CONCURRENT PLANNING SERIES, Part II of IV: THE REUNIFICATION PROGNOSIS ASSESSMENT GUIDE

1. CONCURRENT PLANNING SERIES, Part II of IV:THE REUNIFICATION PROGNOSIS ASSESSMENT GUIDE Kylah Ross, MSW Sandra Lescoe, MSW Child Welfare Training Institute DES DCYF Policy June, 2009 In collaboration with Ann E. MacEachron Professor, School of Social Work, College of Public Programs, ASU – Downtown Campus

2. Directions • Full directions are on the website. Click the icon for ‘video-camera’ to switch between the short & long control panels. The short control panel has buttons like a VCR. The long control panel allows for scrolling, and shows the exact time for each slide and the presentation • At the end of each session, there is a required survey to show that you have completed the training to receive credit, and then an optional feedback form. Thank you!

3. Part II: Table of Contents The Reunification Prognosis Assessment Guide • For whom? • CSA/SRA/CP and the Assessment Guide • Tentative Hypothesis • Purpose of Poor Prognosis Indicators • Concurrent Permanency Plan Goal • Poor Prognosis Indicators

4. For whom? Not Every Child Not every child entering out-of-home care requires a Concurrent Plan A comprehensive assessment is critical in identifying children in need of Concurrent Planning

5. Arizona’s Safety and Risk Assessment In Arizona, the CSA/SRA/CP process is: • the comprehensive assessment foundation for informed decision–making and case planning • a uniformed and rigorous approach to safety and risk assessment and safety planning • an improved approach to case planning that focuses on identifying the specific behaviors/conditions that need to change

6. The RPA Guide: Purpose The Reunification Prognosis Assessment Guide is utilized as part of the assessment process to determine: • whether or not timely reunification will be difficult or unlikely, and • to identify children in need of Concurrent Planning

7. When? • Must occur within 45 days of the child’s initial placement in out-of-home care. This Reunification Prognosis Assessment Guide is also completed at critical decision points in the life of the case, for example, staffings, progress reviews, & case plan reassessment • The Guide is completed by CPS Specialist and in consultation with their Supervisor • Completed for both parents of the child

8. Tentative Hypothesis The CPS Specialist considers the family’s strengths, resources, and case history, to developa reasoned, tentative hypothesis about the potential of the family to make required changes within one year

9. Poor Prognosis Indicators • The Guide Provides a list of conditions, called “Poor Prognosis” indicators, which make timely reunification difficult or unlikely to occur within 12 months of child’s initial removal • Review Exhibit 28 in the Children’s Services Manual

10. A Checked Indicator • If one or more of the “Poor Prognosis” indicators are marked “yes” then Concurrent Planning activities and/or a Concurrent Plan is recommended • If a “Poor Prognosis” indicator is identified during the initial assessment and a Concurrent Permanency Goal was not identified, review and update the Reunification Prognosis Assessment Guide at each case plan staffing

11. Concurrent Permanency Goal If a “Poor Prognosis” indicator is identified, a final Concurrent Permanency goal must be established within six months of actively working with the family on both the reunification plan and Concurrent Planning activities The selection of the Concurrent Permanency Goal will be determined based upon case specific circumstances and consistent with the child’s best interest

12. Alternatives to Reunification The federally-defined hierarchy is: Termination and Adoption Permanent Guardianship Another permanent planned living arrangement (APPLA) if there is a compelling reason why termination is not in the child’s best interests

13. Reasonable Efforts “Court shall order the Department to make reasonable efforts to provide services” for reunification of the family

14. Aggravating Circumstances Under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA) and Arizona law, if certain aggravating circumstances are present the Court may, after a hearing, relieve the Department of its duty to provide reunification services • The Court may order a Concurrent Case Plan based on circumstances, and • The CPS Specialist should staff these circumstances with their Supervisor and AAG

15. Aggravating Circumstances Extreme Conditions Make Family Reunification Unlikely Extreme conditions define circumstances which permit the Court to relieve the Department of providing reunification services. Some examples are as follows:

16. Extreme Conditions Parent’s felony conviction for murder/sexual assault/of a child Parent’s rights to a sibling have been involuntarily terminated, parent has not addressed problems, and cannot currently discharge parental responsibilities

17. Extreme Conditions Parent has seriously abused (physical or emotional) a child or parent knew or reasonably should have known another person was abusing his or her child and did not protect Parent suffers from severe mental illness/deficiency and will not benefit from reunification

18. AZ’s 19 Indicators .

19. Indictor Types • Indicators marked with “*” are extreme conditions making family reunification a very low probability • Most of the remaining indicators reflect a history of the family

20. # 1 (Extreme Condition) * Is there evidence the parent or legal custodian murdered any child?

21. # 2 (Extreme Condition) * Is there evidence the parent or legal guardian has aided or abetted, attempted, conspired, or solicited to commit murder of any child?

22. # 3 (Extreme Condition) * Has the parent repeatedly inflicted chronic abuse, neglect, or torture on the child, a sibling or any child in the household where the child resides; the parent has repeatedly and with premeditation harmed or tortured any child?

23. # 4 Has the child experienced physical or sexual abuse in infancy by the parent or due to parent’s failure to protect?

24. # 5 Does the parent demonstrate persistent lack of emotional commitment to the child or does the parent dislike the child?

25. # 6 (Extreme Condition) *Is the parent’s only visible support system and only visible means of financial support illegal drugs, prostitution, or street life?

26. # 7 Is there evidence the parent is chronically addicted to debilitating illegal drugs or alcohol? Examples of such evidence may include repeated drug related arrests or conviction, or abuse of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy?

27. # 8 Is there a pattern of domestic violence which placed the child at risk of harm, with the inability to correct the situation?

28. # 9 Does the parent have a recent history of serious criminal activity, repeated detentions or incarcerations?

29. # 10 (Extreme Condition) *Has the parent’s rights to another child been terminated following a period of service delivery to the parent with no discernable change in behavior or conditions causing the child to be unsafe?

30. # 11 Have there been three or more CPS interventions for serious separate incidents, indicating a chronic pattern of abuse or severe neglect?

31. # 12 Have these or other children been placed in foster care or with relatives for periods of six months or longer or had repeated placements with CPS intervention with no discernable change in behavior or conditions causing children to be unsafe?

32. # 13 Has the parent abandoned the child with friends, relatives, hospital, or in foster care; or once the child is placed in substitute care, has the parent not visited on his/her own accord?

33. # 14 Has CPS provided preventive services (which may include in home services) more than three months which failed to keep the child with the parent?

34. # 15 Has the child been in out-of-home placement pursuant to a court order and reunified and then subsequently removed and placed in out-of-home placement?

35. # 16 Does minor parent have no parenting support systems and placement of the child and parent together have failed due to the parent’s behavior?

36. # 17 Has the parent or legal custodian asked to relinquish the child on more than one occasion?

37. # 18 (Extreme Condition) *Has the parent been diagnosed with severe mental illness (psychosis, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, sociopathy) for which he/she has not responded to previously delivered mental health services? Do the parent’s symptoms continue, rendering the parent unable to protect and nurture child?

38. # 19 Is the parent intellectually or mentally impaired showing significant self-care deficits and lacking a support system able to share parenting?

39. Handout of Guide The Reunification Prognosis Assessment Guide is attached

40. Policy CHERYL RUSSELL – D II JACOB SCHMITT – CO JENNIFER BILLARD – D III KATHERINE GUFFEY – CO LINDA BEDNAREK – FCRB LINDA JOHNSON – CO LYNNE SNYDER – D V MYRIAM BARAJAS – D I NANCY LOGAN – Former AAG REGINA YAZZIE – NAVAJO NATION SUE SCHMELZ – CO Acknowledgements

41. Infrastructure AVARAE JOHN – SALT RIVER PIMA BETH ROSENBERG – CAC BILL CALLAGHAN – FCRB CAROLINE LOTT-OWENS – AOC CHERYL RUSSELL – D II DELIA ARNOLD – D IV JUDY SHEIRBON – AAG MICHELLE PARKER – D I NANETTE GERBER – D I ROB SHELLEY – CIP WARREN KOONTZ – ITCA Acknowledgements

42. Stakeholders BEVERLEE KROLL – CO BONNIE MARCUS – CASA CAROLYN SMITH – FCRB JEANINE KENYON – ATTORNEY JIM YANG-HELEWELL – CASEY LEWIS LANE – CO NELSONJA BASTIAN – SALT RIVER PIMA REGINA YAZZIE – NAVAJO NATION SANDY GUIZZETTI – FCRB VICKI TORRES – D VI Acknowledgements

43. References Children and Family Services. Practice guide for concurrent permanency planning. Minnesota Department of Human Services. St. Paul, MN. www.dhs.state.mn.us. Katz, L., Spoonemore, N., & Robinson, C. (1994). Concurrent Planning From Permanency Planning to Permanency Action, Lutheran Social Services of Washington and Idaho, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. Katz, L. (2001). Concurrent planning: Benefits & pitfalls. In Kathy Barbell & Lois Wright (eds), Family foster care in the next century. Transaction Publishers.

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