This policy guide was updated from the 03/12/13 version, as part of the Policy Redesign, in accordance with the DCFS Strategic Plan. The title of this policy has been changed from “Placement in an Emergency Shelter Care: Foster Family Home or Group Home-Setting.”

POLICY

Emergency Shelter Care (ESC)

The Emergency Shelter Care (ESC) program offers temporary placement in limited emergency situations. It should be considered only after all placement resources have been exhausted. ESC provides 24-hour care for children/youth in the following instances:

A child is taken into protective custody.

A child is emergently removed from an existing foster care placement, and there is no immediate and appropriate placement available.

There are two (2) types of Emergency Shelter Care placements available:

Foster Family Home – Emergency Shelter Care (FFH-ESC): These homes provide temporary emergency placement for up to fourteen (14) days.

Group Home – Emergency Shelter Care (GH-ESC): Group homes provide temporary emergency shelter for thirty (30) days and offer an assessment for youth with behavioral needs requiring closer supervision.

Emergency shelter care for a child may be selected if the necessity of his/her situation meets either of the following criteria:

To meet the continuing protective needs of the child when there is no other location available to meet these needs.

To accommodate a child who has special needs, which renders him/her extremely difficult to place and for whom there is no other location available to meet these needs.

Once a decision is made to place a child in an ESC facility, the placement information must be entered in CWS/CMS to complete the placement. The specific placement must be selected and placement documents must be generated in CWS/CMS.

CWS/CMS and/or Foster Care Search (FCS) may be used to locate a placement, issue placement papers and to initiate the budget.

All children placed in an ESC facility are to be linked to a WraparoundWraparound is a multi-agency initiative. The Wraparound approach is a family-centered, strengths-based, needs-driven planning and service delivery process. It advocates for family-professional partnership to ensure family voice, choice and ownership. Wraparound children and family teams benefits children by working with the family to ensure Permanency. Wraparound is funded through Title IV-E funds. The average length of involvement with the program is 8 months. The primary focus of the program is to keep children out of residential placements and maintain them safely in their family and community. agency, except infants (0-2 years old) entering a FFH-ESC.

ESC Referrals

Referrals for ESC must be made during business hours (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to the ESC program via one of the following:

Email: emergd@dcfs.lacounty.gov

ESC 24/7 Cell Phone Line: (626) 243-6107

Duty ESC Phone Line: 1-(866)-885-9332

After business hours, during holidays, and on all weekends, all placement requests are to be made via either:

Emergency Response Command Post (ERCP)

ESC 24/7 Cell Phone Line: (626)-243-6107

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Wraparound Protocol

Business Hours Protocol

Within one (1) business day, the ESC Coordinator will send out an email blast that notifies recipients of a child/youth being placed in an ESC bed.

The email blast will be sent to the Regional OfficeThe DCFS office that is responsible for providing services to the child, youth, dependent, or nonminor dependent. Usually, the office where the child's CSW is located. (ARA, SCSW, & CSW), the lead CSAT for the Service Planning Area (SPA), and all the CSAT Resource Specialists on that team.

The CSAT Resource Specialists will:

Check if the child/youth has existing Wraparound services.

If none are in place, he/she will evaluate the child/youth to determine if he/she meets criteria for a Wraparound referral.

Complete the packet and refer the child/youth to the next Wraparound agency on rotation.

The designated Wraparound agency will:

Confirm acceptance or ongoing assignment of the case within one (1) day of placement.

Facilitate the Child and Family Team (CFT)A group of individuals, as identified by the family, and convened by DCFS, who are engaged through a variety of team-based processes to identify the strengths and needs of the child or youth and his or her family, and to help achieve positive outcomes for safety, permanency, and well-being. meeting within seven (7) calendar days of the placement serving the child/youth.

The CFT will be held at the GH-ESC or FFH-ESC.

Participants must include the youth, CSW or SCSW, GH-ESC staff (if applicable), family members, and any informal support.

All CFTs are to be conducted face-to-face. Telephone CFTs are not permitted.

The CSW will notify the ESC Coordinator of the date the CFT is completed.

After Hours Protocol

Upon a child’s/youth’s arrival at the ERCP/Children’s Welcome Center (CWC), the assigned Advanced Placement Team (APT) worker will complete the following:

Review the information and inquire if the child/youth has Wraparound services.

Search the Wraparound System to determine if the child/youth has an active or suspended Wraparound case.

For an open case, the APT team must immediately contact the child’s/youth’s Wraparound provider by calling the emergency contact number from the Wraparound agency after-hours contact list.

If the child/youth does not have an open case, the APT worker will evaluate the child and initiate a referral to the Wraparound agency.

The APT Team will send out a nightly email blast to the Regional Office (ARA, SCSW, & CSW), the lead CSAT for the SPA, and all the CSAT Resource Specialists on the team. The ESC program will be Cc’d.

The CSAT Lead will forward the information to the appropriate Wraparound DCFS staff and Wraparound provider staff for follow-up.

The Wraparound agency will:

Call the GH-ESC or FFH-ESC and confirm within one (1) day of placement the acceptance or ongoing assignment of the case.

Facilitate the Child and Family Team (CFT) meeting within seven (7) days of placement.

The CFT will be held at the GH-ESC or FFH-ESC.

Participants must include the child/youth, CSW, GH-ESC staff (as applicable), family members, and any informal support.

