2740 Family Based Assessment
The purpose of the Family Based Assessment (FBA) is to complete an active assessment alongside the family and their safety network. The FBA is a process that includes reviewing and assessing information gathered during the assessment to help the CPS Specialist and family determine the immediate and lasting safety of the children and identify needed services or supports.
A. The FBA shall be completed for all cases accepted for further assessment except for the following:
1. Facility
2. Third Party
3. Unable to locate
B. FBA KIDS Requirements
The 2030F Family Based Assessment Summary is used to document decisions in KIDS and includes the following:
1. Results Tab: Section I. Assessment Results and Summary of Findings
a. Safety Decision, Risk Level, Risk Conclusion and Assessment Conclusion from a FINA assessment fields are no longer required as of January 1, 2021.
b. Investigation Findings from Case Findings auto-enters.
2. Results Tab: Section II. Summary of Assessment Conclusion
a. Not required in KIDS; documented on Assessment Map.
3. Prevention Services Tab: Section III Family Preservation Screen
This section provides criteria for the CPS Specialist to consider Family Preservation Services (FPS), Family Services (FS), or Family First Prevention Services (FFPS) referral.
a. CPS Specialist shall consult with a supervisor regarding Family Preservation Referral criteria and answer questions 1-7 in KIDS. See PPM 2746 for further referral criteria information.
b. The CPS Specialist shall document the date and time of the supervisor approval in the Date Decision Made and Time field.
4. Service Plan Tab: Section IV Case Action/Initial Service Plan
a. Family Strengths and Needs are no longer required as of January 1, 2021.
b. Case Opened for Services
Completion of the FBA shall not delay a referral for services when a family is in crisis. The CPS Specialist shall update the FBA with as much information as is available by the next working day from the date of the referral for services. The CPS Specialist may make a referral to services before the FBA is closed for abuse/neglect assignments when the investigation is ongoing, and the case finding is not complete. When services are accepted, the CPS Specialist shall document the Case Action Plan and Initial Permanency Goal in KIDS. Case Action Plan decisions may be:
i. Family Services
The CPS Specialist will consider providing family services when there is a need for DCF assistance beyond the initial 30 working days of intake assignment. During the FBA, if the CPS Specialist identifies specific services which may help the family alleviate the risk of removal for the child(ren), the CPS Specialist shall:
1. Consult and seek CPS Supervisor approval of DCF Purchasing Services and
2. Complete the PPS 4005 Family Service Case Status and provide it to FACTS, see PPS 4005 instructions for additional guidance.
ii. Family Preservation
iii. Family First Prevention Services (FFPS)
The CPS Specialist may make a referral to FFPS without consultation with a PPS Supervisor. Refer to PPM 4000 Prevention Services for referral criteria.
iv. Foster Care
The CPS Specialist shall make a referral to foster care when the case action plan is identified as foster care in KIDS. Refer to PPM 2750 for DCF Responsibilities at Referral to Foster Care Services
v. Adoption
c. Reasons for agency intervention: Not Required in KIDS
d. Initial Permanency Goal
When the CPS Specialist refers for services, they will document an Initial Permanency Goal. Initial Permanency Goals may be any one of the following:
i. Maintain at Home
ii. Reintegration
iii. Adoption
iv. Guardianship
v. Independent Living
e. Child Protection Objectives: Not Required in KIDS
f. Close Case
The CPS Specialist shall document the reason for case closure as one or more of the following reasons:
i. DCF services not indicated: The investigation and assessment is complete and DCF services are not indicated.
ii. Family refused services: The department may close the case if the family refuses services and there are no unaddressed child safety needs.
iii. Family moved, cannot be located. Medical needs were unable to be determined: The family cannot be located or has moved out of state, the case may be closed.
iv. Another community agency is currently providing services: The family is experiencing problems, but another agency is assessing the family's needs and/or providing services. If an assessment by the department will duplicate an ongoing assessment and/or treatment by a qualified person or agency and/or an assessment by DCF would be disruptive to the treatment of the family, the case may be closed if there are no unaddressed child safety issues.
v. Assessment Complete - Current Service Plan continues: If the assigned report is associated with a case already open to the agency and the current service plan will continue, this option shall be indicated.
5. Timeliness Tab: Section V Timeliness of Family Based Assessment/Initial Service Plan
The CPS Specialist shall complete the FBA within 30 working days of intake assignment, unless making a referral for services. The CPS Specialist shall complete the FBA with the information known to the agency, when the case finding is late. If the CPS Specialist cannot complete the FBA timely, they shall document the reason in KIDS.
6. Required Signatures: Section VI Required Signatures
The FBA is completed when the CPS Specialist and supervisor sign and date the Family Based Assessment Summary electronically in KIDS, unless a referral for services is made, causing the CPS Specialist’s signature to be entered on a date prior to the FBA completion.
The CPS Specialist shall sign on the date the Assessment Map has been updated with as much information available, by the next working date of the referral to the CWCMP or contracted service provider, to document the timeliness of the FBA upon a referral. The supervisor’s signature is not required to initiate family services or a referral to the CWCMP. Upon closure of the FBA, when a referral has been made to a CWCMP, the CPS Specialist shall add the FBA completion date in the CPS Specialist Signature text box next to his/her original signature from the date of the referral. The date field next to the CPS Specialist Signature box will remain the date the FBA was updated upon referral.
For example:
CPS Specialist Signature: Worker Name, 2/1/2018 (Date of FBA Completion)
Date: 1/10/2018 (Date of referral to CWCMP remains the same)
Supervisor Signature: Supervisor Name
Date: 2/1/2018 (Date of FBA Completion and matches the date entered in the CPS Specialist signature line)
C. The CPS Specialists shall use the following tools to guide conversations with the family and document the assessment:
1. Face Sheet, PPS 1000
2. Report/Request for Services, PPS 1001
3. Initial Assessment, PPS 1002
4. Kansas DCF Conversation Note, PPS 2019 (may include Appendix 2N, My Three Houses, Appendix 2P, Fairy Wizard Template and Appendix 2W, Ecomap Template)
5. Kansas DCF Assessment Map, PPS 2020
6. Case Finding, PPS 2011 (Abuse/Neglect)
7. Family Based Assessment Summary, PPS 2030F
D. Allowable reasons for not completing the FBA within the time frame include:
1. Cannot locate family; or the child is missing, and additional time is needed to provide information and assist the parent/caregivers with reporting the child as missing to law enforcement and NCMEC (see PPM 2080 Assessment and Prevention Responsibilities When Child is Missing)
2. Family has left the state
3. DCF has been directed not to proceed by county/district attorney or law enforcement
4. Family refuses to cooperate
5. Appointments scheduled but persons failed to keep the appointments
6. Parents refused access to the child (see PPM 2315 Unable to Locate)
7. Child out of state i.e., staying with relatives