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Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families
Department Operating Procedure
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Page 1 of 4
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Title:
Screening and Response Unit
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Related Forms:
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I. PURPOSE
The Screening and Response Unit (SRU) within the Department of Children, Youth and Families (hereinafter, the Department) assists families seeking help with navigating community services through assessments where appropriate, community service referrals, and transfers from CPS to FSU and CSBH, with or without legal involvement, when ongoing case management is required. The SRU does not provide long-term case management. When the Screening and Response Unit determines an assessment is necessary, the Unit’s involvement is limited to the duration of the assessment and referral period.
A Screening and Response Unit worker processes all child welfare referral calls during standard working hours (8:30 AM to 4:00 PM weekdays). During non-standard working hours (4:00 PM to 8:30 AM weekends and holidays), child welfare referral calls are processed through the Call Floor. A SRU worker follows up on the referral on the next business day.
The SRU performs the Department's screening, assessment, and referral function for child welfare matters involving families not active with the Department. A child welfare referral call that is received by the Call Floor or the Screening and Response Unit regarding an active case (child and/or family) is directed to the assigned primary social caseworker in the Family Services Unit (FSU).
II. TERMS DEFINED
None Identified
III. PROCEDURE
A. A Child Welfare referral (telephone call, in-person contact) is directed to the Screening and Response Unit’s (SRU) Help Line during standard working hours (8:30 AM to 4:00PM) if the Call Floor or another unit within the Department receives the request for information or assistance.
1. The following calls are referred to the Screening and Response Unit:
a. Reports made to the CPS Hot Line, which do not meet the criteria for a CPS Investigation but do meet the requirements for a prevention assessment (refer to DOP: 500.0015; Family Assessment Response).
b. The family court may request a DCYF family assessment prior to deciding a juvenile matter or a domestic relations situation. The Court may also order a child, who comes before the court on a wayward petition, into placement. Both the court study request and placement order are carried out by the Department's SRU staff when the case is not active with the Department. If the child's case is open to the Department, the assigned primary service worker completes the court request for study or placement.
c. Callers requesting assistance or services from the Department.
2. Requests for service:
a. The CPS Hot Line informs callers requesting services of the SRU Help Line phone number 1-888-RI-FAMLY (1-888-743-2659).
b. When a telephone request for services is made, the SRU caseworker asks for the person’s name. Using RICHIST, the caseworker conducts a Person Search. If the person is found in RICHIST, a Case Search is conducted. If there is an active primary service worker, the caller is directed to the assigned worker. The client call is documented on the Call Log.
c. When there is no active case, the call is documented on the Call Log and opened to the SRU, if warranted.
3. Case Assignment
a. CPS makes an electronic referral to the SRU.
b. The SRU administrator, or designee, reviews the referrals daily and assigns the case to an SRU caseworker.
c. Cases referred for legal involvement are prioritized for case assignment.
B. Screening and Response Unit Caseworker Responsibilities:
1. For an ex-parte case, provide support to meet the immediate needs of the child.
a. The SRU may provide interim case coordination for families whose children have been removed when a case is being transferred from CPS to FSU.
b. Providing for a smooth transition ensures that basic needs are met, placements are not disrupted, and the family and caregivers have a resource available who can access supports until the FSU worker is assigned.
c. Provide coverage for arraignments if necessary (limited to 3 days of the case assignment to the SRU), assist the resource family with accessing daycare, home-based crisis services, emergency furniture, and vouchers for basic needs such as clothing, diapers, and groceries for kinship homes.
d. Assist coordinating ESSA transportation needs, if necessary.
e. The SRU caseworker does not assume full case management of the family. Coverage is limited to three business days.
f. CPS remains responsible for the appropriate service referrals related to safety planning, any work related to legal actions, and the completion of an investigation as well as the assessment and approval of relative placements, and the completion of all required documentation.