All CFTs must be conducted face-to-face. Telephone CFTs are not permitted.

The CSW will notify the ESC Coordinator of the date the CFT is completed.

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PROCEDURE

Placing a Child in an Emergency Shelter Care Foster Home

Placing CSW Responsibilities

Select the most appropriate placement facility for the child.

Consult with the SCSW regarding the appropriateness of the placement selection, if necessary.

Complete the DCFS 280, Technical Assistance Action Request, with the placement selection information.

Annotate the search results document with the placement selection and return to the Technical Assistant (TA).

Collect all pertinent documentation, including but not limited to psychological evaluations, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Psychotropic MedicationMedications used as tools for producing certain chemical and physiological effects in the central nervous system. They are usually classified according to the types of disorders they are primarily used to treat. Authorizations (PMAs), and DCFS 709, Foster Child Needs and Case Plan Summary.

Forward the DCFS 280 and other documentation/forms to the SCSW for review and approval of the placement and rate.

Notify the ESC Coordinator via email (emergd@dcfs.lacounty.gov) that the child has been placed in the Emergency Shelter Care Foster Home.

Obtain the placement packet from the TA.

Transport the child to the placement using the age-appropriate car seat and/or seat belt.

Review the placement packet with the ESC Foster Parent.

Obtain all signed, placement packet documents from him/her.

Forward the DCFS 280 to clerical staff.

File the placement documents on the left side of the Placement Information Folder.

Conduct required visits with the child in foster placement, per WIC 16516.5.

Keep discussion with the child during these visits private and the content of the discussion confidential.

When the child’s placement in the Emergency Shelter Care Foster Home exceeds fourteen (14) days, notify the ESC Coordinator.

SCSW Responsibilities

Obtain the DCFS 280, Technical Assistance Action Request, and other documentation from the CSW.

Review the document for appropriateness, justification, and for documentation of how the placement priorities and special needs of the child have been met.

If not approved, return the packet to the CSW for corrective action. Notify the CSW of the following:

The reason for the packet’s denial

Whether to provide additional information

Whether to resume searching for an appropriate placement

If approved, sign and date the DCFS 280 and return to the CSW.

Upon receipt of the approval request for placement selection from the Technical Assistant (TA), approve the placement on CWS/CMS.

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Placing a Child in an Emergency Shelter Care Group Home Facility

Placing CSW Responsibilities

Select the most appropriate placement facility for the child.

Consult with the SCSW regarding the appropriateness of the placement selection, if necessary.

Complete the DCFS 280, Technical Assistance Action Request, with the placement selection information.

Annotate the search results document with the placement selection and return to the Technical Assistant (TA).

Collect all pertinent documentation, including but not limited to psychological evaluations, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Psychotropic Medication Authorizations (PMAs), and DCFS 709, Foster Child Needs and Case Plan Summary.

Forward the DCFS 280 and other documentation/forms to the SCSW for review and approval of the placement rate.

Review the placement packet from the TA.

Transport the child to the placement using an age-appropriate car seat and/or seat belt.

Review the placement packet with the ESC Group Home staff person.

Obtain all signed, placement packet documents from the ESC Foster Parent.

Forward the completed DCFS 280 to clerical staff.

File the placement documents on the left side of the Placement Information Folder.

Notify the ESC Coordinator via email (emergd@dcfs.lacounty.gov) when the Case Conference has been completed.

SCSW Responsibilities

Receive the DCFS 280, Technical Assistance Action Request, and other documentation from the CSW.

Review the document for appropriateness, justification, and for documentation of how the placement priorities and special needs of the child have been met.

If not approved, return the packet to the CSW for corrective action. Notify the CSW of the following:

The reason for the packet’s denial.

Whether to provide additional information.

Whether to resume searching for an appropriate placement.

If approved and no higher level approval is needed, sign and date the DCFS 280 and return to the CSW.

If approved and higher level approval is required, sign and date the DCFS 280 and forward it to the ARA for approval.

ARA Responsibilities

Upon receipt, review the DCFS 280, Technical Assistance Action Request, and other documentation from the CSW.

Review the document for appropriateness, justification, and documentation of how the placement priorities and special needs of the child have been met.

If not approved, return the packet to the CSW for corrective action.

If approved, sign and date the DCFS 280 and return to the CSW.

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APPROVALS

SCSW Approval

Emergency Shelter Care Foster Family Home placements

Emergency Shelter Care Group Home placements

Emergency Shelter Care Group Home placements beyond 30 days

ARA Approval

Emergency Shelter Care Group Home placements beyond 30 days

HELPFUL LINKS

Forms

CWS/CMS

DCFS 280, Technical Assistance Action Request

LA Kids

DCFS 280, Technical Assistance Action Request

DCFS 709, Foster Child Needs and Case Plan Summary

Referenced Policy Guides

0100-525.41, The Wraparound Services Program

1200-500.20, Child Passenger Restraint Requirements

Statutes

California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP) Division 31-415.11 – States, in part, that the county shall be permitted to provide emergency shelter care beyond 30 calendar days only when the care record documents the existence of either a) emergency shelter care being necessary to meet the continuing protective needs of the child, and there is no other location wherein these needs can be met or b) the child has special needs which render him/her extremely difficult to place, and there is no other location available wherein to meet these needs.

Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 16516.5 – States, in part, that all foster children who are placed in group homes by county welfare departments or county probation departments shall be visited at least monthly by a county social worker or probation officer.

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