An overview of Florida’s Practice Model
Florida Department of Children and Families
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
Protect the vulnerable, promote strong families, and advance family resiliency.
PARTNER
GATHER
INFORMATION
MONITOR &
ADAPT
ENGAGE
ASSESS &
UNDERSTAND
PLAN FOR
FAMILY CHANGE
PLAN FOR CHILD
SAFETY
OUR
PRACTICES
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
FAMILY
CENTERED
PRACTICE
TRAUMA
INFORMED
CARE
PARTNER
MONITOR &
ADAPT
GATHER
INFORMATION
ENGAGE
PLAN FOR
FAMILY
CHANGE
ASSESS &
UNDERSTAND
PLAN FOR
CHILD SAFETY
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families

Improved safety decision making

Reduced re-abuse and repeat
investigations

Policy and technology
improvements for efficiency

Professionalized and stable work
force

Statewide consistent child
welfare practices

Higher quality casework and
better outcomes for children and
families
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
think
differently.
•
New safety threat definitions
•
New assessments focused on present and impending
danger
•
New definitions for a safe and unsafe child
•
More guidance for assessing caregiver protective capacities
ABOUT CHILD SAFETY
•
New decision support tools to assess safety and classify risk
•
With e-learning modules, classroom instruction, coaching
activities about …
practice
differently.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
•
Information gathering and analysis
•
Solution driven interviews
•
Mobilizing family resources and networks
•
Engaging community expertise
•
Using interventions specific to caregiver protective
capacities
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
Intake through closure
INFORMATION DOMAINS: Making good decisions about safety begins with gathering sufficient information using
the following six standardized information domains throughout the life of a case.
1) Nature and Extent of the Maltreatment
2) Circumstances that Accompany the Maltreatment
3) Child Functioning
4) Adult Functioning
5) General Parenting Practices
6) Discipline and Behavior Management
SUFFICIENT INFORMATION is gathered and used during all phases of child welfare to determine if:
1) There are threats of danger to a child’s safety.
2) The child is vulnerable to those threats.
3) The parent(s) possess sufficient protective capacities to manage identified threats to child safety.
SAFE CHILDREN
UNSAFE CHILDREN
RISK ASSESSMENT SCORE
The child protective investigator develops a safety plan in collaboration with the
family and their support network to maintain the child safely in the home or
temporarily place child out of the home.
If at the completion of the investigation process
the child is determined to be safe . . .
The family may be referred for voluntary Family
Support Services or other community resources
for an array of prevention and diversion services
for safe children.
Case management services provide:
 On-going safety plan monitoring and management.
 To collaboratively develop a family assessment and case plan to
improve parental protective capacities.
 To return children to parent(s)’ care when an in-home safety plan is feasible
and sustainable.
 To provide for the care, safety, and protection of children in an environment
that fosters healthy social, emotional, intellectual and physical development
and promotes the safety, health and well-being of all children under the state’s
care.
 To achieve another permanency option for children who cannot be reunified.
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
Intake through closure
INFORMATION DOMAINS: Making good decisions about safety begins with gathering sufficient information using
the following six standardized information domains throughout the life of a case.
1) Nature and Extent of the Maltreatment
2) Circumstances that Accompany the Maltreatment
3) Child Functioning
4) Adult Functioning
5) General Parenting Practices
6) Discipline and Behavior Management
CASE PLANS TO IMPROVE
PROTECTIVE CAPACITIES
MANAGE SAFETY
THREATS
INFORMATION SUFFICIENCY
ACCURATE
ASSESSMENTS
SOUND SAFETY DECISIONS
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
Intake through closure
INFORMATION DOMAINS: Making good decisions about safety begins with gathering sufficient information using
the following six standardized information domains throughout the life of a case.
1) Nature and Extent of the Maltreatment
2) Circumstances that Accompany the Maltreatment
3) Child Functioning
4) Adult Functioning
5) General Parenting Practices
6) Discipline and Behavior Management
SUFFICIENT INFORMATION is gathered and used during all phases of child welfare to determine if:
1) There are threats of danger to a child’s safety.
2) The child is vulnerable to those threats.
3) The parent(s) possess sufficient protective capacities to manage identified threats to child safety.
