2-Attachment 3-A.1 (1).docx

Attachment 3-A Method of Approach The offeror is cautioned that it is the offeror's sole responsibility to submit information related to the evaluation categories and that the State of Arizona is under no obligation to solicit such information if it is not included with the offeror's proposal. Failure of the offeror to submit such information may cause an adverse impact on the evaluation of the Offeror's proposal. It is strongly discouraged for you to copy the Scope of Work in lieu of providing unique responses below.

OFFER MAY BE DETERMINED AS NON-RESPONSIVE IF ALL QUESTIONS ARE NOT ANSWERED FULLY.

Question 1: Describe the steps that you will take to ensure you are meeting the staffing requirements and maintaining staff capacity. Include how you plan to ensure ongoing responsiveness to the requirements of the Contract and to the needs of the State in case of staff turnover for designated Key Personnel.

· Include staff turnover rate for the last year;

· Detail Entity’s recruitment process including average time to hire staff, and efforts to recruit and maintain staff. Offeror Response:

To ensure a low staff turnover rate, we intend to hire the right people by vetting candidates carefully, not just ensuring they have the skills but also that they fit well within the company’s culture, mission, and vision. We also want to set the right compensation for our staff and ensure scheduling does not lead to burning out. Maximum Family Care will pay attention to employees’ personal needs and offer flexibility where we can support their personal lives and professional growth. Our staff will be trained and supported by their supervisor. We understand proper support within an agency can lead to retention.

Retention is our number one priority, and we want our staff to be compensated fairly, have benefits that meet the needs of their family, have a work life balance, and be supported. We at Maximum Family Care believe that by providing our staff with the necessary support we will be able to minimize the turnover. We closely monitor morale, boundaries, and communication as it relates to DCS and families. We aim to maintain a positive staff and reward employees. We understand each family is unique and offer an open-door service to our staff to discuss case issues and concerns. Our standardized performance reviews encourage all of us to identify areas where staff are doing well and highlight positive feedback received from parents and placements. We encourage employment engagement that focuses on meeting the social and emotional needs of our staff. We at Maximum Family Care like to inspire and create heartfelt connections with staff. We understand our position can be stressful sometime and it is our goal for our staff to feel supported and heard. We work with staff to discover and cultivate their potential. We encourage and motivate employees to find out how the organization can best leverage their goals. We don’t overlook the value of support and additional training to prompt existing staff.

By minimizing staff leaving our agency it will benefit the families with continuity of care. This is important to our agency and families to have one consistent Case Aide instead of the changing of staff over and over. We understand from a parent’s perspective quality care is hindered when you must retell your life experiences over and over due to an agency’s turnover.

In addition to maintaining a low turnover rate, we plan on utilizing all the hiring websites to recruit staff. We have multiple relationships with jobsites, and we are constantly looking for new employees and posting new positions. By networking and utilizing all hiring platforms we will be able to hire immediately to maintain or increase our capacity. Therefore, once the contract goes live, we will already have current and new staff with an open capacity to service families. Our agency will be prepared to provide the Referral Unit with an exact number of families we can serve, with an internal goal of a minimum of 25 additional cases.

We are transparent with potential and new staff during recruitment. We communicate our organization’s culture, the success and struggles in working with parents, placements, children, and DCS. We provide accurate job descriptions and peer shadowing prior to receiving a caseload. We want new staff to experience the day of an ongoing Case Aide. This allows them to determine if the position is a fit for them prior to having a full caseload.

Our designated key personnel have been committed to our agency and the families we service since the start of the company. We are proud to say we have only added staff to our Executive team. Our agency does not believe in isolating information and knowledge. Our agency strategy has encompassed a top-down and bottom-up style approach. Our Executive team determines the larger goal of the agency and filters this information to the staff. However, we understand our Executive team is not in the field working directly with families. Therefore, to ensure they are not out of touch with the needs of families, we also use a bottom-up style of communication. This allows our Case Aides and other staff to voice their experience and input as it relates to the families. By using both styles it allows us to think, teach, and gain insight into how effectively we are in servicing our families appropriately and effectively. Our agency does not isolate information and allows staff to take part in all training regarding contractual obligations and implementation. Therefore, if the time comes and our key personnel resign from their position, we have already created an environment where Supervisors are able to transition, and Case Aides are able to transition to Supervisors.

To ensure ongoing responsiveness:

We will hire qualified candidates with a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. We will hire candidates who are at least 21 years or older. We will hire candidates who have a clear Central Registry Background check and a level one fingerprint clearance card prior to servicing our families. We will review and update our background checks annually to ensure current staff have maintained a clear background check.

