Case Planning Basics

Version 3.0

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Introduction

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Learning Objectives• K1.The trainee will be able to identify the difference between case plan goals, objectives, and

services.• K2. The trainee will be able to define Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC) as the primary

consideration for addressing child and youth safety in case planning. • K3. The trainee will be able to identify the role of standardized assessment in case plan

development.• K4. The trainee will recognize reasonable efforts and active efforts as the minimum standard to

support families in meeting case plan goals.• K5. The trainee will be able to recognize how the impact of trauma may affect the case planning

process.• K6. The trainee will be able to recognize S.M.A.R.T. objectives. • Values • V1. The trainee will value prioritizing child, youth, and family needs in case plan objectives.• V2. The trainee will value embedding safety linked behaviors and protective capacities in case

plan objectives.• V3. The trainee will value the case plan as a mutually agreed upon document that contains the

obligations and roles of the department and the family.

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Agenda• Section 1: Components of the Case Plan

– Define the case plan process– Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC) and the case plan– Case plan goals, service objectives, and client responsibilities– Timelines

• Section 2: Developing the Case Plan – How the assessment drives the case plan– Factors and practices that impact the case planning process– Writing S.M.A.R.T. objectives

• Section 3: Implementing the Case Plan– Reasonable vs active efforts– Prioritization of activities

• Section 4: Additional Case Plan Requirements– Legal Requirements– Other case plan activities

• Section 5: Case Scenario

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The Art of Case Planning

• Highly structured• Meets specific

requirements• Individually tailored• Engages participants

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Section 1: Components of a Case Plan

• Case Plan Definitions• Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC)• Case Plan Requirements

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Case Plan Definitions• Engagement

• Permanence

• Case Plan

• Case Plan Update

• Concurrent Services

• Participatory Case Planning

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Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC)

• The social standard for the minimum of parent behavior below which a home is inadequate for the care of a child

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Case Plan Requirements

• Engagement, Assessment• Goal for Permanency• Service Objectives• Client Responsibilities• Timeline

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Case Plan Goals

• There are 9 possible goals– Remain home (FM)– Return home (FR)– Adoption with siblings (PP)– Adoption (PP)– Maintain in legal guardianship (PP)– Legal guardianship (PP)– *Tribal Customary Adoption (PP)

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Case Plan Goals (continued)

– Long term foster care with relative caregiver– Long term foster care– Stable foster care with emancipation– Non Minor Dependent Youth

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Concurrent Planning

• A plan of reunification and an alternate permanent plan

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Permanency

• Poorer outcomes for youth who do not achieve permanency

• Legal Permanency• Life Long Connections and Emotional

Permanency

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(Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013)

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Knowledge Check

• The process of establishing an alternate permanency path should the primary case plan of reunification fail is known as developing a:

a) Case goalb) Service objectivec) Concurrent pland) Client responsibility

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Case Plan Requirements (continued)

• Service Objectives in CWS/CMS – you document behavioral objectives

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Case Plan Requirements (cont)

• Client Responsibilities

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Case Plan Requirements (cont)

• Timelines in Meeting the Goals

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Juvenile Dependency Process

• Disposition Hearing• Review Hearings• 366.26 hearing

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Knowledge Check

• The 336.26 hearing is known as the:a) Dispositional Hearingb) Selection and Implementation Hearingc) Permanency Hearingd) Jurisdictional Hearing

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Case Planning Timelines

• 60 days from first face to face contact• Within six months and every six months

thereafter

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Structured Decision Making Tools

• Family Strengths and Needs Assessment (FSNA)

• Reunification Assessment• Risk Reassessment• Safety Assessment

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Section 2: Developing the Case Plan

• Using the standardized assessment• Being trauma informed when engaging the

family• Include a cultural perspective of the family• Working towards mutual agreement of the

case plan• Writing S.M.A.R.T objectives

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Using the Standardized Assessment

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Trauma Informed Case Planning

• Past and Current Trauma in Children• Trauma Histories in Birth Parents

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Partnering with the Family

• Engagement Practices

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Examples of family involvement strategies:• Families participate in service

planning• Families complete satisfaction

surveys• Families are involved in program

evaluation

Examples of Family Partner ship:• Families serve as equal partners

in service planning• Families consult on projects• Families have genuine

participation on advisory boards

Family Engagement Goal: Engage family in services and improve service utilization

Family Involvement:Goal: Involve families at every step of the service

delivery and evaluation process

Family PartnersGoal: Partner with Families by valuing and utlizing their input on par with the providers within agencies. Families have equal voice and input into processes

that may continue after they have left services

Examples of Family Engagement Strategies:• Clarify the helping process for the family• Focus on immediate and practical concerns• Problem solve potential barriers to services (McKay,

Stoewe, McCadam & Gonzales, 1998).

Family Partnership Model

National Child Stress Traumatic Network, 2013. Adapted from Chadwick Center for Children and Families, 2009 p.3

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Partnering with the Family

• From a cultural humility perspective

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(Needell, 2013)

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Working towards mutual agreement of the case plan

• Barriers that may interfere with getting to a mutual agreement

• Strategies that may enhance getting to a mutual agreement

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Behavior Objectives and Client Responsibilities

• CWS/CMS

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S.M.A.R.T. OBJECTIVES

• Specific• Measurable• Achievable• Result Focused • Time Limited

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Writing Objectives within CWS/CMS

• Child Welfare System/Case Management System

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SMART Objective

• Wendy agrees to stay free from drugs and alcohol and show her ability to live free from drug and alcohol dependency. She agrees to comply with all drug tests.– The children and extended family will report that they have not seen

Wendy high or drunk– Wendy agrees to random drug testing and that her drug test will be

negative– Wendy agrees to discuss what step in her recovery she is working on

at each visit with her social worker.– Wendy agrees to find a female sponsor who has a minimum of one

year sober in a 12 step program• The date of completion is the six month date from the signing

of the case plan.