SAFE CHILDREN
UNSAFE CHILDREN
RISK ASSESSMENT SCORE
The child protective investigator develops a safety plan in collaboration with the
family and their support network to maintain the child safely in the home or
temporarily place child out of the home.
If at the completion of the investigation process
the child is determined to be safe . . .
The family may be referred for voluntary Family
Support Services or other community resources
for an array of prevention and diversion services
for safe children.
Case management services provide:
 On-going safety plan monitoring and management.
 To collaboratively develop a family assessment and case plan to
improve parental protective capacities.
 To return children to parent(s)’ care when an in-home safety plan is feasible
and sustainable.
 To provide for the care, safety, and protection of children in an environment
that fosters healthy social, emotional, intellectual and physical development
and promotes the safety, health and well-being of all children under the state’s
care.
 To achieve another permanency option for children who cannot be reunified.
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
Intake through closure
INFORMATION
INFORMATION DOMAINS:
DOMAINS: Making
Making good
good decisions
decisions about
about safety
safety begins
begins with
with gathering
gathering sufficient
sufficient information
information using
using
the
the following
following six
six standardized
standardized information
information domains
domains throughout
throughout the
the life
life of
of aa case.
case.
1)
1) Nature
Nature and
and Extent
Extent of
of the
the Maltreatment
Maltreatment
2)
2) Circumstances
Circumstances that
that Accompany
Accompany the
the Maltreatment
Maltreatment
3)
3) Child
Child Functioning
Functioning
4)
4) Adult
Adult Functioning
Functioning
5)
5) General
General Parenting
Parenting Practices
Practices
6)
6) Discipline
Discipline and
and Behavior
Behavior Management
Management
SUFFICIENT INFORMATION is gathered and used during all phases of child welfare to determine if:
1) There are threats of danger to a child’s safety.
2) The child is vulnerable to those threats.
3) The parent(s) possess sufficient protective capacities to manage identified threats to child safety.
SAFE
CHILDREN
UNSAFE
CHILDREN
IS THE CHILD
CURRENTLY SAFE IN
THIS HOME?
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
Intake through closure
INFORMATION DOMAINS: Making good decisions about safety begins with gathering sufficient information using
the following six standardized information domains throughout the life of a case.
1) Nature and Extent of the Maltreatment
2) Circumstances that Accompany the Maltreatment
3) Child Functioning
4) Adult Functioning
5) General Parenting Practices
6) Discipline and Behavior Management
CPIs: More
robust SUFFICIENT INFORMATION is gathered and used during all phases of child welfare to determine if:
assessment
1) There are threats of danger to a child’s safety.
information
2) The child is vulnerable to those threats.
CMs: Enhanced
focus on safety
management
3) The parent(s) possess sufficient protective capacities to manage identified threats to child safety.
SAFE
CHILDREN
RISK ASSESSMENT SCORE
UNSAFE
CHILDREN
The child protective investigator develops a safety plan in collaboration with
the family and their support network to maintain the child safely in the home
or temporarily place child out of the home.
Case management services provide:
If at the completion of the
investigation process the child is
determined to be safe . . .
The family may be referred for
voluntary Family Support Services or
other community resources for an
array of prevention and diversion
services for safe children.
 On-going safety plan monitoring and management.
 To collaboratively develop a family assessment and case plan to
improve parental protective capacities.
 To return children to parent(s)’ care when an in-home safety plan is feasible
and sustainable.
 To provide for the care, safety, and protection of children in an environment
that fosters healthy social, emotional, intellectual and physical development
and promotes the safety, health and well-being of all children under the
state’s care.
 To achieve another permanency option for children who cannot be
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
reunified.
Intake through closure
SAFE
CHILDREN
UNSAFE
CHILDREN
Present/Impending
Dangers
RISK ASSESSMENT SCORE
If at the completion of the
investigation process the child is
determined to be safe . . .
The family may be referred for
voluntary Family Support Services or
other community resources for an
array of prevention and diversion
services for safe children.
CASE MANAGEMENT
SERVICES
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families