C-CFSR_CSA_Checklist.pdf

Rev. 12/2017

Checklist for California - Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR) County Self-Assessment (CSA)

This checklist was developed to ensure that CSA submissions include all required elements.

Counties may use this checklist as a guide in writing their CSA. Items on the checklist are paraphrased. See the C-CFSR Instruction Manual for a complete description.

1. C-CFSR Signature Sheet

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA

(Page #)

Cover sheet with signatures from the CWS Director, the Chief Probation Officer, and a representative of the BOS designated public agency to administer CAPIT, CBCAP and PSSF funds

p. 21

2. Introduction

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description of how the county approached the CSA planning process p. 21

Description of the methods used to gather stakeholder feedback p. 21

3. C-CFSR Planning Team & Core Representatives

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

List and give description of the C-CFSR planning team pp. 5, & 21-22

List of core representatives (names and affiliations) p. 5

Required core representative participants or explanation if any of the required representatives were unable to participate

p. 22

4. Demographic Profile

A. General County Demographics Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Population stratified by age and ethnicity and language spoken p. 22-23

Median income p. 23

Unemployment data p. 23

Average housing costs p. 23

Homelessness data p. 23

List of federally recognized active tribes in the county or the tribes, and service providers served most frequently

p. 23

Analysis addressing the following:

• Regional differences including areas of concentrated poverty, residential instability, high unemployment or limited family supports and services

p. 23

A. General County Demographics Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Changes or trends since the last CSA and potential impact on the delivery and/or availability of services

p. 23

• Changes or trends since the last CSA and impact on the county’s performance around the Outcome Data Measures

p. 23

B. Child Maltreatment Indicators Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Number of low-birth weight newborns p. 23

Number of children born to teen parents p. 23

Family structure p. 23

Housing costs and availability p. 23

2-1-1 calls: monthly averages by assistance requests (as applicable) p. 23

Substance abuse data p. 23

Mental health data p. 24

Child fatalities and near fatalities p. 24

Children with disabilities (as applicable) p. 24

Rates of law enforcement calls for domestic violence (as applicable) p. 24

Rates of emergency room visits for child victims of avoidable injuries (as applicable)

p. 24

Analysis addressing the following:

• Geographic, age, racial/ethnic or other trends identifying children at greatest risk of maltreatment

p. 24

• Changes or trends since the last CSA and potential impact on the delivery and/or availability of services

p. 24

• Changes or trends since the last CSA and impact on performance around the data Outcome Data Measures

p. 24

• Impact on the delivery of services for at risk families p. 24

C. Child Welfare and Probation Placement Population Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Number of children with allegations stratified by age and ethnicity p. 24

Number of children with substantiated allegations stratified by age and ethnicity (child welfare only)

p. 24

Number of children with allegations by type (child welfare only):

• Sexual Abuse p. 24

• Sexual Abuse p. 24

• Severe Neglect p. 24

• General Neglect p. 24

• Exploitation p. 24

C. Child Welfare and Probation Placement Population Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Emotional Abuse p. 24

• Caretaker absence/Incapacity p. 24

• At Risk, sibling abused p. 24

• Substance Abuse, as applicable p. 24

• Domestic Violence, as applicable p. 24

• Mental Health, as applicable p. 25

CWS - Number of children with first entries stratified by age and ethnicity. Probation - number of children entering the probation system with a suitable placement order

p. 25

Number of children with subsequent entries stratified by age and ethnicity

p. 25

CWS - Number of children in care stratified by age and ethnicity.

Probation - number of children in the probation system with a suitable placement order

p. 25

Children in care with open cases by service component p. 25

Number of children in care with tribal affiliations/number of ICWA eligible children

p. 25

Analysis addressing the following:

• Changes in allegation rates p. 25

• Types of substantiated allegations over time p. 25

• Changes in trends since the last CSA p. 25

• Ethnic and/or cultural disparities between the population served and the services provided.

p. 25

5. Public Agency Characteristics

A. Political Jurisdictions

Description of how relationships with the entities below impact the continuum of care for the county’s child welfare system:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Board of Supervisors p. 26

• Federally recognized tribes within the county and other tribes served by the county

p. 26

• School districts/Local education agencies p. 26

• Law enforcement agencies p. 26

• Public Health p. 26

B. Child Welfare and Probation Infrastructure Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Analysis of Child Welfare and Probation Agency workforce regarding challenges, barriers, and strengths

pp. 26

B. Child Welfare and Probation Infrastructure Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description of the county infrastructure for providing child welfare services for both Child Welfare and Probation Placement Agencies including:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Methods for assigning cases p. 26

• Structure or organization of service components/Include information regarding non-case carrying staff and units

p. 26

• Average staffing caseload size by service component including specialized staff who work with specific populations

p. 26

• Impact of staff turnover and changes in staffing structure on county operations, practice, service delivery, and the Outcome Data Measures

p. 26

• Information related to tracking staff turnover and vacancy rates

p. 27

• Impact of staffing characteristics on data entry into

CWS/CMS

p. 27

• Bargaining unit issues p. 27

• How staff is recruited and selected p. 27

• The types of degrees and certificates held by child welfare workers, probation placement officers, and other professionals responsible for the management of cases and child welfare staff

p. 27

• Demographic information on current staff, including the number of and types of educational degrees held by child welfare workers and probation placement officers

p. 27

• Average years of child welfare/probation placement experience or other related experience working with children and families

p. 27

• Race/Ethnicity: Special attention given to the skill level of staff in relation to the cultural needs of the population served

p. 27

• Salaries p. 27

• Position Types p. 27

C. Financial/Material Resources Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description of additional funding or material resources that support the county and have an impact on services to youth and families and the county’s performance in the Outcome Data Measures

p. 27

D. Child Welfare/Probation Operated Services Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Juvenile Hall: Description of the county’s Juvenile Hall facility p. 27

County operated shelter(s): Description of how the county provides emergency placements for children entering care

p. 28

County Licensing: Description of agency roles and responsibilities for licensing of foster family homes

p. 28

County Adoptions: Description of whether the county provides direct adoption services or if services are provided by a CDSS Adoptions District Office or another agency

p. 28

E. Other County Programs

Description and impact of the relationship of the agencies below to Child Welfare and/or Probation Placement Agencies:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• CalWORKs p. 28

• Public Health p. 28

• Alcohol and Drug Treatment p. 28

• Mental Health p. 28

• Other p. 28

6. Child Welfare/Probation Placement Initiatives

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description of the extent to which the county has participated in and/or implemented current federal or state initiatives

p. 28

Information regarding participation in state/county waivers, corrective action plans, as well as current applicable lawsuits and settlement agreements, such as the Katie A. v Bonta lawsuit

p. 28

Information regarding how the county is contributing to the successful achievement of California’s goals for outcomes for children and families

p. 28

7. Board of Supervisors (BOS) Designated Commission, Board or Bodies

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Name of the BOS designated public agency to administer CAPIT and

CBCAP

p. 29

If the Child Welfare Department is not the public agency designated to administer CAPIT and CBCAP, describe how the public agency designated to administer CAPIT and CBCAP was included in the C-CFSR process (include any barriers or challenges)

A. Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC): Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• The name of the commission, board, or council designated by the BOS to carry out this function and the year the designation occurred

p. 29

• Description of whether the CAPC is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation or is an independent organization within county government

p. 29

• Description of the CAPC’s role in the coordination of the county’s prevention and early intervention efforts

B. County Children’s Trust Fund Commission (CCTF), Board or Council:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• The name of the commission, board, or council designated to carry out this function

p. 29

• Description of how the county collects information about the programs, services, and/or activities funded with the CCTF and where the county publishes this information

p. 29

• Indication of whether the county deposits any portion of their CBCAP allocation into the CCTF

C. PSSF Collaborative: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Identification of the PSSF collaborative: Name of the agency, commission, board, or council designated to carry out this function

p. 30

8. Systemic Factors

A. Management Information Systems Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description of the technology used to manage and assess the provision of child welfare services

p. 30

• Barriers in maintaining the systems and how the systems are utilized to measure county performance in the Outcome Data Measures

p. 30

• Description of how the information gathered from these systems is utilized to evaluate operational activities in the agency

p. 30

• Assessment of whether the system is underutilized and the barriers to full utilization

B. County Case Review System Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Including County’s relationship with the court and identify strengths and areas needing improvement, including reform efforts or innovative practices in the areas below:

• The structure of the county juvenile court, including but not limited to the following:

