Goal #1: Develop and implement strategies to address barriers to timely contact with children in response to maltreatment reports.

Baseline (Performance at the time of the review):

x Annual/Quarterly Performance Data (if applicable to PIP development)

Timeliness of Contact in Maltreatment Assessments & Investigations (Source: CW Data Dashboard)

Q3, ‘11

Q4, ‘11

Q2, ‘12

Q3, ‘12

76.6%

(36/47)

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

90% of children will have face to face contact within statutory timelines, using the CW Data Dashboard as the method of measurement.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor will provide guidance to staff to ensure intake disposition date and time in SSIS accurately reflects when screening decision was actually made.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor’s designee will run the SSIS General report, “Child Maltreatment Screening Timeliness” on a monthly basis and share with staff.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor will review information and clarify expectations with staff that

all alleged child victims must have a face to face contact within statutory timelines

state guidance regarding attempted face to face contact with alleged child victims.

1:

2:

3:

4:

The date and time of face-to-face contact with each alleged victim will be added to “Family Assessment Summary” and “Investigation Summary” forms.

Additions will include identification of the type of report (substantial child endangerment or non-substantial child endangerment) and a place for workers to indicate whether contact was made within timelines.

1:

2:

3:

4:

When reviewing closed assessment and investigation files, supervisor will specifically review whether contact with children was made within required timelines.

If delays occurred, supervisor will review reasons for delays with assessment or investigation staff.

Summary information of results of supervisor reviews will be shared with agency staff at least quarterly.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Goal #2: Improve timeliness of reunification.

Baseline (Performance at the time of the review):

o Case Review Data (if applicable to PIP development)

x Annual/Quarterly Performance Data (if applicable to PIP development)

2011 County performance on Federal Data Indicators:

C1.1: 73.1% (19/26)

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

NA

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

National Standards on Federal Data Indicators

C1.1: 75.2% h

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor will convene a committee to review Charting and Analysis reports and identify and analyze the factors that contributed to children remaining in foster care for longer than 12 months.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Results of analysis completed by committee referenced above will be reviewed for determination of need for further action steps.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Goal #3: Increase the rate of achieving permanency for older youth and children in out-of-home care for extended periods of time.

Baseline (Performance at the time of the review):

o Case Review Data (if applicable to PIP development)

x Annual/Quarterly Performance Data (if applicable to PIP development)

2011 County Performance on Federal Data Indicators:

C2.4: 0% (0/3)

C2.5: 20% (2/10)

C3.1: 0% (0/3)

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

NA

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

National Standards on Federal Data Indicators:

C2.4: 10.9% h

C2.5: 22.7% h

C3.1: 53.7% h

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor will convene a committee to review Charting and Analysis reports and identify barriers to achieving permanency for youth represented in those measures.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Results of analysis completed by committee referenced above will be reviewed for determination of need for further action steps.

1:

2:

3:

4:

x 2012 Case Review Data (if applicable to PIP development)

Item 15 (Relative placement): 66.7% (4/6) of cases rated as a Strength

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

80% of cases reviewed using the agency’s internal case review process will be rated as a Strength on Item 15.

Share and review policy with staff

Supervisor will review the “Notice to Parent(s) Considering Voluntary Foster Care “ with caseworkers and ensure that caseworkers are reviewing the document with parents at the time of a voluntary placement. The document outlines the requirements for parents’ participation in the relative search process in situations involving voluntary placement.

Goal #5: Improve practices that support quality parent/child visits, specifically practices related to establishing and reviewing requirements for supervised visits.

Baseline (Performance at the time of the review):

x 2012 Case Review Data (if applicable to PIP development)

Item 13 (Visitation): 60% (3/5) of cases rated as a Strength.

o Annual/Quarterly Performance Data (if applicable to PIP development)

NA

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

80% of cases reviewed using the agency’s internal case review process will be rated as a Strength on Item 13.

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

NA

1:

2:

3:

4:

Agency caseworkers will bring cases to unit staff meetings for mapping when making decisions to increase/decrease supervision of parent/child visits.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Agency caseworkers will invite appropriate people to the mapping meeting to help in the discussion of how visitation should look.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Goal #6: Improve the frequency and quality of face-to-face visits with children and parents, ensuring:

caseworker visits occur at a frequency sufficient for conducting initial and ongoing assessments of risk and safety,

all family members are engaged in case planning, and

caseworker visits with children in out-of-home placement occur each and every month they are in placement.

Baseline (Performance at the time of the review):

x Annual/Quarterly Performance Data (if applicable to PIP development)

Monthly Caseworker Visits with Children in Out-of-Home Placement (Source: MN Child Welfare Data Dashboard)

Baseline

PIP Updates

Q4, 2011

Q1, 2012

Q4, 2012

43.2%

(16/37)

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

80% of cases reviewed internally will be rated as a Strength on Items 4, 18, 19 and 20.

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

90% of all children in out-of-home placement will have a face-to-face visit with a caseworker each and every month they are in placement, using CW Data Dashboard as the method of measurement.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor’s designee will run the SSIS General Report “Monthly Contacts with Children in Continuous Placement” monthly. Report will be reviewed with staff individually, and summary information will be provided to staff in unit meetings.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor will relay new expectation that caseworkers complete the SDM Risk Reassessment tool on a quarterly basis (in conjunction with case plan reviews) in all ongoing child protection case management cases. Risk level and SDM contact standards will be utilized to determine expectations for frequency of visits.

1:

2:

3:

4:

The agency will establish a schedule regarding expectations of when cases are mapped in unit meetings, including but not limited to:

When transitioning a case from Family Assessment to FA case management

When considering reducing the level of supervision for parent/child visits

1:

2:

3:

4:

Agency staff will participate in upcoming Signs of Safety training on April 2012

1:

2:

3:

4:

At case worker reviews with the Supervisor the frequency of using the SDM tools will be reviewed.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Goal #7: Children’s mental and behavioral health needs will be met in a timely manner.

Baseline (Performance at the time of the review):

x 2012 Case Review Data (if applicable to PIP development)

Item 23: 55.6% (5/9) of cases were rated as a Strength

o Annual/Quarterly Performance Data (if applicable to PIP development)

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

80% of cases reviewed using the agency’s internal case review process will be rated as a Strength on Item 23.

Performance Goal/Method of Measurement:

NA

1:

2:

3:

4:

Workers will complete the children mental health screening tool within 30 days of case management case opening on all children in the family.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor will monitor the completion of those tools through general reports and also worker/supervisor consultation.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Goal #8: Agency staff will have adequate access to supervision that supports effective child welfare practice for achieving safety, permanency and well-being outcomes.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Agency administration, in consultation with DHS QA staff, will utilize the Workload Analytic Tool for assessing adequacy of child welfare supervisory resources.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Agency administration will explore caseworker responsibilities that can be transferred to Office Support Specialists and/or Case Aides, e.g. data entry responsibilities.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Establish and maintain a process that yields valid data:

Supervisor will receive training to use data to inform decision making and improve practice.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor (or designee) will utilize SSIS Charting & Analysis and General Reports that correspond to specific PIP strategies:

Federal Data Indicators (Charting & Analysis) (quarterly)

C1.1

C1.2

C2.4

C2.5

C3.1

Child Maltreatment Screening Timeliness (General report) (monthly)

Monthly Contacts with Children in Continuous Placement (General report) (monthly)

CMH Screening Exemption Report (General report) (quarterly)

1:

2:

3:

4:

Agency will establish a process for internal qualitative review of 2 cases per quarter using the QA Toolkit case review instrument. The cases will be randomly picked child protection/children’s mental health cases. These cases will be reviewed using the CFSR format.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor will maintain oversight to the case review process to ensure consistency and integrity in the process.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Supervisor and social worker will discuss each case reviewed to reinforce good practice and consider alternative actions on practices needing improvement.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Analyze SSIS Charting & Analysis/General Reports and identify patterns/themes.

1:

2:

3:

4:

Share information from case reviews and analysis of reports with staff on a quarterly basis as a means of communicating performance results and giving opportunity to discuss potential solutions and clarify expectations and/or provide guidance.

1:

2:

3:

4: