During Intake and Assessment, the primary goal of the caseworker is to ensure the safety of the child
At Allen County Children Services (ACCS), there are two Intake/Assessment units, comprised of two supervisors, ten assessment caseworkers, two intake screeners and one clerical specialist. Following the receipt of a child abuse and/or neglect report, the primary responsibility of the assessment caseworker is to assess safety and risk to the children in the home. There are many tools utilized to assist with this task, including the Safety Assessment and Family Assessment. Referrals are often made to community organizations and other social service providers to assist the family in the reduction of safety threats and risk contributors.
We accomplish these tasks by two different responses and assessments
Traditional Response Assessments
Traditional Response (TR) assessments are often higher risk cases involving serious physical abuse, sexual abuse or other serious abuse/neglect that may result in a criminal investigation. This kind of assessment identifies the alleged child victims and completes a formal disposition regarding the allegation. In 2021, the Intake/Assessment units completed 423 Traditional Response Assessments.
Alternative Response Assessments
Alternative Response (AR) assessments do not identify an alleged child victim or alleged perpetrator and no formal disposition is made. AR allows ACCS to provide a different approach for these lower-risk cases. The approach acknowledges that family members are experts regarding their own household and should be involved in the decision-making process from the beginning of the case. In 2021, the Intake/Assessment units completed 458 Alternative Response Assessments.
If the child is deemed not safe, we begin work to find a family who can provide a safe environment
If a child is not safe in the home, the assessment caseworker has many options to ensure safety. The least restrictive option is encouraging the family to utilize their own strengths to develop a safety plan.
Another option is seeking a court order to place the child in the temporary custody of relatives or kin. The agency files a motion with the Allen County Juvenile Court for temporary custody of the child only as a last resort and when safety cannot be assured with parents, relatives or kin.
When a child is placed into foster care, it is the responsibility of the assessment worker and other agency staff to explore all possible relative or kinship placement options to keep the child in the least restrictive setting and reduce trauma the child experiences. Once risk is reduced and no safety threats exist, the child will be reunified with the parents, kinship or extended relatives.