PPG 03-05-029
DSS Policy and Procedure Guide
Division 03: Child Welfare
Chapter 05: Placement
Item 029: Group Home Placements
Suggested changes send to: DSS PSOA Mailbox
Issued: December 30, 2013
References: All County Letter (ACL) 13-86,
ACL 13-87, PPG 03-05-028
Revisions in Red
Replaces Issue: November 19, 2008
Preamble
Child Welfare Policy and Procedure Guides are meant to be used as tools to relay best practice and
staff expectations. It is understood that specific case scenarios may not always align themselves
with the stated practices and that at all times what is of paramount importance is the Safety and
Well-being of the children we are charged to protect.
Policy
It is the policy of the Department of Social Services (DSS) that all children and youth requiring
placement in out of home care will be evaluated for the least restrictive level of care necessary to
meet their needs. Prior to placement of any child/youth in a group home setting, all other placement
options must be exhausted. In addition, within 30 days of placement a case plan shall be developed
that identifies the needs of the child/youth, the services that will be provided to meet the needs of the
child/youth, and a plan, including timeframes, to step the child down to a lower level of care.
For group home placements regarding Non-Minor Dependents, please refer to PPG 03-05-028,
Placement of Non-Minor Dependents.
Purpose
To provide guidance to Child Welfare staff in regards to the steps and procedures required prior to
and during a child’s/youth’s placement in a group home setting.
Procedure
Prior to placement of a child/youth in a group home setting, an initial Teaming Meeting with all
concerned parties shall be initiated to:

Ensure all other placement options have been exhausted [parents, relatives, non-related
extended family members (NREFM), county and FFA resource parents].

Discuss what level of group home is required to meet the needs of the child/youth.

Discuss what services are needed to stabilize the child/youth and prepare them for a stepdown to a lower level of care.
When it is not possible to arrange a Teaming Meeting prior to placement of the child/youth in a
group home setting, the meeting must occur within 3 business days of placement.
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If it is determined there are no other placement options, the assigned Social Worker (SW) shall
complete a Foster Placement Request form (6252) and attach the most current Health and Education
Passport (HEP) and any other relevant documents.
The 6252 and attachments must be reviewed and signed, either in person or electronically, by a
Social Work Supervisor (SWS) and/or a Program Manager (PM). Once these signatures are
obtained, the 6252 with attachments is submitted to Foster Parent Resources (FPR) to begin the
search for an appropriate group home placement. If the assigned SW is unable to obtain a PM’s
signature, a copy of the 6252 can be submitted to FPR; however, within 24 hours of submittal, the
original 6252 with a PM’s signature must be submitted to FPR. The 6252 form may be e-mailed to
CWS FPR.
For children twelve years old or younger, the 6252 must also be reviewed and signed in person or
electronically by the Child Welfare Deputy Director (CWDD). If the CWDD is not available, the
DSS Director shall be contacted for approval.
Children/Youth Placed in Group Homes after Hours
Approval by the on-call PM is required prior to group home placement for youth ages 13 and older.
Approval by the CWDD is also required for children ages 0-12. If the CWDD is not available after
hours, the on-call PM may approve the placement; however, approval from the CWDD or DSS
Director must be obtained the next business day.
Initial placement in a group home after normal working hours and on the weekends will require the
assigned SWS to complete a case review within 24 business hours to ensure that the placement of
the child/youth in a group home is appropriate and all other placement options have been exhausted
(parents, relatives, NREFM, county and FFA resource parents). If a relative and/or NREFM comes
forward and requests placement, the referral form will be submitted to Home Approval Unit for
assessment.
If after the case review and in consultation with the assigned SW it is determined that the behaviors
exhibited by the child/youth does not warrant group home placement, and relative and/or NREFM
placement is not available, a new 6252 will be submitted to FPR within 3 working days to locate a
resource home that can meet the needs of the child/youth.
Case Plan
Within the first 30 days of placement, the child/youth, the assigned SW, group home staff and other
parties identified by the child/youth, SW or group home staff will participate in a Teaming Meeting
to develop the case plan. The case plan must include the following:

A review of the placement options that have been explored with the youth, including
identified family, NREFM, and/or resource family placements that have been identified
and/or assessed.

All services that will be provided to the youth (e.g., visitation, medical and dental care,
education, mental health therapy, etc).
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
The plan agreed upon by the assigned SW, Group Home, and child/youth, including time
frames, for stepping the child/youth down to a lower level of care.
A Teaming Meeting shall then be held at 3, 6, 9 and 12 month intervals, or sooner if necessary, to
review the case plan and ensure the following:

Services provided are meeting the needs of the child/youth; and,

The child/youth is on track to be stepped down to a lower level of care; and,

The case plan is updated as necessary to meet the needs of the child/youth.
For children 0-12 years old the case plan must also be approved by the CWDD or DSS Director and
must indicate the following:

The group home placement is for the purposes of providing short-term, specialized and
intensive treatment to the child; and,

The need for, nature of, and anticipated duration of treatment.
In addition, group home placements shall not exceed 120 days for children 0-5 years old, or six
months for children 6-12 years old unless approved by the CWDD or DSS Director and the case plan
indicates the following:

DSS has made progress toward or is actively working toward implementation of the case
plan that identifies the services and supports necessary to transition the child to a family
setting; and,

Circumstances beyond the control of the DSS have prevented DSS from obtaining those
services or supports within the timeline documented in the case plan and additional time is
needed.
NOTE: Each group home placement extended beyond the initial 120 days (0-5) or six months (6-12)
is subject to the above requirements and must be re-approved by the CWDD or DSS Director no less
frequently than every 60 days.
Cases Transferred with Youth Placed in a Group Home
No child/youth will be transferred to a new task area prior to completion of the initial Group Home
Placement Teaming Meeting and the development of a case plan that identifies the needs of the
child/youth, planned services, and a plan for stepping the child/youth down to a lower level of care.
When a child is placed in a group home while in the ER task area, the child’s Placement Teaming
Meeting will be combined with the Detention/Imminent Risk Team Decision-Making meeting, with
no additional meetings required prior to transferring the case.
The case will be reviewed by the receiving SWS to ensure that the placement Teaming Meeting was
conducted and it was determined that placement of the child/youth in a group home was appropriate
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and all other placement options have been exhausted (parents, relatives, NREFM, county and FFA
resource parents).
The case plan will be reviewed by the receiving SWS to ensure it identifies the needs of the
child/youth, all planned services, and a plan for stepping the child/youth down to a lower level of
care.
If the receiving SWS determines a Teaming Meeting has not occurred and/or the case plan has not
been completed or is incomplete, the receiving SWS will consult with the sending SWS to determine
a date by which the required action(s) will take place, which shall not exceed 3 business days for the
Teaming Meeting to occur or 30 calendar days for completion of the case plan.
Children/Youth in Group Home Care for Over One Year
Semi-annually the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will provide a list of
children/youth that have been placed in one or more group homes for the past year. Each
child/youth on the list shall be reassessed to determine whether or not their placement in group home
care remains suitable and appropriate based upon their identified needs and strengths. The assigned
SW is encouraged to utilize existing assessment tools (e.g., SDM, CAPP, SOP, etc.) to identify the
child’s/youth’s current service needs and strengths. If the reassessment determines that the
child/youth no longer requires a group home placement, the assigned SW shall develop a plan of
transition to a lower level of care that is best suited to meet the needs of the child/youth.
NOTE: Existing statute specifies the placement priorities as placement with relatives, non-relative
extended family members, tribal members, foster family home, licensed community care facility,
group home and residential treatment [W&IC section 361.2, 16501.1(c)(1)].
As outlined in CDSS ACL 13-86, the assigned SW shall document the reassessment in the Contact
Notebook in CWS/CMS as follows:

Enter the appropriate start date and end date for the contact.

Contact method should be “in-person”. (Note: This activity can take place during the
monthly caseworker visit.)

For the Contact Purpose select “conduct client evaluation” from the drop down menu,

For “On Behalf of Child” select the child/youth identified on this list.

Contact Party Type – select Staff Person/Child

In the Narrative dialog box document the following:
o Begin the narrative with the phrase - “Reassessment of a child/youth in group care”.
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o For those youth whom it is determined that group care continues to be suitable and
appropriate, include information supporting the continued placement needs of the
child/youth. This would include information as to why continuation in a group home
placement is the best alternative available to meet the special needs of the child and what
strategies are being considered to transition the child to a less restrictive level of care.
o For those youth whose reassessment has determined that group care is no longer suitable
or appropriate, include information regarding the plan for transition being sure to include
information about when it is expected that the child/youth will transition and where the
child/youth will transition to (relative, parent or Foster Family Agency with In Home
Behavioral Services, Therapeutic Foster Care services).

If a transitional plan is developed or changed, the case plan should be updated as necessary to
reflect any changes in services and case plan goals.
NOTE: Below are CWS/CMS screen shots to assist with recording the necessary information on the
reassessment of each youth as described above. Completion of these fields will allow CDSS to
compile necessary information about these children/youth for legislative reporting.
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(1) Click the “+” button to create a new contact from the “Select On Behalf Of Child” Box. Select
the child/youth identified on this list. Click the “OK” button.
(2) Enter the appropriate Start Date and End Date.
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(3) Contact Method should be “in-Person”. (Note this activity can take place during the monthly
caseworker visit.)
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(4) For the Contact Purpose select “Conduct Client Evaluation”.
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(5) Click the “+” button on the “Contact Party Type” grid, select “Staff Person/Child”. Click the
“OK” button.
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(6) In the Narrative dialog box, document the following:

Begin the narrative with the phrase, “Reassessment of a child/youth in group care”.

For those youth for whom it is determined that group care continues to be suitable and
appropriate, include information supporting the continued placement needs of the
Child/Youth and, if appropriate, the plan to transition youth to a family-like setting.

For those youth whose reassessment has determined that group care is no longer suitable or
appropriate, include information regarding the plan for transition being sure to include
information about when it is expected that the child/youth will transition and where the
child/youth will transition to (relative, parent, Foster Family Agency with In Home
Behavioral Services or Therapeutic Foster Care services).
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(7) If a transitional plan is developed or changed, then the Case Plan should be updated as
necessary.
Click the “Existing Case Plan” button to open and update the Case Plan.
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