This policy guide was updated from the 07/01/14 version to include the JV 290, Caregiver Information Form with Cover Letter, in the Court Documents Folder (Legal Folder) and the CFT Coaching Guide in the Case Activity Recording Folder (Green Folder).

POLICY

Maintenance and Organization of Hard Copy Case Records

CSWs are required to maintain a hard copy case record for all children/families who receive child welfare services. Case records must be updated regularly from the point of receipt of the referral from the ER/ERCP CSW until the termination of child welfare services. To ensure easy retrieval of hard copy case records, case records must be filed properly and the grid on the Master Case Folder must be kept up-to-date. Documents must be filed in reverse chronological order, with the most current on top, and on the correct side of the case folder. Only one copy of each document is necessary. Duplicate copies should be shredded.

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Case Folders

Folder Name	Description	Color
Additional Services	All documents not consistent with the content/purpose of any other forms filed in any other case folder. One per family.	Red
Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)	All child/birth family documents needed for legal permanency. One for each child.	Blue
Applicant	All documents pertaining to the adoption applicants. One per family.	Manila
Case Activity Recording (Title XX Folder)	All documents pertaining to referrals, service activity logs, visitation exceptions, case plans, and reports to/from law enforcement. One per family. DCFS 485 - Primary Language Designation Form.	Green
Court Documents Folder (Legal Folder)	All court related documents. One per family.	Manila
Due Diligence/Search	All documents related to the due diligence search for an individual (folder is initiated by the DIA/Search Clerk). One per individual. Gray
Master Case	All case segments folders. (Comes in two sizes (1” and 4”). One per family.	Manila
Placement Information	All placement related documents. One for each child.	Light Blue
Psychological/Medical/Dental/School Report	All medical, psychological, counseling, dental, and school reports. All reports related to accidents, injuries, illness, etc. All medical consent documents, etc. One for each child.	Purple
Service Eligibility	All AFDC documents, applications for services assistance, trust account information, Service Funded Activities (SFA) documents, and Emergency Aid Requisitions (EAR) documents. One per family.	Yellow
Child and Family Team Meeting	All documents related to Child and Family Team Meetings. One per case.	Light Green
Emancipation	All emancipation related documents. One for each child.	White
Structured Decision Making (SDM)	All completed SDM tools. One per family.	Orange
Home Approval Documents	All home approval documents, including requests for criminal records and results of search requests related to the home approval process for RFA. One per family.	RFA Folder
Criminal Records/CLETS Results	All requests for criminal records and CLETS, and the results of those requests . One per family.	Light Brown
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)	All documents related to ICWA. One per family.	Yellow

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PROCEDURE

Referrals Assigned to a Regional Office

Designated Support Staff Responsibilities

Bundle the referral documents with a Case Activity Folder (Green) and a Master Case Folder (Manila 1” or 4”) and forward them to the assigned CSW’s SCSW.

ER SCSW Responsibilities

Upon receipt of the referral documents with a Case Activity Folder (Green) and a Master Case Folder (Manila 1” or 4”), review for completeness and forward them to the Unit Clerk.

Unit Clerk Responsibilities

Upon receipt of the referral documents and folders from the ER SCSW, ensure that the Master Case Folder (Manila 1” or 4”) contains, at a minimum, the Case Activity Recording, and if needed, the Services Eligibility and/or Additional Services Documentation Folders.

File the available documents/forms in the appropriate folders.

Affix one case identification label to the index tab of the Master Case Folder and leave the remaining identification labels in the Master Case Folder.

ER CSW/Case-Carrying CSW Responsibilities

Ensure all documents are filed correctly in the case folders and enter the following information on the front of the Master Case Folder:

Family/Child(ren) information

Case name, state ID number, check digit, separate family number, and if applicable, the court number. (Complete in ink or by using case identification labels.)

Name of each service child, service status for each child, and dates of closure, case transfer, etc.

Place a check mark (in ink) in the box next to each case segment folder in which documents have been filed, and update this section as documents are filed in other folders.

On the bottom of the Master Case Folder, indicate the number of Master Case Folders for each case, and identify individual volumes as they are initiated.

Place a case identification label on the index tab of each case segment used.

Initiate other case segment folders (as needed).

Ensure that all case documents are kept current and that the Master Case Folder and Court Documents Folder grids are up-to-date.

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Initiating the Court Documents Folder

IDC Staff Responsibilities

File documents in the Court Documents Folder and enter the following information on the front of the Master Case Folder:

Complete case name and court number (in ink).

Child specific information (in ink) in the Summary of Court Dates Section.

On the bottom of the Court Documents Folder, indicate the number of Court Documents Folders for each case, and identify individual volumes as they are initiated.

Enter the name of each child receiving dependency court services (in pencil).

Forward the Court Documents Folder to the appropriate regional office after the Detention Hearing.

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Initiating the Court Documents Folder – Non-Detained Petition

DIA/Case-Carrying CSW Responsibilities

File documents in the Court Documents Folder and enter the following information on the front of the Master Case Folder:

Complete case name and court number (in ink).

Child specific information (in ink) in the Summary of Court Dates Section.

On the bottom of the Court Documents Folder, indicate the number of Court Documents Folders for each case, and identify individual volumes as they are initiated.

Enter the name of each child receiving dependency court services (in pencil).

File all Due Diligence results in the Due Diligence/Search Folder (one per individual).

File all search documents in the individualized Due Diligence Folders.

Forward the Due Diligence/Search Folder to the Case-Carrying CSW after the Jurisdictional Disposition Hearing.

File all subsequent court-related documents in the Court Documents Folder.

Update the Court Documents Folder Grid for both detained and non-detained cases.

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APPROVALS

None

HELPFUL LINKS

Attachments

Additional Services Folder (Red) Documents

Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) (Turquoise) Documents

Applicant Folder (Manila) Documents

Case Activity Recording (Green) Documents

Court Documents Folder (legal folder) (Manila) Documents

Due Diligence/Search Folder (Gray) Documents

Placement Information Folder (Light Blue) Documents

Psychological/Medical/Dental/School Report Folder (Purple) Documents

Service Eligibility Folder (Yellow) Documents

Child and Family Team (CFT) Meeting Folder (Light Green) Documents

Emancipation Folder (White) Documents

Structured Decision Making (SDM) Folder (Orange) Documents

Home Approval Documents Folder (Dark Blue) Documents

Criminal Records/CLETS Results Folder (Light Brown) Documents

ICWA (Yellow) Folder Documents

Forms

Hard Copy

DCFS 9-1, Case Activity Recording Folder (Green)

DCFS 9-2, Structured Decision Making (SDM) Folder (Orange)

DCFS 9-3, Service Eligibility Folder (Yellow)

DCFS 9-4, Additional Services Folder (Red)

DCFS 9-5, Court Documents Folder (Manila)

DCFS 9-6, Due Diligence/Search Folder (Gray)

DCFS 9-7, Psychological/Medical/Dental/School Report Folder (Purple)

DCFS 9-8, Placement Information Folder (Light Blue)

DCFS 9-9A, Master Case Folder (Manila 1”)

DCFS 9-9B, Master Case Folder (Manila 4”)

DCFS 9-10, Adoption/Termination of Parental Rights (TPR)When a child is declared free from the care custody and control of his or her birth parents by court action. (Turquoise)

DCFS 9-11, Applicant (Manila)

DCFS 9-12, Child and Family Team Meeting Folder (Light Green)

DCFS 9-13, Emancipation Folder (White)

DCFS 9-14, Criminal Records/CLETS Results Folder (Light Brown)

DCFS 9-15, