Attachment_2_CINA_Workflow_High_Level.pdf

Question #12, Attachment 2

STATE OF ALASKA, DEPARTMENT OF LAW, CIVIL DIVISION

QUESTION #17, ATTACHMENT 2, CHILD IN NEED OF AID HIGH-LEVEL

WORKLOAD

High-Level Process Summary

When the State of Alaska, Department of Family and Community Services, Office of Children’s Services (OCS) initiates a Child Protection case, the process begins with the OCS worker filing a petition with the court. The court assigns a judge, determines whether to appoint a Guardian ad Litem, and schedules a hearing, which may occur within the next day or within the following weeks.

After the Department of Law receives the emergency or non-emergency petition and accompanying documents, the Child Protection Legal Office Assistants create or verify contact records for the child or children, parents, legal representatives, the assigned social worker, the Guardian ad Litem, and any relevant Indian Child Welfare Act information. The Legal Office Assistants then open a new matter, based on the primary parent, and assign the attorney according to the judicial assignment. They also assign the matter to the appropriate paralegal and support staff. Once the matter is opened, the Legal Office Assistants complete the required initial service actions, including issuing summonses, ICWA notices, grandparent notices, and filing the attorney’s entry of appearance, typically within the first 24 hours.

Information Provided in the Petition Description Petition Details Type of petition (emergency or non-emergency); date and time received;

statutory authority (AS 47.10.011); factual narrative supporting the petition.

Child Information Full legal name; date of birth; gender;

Tribal af�iliation; ICWA applicability;

placement information; safety concerns listed in the petition.

Parent and Party Information Names and relationships; contact information and addresses; potential parent Tribal af�iliation; relatives or other listed parties; documented efforts to contact parents with dates and times.

Custody and Removal Information Date and time DFCS/OCS took custody;

circumstances of removal; whether emergency or non-emergency; law enforcement involvement.

Meetings and Noti�ications Dates, times, locations of meetings with parents, relatives, or Tribes; scheduled hearings; required noti�ications, including ICWA notices.

AS 47.10.011 Grounds Speci�ic statutory subsections alleged; facts supporting each ground; referenced documents or evidence included in the petition.

QUESTION #12, ATTACHMENT 2, CHILD IN NEED OF AID HIGH-LEVEL WORKLOAD

Action / Step Description Receive Referral / Case Intake Intake begins when the Division receives an emergency or non-emergency CINA petition. A single petition may involve one or multiple children.

Search for Existing Records LOAs confirm whether child, parent, Guardian ad Litum, caregiver, or other party records already exist in the LMMS and update or create new records as needed.

Create Child Records Each child receives an individual, secured contact record with key identifiers (DOB, OCS ID, gender, and court case details).

Access is restricted to authorized users.

Create Party Records LOAs create secured contact records for parents, caregivers, OCS personnel, and other parties, capturing essential identifiers, contact details, and Tribal affiliation indicators.

Establish Relationships Record the relationships between each child and each associated party. Identify service parties and designate service methods (e.g., certified mail).

Enter OCS Identifiers LOAs enter OCS-assigned identifiers for each child and each party.

Add Court Case Information For each child, LOAs add unique court case numbers and removal dates, and mark the current active case.

Copy Relationships (Multi-Child Cases) When multiple children are involved, LOAs copy the relationships and service settings from one child record to the others to ensure consistency.

Document ICWA Status LOAs record ICWA information, link Tribal contact records for the child and parents, and update as information becomes available.

Create CINA Matter Create the matter, using the primary parent as the matter description.

Add Client Agency Funding Source Add the funding source contact record.

Related funding fields, client agency name, and address auto-populate.

QUESTION #12, ATTACHMENT 2, CHILD IN NEED OF AID HIGH-LEVEL WORKLOAD

Generate Matter ID System automatically generates a unique matter ID.

Set Section and Matter Type LOAs assign Section (CV-CP) and Matter Type (CINA).

Set Matter Status and Open Date System auto-populates opened date, status (Open), and status date.

Assign Internal Professionals Add internal attorneys and staff to the matter and choose their roles from a picklist (Primary, Paralegal, Legal Editor, Analyst).

Enter Summary and Notes LOAs add a brief summary and any initial unstructured notes.

Record Statutory Grounds (AS 47.10.011) Add applicable grounds (e.g., Physical Harm, Mental Injury) from the petition.

Billing Setup System sets matter to billable, applies legal rate, and enables statement generation.

Set Task Code Set LOA selects the appropriate task code set for the matter in a picklist.

Add Rules / Docket Set Add applicable document/docket set so users see global events plus CINA-specific calendaring and document rules.

Add Matter Location Select location from a picklist.

Add Court Jurisdiction Select jurisdiction from a picklist (e.g., State or Federal Court).

Enter OCS Family Identifier Record the OCS family ID number.

Add Court Contact Add the correct court contact record.

Add Judge Information Add the judge's contact record when known.

Add Court City Select the correct court city from a picklist.

Launch Case Opening Docket LOA launches the Case Opening Docket.

The system sends alert notifications to assigned professionals.

Launch Removal Date Docket LOA launches the Removal Date Docket in the matter.

Upload Initial Documents LOAs upload petitions, notices, affidavits, ICWA documents, and assign them to the correct document folders.

Enable Timekeeping Once opened, timekeepers can begin billing time to the matter. Timekeepers keep track of their time on a daily basis and

QUESTION #12, ATTACHMENT 2, CHILD IN NEED OF AID HIGH-LEVEL WORKLOAD

choose a task code and add a descriptive narrative for every entry.

Ongoing Document & Docket Activity Attorneys/Paralegals generate templates, add events, upload external documents, and update matter notes.

Request Record Updates Attorneys request changes to matter or contact records through LOAs or select paralegals.

Maintain Child-Specific Notes Record ongoing placement updates, ICWA compliance notes, visitation details, etc.

Record Cost-Producing Activities Track discovery production, subpoenas, expert requests, and other billable tasks.

Weekly Funding Source Validation Operations Manager runs weekly reports to verify and confirm correct funding source usage.

CINA Appeals If there is an appeal in the matter, the matter will be transferred to the Opinion, Appeals and Ethics section for the handling of the appeals. Matter can be transferred to other sections in the Division.

Funding Source Change Funding source changes can happen at a time based on legislative appropriation, or we received a separate RSA from a client agency to cover specific work.

Document Case Resolution for Each Child Record outcomes such as reunification or adoption on each child’s contact record.

Finalize Matter Close calendared events, update status to Closed; system updates status date.

Archive per Records Policy Apply child-protection matter retention schedules.

Matter Re-Opening Matters may be reopened to support new events; reopening resets retention/disposition timelines.