, at least every 90 days, or more frequently if warranted based on the Safety Plan, the Case Manager visits to the child’s current place of residence will be unannounced. Again, remember these are the MINIMUM amount of contacts you must make.


Depending on the danger threat and the Safety Plan in place you may need to make more frequent contacts to assess the family’s condition and dynamics in order to ensure the Safety Plan is dependable and continues to manage the danger threat. Domestic Violence Trainer Note: Refer participants CFOP 170-7, Chapter 4. Display Slide 3.2.6 (PG: 11)

Due to the power and control dynamics present in domestic violence relationships there are additional Safety Planning guidelines in place regarding this family condition. This includes developing two separate Safety Plans; one for the parent who is not responsible for the violence (survivor) and one for the perpetrator of the domestic violence. The Safety Plan developed with the survivor of domestic violence should include actions that will enhance the safety of the survivor and can never be shared with the perpetrator due to safety concerns. Both the physical copy of the Safety Plan and all information in the plan are confidential and must not be shared with the perpetrator. When managing the Safety Plan it is up to the Case Manager to inform other team members involved in the case of the need for the confidential Safety Plan. The Safety Plan developed with the perpetrator will identify actions that the case management agency and other Safety Plan providers will take to protect the children from the perpetrators violence. This plan should be developed with input from both the survivor and perpetrator (although developed separately).


The survivor should be involved throughout the entire process. A finalized copy of the Safety Plan should be given to both the survivor and perpetrator. Display Slide 3.2.7 (PG: 12)

Earlier we discussed the contact requirements when monitoring and managing the Safety Plan. To perform your safety management duties you must know how to use your observations skills to assess the family conditions and dynamics during your regular contacts. When making contact with the family it is important to observe body language, the physical environment, the behavior of the people you encounter, and the interactions between those people -- especially between the child and their parents, siblings, other persons in the home, safety service providers and other caregivers. How will the observations you make influence safety management?

Endorse: • Enable you to have a better understanding of family conditions, how

danger threats are manifesting in the family • Informs whether or not Safety Plan is working. • Helps you identify needed changes to the Safety Plan



While observations are critical, we always have to be mindful as to how our observations are influencing our assessment. When we are in any setting with a child or family, and we are a stranger, that in-and-of-itself introduces something that is “artificial.” Would that family be exactly the same way if we were not there? Obviously, they would not. “Artificial settings” are also a common challenge in child welfare. Think of the child or family interviews that might be conducted in other places, a hospital setting, or an office. Sometimes children are placed in emergency shelter care, and your first in-depth interview will be in that setting. Think of a child who is in crisis, not in their home, and meeting with a perfect stranger. To combat artificial settings you can utilize others to validate the observations you have made- such as family and friends. You can also conduct follow-up interviews in a natural setting- such as the home. Making some of your visits unannounced at varying days and times will also help give you a more accurate picture of the family. We also have to be self-aware in regards to the bias we may have in regards to the family and situation. Are we remaining open to what is actually occurring in the home or are we focusing on the potential that the parent may be “faking”? Lastly, we have to be clear on what the observation means. We cannot base all of our safety management on our limited observations, we need to know more. Refraining from jumping to a conclusion one way or the other is a key to interpreting our observations--we have to seek to clarify with family members our


understanding of their statements and their non-verbal messages. To get a complete and thorough understanding of family dynamics, family conditions, and how the Safety Plan is working a Case Manager should observe the family in as many varied settings as possible, and during different times of the day (e.g., early morning vs. early evening, etc.). While you never intentionally want to add to the family’s stress level, it is important for a Case Manager to observe how the family does react and interact under stressful conditions. Choosing to visit a family at a time when a family is under stress and the danger threat may be more likely to manifest will enable you to assess whether the Safety Plan is effective and the actions on the plan are working as planned. Remember back to the Safety Plan that is currently active in the Sandler/Braun case. If you wanted to observe whether or not the Safety Plan was working when would be a good time to make contact with the family?

Endorse: • After six when Bruce Braun is off of work • On the weekend


Whenever making contact with a parent/caregiver, child, or safety service provider the focus of your contact should always include a component of safety management. It is important to keep in mind why you are making contact with the person, what information you need to obtain from them, and how you can then use this information to manage the Safety Plan.


Information you should gather and provide during your regular contacts include:

• Ensuring all safety service providers have your name and contact information.

• Ensuring all safety service providers remain aware of the danger threat that is being managed and are still able to perform their assigned safety actions.

• Ensuring all safety service providers know what actions to take and who to notify should any problems arise with the Safety Plan.

• A continual assessment of changing family dynamics and family conditions to ensure the Safety Plan remains effective.

• Ensuring the least intrusive actions necessary to protect the child are in place.

We are now going to do an activity to apply the safety management skills you have learned to the Sandler/Braun case. Activity B: Safety Management with the Sandler/Braun Family Display Slide 3.2.10 (PG: 14)

Time: 30 minutes Purpose: Practice safety management skills. Materials: • M2 PG: 53-57, Sandler-Braun Impending Danger Safety Plan (from CM

M2, Activity B, pages 53-57) • PG: 14-15, Safety Management with the Sandler/Braun Family

worksheet


Trainer Instructions:

• Inform participants that the Sandler/Braun family has officially been transferred to them and they are now responsible for safety management.

• Handout and ask the participants to review the Sandler/Braun Impending Danger Safety Plan. (They will be familiar with this document from Module 2.)

• Direct participants to complete the Safety Management with the Sandler/Braun Family worksheet.

• See below for activity and answer key.

• After participants finish the activity discuss answers as a large group. Activity Instructions:

1. Review the Sandler/Braun Safety Plan. 2. Complete the Safety Management with the Sandler/Braun family

worksheet. 3. Be prepared to discuss as a group.

Safety Management with the Sandler/Braun Family

Trainer Version 1. Take each safety action and determine who you will interview, what you will ask them,

and what observations you will make to assess the ongoing effectiveness of the Safety Plan.

Safety Action Observations, People Interviewed, Identified Questions

Ed Barth will call Bruce every weekday at 6pm while Bruce is on his way home from work to ensure Bruce is not stressed and has no plans of drinking. If during this call, Ed determines that Bruce is or will likely be drinking that evening, then he will contact Pam so that she can make arrangements to either stay the night in the home or take the children to her house.

• Observations: In-person contact with Bruce at 6 to observe one of the phone calls.

• Interview following participants: Melanie Braun, Bruce Braun, Ed Barth, and Pam Block

• Ask following questions: − Has Ed Barth contacted Bruce daily

at 6? − Has Bruce been drinking, if he was

what action did Mr. Barth take? − Has Ed Barth been able to identify

times when Bruce is drinking or is stressed and has plans of drinking?

− Ask Pam if Ed has contacted her regarding Bruce.


Pam Block will greet Bruce at the home every week day to ensure that Bruce came home without drinking, that there is no alcohol in the home and she will help Melanie and Bruce with the nightly activities including homework.

• Observations: Unannounced home visits after Mr. Braun gets off work. Observe if there is alcohol in the home.

• Interview following participants: Melanie Braun, Byron Braun, Bruce Braun, James Sandler, Pam Block

• Ask following questions: − Is Pam checking on the safety of the

children during each weekday? − Has Pam observed alcohol in the

home? − Has she observed Bruce drinking? − Ask Pam what her observations have

been of Bruce and Melanie during homework and family time?

− Ask James, Melanie and Bruce how often Pam comes to the home?

− Ask James, Melanie and Bruce how is homework and family time going with Pam there?

If during Pam’s weeknight visits she observes Bruce to become agitated, frustrated or aggressive during evening parenting activities, such as homework or family time, she will take the children, and Melanie is welcome to go also if she chooses, to her home until she has confirmed that Bruce has calmed down. Allowing them to stay overnight if needed. She will also contact the Child Welfare Professional to notify him/her that this has occurred.

• Interview following participants: Melanie Braun, James Sandler, Byron Braun, Bruce Braun, and Pam Block

• Ask following questions: − Ask Pam what did Bruce behaviors

look like when she decided to take the children?

− Ask Pam is Melanie chose to go with her and kids?

− Ask Melanie, Bruce and the children what led up to Bruce agitation and how he responded to Pam taking the children?

Every Friday at 6pm through Sunday at 6pm, the children will stay with paternal grandmother, Leann Beys. If when Leanne returns the children to the home on Sunday evening, Bruce has been drinking, then she will take the children to the Pam Block’s home to stay the night or Pam will come to the home to stay with the family. Leann, Bruce and Melanie will make arrangements for any contact between

• Observation: Unannounced visit to Leann’s home during the weekend visit.

• Interview following participants: Melanie Braun, James Sandler, Byron Braun, Bruce Braun, and Leann Beys.

• Ask following questions: − Ask Bruce if this arrangement has

helped with his stress? − Have the children gone with Leann

every weekend?


the Melanie and Bruce and the children.

− Are you making arrangements so that Melanie and Bruce can spend time with the children if they choose and how it is going?

− Ask Pam if Leann has reached out to her regarding Bruce’s behaviors?

− Has Leann had to take the children to Pam’s house for the night or has Pam had to go to Bruce/Melanie’s house?

2. What information will you provide to each safety service provider to ensure they can

successfully fulfill their role(s) in the Safety Plan? o Your contact information, including emergency number for after hours and

weekends o Information about the danger threat o Information about who else is involved in the Safety Plan and what all of the safety

actions are on the plan. This includes action statements that the safety service provider is not responsible or involved in.

o Information from the other family members and safety service providers about how the Safety Plan is working

3. How often will you make contact with this family to ensure the plan is working? o Minimum of weekly for the first 4 weeks than monthly thereafter. o Contact should be more frequent if it appears that the plan may not be working as

intended. Activity STOP



You will remember the five safety categories from CORE. Each of these categories represents an objective of a Safety Plan. And the objective is directly related to the Impending Danger threat in the case. For example:

If the Impending Danger threat identified is that a person is violent or out of control, the safety objective is behavior management, so the Safety Category is Behavior Management. If the Impending Danger is that a parent is not providing basic care to a child in terms of food and shelter, the objective could be to provide basic resources, so the Safety Category would be Resource Support.

An easy way to think of the Safety Categories is to think of how we write objectives. The objective is to control the behavior, the objective is to separate the child and the parent, the objective is to help them with their crisis….each of these then translates into a Safety Category. It is important, when managing the Safety Plan that you have the right type of safety services in place to manage the danger threat.



Trainer Note: Discuss the relationship. Remember earlier the quote about management based on objectives. That quote is applicable for this slide with respect to being focused by purpose and objectives. Also note that the different categories and types of safety management services may be used alone or in combination. The provider may be from the family’s resource network or a formal agency and that there may be local variation in the availability of formal safety management services. First and foremost, developing sufficient Safety Plans which results in effective Safety Management requires very thorough deliberation and understanding of Impending Danger as a concept, and how Impending Danger is occurring in cases. The purpose for controlling Impending Danger requires thinking about what behavior, intention, motivation, emotion, attitude, perception, or situation is threatening to a child’s safety. That thinking must translate into understanding of the dynamics of the Impending Danger (the threats) with respect to occurrence – think about the occurrence of a threat by considering such areas as why, how, when, stimulation, circumstances, duration, intensity, etc. One must breakdown Impending Danger occurrence using these sorts of assessment areas in order to understand and know what must be controlled/managed. Based on the understanding of what must be controlled/managed, you can then think about the Safety Categories or the objectives for the Safety Plan. In other words, what are the objectives of the Safety Plan based on what must be dealt with and addressed to ensure safety? Once the objective(s) have been determined (i.e., to manage behavior or socially connect with someone), then you can proceed in thinking creatively about the specific actions, activities, etc. within a Safety Category to achieve the Safety Plan


objective – the Safety Services. Trainer Note: Refer participants to the PG: 17, Safety Categories/Objectives and Associated Safety Services worksheet. Have participants briefly review document (should be familiar from CORE). Use the worksheet to inform participants of local formal Safety Service providers including what types of safety services they are able to provide. Remind participants that informal safety service providers can also be used to perform many of the safety services.

Safety Categories/Objectives and Associated Safety Services

Safety Category and Safety Service: Behavior Management Behavior Management is concerned with applying actions (activities, arrangements, services, etc.) that control caregiver behavior that is a threat to a child’s safety. While behavior may be influenced by physical or emotional health, reaction to stress, impulsiveness or poor self-control, anger, motives, and perceptions and attitudes, the purpose of this action is only to control the behavior. This action is concerned with aggressive behavior, passive behavior, or the absence of behavior – any of which threatens a child’s safety.

Safety Service: Supervision and Monitoring Supervision and Monitoring is the most common Safety Service in safety intervention. It is concerned with caregiver behavior; children’s conditions; the home setting; and the implementation of the In-Home Safety Plan. You oversee people and the plan to manage safety.

Safety Service: Stress Reduction Stress Reduction is concerned with identifying and addressing stressors occurring in the caregiver’s daily experience and family life that can influence or prompt behavior that the In-Home Safety Plan is designed to manage. Stress reduction as a Safety Service is not the same as stress management which has more treatment implications. Your responsibility has to do primarily with considering, with the caregiver, things that can be done to reduce the stress the caregiver is experiencing. Certainly, this can involve how the caregiver manages or mismanages stress; however, if coping is a profound dynamic in the caregiver’s functioning and life, then planned change is indicated and that is a Permanency or In-Home Service planned change concern.

Safety Service: Behavior Modification As you likely know, Behavior Modification, as a treatment modality, is concerned with the direct changing of unwanted behavior by means of biofeedback or conditioning. As you also know your responsibility as a Safety Manager is not concerned with changing behavior. And, you know that the Safety Category being considered here is Behavior


Management. Safety intervention uses the terms Behavior Modification differently than its use as a treatment modality. Behavior Modification as a Safety Service is concerned with monitoring and seeking to influence behavior that is associated with Impending Danger and is the focus of an In-Home Safety Plan. Think of this Safety Service as attempting to limit and regulate caregiver behavior in relationship to what is required in the In-Home Safety Plan. Modification is concerned with influencing caregiver behavior: a) to encourage acceptance and participation in the In-Home Safety Plan, and b) to ensure effective implementation of the In-Home Safety Plan.

Safety Category and Safety Service: Crisis Management Crisis is a perception or experience of an event or situation as horrible; threatening; or disorganizing. The event or situation overwhelms the caregiver’s and family members’ emotions, abilities, resources, and problem solving. A crisis for the families you serve is not necessarily a traumatic situation or event in actuality. A crisis is the caregiver’s or family members’ perception and reaction to whatever is happening at a particular time. In this sense, you know that many caregivers and families appear to live in a constant state of crisis because they experience and perceive most things happening their lives as threatening, overwhelming, horrible events and situations over which they have little or no control. Keep in mind, with respect to Safety Management, a crisis is an acute, here-and-now matter to be dealt with so that the Impending Danger is controlled and the requirements of the In-Home Safety Plan continue to be carried out. The purposes of Crisis Management are crisis resolution and prompt problem solving in order to control Impending Danger. Crisis Management is specifically concerned with intervening to:

• Bring a halt to a crisis. • Mobilize problem solving. • Control Impending Danger. • Reinforce caregiver participation in the In-Home Safety Plan. • Avoid disruption of the In-Home Safety Plan.

Safety Category and Safety Service: Social Connection Social Connection is concerned with Impending Danger that exists in association with or influenced by caregivers feeling or actually being disconnected from others. The actual or perceived isolation results in non-productive and non-protective behavior. Social isolation is accompanied by all kinds of debilitating emotions: low self-esteem and self-doubt; loss; anxiety; loneliness; anger; and marginality (e.g., unworthiness; unaccepted by others). Social Connection is a Safety Category that reduces social isolation and seeks to provide social support. This Safety Category is versatile in the sense that it may be used alone or in combination with other Safety Categories in order to reinforce and support caregiver efforts. Keeping an eye on how the caregiver is doing is a secondary value of Social Connection (See Behavior Management – Supervision and Monitoring).


Safety Service: Friendly Visiting Friendly Visiting (as a Safety Service) sounds unsophisticated and non-professional. It sounds like “dropping over for a chat.” Actually, it is far more than “visiting.” Friendly Visiting is an intervention that is among the first in Social Work history. The original intention of Friendly Visiting was essentially to provide casework services to the poor. In safety intervention, Friendly Visiting is directed purposefully at reducing isolation and connecting caregivers to social support. Friendly Visiting can be done by you. You can arrange for others to do Friendly Visiting including professional and non-professional Safety Service Providers. When arrangements are made for Friendly Visiting by others, it will be necessary for you to direct and coach them in terms of the purpose of the Safety Service and how to proceed. Safety Service: Basic Parenting Assistance Basic Parenting Assistance is a means to Social Connection. Socially isolated caregivers do not have people to help them with basic caregiver responsibilities. They also experience the emotions of social isolation including powerlessness, anxiety, and desperation – particularly related to providing basic parenting. The differences between Friendly Visiting and Basic Parenting Assistance is that a) the topic is always about essential parenting knowledge and skills and 2) you, or another designated person, attempt to teach and build skills.

Safety intervention is concerned with parenting behavior that is threatening to a child’s safety. The Safety Service Basic Parenting Assistance is concerned with specific, essential parenting that affects a child’s safety. This Safety Service is focused on essential knowledge and skill a caregiver is missing or failing to perform. Typically you would think of this as related to children with special needs (e.g., infant, disabled child). Also, you would expect that the caregivers are in some way incapacitated or unmotivated. You, or someone you bring into the In-Home Safety Plan, become a significant Social Connection to help them with challenges they have in parenting, which is fundamental to the children remaining in the home.

Safety Service: Supervision and Monitoring as Social Connection Some In-Home Safety Plans will require Social Connection and Behavior Management, specifically Supervision and Monitoring. Supervision and Monitoring occurs through conversations occurring during routine Safety Service visits (along with information from other sources). Within these routine in-home contacts, the social conversations can also provide Social Connection for the caregiver. The point here is to promote achievement of objectives of different Safety Categories and Safety Services when the opportunity is available. (See Supervision and Monitoring.)


Safety Service: Social Networking You may be the central person providing the Safety Service in some of the other Social Connection Safety Services. In this Safety Service, you are a facilitator or arranger. Social networking, as a Safety Service, refers to organizing, creating, and developing a social network for the caregiver. The term “network” is used liberally since it could include one or several people. It could include people the caregiver is acquainted with such as friends, neighbors, or family members. The network could include new people that you introduce into the caregiver’s life. The idea is to use various forms of social contact; formal and informal; contact with individuals and groups; the contact is focused and purposeful.

Safety Category and Safety Service: Resource Support Resource Support refers to Safety Category that is directed at a shortage of family resources and resource utilization, the absence of which directly threatens child safety.

Safety Service: Resource Support Activities and services that constitute Resource Support used to manage threats to child safety, or are related to supporting continuing Safety Management, include things such as: • Resource acquisition related specifically to a lack of something that affects child

safety. • Transportation services, particularly in reference to an issue associated with a safety

threat. • Employment assistance aimed at increasing resources related to child safety issues. • Housing assistance that seeks a home that replaces one that is directly associated

with Impending Danger to a child’s safety. • General health care. • Food and clothing. • Home furnishings.

Safety Category and Safety Service: Separation Separation is a Safety Category concerned with threats related to stress, caregiver reactions, child-care responsibility, and caregiver-child access. Separation provides respite for both caregivers and children. The Separation action creates alternatives to family routine, scheduling, demands, and daily pressure. Additionally, Separation can include a Supervision and Monitoring function concerning the climate of the home and what is happening. Separation refers to taking any member or members of the family out of the home for a period of time. Separation is viewed as a temporary action which can occur frequently during a week or for short periods of time. Separation may involve any period of time from one hour to a weekend to several days in a row. Separation may involve professional and non-professional options. Separation may involve anything from babysitting to temporary out-of-home placement of a child, or combinations of these options.


Safety Service: Separation Safety services that fit this safety category include:

• Planned absence of caregivers from the home; • Respite care; • Day care that occurs periodically or daily for short periods or all day long; • After school care; • Planned activities for the children that take them out of the home for designated

periods; • Child placement: short-term; weekends; several days; few weeks.

The next activity will allow you to apply your knowledge about safety categories and services to a case scenario. Activity C: Identifying Appropriate Safety Categories and Safety Services Display Slide 3.2.13 (PG: 21)

Time: 20 minutes Purpose: To close out the session, participants will be applying knowledge related to

Safety Categories and Safety Services in an exercise. Materials: • M2 PG: 53-57, Sandler-Braun Impending Danger Safety Plan (from CM

M2, Activity B) • PG: 17-20, Safety Categories/Objectives and Associated Safety Services • PG: 21, Safety Category and Services Worksheet


Trainer Instructions:

• Handout Safety Category worksheet and ask the participants to once again review the Sandler/Braun Impending Danger Safety Plan.

• Instruct participants to use the Safety categories/Objectives and Associated Safety Services handout to identify which category and safety service each safety action belongs to.

• Debrief: Go over activity as a large group • Note that separation and supervision and monitoring tend to be the

most frequently used services; however they should be challenged to also think about how they could use the other categories and services as well. Also note that the service of supervision and monitoring is listed under two separate categories. How did they determine which category to use for this exercise?

• Seek out participants observations and opinions about this exercise;

challenges they may face; what more they would like to understand or know. (For instance, does any participant come up with the problem of participating in identifying Safety Categories and Safety Services if there are questions about the FFA accounting for Impending Danger, or if the Case Manager views the Impending Danger differently than the CPI?)

Activity Instructions:

1. Have the participants review the Sandler/Braun Safety Plan and Safety Categories/Objectives and Associated Safety Services handout.

2. Using the Safety Category and Safety Services worksheet, determine the safety category and related safety services for each safety action.

3. Be prepared to discuss with the class.

Safety Management with the Sandler/Braun Family Trainer Version

Take each safety action and determine the safety category and related safety services for each safety action.

Safety Action Safety Category and related Safety Service Ed Barth will call Bruce every weekday at 6pm while Bruce is on his way home from work to ensure Bruce is not stressed and has no plans of drinking. If during this call, Ed determines that Bruce is or will likely be drinking that evening, then he will contact Pam so that she can make arrangements to either stay the night in the home or take the children to her house.

• Category: Behavior Management Service: Stress Reduction

• Category: Separation Service: Separation


Pam Block will greet Bruce at the home every week day to ensure that Bruce came home without drinking, that there is no alcohol in the home and she will help Melanie and Bruce with the nightly activities including homework.

• Category: Behavior Management Service: Supervision & Monitoring

• Category: Social Connection Service: Supervision & Monitoring

• Category: Social Connection Service: Basic Parenting

If during Pam’s weeknight visits she observes Bruce to become agitated, frustrated or aggressive during evening parenting activities, such as homework or family time, she will take the children, and Melanie is welcome to go also if she chooses, to her home until she has confirmed that Bruce has calmed down. Allowing them to stay overnight if needed. She will also contact the Child Welfare Professional to notify him/her that this has occurred.



Every Friday at 6pm through Sunday at 6pm, the children will stay with paternal grandmother, Leann Beys. If when Leanne returns the children to the home on Sunday evening, Bruce has been drinking, then she will take the children to the Pam Block’s home to stay the night or Pam will come to the home to stay with the family. Leann, Bruce and Melanie will make arrangements for any contact between the Melanie and Bruce and the children.



Activity STOP


Unit 3.3: Modifying Safety Plans

Display Slide 3.3.1

Unit Overview:

This unit provides an overview of the skills needed for Safety Plan assessment and modification.

References: • CFOP 170-7, Safety Planning Display Slide 3.3.2 (PG: 22)


1. Explain and demonstrate application of the essential practice skills needed for Safety Plan assessment and modification.

2. Identify and demonstrate the use of Safety Analysis and Planning criteria. 3. Construct and manage conditions for return.


Modifying Safety Plans Display Slide 3.3.3 (PG: 22)

Child welfare has been notorious for its black and white view of safety intervention. The point of view that has prevailed in our past is that either kids are safe or not, and that if kids are not safe, they are placed outside of their homes. There has also been a tendency to establish Safety Plans which never change. Even the best Safety Plan is short-term and must always be dynamic and fluid, changing to fit the current dynamics of the family. Safety management must be provisional and dynamic. That means safety management is always subject to change. Adjustments are based on what is happening with parents/caregivers and their families. Safety Plans should never be allowed to continue to exist unregulated and should be continually reassessed based on the current case status, impending danger manifestation, and caregiver protective capacities. Modifying Safety Plans when needed should be among your highest priorities.



Modification of a Safety Plan may involve making the Safety Plan more or less intrusive. A decrease in intrusiveness can occur when family conditions have changed and a less intrusive plan can manage the threat. For Out-of-Home Safety Plans this includes when Conditions for Return have been achieved. An increase in intrusiveness is related to the threat being unmanaged. Simply stated the plan is not working. This can occur when a safety service provider is no longer willing and able, or the parents are no longer willing and able for in-home safety services, or a danger threat is manifesting in ways that are not being controlled. When it is believed that an In-Home Safety Plan needs to increase in intrusiveness, what analysis should be applied?

Endorse: • Safety analysis and planning should be applied to determine if an Out-

of-Home Safety Plan is needed. When it is believed that an Out-of-Home Safety Plan is no longer needed, what should be the next step?

Endorse: • Perform safety analysis and planning to determine if the Conditions for

Return have been met.


Least Intrusive Actions Display Slide 3.3.5 (PG: 23)

We already discussed how understanding family conditions and being able to identify how the danger threat is manifesting within the family is essential when determining how to manage the danger threat. This should include determining the appropriate level of intrusiveness. When managing Safety Plans it is important to always identify and select the least intrusive safety actions. Least intrusive refers to intervening to protect a child in ways that produce the least interference with family unity and privacy, yet assure child safety. Even in the best of circumstances, DCF intervention represents an interruption in a family’s life, to its autonomy, and to parent/caregiver’s empowerment. The defining reasons that DCF intrudes into family life are:

(1) To determine if children reported to the department are in danger and (2) To protect children in impending danger while attempting to restore

caregivers to their protective role and responsibility. Anything beyond those interests can be considered to be intruding beyond what is legally and ethically acceptable and should only occur with the consent of the caregivers. Least intrusive refers to what is absolutely necessary and essential to assess a child’s safety and implement actions, services and controls that assure a child’s safety. The belief is expressed in casework and supervision that recognizes that intervention will only go as far as is necessary to assure protection during safety


management. Beyond the “interference” dynamic, this demonstrates respect for families in general and specifically for caregiver and children’s rights. It honors the idea of family. It is influenced by acknowledging that families possess strengths and resources that can be mobilized to produce safety management options. The least intrusive concept is influenced by the knowledge that children want to be with their families. The least intrusive approach to assuring child safety is considerate of diversity and culture as crucial aspects of family life and solutions. Safety intervention is best when it is always alive and energetic in taking into account shifts and changes in family life and circumstances which can have a bearing on how best to protect a child during the life of a case. Determination of the “least intrusive” safety action should be guided by consideration of several issues:

1. Parent’s right for self-determination. 2. Child’s need to be protected by persons with whom the child is most

familiar and comfortable. 3. Child’s need for routines and surroundings which are “normal” to the

extent possible. Safety Analysis and Planning Display Slide 3.3.6 (PG: 24)

As we discussed earlier safety analysis and planning will help ensure the Safety


Plan is at the right level of intrusiveness. Although the Child Protective Investigators are the ones initially responsible for safety analysis and planning during the Family Functioning Assessment as a Case Manager you will be responsible for continually reassessing this analysis to determine if the Safety Plan needs to become more or less intrusive. The purpose of this process is to continually analyze Impending Danger, family functioning, and family and community resources in order to produce a sufficient Safety Plan. This analysis depends on having collected sufficient, pertinent, and relevant information and occurs as a result of the interactions between caregivers, a family, a worker, a supervisor, family supports, and other people resources. The intention is to arrive at a decision regarding the most appropriate and least restrictive means for controlling and managing identified Impending Danger Threats and therefore assuring child safety. Who can provide one of the safety analysis criteria and explain what it means?

Have a participant provide a criteria and explanation until you have gone through all 5 criteria.

Criteria #1:

The parents/legal guardians are willing for an In-Home Safety Plan to be developed and implemented and have demonstrated that they will cooperate with all identified safety service providers. • Willing to accept and cooperate refers to the most basic level of agreement

to allow a Safety Plan to be implemented in the home and to participate according to agreed assignments. Caregivers do not have to agree that a Safety Plan is the right thing nor are they required liking the plan; plans are not negotiable in regards to the effectuation of the plan.

Criteria #2:

The home environment is calm and consistent enough for an In-Home Safety Plan to be implemented and for safety service providers to be in the home safely. • Calm and consistent refers to the environment, its’ routine, how constant

and consistent it is, its predictability to be the same from day-to-day. The environment must accommodate plans, schedules, and services and be non-threatening to those participating in the Safety Plan.


Criteria #3 Safety services are available at a sufficient level and to the degree necessary in order to manage the way in which impending danger is manifested in the home. • Safety Management Services are dependent upon the identified impending

danger threat: Available refers to services that exist in sufficient amount. Access refers to time and location. Accessible services are those that are close enough to the family to be applied and can be implemented immediately.

Criteria #4: An In-Home Safety Plan and the use of in-home safety management services can sufficiently manage impending danger without the results of scheduled professional evaluations.

• This question is concerned with specific knowledge that is needed to understand Impending Danger Threats, caregiver capacity or behavior or family functioning specifically related to Impending Danger Threats. The point here is the absence of such information obviates DCF’ ability to know what is required to manage threats. Evaluations that are concerned with treatment or general information gathering (not specific to Impending Danger Threats) can occur in tandem with In-Home Safety Plans.

Criteria # 5:

The parents/legal guardians have a physical location in which to implement an In-Home Safety Plan. • Physical location refers to (1) a home/shelter exists and can be expected to

be occupied for as long as the Safety Plan is needed and (2) caregivers live there full-time.

• Home refers to an identifiable domicile. DV or other shelter, friend or relative’s homes qualify as an identifiable domicile if other criteria are met (expected to be occupied for as long as the Safety Plan is needed, caregivers live there full time, e.g.).

Now let’s look at safety analysis and planning when applied to some of the common family conditions that we discussed earlier.


Display Slides 3.3.7-3.3.8 (PG: 25)

Safety Analysis and Planning with substance abuse - Examples where parent may be in-home with the child:

• Parent with substance abuse disorder demonstrate: – Prior successful engagement of supports (e.g., willingness to reach

out to an AA/NA sponsor, self-admit to detox, etc.) to help the user deal with likely relapse issues (e.g., drug cravings, “triggers”, etc.)

– an understanding of how their use creates a danger threat to the child

• Safety service providers: – recognize drug use behavior in the maltreating parent – have specific safety actions in place to protect the child should a

lapse occur • Sufficient safety services are available:

– CPI/CM has on-going communication with treatment professional to make this call


Display Slide 3.3.9-10 (PG: 26)

Safety Analysis and Planning with Unmanaged Mental Illness - Parent may be in-home with the child when:

• Parent with poorly or unmanaged mental illness demonstrates: – a successful past history of symptom management – have already initiated actions to more effectively manage symptoms – an understanding of their symptoms of mental illness and how they

lead to danger threats for the child – sufficient safety services are available

• Safety service providers: – recognize signs or symptoms of improper medication management – have specific safety actions in place to protect the child should

mental illness not improve or continue to deteriorate • Sufficient safety services are available:



Display Slide 3.3.11-12 (PG: 26)

Safety Analysis and Planning with domestic violence – Examples where parent may be in-home with the child:

• Parent who perpetrates acts of power and control demonstrate: – follow through with initial Safety Plan actions agreed to – an understanding of how their actions create danger threat(s) to the

child – an ability to handle “triggers” appropriately

• Safety service providers: – recognize signs of power and control by maltreating parent – have specific safety actions in place to protect children from being

exposed to new incidents of domestic violence • Sufficient safety services are available:



Conditions for Return After completing the In-Home Safety Analysis and Planning, if one or more of the criteria are answered with a “no” the danger threats manifesting within the home can only be fully managed with an Out-of-Home Safety Plan. When would a Case Manager consider moving a Safety Plan from an Out-of-Home Safety Plan to an In-Home Safety Plan?

Endorse: • When the Conditions for Return have been met with signals that the

plan can be stepped down from an Out-of-Home Safety Plan to an In-Home Safety Plan.


You learned about “Conditions for Return” during CORE. Before we talk about your role in creating and assessing Conditions for Return we are going to review what you already know. What are “Conditions for Return”?

Endorse: • Official written statements that describe what must exist or be

different with respect to specific family circumstances, home environment, caregiver perception, behavior, capacity and/or safety service resources that would allow for reunification to occur with the use of an In-Home Safety Plan.


Do impending danger threats have to be reduced or eradicated before an In-Home Safety Plan can be established?

Endorse: • No, only the Conditions for Return need to be met for children to be

reunified with an In-Home Safety Plan. Do caregivers need to complete a case plan in order for children to be reunified with them?

Endorse: • No, caregivers do not necessarily need to change, enhance their

Caregiver Protective Capacities, or complete any case plan tasks for the Conditions for Return to be met and an In-Home Safety Plan initiated.

When to Modify a Safety Plan When monitoring and managing your Safety Plan it is important that you always ensure that you have the correct safety services involved in the plan. This is important because the safety services must be a direct match to the need identified in the identification of impending danger. Some of the information we are going to cover in the next section will be a review in CORE, but it is important you think about it in terms of your ongoing Safety Plan and how knowing when to take action and modify a plan requires the Case Manager to recognize when conditions have changed. This may mean the plan is no longer controlling the identified danger threats, new threats are identified that are not controlled, or conditions within the home changed and require a less intrusive plan.



A Safety Plan must be modified when any of the following changes occur:

o A new danger threat has been identified o Danger threats have been eliminated o A child is released to the other parent, relocated in a family arrangement or

sheltered o Safety Analysis criteria for an In-Home Safety Plan change:

– There are any changes in the parent’s willingness to cooperate with safety service providers

– There are any changes associated with a calm and consistent home environment

– There are changes in the availability of safety service providers – There are changes in the availability of a physical location in which

the Safety Plan can be implemented o There are changes in family dynamics or conditions which change the types

and or level of safety services needed. Examples of changing family dynamics and conditions are the birth of a new baby, when a parent returns to the home, or when a parent becomes involved in a new intimate partner relationship.


Present Danger and the Case Manager Display Slide 3.3.15 (PG: 28)

When might a Case Manager be faced with present danger?

Endorse: • A Safety Plan provider is unable to show-up at the child’s home as

scheduled and there is no other provider immediately available. • There is an unforeseen and significant change in family dynamics. • The Case Manager suspects that a new incident of maltreatment has

occurred. When the Case Manager determines that a child is in present danger, the Case manager will not leave the child until Safety Plan modifications are in place. When there are new incidents of maltreatment a report to the Hotline must be made. Failure of the Safety Plan by itself does not constitute a new incident of maltreatment. Trainer Note: To illustrate the above information the next two slides outline two scenarios for discussion on whether or not the Florida Abuse Hotline should be called. The scenarios are also listed on PG: 29-30.



Smith Family Scenario: You are the Case Manager for the Smith Family. The identified danger threat surrounds Ms. Smith’s overuse of pain pills which leads her to act irrationally and eventually pass out. This has affected her ability to provide appropriate care for 5-year-old, Nicole. One of the actions on the In-Home Safety Plan is that the Aunt will check on Ms. Smith before Nicole gets off the school bus to ensure Ms. Smith has not taken any pills and is able to care for Nicole. The Aunt calls you thirty minutes after Nicole normally gets off the school bus stating she was not able to check on the family today. You attempt to reach Ms. Smith by phone, but there is no answer. Should you call the Florida Abuse Hotline?

Endorse: • No, although the Safety Plan failed there is no evidence that a new

incident of maltreatment has occurred.


What next steps should be taken?

Endorse: • Face to face contact should be made by you, another Case Manager or

Case Management Supervisor if you are unavailable, or a Safety Service provider (other than the Aunt) immediately to ensure Ms. Smith is not using pain pills and is able to provide adequate care to Nicole.

• When contact is made assess for present danger. If there is present danger take immediate action and assess again if a new incident of maltreatment has occurred that would mandate a call to the Florida Abuse Hotline.

• Even if there is no Present Danger make contact with the Aunt, assess why she was unable to make contact as outlined in the Safety Plan, and assess the Safety Plan as a whole to see if modifications are needed.


Jones Family Scenario: You are the Case Manager for the Jones family. The identified danger threat surrounds Mr. and Ms. Jones addiction to cocaine which has left them unable to consistently provide for the basic needs of their three-year-old son Andy. The family has made a lot of progress and recently the Safety Plan has changed from an Out-of-Home Safety Plan to an In-Home Safety Plan. You receive a phone call from Ms. Jones stating that a couple hours ago she caught Mr. Jones using cocaine which led to them getting into a physical fight. During the fight Mr. Jones pushed and choked her. Andy witnessed the fight and was yelling at Mr. Jones to stop hurting his mother. Mr. Jones left the home 15


minutes ago and Ms. Jones believes he has gone to purchase and use more cocaine. She is concerned he may become violent again when he gets home. Should you call the Florida Abuse Hotline?

Endorse: • Yes, a new incident of maltreatment has occurred. • When speaking with the Florida Abuse Hotline inform them that there

are immediate safety concerns for Andy. They will use this information to help them assess the appropriate response time (i.e., immediate vs. 24-hour).

What next steps would you make?

Endorse: • Ensure the police are contacted. • Make contact with Ms. Jones to assist her in taking steps to ensure the

immediate safety of her and Andy. • Assist the Child Protective Investigator as needed in the Present Danger

Assessment. • Coordinate with the Child Protective Investigator to make modifications

to the Safety Plan. Display Slide 3.3.18 (PG: 31)

Whenever a current plan is not sufficient the Case Manager should take the following actions to modify the Safety Plan.


• If the plan is no longer managing the danger threat takes protective actions immediately (in order to keep the child from being harmed).

This action includes identifying the specific danger threat that are not controlled by the current Safety Plan. Next you must identify whether there are ways to manage the identified danger threat with the child in the home; and if yes, contact persons or providers who can participate in providing safety services in an ongoing Safety Plan. Ensure that any new in-formal Safety Plan providers are assessed according to practice guidelines for “Informal Providers in Safety Plans.”

• Convene a Safety Planning conference with the parent, members of the

parent’s resource network and other safety service providers to modify the impending danger Safety Plan.

To the extent possible the Case Manager, parents and all other providers (formal or informal) should come together to revise the Safety Plan. Other participants may be invited as well if it is determined they can help strengthen the Safety Plan. During the Safety Planning conference there should be a review and discussion of the current family dynamics and conditions. This should lead to a discussion of each of the safety actions currently in the Safety Plan and whether they are the least restrictive based on current family dynamics and whether they are working dependably to fully manage the danger threat. Once this is completed modifications can be made based on your discussion. When making modifications identify the modifications that are needed and then, based on the family’s resources and input, determine what actions should be added, changed, or deleted from the plan. Once modifications are made to the Safety Plan, ensure everyone is in agreement with the changes.

• Supervisory consultation Consultation with your Supervisor should occur throughout this process to ensure that the correct modifications are made to the Safety Plan.


When an In-Home Safety Plan is no longer sufficient to manage the identified danger threats to keep a child safe, and the Case Manager has determined there are no other actions possible to strengthen the In-Home Safety Plan, they must act immediately to shelter the child. Since Case Managers are not authorized to take children into custody, there is a set of actions that must be followed including convening a staffing with a Child Protective Investigator and Children’s Legal Services to develop a placement plan and petition for shelter. If the Case Manager determines a child is in present danger while at the home and the safety of the child and/or Case Manager is threatened by remaining in the home the Case Manager may temporarily remove the child to a safer location until law enforcement or a Child Protective Investigator arrives. We are now going to return to the Sandler/Braun family. In this activity, you are going to read the case notes from the first interviews conducted and determine how well the Case Manager assumed the lead role for safety management and assessed the dependability of the Safety Plan. As you recall from training, once you inherit the Safety Plan, it is your job to ensure that it is working effectively to protect the child. You are expected to document everything. Activity D: Safety Plan Management with the Sandler/Braun Family Display Slide 3.3.19 (PG: 32)


Time: 30 minutes Purpose: This exercise gives participants an opportunity to review case documentation

that reflects assumption of Safety Plan responsibility and active diligence in assessing how it is working. This practice is important to help participants understand that Safety Planning is more than a piece of paper; it is an active, robust agreement with safety providers to be sure that the child is protected from the danger threat during the time that parent(s) work on changing the conditions that result in danger. Giving participants adequate time to conduct their review of this material and complete the worksheet will be necessary.

Materials: • PG: 32-35, Case Notes – Safety Plan Monitoring

• PG: 36-37, Safety Plan Monitoring worksheet Trainer Instructions:

• Have participants read the case notes for the Safety Plan monitoring interviews.

• Explain that the case notes are embellished. Some for purposes of participant learning (abbreviations spelled out, lots of detail, sentences completed, etc.)

• Review the Safety Plan Monitoring Worksheet. Ask the participants to

complete the worksheet as individuals after reading the Safety Plan monitoring interviews.

• After participants have completed the worksheet independently, process

each item as a large group. Activity Instructions:

1. Read the Safety Plan Monitoring Interviews Case Notes. 2. Complete the Safety Plan Monitoring worksheet. 3. Be prepared to discuss with the class.

Safety Plan Monitoring Worksheet Trainer version

Based on a review of case notes, for each person interviewed, answer the following questions, understanding that case notes only offer important clues as to the true level of family engagement. Only the family can really say how they felt after an interview. 1. What information in each interview was gathered to determine Safety Plan sufficiency?

a) Child

b) Safety Plan providers


c) Parent/Legal Guardians/Significant Caregivers

d) Who is missing? What else needs to be learned about the sufficiency of the Safety Plan?

2. Based on the information documented, are any modifications needed to the Safety Plan

at this time?

3. Identify three questions that are effective in gathering information about the Safety Plan.

4. What information learned and questions would you bring to the Safety Plan consultation

with your Supervisor?

Case Notes – Safety Plan Monitoring

Sandler/Braun 02.20.2014, 03:35 PM Worker Creating Note: Magnum, Thomas Category: Child Investigation Notification to Community Based Care (CBC) agency that investigation is closing today and CBC will have primary assignment. Resources:

− Michael Sandler, biological father of ACV James, Phone: 555.202.3521 or 555.228.1910 − Pam Block, maternal grandmother (MGM), Phone: 555.504.8628 − Duffy Sandler, James’ paternal grandfather (PGF) (brain surgery), Phone: 555.123.4567 − Ilene Sandler, James’ paternal grandmother (PGM), Phone: 555.123.4567 − Stephen Braun, paternal uncle of ACV Byron and Shane; Bruce’s brother, Phone:

555.123.4567 − PGM Leann Beys, Bruce’s mother. Phone: 555.123.4567 − Family Friend, Ed Barth, Phone: 555.123.4567 − Neighbors at 206 Kettering, Megan and Tony − FIS John Bosley (past evaluator) − ABC Parenting home-based parent educator Janie Smith (past provider), Phone:

555.555.5555 − James’ Teacher: James Madison, Florida City Elementary School − DCF Investigator Kelly Garrett


02.21.2014, 09:45 Worker Creating Note: Reid, Spencer Category: Case Management Telephone Contact PGM, Leann Beys CM introduced self to Mrs. Beys and responsibility for monitoring Safety Plan, also working with family on treatment and other services needed. Asked her understanding of current Safety Plan. She stated she takes the children on the weekends, from Friday evening to Sunday evening and she is to contact Pam Block if the father has been drinking to take the children to her or have her go to their house. CM asked how it is working- Mrs. Beys thinks it is good that people are drawing the line with him about his drinking. She says his father was an alcoholic and was abusive towards Bruce and his siblings and that Bruce had said that he didn’t want to turn out like his father. She said that James can be provocative with his behavior and it would be good to get some help with that. She felt Melanie was a good mother overall but not effective with discipline, especially with James. CM asked if anyone else was a provider in Safety Plan and Mrs. Beys said only Ms. Block. CM said that it was her understanding that Bruce’s friend, Ed Barth was to check on the home situation with Mrs. Block; CM will let Mrs. Beys know about Mr. Barth’s role once he is contacted. Mrs. Beys has phone number for Ed Barth and sees him often. CM gave CM phone number and asked to be called if Mrs. Beys had any concerns. Told her CM would be checking periodically. 02.21.2014, 10:05 Worker Creating Note: Reid, Spencer Category: Case Management Telephone Contact MGM, Pam Block CM introduced self to Mrs. Block and responsibility for monitoring Safety Plan, also working with family on treatment and other services needed. Asked her understanding of current Safety Plan. She stated—1) She is to go to the home when Bruce gets off work to make sure he is not drinking 2) she is supposed to help with the nightly routine with the children, including home work 3) she will take the children if Bruce gets too aggressive. Asked if there was anything else in plan; what was supposed to happen if anyone thought Bruce was drinking. She said Ed Barth will contact her if he checks in and says Bruce will be drinking, and Ms. Beys will contact her if she drops of the children and suspects he has been drinking. She said she talks to Melanie every day anyway and always asks her how things are going. CM asked how plan was working. Mrs. Block said she knows her daughter is depressed that she had to go back to work and leave the baby, plus all of this additional stress of the Department’s involvement. She knows that Bruce is upset about the Department’s involvement and she worries that Melanie might minimize problems to appease Bruce. She wants her daughter to


get help for herself, as well as her family. CM asked what do you think would be good for her daughter. She thought maybe some counseling would help. CM stated she will look into that for the mother. CM gave CM phone number and asked to be called if Mrs. Block had any concerns. Told her CM would be checking periodically 02.21.2014, 11:15 Worker Creating Note: Reid, Spencer Category: Case Management Telephone Contact Ed Barth, Family Friend CM introduced self to Mr. Barth and responsibility for monitoring Safety Plan, also working with family on treatment and other services needed. Asked his understanding of current Safety Plan. He stated— Bruce needs to not drink because it makes him aggressive and violent, so he is supposed to call Bruce every day on the way home from work to see if he is thinking about drinking. CM sked if there was anything else in Safety Plan. Mr. Barth stated that he is supposed to call Mrs. Block so that she could go to the home. CM asked how the Safety Plan is going so far. Mr. Barth stated that he has had no issues getting in contact with Mr. Braun, and Mr. Braun has indicated some frustrations but has stated he would not drink. He has not heard of any issues arising in the home so far. CM asked Mr. Barth if he had any concerns about the current Safety Plan. Mr. Barth said he worried what would happen if Bruce started drinking after he said he was not planning to. He thinks the stress of the current situation will “drive him to drinking.” 02.21.2014, 01:15 Worker Creating Note: Reid, Spencer Category: Case Management Telephone Contact Melanie Braun CM introduced self to Ms. Braun and responsibility for monitoring Safety Plan, also working with family on treatment and other services needed. Asked her understanding of current Safety Plan. She stated that her husband’s friend is supposed to call him every day to see if he is feeling like drinking, and his mother gets the children on weekends. CM asked if there was anything else in Safety Plan; what was supposed to happen if Bruce was drinking or violent. Melanie stated that her mother is supposed to come over every day and help with the children, and she will take the children if he begins to get violent or aggressive. CM asked Melanie if she had any concerns about the current Safety Plan. She said that it’s hard on her, her husband and the kids. She said that James and her husband love each other, they


just don’t know how to “deal with each other” sometimes. She asked if there might be some help with afterschool program for James, one that would include helping him get his homework done. She stated this would take some of the stress off of the family. CM stated that was great idea and would get back with her. CM asked if Melanie had any worries about Bruce possibly drinking and getting aggressive. She stated that because of the phone calls from Ed and her mother and his mother watching the children, she thinks that they are being monitored well enough for another incident to not happen. CM asked when would be a good time to come meet Melanie, Bruce and kids and talk about CM’s role and what happens next. Agreed that first family meeting would be on Monday, 2/24 at 4:14. Activity STOP Although we didn’t actually hear and observe the CM’s first interviews, based on our review of the notes and discussion, what does it appear that the CM accomplished?

Endorse: • Affirmed with all Safety Plan providers their understanding of plan. • Established Case Manager’s role as manager and enforcer of plan,

provided contact information to all Safety Plan providers. • Established some rapport with each person contacted. • Showed empathy to mom and her situation. • Identified an area of support that could be offered to mother. • Gathered additional information about family. • Everyone knows current situation “hard on both parents.” • MGM concerned that Melanie might minimize Bruce’s drinking

problems. • PGM shared that Bruce did not want to be like his father (an alcoholic). • Got information about some potential services for the family.

This concludes Module 3 on Safety Management. In the next module we will talk about the court process and how to work with families when an out-of-home placement has been made including family time/visitation.

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