Safety Intervention refers to all the actions and decisions required throughout the life of a case to a) assure that an unsafe child is protected; b) expend sufficient efforts necessary to support and facilitate a child’s caregivers taking responsibility for the child’s protection; and c) achieve the establishment of a safe, permanent home for the unsafe child. Safety intervention consists of identifying and assessing threats to child safety; planning and establishing safety plans that assure child safety; managing safety plans that assure child safety; and creating and implementing remedial case plans that enhance the capacity of caregivers to provide protection for their children.
Safety Intervention System refers to a unified whole comprised of case practice and decision making components or parts. The case practice and decision making parts are related to each other and are progressively connected to achieve two purposes: To protect children in impending danger and to restore caregivers to their protective role and responsibility
Safety Intervention System Framework refers to the agency and program structure essential to producing and maintaining a quality safety intervention system and effective safety intervention. The framework is formed by seven agency operations: policy; procedure; staff development; information system; supervision; program management; and quality assurance
Safe Home refers to the required safety intervention outcome that must be achieved in order for a case that involves an unsafe child to be successfully closed. A safe home is a qualified environment and living circumstance that once established can be judged to assure a child’s safety and provide a permanent living arrangement. A safe home is qualified by the absence or reduction of threats of severe harm; the presence of sufficient parent or caregiver protective capacities; the existence of refuge experienced by a child; perceived and felt security by a child; and confidence in consistency and endurance of the conditions that produced the safe home. The term “safe home” is used in the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) as the objective of CPS intervention.
Safety refers to the absence of present or impending danger to a child or sufficient caregiver protective capacities to assure that a child is protected from danger.
Unsafe refers to the presence of present or impending danger to a child and insufficient caregiver protective capacities to assure that a child is protected.
Threat to Child Safety refers to specific conditions, behavior, emotion, perceptions, attitudes, intent, actions or situations within a family that represent the potential for severe harm to a child. A threat to child safety may be classified as present danger and impending danger.
Caregiver Protective Capacities refers to personal and parenting behavioral, cognitive, and emotional characteristics that can specifically and directly be associated with a person being protective of his or her child. A caregiver protective capacity is a specific quality that can be observed, understood and demonstrated as a part of the way a parent thinks, feels, and acts that makes her or him protective.
Present Danger refers to an immediate, significant and clearly observable severe harm or threat of severe harm occurring to a child in the present or in the process of occurring requiring immediate CPS protective response.
Impending Danger refers to threats to child safety that are not obvious or occurring at the onset of CPS intervention or in a present context but which are identified and understood upon more fully evaluating and understanding individual and family conditions and functioning and without safety intervention reasonably could lead to severe harm. Impending danger refers to a family situation in which a child is not in immediate danger but exists in a general state of danger because of what is understood to be happening within his or her family. Impending danger is qualified by criteria usually referred to as Safety Factors or Safety Threats which are identified and assessed as part of a safety assessment and are contained on a safety assessment instrument.
Harm refers to detrimental effects on a child of any degree from mild to severe. Harm is consistent with the negative results of child abuse or neglect on a child of any degree including jeopardizing general well being.
Severe Harm refers to detrimental effects consistent with serious or significant injury; disablement; grave/debilitating physical health or physical conditions; acute/grievous suffering; terror; impairment; even death.
Safety Threshold refers to the point at which family behaviors, conditions or situations rise to the level of directly threatening the safety of a child. The safety threshold is crossed when family behaviors, conditions or situations are manifested in such a way that they are beyond being just problems or risk influences and have become threatening to child safety. These family behaviors, conditions or situations are active at a heightened degree and a greater level of intensity and have moved passed being in control thus having implications for dangerousness. The safety threshold includes only those family behaviors, conditions or situations that are judged to be out of the parent/caregiver or family’s control. Family behaviors, conditions or situations can no longer be considered just problematic or contributing to the risk of maltreatment but have become alarming in so far as they are indicative of sure danger. The safety threshold is the means by which a family condition can be judged or measured to determine if a safety threat exists. The safety threshold criteria includes: family behaviors, conditions or situations that are out of control; are extreme in nature; likely to produce severe harm; occurring in the presence of a vulnerable child; are imminent; and are observable, specific and justifiable.
Out-of-Control refers to family behavior, conditions or situations which are unrestrained resulting in an unpredictable and possibly chaotic family environment. These family conditions which can affect a child are unrestrained; unmanaged; without limits or monitoring; not subject to the influence, manipulation or internal power within the family’s control. This includes family members who cannot prohibit themselves from behaving in such a way that a child’s safety is threatened. Such out-of-control family conditions pose a danger and are not being managed by anybody or anything internal to the family system.
Severity refers to the effects of maltreatment that have already occurred and/or the potential for harsh effects based on the vulnerability of a child and the family behavior, condition or situation that is out of control. Severity is consistent with severe harm.
Vulnerable Child refers to a child who is unable to protect him/herself; it includes a child who is dependent on others for protection. This definition includes all young children from 0 – 6 and older children who, for whatever reason, are not able to protect themselves or seek help from protective others. A vulnerable child is dependent on others for sustenance and protection; essentially defenseless; exposed to circumstances that she or he is powerless to manage, and susceptible, accessible, and available to a threatening person and/or persons in authority over them. Vulnerability is judged according to age; physical and emotional development; ability to communicate needs; mobility; size and robustness and dependence and susceptibility.