We will only hire candidates that hold a valid driver's license and do not have any moving violations within the most recent 39 months. We will review their driving record to ensure they have not received no more than six accumulated points on their driving record in the most recent 39 months. Any candidate or current employee who was arrested or convicted for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the most recent 39 months or having a driving restriction noted against their Fingerprint clearance card will not be hired or maintain employment.

We will ensure none of our staff in the most recent 39 months have any criminal violations. We will ensure staff have valid car insurance and hold current CPR certification. We will not hire any candidates or maintain the employment of candidates who have been placed on probation or parole for the last ten years from the present date. In addition, to not employing those who have a civil, criminal, or juvenile restraining order withing the last ten years from the present date. All staff must have a clear and negative pre-employment drug test result prior to gaining employment. We will conduct random drug testing biannually from their hire date to ensure results are clear and negative. Our agency will use screening with a minimum regulated five panel test. We understand people have medical clearance to use marijuana. However, our agency has prohibited staff from using marijuana, in any form, while providing Parenting Time Services. We understand the some of the families we service may have experienced some trauma around the use and abuse of substances. We do not want to remind them of such trauma by appearing to be under the influences of any substance. We ensure that a positive rapport is maintained with families and ADCS.

Staff will also establish a professional relationship with all parties involved in the case. Our staff will treat all clients in a respectful manner that is courteous and will refrain from disrespectful language, and adverse personal gestures towards them. Our staff will be trained to maintain a positive respectful attitude with parents/caregivers and ADCS Staff. Staff will demonstrate competence and nurturing behavior while working with families. Our staff will engage with the family, showing empathy, genuineness, and purposeful interactions, showing the families, we value and support them.

This also includes but is not limited to being well groomed and always presenting a professional appearance. Therefore, our staff will not wear any garments that are inappropriately tight, short, or revealing. Staff will not wear clothing with decals, slogans, or images that have illegal substances on them or clothing that represent immoral behavior. Our staff clothing will be worn at their waist, to ensure their undergarments or skin is not being shown. In addition to not wearing clothing that is cut shorter than two inc. above the knees.

Staff will be trained on the new Summary of Parenting time and Parenting Time Discharge Summary forms to ensure the documentation reflects specific information that can speak directly towards the engagement of the family. Our documentation will be clear, comprehensive, and accurately reflect the progress or lack thereof from the parent. Professionalism will be maintained, and barriers will be communicated within the timeline specified in the contract. Staff will also be trained in the Parenting time Guidelines to ensure all parents/caregivers know and understand what is expected of them during parenting time. When Maximum Family Care increases its capacity, we will ensure additional families receive service that meets all the qualifications outlined in the contract. We will communicate all issues, concerns, and barriers to DCS Specialist and work in collaboration with them to problem solve and resolve issues.

We will maintain our capacity by having adequate staff to accept referrals upon contract effective date. To ensure on-going responsiveness to the requirements of the contract and the needs of the state, Maximum Family Care will train all staff in the scope of work and the expectations of the State.

Our agency will continue to monitor our capacity using our internal network, a live schedule that monitors every staff member’s active caseload, capacity, and referrals. Our schedule allows us to monitor cases that are approaching closure. Once a case reaches 30 days prior to its closure date, the case on the schedule transitions from green to yellow. When a case turns yellow, it is a reminder that we have a case approaching closure and we should be reaching out to ADCS for an extension. We shall continue to monitor capacity during our Wednesday weekly meeting as our management team discusses capacity and referral assignment. At that time the team determines capacity and reviews current referrals (case) progression to determine how many referrals we can service in the next week. Once referrals are assigned to our agency, we will notify ADCS we have received the new case.

We will start a case file for each family. That file is created and stored in our “need to be assigned” folder, then we will proceed with outreach. Once outreach is completed and a referral is assigned, it immediately goes onto the schedule to the assigned Case Aide. The case file is then transitioned from a file “to be assigned” folder into the folder of “ongoing cases”. All case files are stored in our internal secure network. By having a case to be assigned folder, it allows us to monitor referral (case) in real time. We can see which cases are still pending assignment, needing interpretation, waiting on updated contact information, dates and notes of our outreach engagement, referral information, parent/caregiver and out of home caregiver contact information, ADCS Specialist and Supervisors contact information and notes on the case status of assignment. By using this information instantly, it allows the Management Team to have oversight of new referrals to ensure they are being serviced timely. Therefore, the methods we use to monitor capacity and referral (case) is our internal schedule which tracks current and newly assigned cases. We use weekly management meetings to discuss the real time capacity and referral (case). We use supervision with our Case Aides to also monitor case progression, as our staff have direct access to the family and can update us on severance and reunification. When our Case Aides inform us of the transition of a case, we reach out to the ADCS Specialist for confirmation and proceed with the case based off the updated information provided.