➢ Process for notifying caregivers and tribes of hearings and efforts to ensure caregiver and tribal input is incorporated into decisions or recommendations

p. 30

➢ Process by which the county provides for periodic review of each child’s case at least every six months

p. 30

➢ Process by which each child in foster care has a Permanency Hearing within required timeframes

p. 30

➢ Process by which the county ensures termination of parental rights (TPR) for children who have been in care for 15 of the last 22 months unless a compelling reason indicating why TPR is not in the child’s best interest is documented in the case

The county’s process for case planning including but not limited to the following:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

➢ Coordination between the child welfare agency and the county’s mental health services

p. 31

➢ Screening and assessment, particularly for trauma p. 31

➢ Developing behaviorally based goals and objectives p. 31

➢ Selecting appropriate services and ensuring trauma-based services are available

p. 31

➢ Planning for visitation p. 31

➢ Family engagement models such as Team Decision Making (TDM) or Family Group Decision Making (FGDM)

p. 31

➢ Utilization of assessment tools such as Structured Decision Making (SDM), Comprehensive Assessment Tool (CAT), and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Tool

p. 32

Making adjustments to the case plan: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

➢ The county’s policy for ensuring referrals for services are appropriate and clients’ progress is monitored

p. 31

➢ The process and methods of engagement used to facilitate case planning

p. 31

Making adjustments to the case plan: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

➢ The process by which the county informs parents or guardians of rights and responsibilities of participation in case planning

p. 31

➢ The process by which the county addresses the needs of caregivers in the case plan

p. 31

Analysis addresses the following: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Barriers and challenges of the Case Review System, including case plan engagement. Include efforts to improve outcomes for children and youth related to the juvenile court system

p. 31

• If applicable, the structure and any efforts to support or improve relationships between Child Welfare/Probation Placement Agencies and the Tribal Courts, the county’s drug court(s) and the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program

p. 31

• Efforts/processes in place to support or improve the working relationship between Child Welfare/Probation Placement Agencies and the Juvenile Court

• If applicable, the county’s approach to dual jurisdiction youth p. 32

C. Foster and Adoptive Parent Licensing, Recruitment, and Retention

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description and analysis of the following:

• The county’s process for maintaining standards for Resource Families, including relatives which are applied to all homes receiving Title IV-E or IV-B funds:

p. 32

➢ How the county ensures compliance with requirements for a criminal record clearance

p. 32

➢ How the county collaborates with local tribes for the placement of children in tribally approved homes

p. 32

➢ How the county implements procedures for the effective use of cross-jurisdictional resources to facilitate timely adoptive or permanent placements for waiting children

Recruitment, and retention processes: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

➢ The process by which the county recruits, trains, and supports resource families/Include any new strategies and initiatives

p. 32

➢ Support services and resources available to caregivers in the county

p. 32

➢ County’s methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of the process

Placement resources: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

➢ Efforts that the county has made to address the needs of special populations, for which placement resources are limited

p. 32

➢ Efforts to ensure diligent recruitment of foster and adoptive families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of children in the county /Include the county’s successful efforts as well as any strategies to address barriers

D. Staff, Caregiver and Service Provider Training Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description and analysis of the county’s capacity to provide training to social workers and probation officers, including the following:

• The completion of the California Common Core training p. 33

• How the county identifies ongoing and/or new training needs to ensure the competency of social workers, placement officers, supervisors, managers and administrators

p. 33

• How staff and other providers are trained to identify and support the treatment of emotional trauma

p. 33

• How the county addresses the training and supervision of county staff, foster parents, and other providers with respect to underserved populations

p. 33

Description and analysis of the county’s capacity to provide training to service providers and other subcontractors, including those supported by CAPIT, CBCAP or PSSF funds:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Description of the trainings available to service providers including the frequency of available trainings

p. 33

• The agency representative and/or program responsible for providing technical assistance to service providers

p. 33

E. Agency Collaboration Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description of how the county consults and coordinates with the following community partners and stakeholders for child welfare and probation placement planning efforts:

• The collaboration between the Child Welfare and Probation Placement Agencies to deliver foster care services to children and families served

p. 33

• Tribes/tribal representative and/or tribal service provider p. 33

• Collaboration between county agencies including:

coordinated case planning efforts such as Linkages with CalWORKs, local mental health plans, coordinated services with the county’s law enforcement agencies, and agreements made between county agencies for data sharing or other ways to serve shared populations

p. 33-34

• Community-based organizations including: Family Resource Centers and service providers, Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health service providers; Regional Centers, Foster Youth Services, Kin-GAP centers, Child Abuse Prevention Councils, First Five Commissions, Former Parent Consumers, and Faith Based Organizations

p. 34

• Caregivers (Foster, Adoptive, Kin) p. 34

• Group home providers p. 34

• Foster family agencies p. 34

Description and analysis of the following: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Information regarding shared expectations, responsibilities and the exchange of information, aligning activities, shared funding and resources between agency collaborators.

