A Refresher on Court Reports

1. A Refresher on Court Reports In-Service Training Chris Brown Joe Kernan Sarah Noviks Summit County Juvenile Courthouse CASA/GAL Program of Summit County 650 Dan St. Akron OH 44310 33-643-2928

2. Tips to Remember • Please submit reports 7 days prior to your court hearing to your Volunteer Coordinator • We must file 7 days before a hearing (originally 3) • With a Permanent Custody report, it must be filed 7 days prior as well

3. Tips to Remember • This is a court document • NO slang • NO foul language • Do not abbreviate • NO “I” (This CASA/GAL) • NO initials anywhere • NO opinions…just the facts! • DO use Arial or Times New Roman font

4. Tips to Remember • Start your report right after your last hearing and add to it as you go. • Only include information from one hearing to the next • Put a reminder on your calendar every few weeks to update your report

5. Heading • To save yourself time: • Since the information is the same, copy and paste from your last report into the new document • Be sure to change the date, time, and hearing type

6. Case Contacts • Use Mr. Ms. Mrs., this is a court document • Do NOT use foster parents’ names • Do NOT use the child(ren)’s school names • Tab the contacts so they line up • Foster parents/kinship providers can be listed here, visits remain in the visit section

7. Attempted Contacts Unsuccessful • This section is for unsuccessful contacts • If you call someone and leave a message, and they call you back within a day or two it is not considered unsuccessful • If you call someone and they never call you back….. • If you go to a scheduled visit and no one is present…..

8. Reading of Records • Use SCCS instead of CSB • Counseling • Drug screen results • Online criminal checks • Medical • Education

9. Visits • In the child’s placement, parent’s home, or SCCS • If visit is at foster parent’s home, include foster parent under the visit • If visit is at kinship placement, include kinship provider • If visit is at parent’s home or SCCS, include individuals present who are a party to the case (parents, kinship provider)

10. Case History • Only use the ORIGINAL complaint • Do NOT use ongoing history of what has happened on the case • Use past tense

11. Summary of Activities • Summarize in a few paragraphs about each child • Do not list what you saw/what happened on each visit (on the 3/15/12 visit the CASA saw….) • Limit physical characteristics of children • Only list parties to the case • Children, parents, temporary or legal custodians • Always list children first! This is our focus

12. Summary of Activities: Children • In the children’s section make sure to cover: • Placement • Adjustment to placement • Services • School • Medical/development • Visits with parents/siblings

13. Summary of Activities: Parents • In the parents’ section be sure to include: • Case plan goals (also can copy and paste from previous reports) • Case plan compliance • List the fathers EVEN if they are not participating in case plan goals

14. *NEW* Wishes of Each Child • Similar to the summary of activities, there is a heading, and each child is listed with DOB and age • Include 1-2 sentences per child in regards to their wishes • For example: “Chris consistently expresses that he does not want to be in the custody of SCCS because he feels as if he is unable to lead a normal life. He wants to be at home with his father” • If the child is too young to express a wish: “Chris is an infant; therefore, he is too young to express his wishes.”

15. Assessments • Try to write recommendations first, then come back to assessments to explain WHY you want to make those recommendations • There should be a short summary about all the children and all parents

16. Recommendations • ON A SEPARATE PAGE! • Use bullet points • Only use a sentence or two per bullet • Custody • Placement • Any motions • Visitation • Services for children • Services for parents

17. QUESTIONS???