Turnover and hiring process:

At the end of 2024 we had a total of 9 employees leaving Maximum Family Care, and average of 32%. The average time it takes to hire staff depends on several factors. We must consider the contractual requirements of the ideal candidate and our agency qualifications. We also must determine our pay in comparison to other providers. If we are looking for a candidate who is fluent in another language beside English or not, and how soon they can interview, do they need to provide their current employer with a notice, and how soon they can start. We can usually complete the hiring process in 7-14 days.

Plan to cover missing staff:

Parenting time sessions are very important in the rebuilding of a relationship with parents and children. When these visits do not occur, it leaves children possibly feeling abandoned and frustrated with their parents. It may make parents feel hurtful as they are not able to have time with their children. Therefore, we have a process in place to help eliminate missed visits occurring due to our staff. Our agency has a live schedule which lists all employees and their visitation schedule. If one person is not able to do their visits, the Supervisor and Manager have immediate access to see which staff is available for coverage. This is done by calling and texting potential staff to see if they can cover it. We also have our “cover only” staff, which are PT staff who are available as needed. We utilize all parties who are available to ensure we can get the visit completed. Another method we use is our Teams app.

This app includes all staff and allows us to instantly message everyone in the group. Therefore, we can post a coverage need in real time and peers can respond instantly. The person that needs coverage must present the number of children, if car seats are needed (which ones), the location of the children and visits, and time of the visit. Staff can respond by indicating they can cover it at that time or ask if the parents are able to move the visit to a different day. If we do not have coverage for that specific time, our staff will work with the parents and placement to move the visit time to ensure the visit is not missed. In instances where our agency is given short notice and current staff is not available, we will continue to utilize the process above, look for available staff based on the schedule, reach out to staff via phone and text, post coverage needed in team’s app, or work with parents/placement to reschedule the visit later that day or another day. We will also reach out to the ongoing staff to get clarification as to why they are missing their visit. The outcome of our outreach determines our next steps. Internally, we will address the matter with the staff and determine if they should be written up or terminated.

Question 2: Provide a written narrative response that demonstrates the method or manner in which the offeror proposes to satisfy the requirements of the Scope of Work. The language of the narrative should be straightforward and limited to facts, solutions to problems, and plans of proposed action. The response shall at a minimum describe and provide a response for each of the following bullet points listed below:

· What are your processes to document visits, track case progress and manage referrals?

· How will you ensure accurate and timely communication and collaboration with the ADCS and/or other involved parties for visit schedules, progress and concerns?

Offeror Response:

Our process starts off with being prepared once we receive the referral. Preparation is important in building rapport with families and ensuring they are assigned the right Case Aide. We will be flexible and put the family’s schedule and needs first. We will help coordinate appropriate visitation locations and coordinate all parties’ availability. Our Case Aides will work with parents to coordinate reasonable travel times to ensure the parenting time occurs. In deciding parenting time locations, we plan for environmental concerns such as safety, privacy, engagement/distractions, and comfort. Once families are assigned our staff will initiate contact to engage our families in services. As we are engaging in our families, we will be listening to strengths, needs and developing strategies on how to assist them in being a healthier family.

Maximum Family care will be prepared to perform Parenting Time Services outlined in the scope of work. The method of implementation will be based on contractual obligations. We will hire appropriate and professional staff. We will review the referral information, reviewing the duration, frequency, and level of supervision. We will also review the referral for any court orders or direction given by ADCS or the court regarding parenting time interaction.

We will review to see if the child(ren) has any physical and/or behavioral health needs identified by ADCS. If the child(ren) does, we will ensure our staff and parent/caregiver are aware of the child(ren) needs. This may be done by working with placement to gather the necessary information needed for the parenting session to be successful. The next step is to prepare for parenting time sessions.

We are prepared to conduct parenting time service from one to eight hours a week. If the case progresses, we will work with the ADCS Specialist to increase/decrease the parenting time hours. Parents/caregivers will see the transition of hours within two weeks of the adjustment. On the Summary of Parenting Time form, the adjustment in duration will be documented and attached. We will provide a level of supervision based on the referral throughout the life span of the referral, unless noted, defined, and/or approved by ADCS to do differently. We will provide services to families in their language.

