Florida Department of Children and Families
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families

Participants will obtain an understanding of practice and
system implications for themselves and other stakeholders

Participants recognize the ways in which leadership support
will be critical to successful implementation

Hotline-Currently, a very high screen in rate
◦ Process now is VERY intrusive

CPI-High recidivism

Case Management-High case loads

Community Partners-Mandatory reporting

Are we setting families up to fail?

Are we offering services to the RIGHT families for the RIGHT
reasons?
Copyright 2013 Florida Department of Children & Families
SAFE…children are
considered safe when
there are no present or
impending danger threats,
or the caregivers’
protective capacities
control existing threats
UNSAFE… children are
vulnerable to present or
impending danger threats,
and caregivers have
insufficient protective
capacity to control existing
threats.

Immediate

Significant

Clearly Observable

Severe harm

Present tense---right now

Requires immediate response

Impending Danger ….not
happening at this
moment……but a “state of
danger”

Child is in a position of
continual danger
D1:
Extent of
Maltreatment
D6:
D2:
Disciplinary
Practices
Surrounding
Circumstances
D5:
General
Parenting
Practices
KNOW
THE
FAMILY
D3:
Child
Functioning
D4:
Adult
Functioning
Information Domains give us the information we need
on child vulnerability…..

Age

Physical ability

Cognitive ability

Developmental status

Emotional security
D1:
Extent of
Maltreatment
D6:
D2:
Disciplinary
Practices
Surrounding
Circumstances
D5:

Family loyalty
General
Parenting
Practices
KNOW
THE
FAMILY
D3:
Child
Functioning
D4:
Adult
Functioning
Protective Capacity….how
a parent thinks, feels,
acts…..
Cognitive protective capacity

Intellectual knowledge, understanding and perceptions

Contribute to protective vigilance
Examples
• reality oriented
• accurate perception of a child
• recognition of a child’s needs
• ability to accurately process and interpret
various stimuli
• understanding of protective role
• intellectually able
• understanding and recognizing threats
Behavioral Protective Capacity

Specific action, activity, performance that results in protective
vigilance
Examples:
• physical capacity and energy
• ability to set aside own needs
• adaptive, assertive and responsive
• takes action
• impulse control
• history of being protective
Emotional protective capacity:

Feelings, attitudes and identification with the child that
results in protective vigilance
Examples:
• emotional bond with the child
• positive attachment with the child
• love, sensitivity and empathy for the child
• resiliency
• stability
• effectively meets own emotional
• needs emotional control
• realizes the child cannot produce
gratification and self-esteem for the parent
Danger
threats
+/-
Child
vulnerability
+/-
Caregiver
protective
capacity
=
Safe
or
Unsafe

Safety plan: actions and
services that will
temporarily substitute for
the lacking parental
protective capacity to
control the danger threats
16

An unsafe child does not automatically
require placement outside the home

Safety plans range from entirely in-home to
exclusively out-of-home care
Intrusiveness
17
Safety Plan
Case Plan
Control
Change
Substitutes for lacking
protective capacity
Enhancing or building
protective capacity
Immediate effect
Achieved over time
18
Safe Children:
•
provides a measure for identifying families for
prevention services.
Unsafe children:
•
case management services
CPI
Case Management
•Safety
• Safety
•Danger Threats
• Danger Threats
•Caregiver Protective
Capacities
• Caregiver Protective
Capacities
•Safety Plans
• Treatment--Change





Are danger threats being managed?
How can existing protective capacities –STRENGTHS – be
built upon to make changes?
What is the relationship between danger threats and the
diminished caregiver protective capacities—What Must
Change?
What are the parents’ perspective or awareness of their
caregiver protective capacities?
What are the child’s needs and how are the parents meeting
or not meeting those needs?

What are the parents ready and willing to work on in the case
plan?

What are the areas of disagreement in what needs to change?

What change strategy (case plan) will be used to assist in
enhancing diminished care giver protective capacities?
Can an in-home
safety plan replace
the out-of-home
safety plan?
Can we step down
the intensity of our
intervention?

Safety Decision Making Methodology impacts everything:
policy, automated system, legal system, quality assurance,
staff development.

Agency partners – focus on safety services and safety
management; includes substance abuse, mental health,
domestic violence

Legal stakeholders – new constructs, new decision making
criteria, new expectations
Pace/timing of service referrals
4.
◦ Treatment referrals aren’t made until after initial assessment
is completed by the CPI
◦ Case Plan tasks no longer established at ESI/Case Transfer
◦ No more Case Plans at Arraignment
◦ Counter-intuitive for many staff
Potential skill gaps
5.
◦
Interviewing techniques
◦
Case plan goals with behavior-specific outcomes
Case Plan
7.
◦
Behaviorally specific outcomes based on diminished
caregiver protective capacities
Judiciary
8.
◦
Case plan not ready at arraignment because assessment is
more in-depth

Stages of Implementation
February 2011
Project Kick-off
Exploration
 It’s
We are
here!
Installation
Initial
Implementation
Our
destination!
July 2013
Begin to
Practice!
Full Operation
Innovation
a journey… to high fidelity!
Sustainability
Statewide Implementation Team
•
•
SunCoast Region Training Plans
•
Circuit 6 Training Plans for roll out
Capacity Building
•
•
Super Safety Practice Experts – 42
•
Safety Practice Experts – 200
•
Trainer Proficiency Evaluation Process
•e-Learning Modules
•Discussion Guides facilitated by Safety Practice Experts or Supervisors
Readiness •www.centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu.
•Supervisor trained prior to front line training
•Joint training for Child Protective Investigators and Case Management
Instruction •8 full days of training
•Practice, practice, practice!
•Supervisory and SPE consultation
Coaching
•Fidelity reviews
• Shawna Thomas/Super Safety Practice Expert
PSO
• [email protected]
• Trainer, Pasco Sheriff’s Office
• Treasure Montana/Super Safety Practice Expert
PCSO
• [email protected]
• Trainer, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
• Kyle Teague/Safety Practice Expert
ECA
• [email protected]
• Trainer, Eckerd Community Alternatives-Circuit 6
Questions and Discussion?
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