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Client Responsibilities

• Wendy agrees to stay free from drugs and alcohol and show her ability to live free from drug and alcohol dependency. She agrees to comply with all drug tests.– The children and extended family will report that they have not seen

Wendy high or drunk– Wendy agrees to random drug testing and that her drug test will be

negative– Wendy agrees to discuss what step in her recovery she is working on

at each visit with her social worker.– Wendy agrees to find a female sponsor who has a minimum of one

year sober in a 12 step program• The date of completion is the six month date from the signing

of the case plan.

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Case Plan Filed Tool (2014) http://calswec.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/case_plan_field_tool_for_parents_122014.pdf

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Section 3: Implementing the Case Plan

• Reasonable vs Active Efforts

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• Reasonable vs active efforts – ICWA

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• Reasonable vs active efforts– Documentation

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Knowledge check

• Reasonable vs active efforts

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Implementing the Case Plan

• Prioritizing

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Implementing the Case Plan

• Additional Legal Requirements– ICWA

– ILP

– Child Well-being Efforts– Face to face visits

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Legal Requirements

• Educational Stability Requirements

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Legal Requirements

• Behavioral Health Needs

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Legal Requirements

• Behavioral Health Needs

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Section 4: Other Case Plan Requirements

• Assessment of placement needs• Visitation and Family Time• Social Work contact with Substitute Caregiver• Child well-being information• Explanation and progress of special placement

circumstances

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Case Plan Updates

• CMS/CWS

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Section 5: Case Scenario

• Marcus and Marissa

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What is missing from the following objective: S. M. A. R. or T ?

The social worker will work with Marcus, Kelly and Sharon Henderson and Jenna Madsen to make sure the Marcus is both physically and psychologically safe during visitation.

– The Hendersons and Ms. Madsen will meet within 10 days to develop a visitation and family time plan, including dates, locations and hours. The Hendersons will supervise the family time visits until the social worker has evaluated the visits.

– The social worker will observe Jenna and Marcus on 2 visitation and family times and provide feedback to Jenna on strengths and areas of concern on her parenting.

– The social worker will have face to face contact with Marcus and the Henderson’s on a monthly basis to address Marcus’s feelings and concerns about visitation and family time with his mother.

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a) Specificb) Measurablec) Achievabled) Result Focusede) Timely

What legal requirement still needs to be addressed in this family? Check all that apply

a) Independent Living Skillsb) Educational Stabilityc) Indian Child Welfare Actd) Concurrent Plane) Contact and a plan with Marissa’s father

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What statement below best fits the definition of a client responsibility for Marissa’s negative

behaviors?a) The social worker will work with the caregivers

to help them partner with biological parent.b) The caregivers will work with Marissa on

managing her negative behaviors.c) The social worker will work with the therapist

to decrease Marissa’s negative behaviors.d) The parent and caregiver will attend 8

sessions of parenting coaching at the South Bay Service Center.

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What is the best fit of the following activities to meet the following behavioral objective? The social worker will work with the caregivers to help them partner with biological parent.

a) Within 30 days, the social worker will have a meeting with the caregiver and biological parent.

b) Within 30 days, the social worker will have a biological parent/caregiver meeting to develop a visitation plan.

c) Within 30 days, the social worker will have a meeting to discuss the concurrent plan with the biological parent.

d) Within 30 days, the social worker will have a meeting with the caregivers about their concerns with the biological parent.

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Summary

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Resources

• California Child Welfare Indicators Project http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare/default.aspx

• Child Welfare Information Gateway – Child-centered Casework Practice https://www.childwelfare.gov/famcentered/caseworkpractice/

• National Center for Permanency and Family Connections http://www.nrcpfc.org/

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network –Child Welfare System http://www.nctsn.org/resources/topics/child-welfare-system

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Question 1

Case plans must be formulate no later than ___ days from the first face to face contact.a) 30b) 45c) 60d) 75

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Question 2

The social standard for the minimum of parent behavior below which a home is inadequate for the care of a child is called:a) Minimum Standard Level of Careb) Minimum Statewide Level of Carec) Minimum Sufficient Level of Cared) Minimum Community Level of Care

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Question 3

Of the following goals, which is considered to not be a true permanency goal?a) Guardianshipb) Adoptionc) Long Term Care d) Reunification

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Question 4

• What factor(s) impact the case planning process? Check all that apply:

a) Culture of the familyb) Past traumac) Substance abused) Family supports

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Question 5

The 366.26 hearing in Juvenile Court is also known as the:a) Dispositional Hearingb) Selection and Implementation Hearingc) Jurisdictional Hearingd) Post Permanency Hearing

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Question 6

Arranging the case plan activities to best meet the family’s circumstances is known as ______.a) Prioritizingb) Selectingc) Sequencingd) Planning

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Question 7

The “how” of the case plan – what families will do to meet the sufficient level of care for children is known as:a) Case objectivesb) Service responsibilitiesc) Service objectivesd) Client responsibilities

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Question 8

Legal Requirements in that need to be addressed in the case plan. (Check all that apply).a) ICWAb) Educational Stabilityc) Parent’s Historyd) Independent Living Skills

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Question 9

Paul agrees to take steps to find and keep a legal source of income, is considered part of a:a) Case plan goalb) Service objectivec) Client responsibilityd) Planned service

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Question 10

The A in SMART objectives refers to:a) Accessibleb) Accuratec) Achievabled) Aptly

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