We understand the importance of culture and diversity. Therefore, Maximum Family Care staff consist of African Americans, Hispanics, Multi-Racial, Caucasian, men, and women. To ensure families receive service in their native language, our staff must pass a written and oral foreign language test. By testing our staff’s ability to listen, comprehend, read, and write, we will ensure communication with their family is converted accurately and in their dialogue. We at Maximum Family Care understand that there are some languages that our staff cannot speak and that is why we have linked up with the AFL (A Foreign Language Service). When a referral is sent, our agency will look to see if AFL services are needed and begin the process of acquiring the necessary translator.

We will acknowledge receipt of the referral within 24 hours of receiving it. We will review the referral and notify ADCS of any concerns or questions. Our intention is to collaborate with ADCS to ensure the family is receiving the best service. We understand the importance of having parenting time at various hours to accommodate the needs of the family. Therefore, we will receive referrals Monday- Friday from 8:00 – 5:00pm. We will provide services from 8:00am to 8:00pm.

Once the referral is received, we will begin to complete initial outreach. At this point we will contact the ADCS Specialist and Supervisor to inform them we are the service provider. All communication will be sent via secure email. Within the secure email, it will include the name and contact information of the assigned Case Aide as well as the Supervisor’s name and contact information. We will also complete initial outreach with the parent/caregiver. We will reach out to the parent/caregiver within 24 hours of receiving the referral. These methods will consist of our staff calling, sending an email, and in-person contact at the residence on different days and at various times to establish contact.

Our team is already experienced in communicating and scheduling visits with parents/caregivers and out-of-home care personnel. We will continue to develop a supportive alliance with our families by engaging and building a rapport with them during initial outreach. Not only are we developing a supportive alliance, but we are also ensuring they understand the importance of our collaboration, which is to strengthen their family through supervised parenting time. This allows us to identify and address any barriers to service, discuss the Parenting Time service, and develop an initial rapport. If any barriers or concerns are discussed, our staff will communicate those immediately to the assigned ADCS Specialist. If a parent is receiving services through the Nurturing Parenting Program NPP, we will gather all necessary information to collaborate and coordinate services. We will provide the parents/caregivers with all information regarding who their Case Aide is and how to reach them directly. We will work in collaboration with NPP by responding to their request as we are coordinating parenting time visitations. We will provide the NPP with all the necessary information, such as date, time, and location of the visit. Our collaboration will allow the NPP to complete their required 30 min weekly parent-child observation and nurturing parent activities. If there are any changes that arise, we will communicate promptly with the NPP Provider. If we face any concerns related to service delivery or barriers to the parent, we will escalate those concerns to the ADCS Specialist and request professional staffing, if needed. If concerns continue and are not resolved, we will elevate this to the Fidelity and Compliance Service Coordinator.

We will also provide them with the Case Aide direct supervisor’s name and contact information. In addition to discussing the frequency, location, and the time of the visit. If provided, we will discuss the Parenting Time Plan to reinforce the collaboration and alliance with the goals of the family. We will maintain a neutral relationship between both parents/caregivers and out-of-home caregivers. We will refrain from engagement and discussion regarding the status of the case and/or supporting one party over another.

We will incorporate reviewing and discussing the Parent Time Plan, if provided by ADCS. Our intention is to ensure the parent/caregiver understands the Plan and build an alignment. We will go over the Parenting Time Guidelines and discuss possible reactions their children may have to engaging in Parenting Time services. All parents/caregivers will be given a copy of the Parenting Time Guidelines once their signature is obtained. In addition to working with the parent/caregiver preparing for the scheduled visitation, we will also describe the role of Case Aide during parenting time and what they can expect from the Case Aide. We want our parents to be comfortable in having someone observe their skills. Therefore, we will discuss with them how they will be observed during parenting time. We will go over what records will be kept and what information will be reported to their ADCS Specialist. We will remind the family we are mandated reporters and what that means. Safety is our priority, and we will ensure safety, even if we must end the visit early due to parent/caregiver actions. We will discuss other possible reasons for ending early, such as children are not ready, and we want to support their decision to leave. We understand this may be hard for parents/caregivers. However, we will support our parents through tough visits.

We will also work with the parent/caregiver in the unwillingness of child(ren) in attending parenting time visitation. We will not force the participation of any child(ren). We will document the child(ren)’s unwillingness to attend and notify the ADCS Specialist within 24 hours. We understand each child’s level of engagement is different. Therefore, if one or more children doesn’t want to engage, but other children do want to engage we will continue to service those children who want to engage in parenting time supervision.

If we are given a family where the case involves allegations of sexual abuse, our agency has created a plan to ensure we inform this person at initial outreach what is prohibited during the visit. Our staff will discuss the importance of not photographing, taking pictures or audio of the child(ren) during the visit. We will discuss how extended physical contact with the child(ren) cannot occur. If diapering the child(ren) is needed or assisting with the bathroom is needed, this will be done by Case Aide. We will not allow them to bring any money, gifts, or objects from their home. Finally, we will let them know that engagement in any of the behaviors or actions that is prohibited or restricted by their ADCS Specialist will result in their parenting time visitation being cancelled and ADCS Specialist notified within 24hrs of the incident. We understand the importance of ensuring the mental and physical safety of the child(ren).

During parenting time visitations, we will ensure they do not take any photos, audio, or videos of the child(ren). We will ensure they do not engage in extended physical contact with the children. We will not allow any diapering or allow them to assist any child in the bathroom. We will not allow them to bring any gifts, money or objects from home and we will not allow any behaviors or actions that are prohibited by ADCS to take place during the visit.

We will make diligent efforts to reach parents to get them engaged in parenting time visits. If we are unable to contact the parent/caregiver, we will send a secure email to the ADCS Specialist within 24 hours of receiving the referral identifying the issues we are facing, and such issues will be documented on the Summary of Parenting Time form. We will continue to attempt to contact the parent/caregiver to get them engaged. This will be done by phone, email, and in person attempts at various times of the day to start engagement. We will continue to document such engagement on the Summary of Parenting Time form. If our efforts are not reached, we will contact ADCS by using a secure email after three days of attempting contact.

We understand ADCS Specialist will make all efforts to provide us with viable contact information to get the parent/caregiver engaged. ADCS Specialist will be given 14 days to make reasonable efforts to address such barriers we face in starting engagement. We understand if they are not able to resolve the referral issue(s) within the 14-day timeframe, we will be able to request a referral closure. Such requests will be made to the ADCS Specialist using a secure email and will include their supervisor. We will give the ADCS team five days to respond to the closure. If we do not receive a response in five days, we will send the Discharge Summary for approval and proceed with the Service Request Closure process. All efforts will be documented on the Summary of Parenting Time form and the Discharge Summary form and uploaded into Guardian. We will keep additional copies of the reports in our service files.

Once referrals are scheduled, within five days of receiving the referral we will commence parenting time visits. We will monitor the communications of the parent/caregiver and their child(ren) during the supervised parenting time visit. Our goal is to successfully engage families while ensuring their safety and strengthening the family’s resilience. This will be evident by our families receiving individualized services that meet their family needs based on the service duration, frequency and level of supervision outlined in the referral. We have and will continue to ensure families are receiving the right service at the right time that strengthens their family to reduce risk of abuse/neglect.

We will work extremely hard to get parents/caregivers engaged in parenting time. If our efforts to schedule succeed, we will contact the ADCS Specialist in a secure email after three days of attempting to engage the parent/caregiver. All attempts will be made via email, phone, and in person at various days and times. If a parent/caregiver refuses services or requests to be withdrawn from services, we will notify ADCS Specialist and within 14 days we will allow them to make reasonable efforts to engage the parent/caregiver addressing the barriers we identified. If the ADCS Specialist is not able to resolve the referral issues within those 14 days, we will move forward in requesting closure. All requests will be made via secure email including the ADCS Specialist and Supervisor. If a response is not received in five days, we will send ADCS the Discharge Summary Report for approval and proceed with the Service Request Closure process.

We will provide additional training to our staff as they will prepare parents/caregivers for child(ren)’s reactions at parenting time. This additional training will allow our staff to help parents cope with their feelings by assisting them during parenting time. This will be done in company-wide training, Practice Responsive Caregiving Training, Summary of Parenting time form training, Parenting Time Discharge Summary Training, training on the Parenting Time Guidelines, and enhanced individual supervision, where they will receive feedback based on their caseload. The training we provide for our staff will ensure they are qualified in supervising parenting time. Our staff will be knowledgeable about the Parenting Time Guidelines, so when given on the first visit they will be able to speak more in depth about the document prior to the parent/caregiver signing. Parents/caregivers will receive reminder text, emails, or phone calls regarding their parenting time sessions. Such reminders will identify their Case Aide’s information, time and location of the visit. If a response is not given, our Case Aides will continue with the visitation. A lack of response will not hinder the parents from having their parenting time with their children.

On every visit our staff will be on time and present during the duration of the parenting time visitation. All contact between the parent/caregiver will be observed and documented. Documentation will be uploaded into Guardian within seven business days of a Parenting Time visit. We will also log the parenting time on the Parenting Time transportation log. Supervision will be monitored according to the information provided by ADCS. During this time, we will actively support the parent/caregiver in meeting the needs of the children as this will ensure the children are safe. We will also be aware of the child(ren)’s physical and behavioral needs. By our staff being aware of such needs, we will be able to work with the parent/caregiver on meeting those needs. If additional support is needed, we can collaborate with DCS in communicating the additional needs of the parent.

We have and will also ensure our families are provided with supervision that ensures family safety and prepare the parent/caregiver to meet the emotional and physical needs of their child(ren). We have and will prepare the parent/caregiver to have the necessities for the visit such as: food, beverages, extra clothes, pampers, etc. Our staff will be trained and prepared to terminate or intervene in parenting time visits if it becomes harmful to the child. We understand harm is more than just physical. We will intervene if the parent/caregiver is causing emotional harm through verbal communication. If they cause physical harm through abuse we will intervene, such as spanking or threatening the child(ren). If the parent/caregiver appears to be impaired by drugs, alcohol, or their mental capacity is concerning, we will intervene and terminate the visit. Such behavior of the parent/caregiver will be documented within 24 hours of the visit and if required, an incident report will be completed.

Our goal for parenting time is to ensure the parents/caregivers gain an understanding of their child(ren) temperament and personality to emotionally connect with them. Part of this process will be reminding parents/caregivers of the uniqueness of their family. Therefore, they may need to think of individual ways to nurture their child(ren) growth and development. While still maintaining the safety and welfare of the children and adults we serve. We will monitor and observe the interactions of the families. We will actively support the parents/caregivers in meeting the needs of the child(ren). We will support them in ensuring the necessary safety and well-being of their children. All interactions will be recorded on the Parenting Time Summary and uploaded in Guardian within seven business days of parenting time visitation.

Our process of documentation consists of all staff completing their training on documentation prior to having a caseload. During this training Case Aides are asked to review and complete a Parenting Time Summary. This process allows us to see where the Case Aide is strong and needs improvement as it pertains to their writing style, observation techniques, what information they perceive to be important during the visit, and if they can identify any concerning information. As a group staff discuss their summaries and provide feedback. During each shadow session, new Case Aides are to complete another documentation experience. As the ongoing Case Aide completes the visit, they are to observe and document the visit. This session allows them to ask direct questions to a Case Aide. They are to submit their documentation to the Supervisor and the Supervisor compare both Aides notes. During the new Case Aide’s debriefing the Supervisor will provide suggestions and pointers regarding documentation and shadowing experience.

One of the main issues we face is parents/caregivers not making their appointment for various reasons. To maintain collaboration with parents we will send the parent/caregiver a reminder of the scheduled parenting time prior to the visit. A reminder can be sent via text or email. We will also make phone calls as well, as we know this will help improve the engagement and reduce the likelihood of missed parenting time visits. This approach is unlike “call to confirm”, as this is a courtesy reminder. If a parent/caregiver does not respond to the reminder we will continue to proceed with the visit. However, for all parents/caregivers who are placed on “call to confirm”, if the visit is not confirmed prior, it will result in the visit being cancelled and the out of home caregiver being notified. All reminder approaches will be documented on the Summary of Parenting Time form.

We will attempt to contact the parent/caregiver by phone if they do not show for the parenting time visit. Our aide will wait for 15 minutes for the parent/caregiver to arrive at the parenting time visit. If a parent does not arrive prior to the 15 minutes, it will be considered a no show, and our staff will end the visit. We understand parents/caregivers cannot fail to engage in two consecutive parenting time sessions. If they miss two consecutive parenting time sessions, we will notify the ADCS of the concern. This communication will be done within 24hrs of the second missed parenting time visit. Three consecutive sessions of parent/caregiver cancellation will result in us pursuing closure through the ADCS Specialist. We understand there may be some cases where modification to the service hours is needed. These are instances where the parent/caregiver has attended regularly, but it may not be in the total hours suggested by ADCS. Therefore, we will contact the ADCS Specialist and Supervisor and work in collaboration to determine if a modification of the referral is needed.

When a parenting time visit needs to be rescheduled due to an out-of-home caregiver, our staff will complete the parenting time visit within one week of the visit being canceled. However, if a parent/caregiver fails to make the rescheduled appointment we will not attempt to make up the visit again. Parent/caregiver will be given one attempted make-up parenting time session for every missed session.

We will ensure the transport of the child(ren) to and from the parenting time visits. We will use alternative transportation only for children who are medically complex with the approval of ADCS. We understand transportation of the child(ren) outside of our awarded counties will be necessary if requested by ADCS. We will coordinate with the out-of-home caregivers regarding transportation to see if they are willing to help. All our staff will adhere to traffic safety regulations and laws. Our staff will complete motor vehicle safety checks which consist of ensuring all individuals are properly seated and secure in a seat belt when the car is in motion. They will ensure children in car seats are properly restrained and seats are securely fastened to the body of the car. They will always have their driver’s license, motor vehicle registration, and car insurance with them.

We will limit the risk of harm being caused during transportation by staying focused and eliminating distractions, like talking on the phone or eating. We remind our staff not to be overconfident while driving and to pay attention to the road conditions, speed, position on the road, traffic lights and signs, road marks and other drivers. Staff are to stay alert, as this will ensure they are able to react quickly when faced with a problem. We will ensure no child is left unattended in or outside of the vehicle. All participants transported will be transported to and from their destination. We will walk the children to the door and hand them off to the adult that is receiving them. If no one is home, we will reach out to them and wait for their arrival. If it is an option to meet them in the community, we will collaborate with the out-of-home caregiver to ensure the children are returned to their care. Our staff will ensure their vehicle is reasonably comfortable, meaning they will have working air conditioning and will have a smoke-free car. No smoking is allowed in vehicles at any time. We will ensure our staff have a charged cell phone during transport to communicate with parents/caregivers, out-of-home caregivers and their supervisor if needed. We will not allow our staff to carry a firearm, weapon, or explosive (flammable or harmful material) while on duty.

If an accident was to occur while on duty our staff would move the vehicle to a safe location. We will check to see if all the people in the vehicle are okay and call 911 for medical assistance. We will complete a police report with the officer on scene and notify the ADCS Specialist and their supervisor of the incident via phone or text message. ADCS will be notified in secure email. Our staff are required to take a drug test within 24 hours of the incident. We will complete a Significant Incident Report and submit it.

We will continuously complete routine checks on our staff driving history and background to ensure they are in good standing. If any employee who is providing direct client services has their license suspended or their fingerprint clearance card restricted, we will notify ADCS with a secure email within three days of learning this information.

Finally, we will ensure closures are completed in their entirety and uploaded for the ADCS Specialist to review. Once a referral is approaching closure, 30 days prior to the end date, our process is to reach out to ADCS Specialist via email to inquire if services are still needed and if the family will be re-referred to the program. If no response is received from the ADCS Specialist, we will continue to reach out weekly. Emails will include the Case Manager and their Supervisor. All efforts will be documented on the Summary of Parenting form. Once the referral has expired and no response has been given to extend services, we will close out the referral. We will then complete the Discharge Summary and identify the closure reason.

For those parents/caregivers that have allegations of sexual abuse. We will ensure they are following all the rules set forth in the contract and in their referral. We will discuss what is prohibited and ensure the safety of the child(ren). If the parent/caregiver fails to follow the rules set forth, the visit will be terminated and the ADCS Specialist will be notified within 24 hours.

Our agency has a process to track case progression and manage referral capacity in real time. Our ability to accept referrals is contingent on our capacity. Therefore, we have designed in our internal network a live schedule that monitors every staff member’s active caseload, capacity, and referrals. It entails our staff’s first and last name, contact phone number and email. It also informs us of all languages they are fluent in and of the city they reside in. Often, we receive calls from ADCS Specialist, parents/caregivers, and Out of Home Caregiver needing Case Aides’ information. This allows us to have immediate access to the information to provide it as needed. Next to the person’s name we have all the active cases they service Sunday to Saturday. It also includes the start time, duration, frequency, and end date of the visit. By having this information, we can see each staff member’s capacity to service families. Once new hires have completed all the necessary training, they are added to the schedule, and we start the process of assigning referrals.

Our schedule allows us to see cases that are approaching closure. Once a case reaches 30 days prior to its closure date, the case on the schedule transitions from green to yellow. When a case turns yellow, it is a reminder that we have a case approaching closure and we need to reach out to the ADCS for an extension. We will continue to make weekly contact until the case is re-referred. If the cases are not re-referred, our staff will move it to the “cases to be closed” section. At this time, we will complete the Discharge Summary and closure process. By knowing when cases are closing it allows us to predict upcoming capacity. All staff personnel have access to this schedule, and they are allowed to see their and team schedule.

This is important especially when other team members need to find coverage. Other Case Aides have access to the family’s information on the schedule and Facesheet (an internal document we use) which holds all the information needed to cover a visit, such as parent/caregiver’s contact information, location address, duration/frequency/time of the visit. It identifies all participants who can and cannot attend. The location of the children and if car seats are needed and specifically which kind of car seat to use.

During our Wednesday weekly meeting our management team discusses new hires, training, referrals progression, supervision, capacity, and referral assignment. At that time the team determines the capacity and review current referrals (case) progression to determine how many referrals we can service come next week. Once referrals are assigned to our agency, we will begin to notify ADCS we have received the new case. We will start a case file for each family. That file is created and stored in our “need to be assigned” folder, then we will proceed with outreach. Once outreach is completed and a referral is assigned, it immediately goes onto the schedule to the assigned Case Aide. The case file is then transitioned from a file “to be assigned” folder into the folder of “ongoing cases”.

All case files are stored in our internal secure network. By having a case to be assigned folder, it allows us to monitor referral (case) progression in real time. We can see which cases are still pending assignment, needing interpretation, waiting on updated contact information, dates and notes of our outreach engagement, referral information, parent/caregiver and out of home caregiver contact information, ADCS Specialist and Supervisors contact information and notes on the case status. By using this information instantly, it allows the Management Team to have oversight of new referrals to ensure they are being serviced timely. Therefore, the methods we use to monitor capacity and referral (case) progression is our internal schedule which tracks current and newly assigned cases. We use weekly management meetings to discuss real time capacity and referral (case) progression. We use supervision with our Case Aides to also monitor case progression, as our staff have direct access to the family and can update us on severance and reunification. If our Case Aides inform us of the transition of a case, we reach out to the ADCS Specialist for confirmation and proceed with the case based on the updated information provided.

Collaborating with DCS and other providers is essential when working with families. As a service provider we want to ensure we are in constant communication with DCS as they need to be aware of the progress or lack thereof. Our communication with DCS will consist of emails, phone calls and face-to-face meetings. During those times we will obtain updated contact information, communicate any barriers or concerns, provide all information regarding the schedule of parenting time visits. We will discuss engagement, go over parenting time summaries, discuss collaboration with other providers, work in collaboration with the NPP and other providers, work to obtain community resources and support given to the family. Every family will have a different level of support, and we will work with all parties via phone, email, and face-to-face to ensure the parents are getting the services they need.

We understand the work we do cannot be done in a vacuum and we as professionals have additional knowledge that will be useful in the progress of the family. Therefore, our policy at Maximum Family is to respond back to phone calls and emails within 24hrs. If a Case Aide is going on vacation, the assigned staff person will notify the DCS Specialist via email. They will also notify the parent/caregiver and out-of-home caregivers via phone prior to leaving, indicating to all parties who are the covering staff. Our covering aide will introduce themselves to both the parent/caregiver and out of home caregiver informing them they are covering the visit.

Question 3: Describe your process for communication with the State specific to contract administration, including but not limited to, personnel changes, updated agency information, VPR related issues and general communications. Identify any key roles or points of contact.

Offeror Response:

Our process for communication with the State goes as follows. The Program Manager and Supervisor(s) will use secure email when discussing confidential information. We will respond within 24 hours of receiving an email. We will work in collaboration with DCS regarding any issues or concerns we may have with a referral or a family. We are mandated reporters and if there is a need to contact the DCS hotline, we will do so to ensure the safety of the child(ren). Program Manager, Supervisor(s), and Case Aides will abide with all contractual obligations for communicating with DCS as it pertains to acknowledging receipt of the referral, communicating assigned staff and their supervisor information, communicating any barriers or concerns at the beginning and throughout the life of the case. We will work in collaboration with other service providers and submit all documentation detailing parents/caregivers’ interactions with their children on the necessary summaries provided under the parenting time contract. Our communication will be conducted via in-person, over the phone, and email to DCS. If we are not able to reach a DCS Specialist, we will reach out via email to their supervisor if a response is not provided to us within 24 hours.

If we experience any changes in personnel or facility, Dr. Harrison or the Program Manager will communicate to DCS within 24hours of the change. We understand a change in our staff personnel may impact on our capacity. Therefore, we will communicate our capacity change and the plan moving forward to increase capacity, if the change in personnel impacts the families we service. If our facility changes, Dr. Harrison will provide DCS with our new facility address. Communication of these changes will be sent to all necessary DCS staff, families, and any system partners our families are engaged with. If we change any agency information, we will ensure all changes are communicated with Contracts and Procurement and DCS personnel. Dr. Harrison will also ensure all changes are in our Procurement Profile as well. These changes will also be communicated via email, phone, or in-person.

We understand key roles and a point of contact may change. If a staff role changes or the point person changes, Dr. Harrison or Program Manager will communicate to all necessary parties stating who is assigned to the role or position and the end date of the previous person. DCS will be given sufficient notice of the change to ensure a smooth transition. All communication from the previous person will have an auto reply to the change and include the new point of contact. All their emails and phone calls will be forwarded to the new point of contact as well.