2. Refer caller to the appropriate Department Division or community providers for services.
3. Work with assigned families on a voluntary basis to ensure the child’s needs are met, and to assist caregivers. There may be occasions when a Family Functioning Assessment (FFA) is necessary due to elevated risk of harm to a child. The following definitions of risk of harm below should be used to determine if the family should be assessed utilizing the FFA.
a. Risk of physical abuse. This describes circumstances where the child has not yet experienced harm, it can reasonably be concluded that if the circumstances continue without change, physical abuse will likely occur.
b. Risk of sexual abuse. This refers to situations where, although the child has not yet experienced harm and there may have been no known sexually abusive actions, it can reasonably be concluded that the current circumstances represent a threat of sexual abuse. Examples of this type of situation include but are not limited to the following:
i. A person who previously sexually abused this or another child, including having prior or current child pornography charges, is a household member or has regained access to the child or other children in the residence.
ii. There are indications that the child is being groomed. “Grooming” refers to a deliberate and escalating pattern of actions taken to lower a child’s inhibitions in preparation for sexual abuse (e.g., treating the child as “more special” than other children, talking about age-inappropriate sexual topics, exposing the child to pornography, deliberate self-exposure).
c. Risk of neglect. Risk of neglect indicates the caregiver(s) is demonstrating behaviors that are cause for concern, the behaviors indicate a trend or escalating pattern toward the potential inability to meet the child’s basic needs, and this failure can reasonably be expected to produce a substantial and demonstrably adverse impact on the child’s safety, welfare, or well-being. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
i. Caregiver appears to be suffering from mental health conditions and unlikely to meet the child’s basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, or protection from harm.
ii. There are indications the Caregiver has little interest in taking care of themselves or the children and the children are vulnerable
iii. One partner’s financial control appears to be preventing the other from purchasing items needed for the basic care of the child (e.g., father does not allow mother to have access to bank account and only gives her limited cash when he chooses, which prevents her from having enough to buy food, clothing, or medicine for the child as needed).
iv. Caregivers intellectual disability is likely to impair their ability to provide adequate care, supervision, or protection for a vulnerable child and the Caregiver is reluctant or refuses to allow extended family members or other supports to assist in caregiving.
4. Obtain from the parents, legal guardians, or child the names of persons who can provide additional information about the needs of the child and family.
a. Encourage and assist the parents or legal guardians in contacting extended family members who may be able to support the family.
b. The SRU caseworker is responsible for having face-to-face contact with parents and child within three business days of assignment to the case, in accordance with DOP: 500.0015; Family Assessment Response.
5. The SRU casework supervisor assigns the case to FSU if the FFA identifies needs that warrant ongoing case management.
a. The SRU caseworker contacts parents to inform them that the case has been assigned to an FSU worker and when applicable, notifies them of the court date.
b. The SRU caseworker may gather additional information which may be needed about the child.
C. Assignment to the Screening and Response Unit concludes with one of the following dispositions:
1. No further agency involvement is necessary, and the reasons are documented in a CAN;
2. Referral to other agency including but not limited to early intervention services;
3. Transfer to the Children’s Behavioral Health Unit for service referral if the SRU caseworker determines that the caller is seeking services to address a child’s serious emotional disturbance (SED) or intellectual developmental disability (IDD) condition with significant functional impairments in multiple domains. Refer to DOP: 100.0330; Children’s Behavioral Healthcare Coordination ; or
4. Referral to the CPS Hotline if there is information learned during the FFA regarding an allegation of child abuse and neglect;
5. Transfer to FSU without legal status.in accordance with DOP: 1100.0055; Filing a Straight Petition and DOP: 700.0215; Transfer of Non-Legal Status Cases to FSU when children are determined to be in impending danger, but the Safety Plan Determination process indicates an in-home safety plan is appropriate and is in place.
6. A case disposition is made within 30 days of assignment to the SRU. The SRU caseworker supervisor may submit a request to the SRU administrator for a 15- day extension, if necessary.