p. 34

• The process used to ensure that the concerns of these stakeholders are taken into account when developing services

p. 34

• Information gleaned during the CSA assessment process regarding the county’s ability to involve stakeholders in planning efforts/Include information on outreach efforts and action plans developed as a result of the assessment process

p. 34

For the Community-Based organizations: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• How the county and community, including the prevention, early intervention and treatment community-based partners, work together to reduce child abuse and neglect

p. 34

For tribes/tribal representatives and/or tribal service providers: Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Description of the extent to which there is shared involvement in evaluating and reporting progress on the goals for Native American children

p. 35

F. Service Array Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Describe and analyze the programs and services offered in the county, either directly or through providers, through the entire continuum of services from prevention through aftercare:

• Prevention focused services p. 35

• Community-based family support services p. 35

• Family preservation services aimed at preserving families via reunification, guardianship or adoption

p. 35

• Reunification services p. 35

• Adoption services p. 35

• Kinship care/support services p. 35

• Independent living services p. 35

• Permanency planning services p. 35

• Programs and services that address the unique characteristics of the populations previously identified in the demographic section to be at greatest risk of maltreatment

p. 35

• Culturally relevant services available in the county are proportionately available to meet the needs of ethnic and/or minority populations (including, but not limited to, the availability of bilingual social workers and probation officers or services offered which meet the unique needs of a specific ethnic/minority group)

p. 36

• Programs that target underserved populations p. 36

• Services provided to find a permanent family for children ages 0-5

p. 36

• Services which address the developmental needs of infants, toddlers, and children

p. 36

F. Service Array Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Services available to children and/or caregivers with physical, mental or other disabilities

p. 36

• Services available for Native American children and those children qualifying under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)

p. 36

For the items above, each analysis includes the following information:

• The capacity of each program to serve families, children and caregivers/Availability of community-based services for families of probation youth

p. 36

• Accessibility of services by geographic areas p. 36

• Significant gaps in services p. 36

• Indication as to whether the program/service is funded by CAPIT, CBCAP, and/or PSSF funds

p. 36

• Programs with eligibility criteria and/or cost to families that constitutes a barrier to services

p. 36

• Indication if the program is an evidenced-based, evidenced-informed prevention, early intervention or treatment program

p. 36

• Description of whether the program or service can be individualized to meet the unique needs of children and families served by the county

p. 36

• Identify any discontinued services or programs p. 36

In addition, describe prevention education provided to the public and outreach activities undertaken by the county in order to maximize participation of services for the following populations:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Children and adults with disabilities p. 36

• Homeless families, those at risk of homelessness and unaccompanied homeless youth

p. 36

• Former adult victims of child abuse and neglect or domestic violence

p. 36

• Parents p. 36

• Racial and ethnic minorities p. 36

• Families with young children, 0-5 p. 36

G. Quality Assurance System Location in

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

Description and analysis of the following:

• The quality assurance system that Child Welfare and Probation Placement Agencies utilize to evaluate the

p. 37

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #) adequacy and quality of the systems throughout the continuum of care

• The child welfare and probation placement policies for evaluating achievement of the performance measures identified in the county Quarterly Data Reports

p. 37

• The effectiveness of county policies for monitoring compliance with the ICWA and Multiethnic Placement Act

(MEPA)

p. 37

• The agency’s process for ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated screening, assessment and treatment plan to identify children’s mental health and trauma needs

p. 37

• How the agency monitors the appropriate administration of prescription medications, including psychotropic medications, for children in foster care

p. 37

• The effectiveness of the county’s policies for monitoring how a child’s physical health and educational needs have been adequately identified and addressed

p. 37

• The system used to ensure children with special needs and their families receive effective services

p. 37

• The county’s policies and procedures for documenting and monitoring compliance with child and family involvement in the case planning process, including:

p. 37

➢ Concurrent planning in every case receiving reunification services

p. 37

➢ Meeting TPR timelines and documentation of compelling reasons as to why timelines were not met (may not be applicable to probation)