Imminence refers to the belief that family behaviors, conditions or situations will remain active or become active without delay resulting in or contributing to an event or circumstances that reasonably could result in severe harm to a vulnerable child within the near future. Near future is consistent with the next several days to a couple of weeks. Imminence is consistent with a degree of certainty or inevitability that danger and severe harm are possible, even likely outcomes without intervention.
Observable refers to family behaviors, conditions or situations representing a danger to a child that are specific, definite, real, can be seen and understood and are subject to being reported and justified. The connection of these family behaviors, conditions or situations to posing a danger to a child is evidenced in explicit, unambiguous ways. The criterion “observable” does not include suspicion, intuitive or gut feeling, difficulties in worker-family interaction, lack of cooperation, difficulties in obtaining information, or isolated, even provocative information considered exclusive of family behaviors, conditions or situations.
Risk of maltreatment refers to the likelihood that parenting behavior will be harmful and destructive to a child’s cognitive, social, emotional and/or physical development and those with parenting responsibility are unwilling or unable to behave differently. The time that negative effects on children might occur is not specified; the seriousness of negative effects on children is not specified.
Present Danger Plan refers to an immediate – same day, short term and sufficient protective action from present danger in order to allow completion of the initial assessment (i.e., investigation or family functioning assessment.) A present danger plan usually occurs during the initial contact with a family. A present danger plan occurring the same day that present danger is encountered provides a child with responsible adult supervision and care and compensates for immediate physical and situational danger. Typically a present danger plan includes a straightforward, immediately achievable protective action such as relying on a non-maltreating caregiver to protect the child; arranging and confirming that the maltreating parent will leave and remain away from the home; arranging for the non-maltreating caregiver to leave home with the child; using people and resources available to the family to immediately protect the child; and placing the child in kin care, foster care or appropriate temporary shelter facilities.
Safety Intervention Information Standard refers to relevant knowledge and facts necessary to assess, analyze, create continuing safety plans and manage threats to child safety. Relevant knowledge and facts are obtained through the collection of information associated with six assessment areas:
- What is the extent of the maltreatment?
- What surrounding circumstances accompany the maltreatment?
- How does the child function on a daily basis?
- What are the disciplinary approaches used by the parent?
- What are the overall, typical pervasive parenting practices used by the parent (excluding discipline)?
- How does the adult function in respect to daily life management and general adaptation including mental health and substance use?
Safety Assessment refers to a focused evaluation that determines and records the presence of impending danger. A safety assessment is conducted as part of the initial CPS intervention and continues throughout the life of the case. A safety assessment is always conducted as part of the conclusion of the initial assessment (i.e., investigation, family functioning assessment.) A safety assessment applies criteria comprised of a set number of standardized impending danger threats. Safety intervention information collected during the initial assessment and added to during continuing involvement with a family provides the content for the safety assessment.
Safety Intervention Analysis refers to an examination of safety intervention information; impending danger threats as identified by the safety assessment; and caregiver protective capacities. The purpose of a safety intervention analysis is to determine when a child is unsafe the necessary level of intrusion and level of effort required to assure child safety. The safety intervention analysis is conducted to determine if a safety plan is necessary and, if so, what is required within a safety plan in order to effectively control and manage impending danger threats to child safety. The objective of a safety intervention analysis is to support the development of a sufficient safety plan. Safety intervention analysis consists of the examination of four variables: manifestation of impending danger threats; caregiver’s ability and capacity to provide protection; potential for an in home continuing safety plan; need for an out of home safety plan (or a safety plan that combines in home and out of home options); and the necessary level of effort required in the safety plan.
Can/Will Protect refers to the extent to which a non-maltreating caregiver can control and manage present danger and impending danger threats. The extent to which a caregiver can/will protect a child from present and impending danger threats is evaluated by considering the nature and intensity of the danger and the presence of enhanced and sufficient of caregiver protective capacities. The judgment about whether a caregiver “can/will protect” occurs at initial contact when forming a present danger plan and during the safety intervention analysis.
Safety Plan refers to a written arrangement between caregivers and CPS that establishes how impending danger threats will be managed. The safety plan is implemented and active as long as impending danger threats exist and caregiver protective capacities are insufficient to assure a child is protected. The safety plan specifies what impending danger exist, how impending danger will be managed using what safety services; who will participate in those safety services; under what circumstances and agreements and in accordance with specification of time requirements, availability, accessibility and suitability of those involved. The safety plan is designed along a continuum of least to most intrusive intervention: in home safety options; a combination of in home and out of home safety options; and out of home safety options.
In home Safety Plan refers to safety management so that safety services, actions and responses assure a child can be kept safe in his own home. In home safety plans include activities and services that may occur within the home or outside the home but contribute to the child remaining home. People participating in in-home safety plans may be responsible for what they do inside or outside the child’s home. An in-home safety plan primarily involves the home setting and the child’s location within the home as central to the safety plan, however, in-home safety plans can also include periods of separation of the child from the home and may even contain an out of home placement option such as on weekends.
Out of Home Safety Plan refers to safety management that primarily depends on separation of a child from his home, separation from the impending danger and separation from caregivers who lack sufficient protective capacities to assure the child will be protected. Out of home safety plans can include safety services and actions in addition to separation or out of home placement. Out of home safety plans always should contain a caregiver-child visitation plan based on the unique circumstances of each case. Out of home safety plans can contain some in home safety management dimension to them. Out of home safety plans can include safety service providers and others concerned with safety management besides the out of home care providers. All kin or foster placements are out of home safety plans.
Safety Services refers to actions; things provided, supervision identified as part of a safety plan occurring specifically for controlling or managing impending danger threats. Safety services are required to sufficiently address the identified impending danger threat to child safety. Safety services must control the impending danger threats immediately upon being put in place: safety services must have an immediate effect whenever they are delivered; safety services must do immediately what they are intended to do. Safety services are categorized according to the objective they seek to address within a continuing safety plan: behavior management; crisis management; social connection; and resource support;
Safety Service Providers refers to anyone who participates as one responsible for safety management within a safety plan. Safety service providers can be professionals, para-professionals, lay persons, volunteers, foster parents, neighbors or relatives.
Reasonable Efforts refers to activities and attempts to assess and analyze impending danger and to seek people, resources and alternative methods for in home safety plans that prevent child placement or allow for a child to be reunified with his or her family.
Conditions for Return refers to a statement that is contained in the record; provided to caregivers and may be part of a court order which identifies specific behavior and circumstances that must exist within a child’s home for a child who is placed to return.
Reunification refers to a safety decision to modify an out of home safety plan to an in home safety plan based on an analysis that a) impending danger threats have been eliminated or reduced; b) caregiver protective capacities have been sufficiently enhanced; c) caregivers are willing and able to accept an in home safety plan; and d) conditions for return have been met.
Safety Management refers to assessing impending danger; involving caregivers and others; organizing ideas and efforts related to protection; planning how protection will be achieved; creating safety plans; modifying safety plans; arranging for safety services and safety providers; evaluating safety providers; evaluating the sufficiency of safety plans; communicating with all concerned with safety plans; overseeing daily and weekly implementation of safety plans; handling breakdown, lapses, underperformance or shortfall related to the safety plan; and controlling or governing all activity, practice, communication and decision making concerned with safety plans.
Provisional Safety Management refers to the philosophical base upon which safety management occurs. The belief is that the best, most fair, most equitable and most family centered safety management is that which is dynamic, vigorous and amenable to alteration. It is temporary in that it is constantly subject to adjustment and modification based on what is happening within a family and changes that are occurring concerning impending danger and caregiver protective capacities. Provisional safety management is not short term necessarily since safety plans remain in effect until such time as a child can be judged to be safe. Provisional safety management emphasizes the least intrusive methods for assuring child protection. This kind of safety management results in CPS routinely assessing impending danger and caregiver protective capacities in order to determine the sufficiency of safety plans and stepping up or stepping down the level of effort and activities appropriately and as necessary to assure a child is protected.
Case Management, as applied to safety intervention, refers to engaging caregivers in a process for change; conducting protective capacity family assessments; identifying diminished caregiver protective capacities that must change; identifying enhanced caregiver protective capacities that can be used to support change; integrating caregiver protective capacities into case plans as the center piece for change; arranging and implementing remedial services focused on enhancing diminished caregiver protective capacities; communicating routinely with caregivers and service providers concerning effective implementation of the case plan; identifying and removing barriers and conflict that can jeopardize the successful implementation of the safety plan; evaluating caregiver progress; and closing cases when outcomes are achieved.
Protective Capacity Family Assessment (PCFA) refers to the study and decision making process that examines and integrates safety concerns into the case plan. The PCFA is an interpersonal process of mutual discovery occurring between caregivers and the ongoing CPS worker. The PCFA reveals enhanced caregiver protective capacities that can be employed within change efforts to reinforce change. The PCFA considers diminished caregiver protective capacities that must change in order for caregivers to be restored to their role and responsibility for protecting their children. The PCFA involves a process that includes engaging caregivers in a collaborative partnership for change; evaluating caregiver readiness for change; facilitating communication and interaction with caregivers in order to identify caregiver and family member needs; facilitating awareness and agreement with caregivers regarding protective capacities that must change and other changes needed in a family in order to create a safe home; involving caregivers in the development and implementation of case plans that are individualized; employing enhanced caregiver protective capacities; and addressing diminished caregiver protective capacities that must change to assure that children are not maltreated and are safe.
Case Plan, in reference to safety intervention, refers to the approach that an ongoing CPS worker and caregivers agree will most effectively support and enable the enhancement of diminished caregiver protective capacities. The protective capacity family assessment and case planning process involve a collaboration with caregivers in reaching an agreement about enhanced protective capacities that can support change; diminished caregiver protective capacities that must be enhanced; impending danger that should be reduced or eliminated. The case plan is the document which confirms the agreement reached between an ongoing CPS worker and a caregiver.