p. 37

➢ Development of a Transitional Independent Living Plan for each child age 16 or over

p. 38

• How the county addresses the needs of infants, toddlers, children and youth (i.e., priorities for safety assessments, service delivery for reunification, and standards regarding the foster parent-to-child ratio

p. 38

• The process the county uses to capture participation and evaluation data for programs supported with CAPIT/CBCAP/PSSF funds. Describe how the service provider reports this information to the county

p. 38

• How the county monitors the provision and quality of services funded by CAPIT/CBCAP/PSSF

p. 38

Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• The corrective action process the county utilizes to ensure that service providers or subcontractors are held accountable, including service providers receiving CAPIT/CBCAP/PSSF funds

P. 38

• The county’s process for ensuring that service providers are expending CAPIT/CBCAP/PSSF funds on allowable services and populations

p. 38

• The county’s process to ensure service providers are properly tracking participation rates for separate funding sources

9. Critical Incident Review Process

When applicable, a description of the process by which the county reviews and responds to critical incidents such as fatalities and near fatalities:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Process for review of child deaths determined to be the result of abuse and/or neglect in which the child/family was known to receive CWS services

p. 38

• Process for annually reconciling the county agency’s child death information with data from other entities

p. 38

• Process by which the county participates in meetings of local Child Death Review Teams (CDRTs)

10. Peer Review Results

Description of the process taken to conduct the Peer Review. The county should include how the information will be used to improve the child welfare system and/or outcomes for children and families.

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Description of the focus area and the county’s performance prior to the Peer Review

p. 39

• Description of the method for carrying out the process p. 39

Woven throughout the report, with respect to the specific focus area chosen, the county’s:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

➢ Promising Practice(s) p. 39

➢ Barriers and Challenges p. 39

➢ Recommendations for Improvement p. 39

➢ Promising practices identified from Peer Counties in the Peer sharing process

p. 39

11. Outcome Data Measures

Comprehensive discussion of the county’s current performance to assess factors contributing to successes as well as improvements needed

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

A complete analysis includes:

• A discussion of each Outcome Data Measure listed in Appendix 3

p. 39

• An assessment of the performance of each Outcome Data Measure using the Quarterly Data Report selected for the CSA baseline

p. 39

• Description of children in each measure to determine differences between current and desired performance

p. 40

• Explanation of data by relevant indicators such as age group, ethnicity, placement type, demographic identifiers, and/or other indicators, including regional analysis

p. 40

• Use of the Quarterly Data Report as described in Chapter 1, which also highlights any changes or trends since the previous submission of the CSA

p. 40

• For any data or graphs used to support the discussion, a description of the information, citation of data sources and inclusion of an explanation of the relevance of the information

p. 40

Provide citation information for all of the data sources included in the C-CFSR reports

p. 40

Summarize the most significant results for each Outcome Data Measure/Summary includes information gleaned from both data review and stakeholder feedback

p. 40

The following questions are considered for each Outcome Data Measure:

p. 40

• What data anomalies or data entry issues might affect the measure?

p. 41

• How has performance changed over time, or what factors may have led to stagnant performance?

p. 41

• What external factors might have affected performance? p. 41

• What specific policies or practices have impacted performance?

p. 41

• What other Outcome Data Measure might impact this measure?

p. 41

• Are there significant differences between racial, geographic, or ethnic groups in the measure?

p. 41

• What factors contribute to any disproportionate representation of cultural or ethnic groups in the Outcome Data Measure in comparison to the general population?

p. 41

Comprehensive discussion of the county’s current performance to assess factors contributing to successes as well as improvements needed

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• What services funded by CAPIT/CBCAP/PSSF have impacted the county’s performance and how?

p. 41

• How have strategies from the county’s five-year SIP impacted the Outcome Data Measure?

p. 41

12. Summary of Findings

Description of overarching themes discovered during the assessment that includes:

Location in Instruction Manual

Location in CSA (Page #)

• Populations at greatest risk of maltreatment p. 41

• County strengths p. 41

• Areas needing improvement p. 41

• Service array gaps and needs p. 41

• Summary of Outcome Data Measures and relevant data trends

p. 41

• Summary of the effect of systemic factors on Outcome Data Measures and service delivery

p. 41

• Summary of progress, challenges and lessons learned from the previous SIP

p. 42

• Examples to explain themes and justify conclusions p. 42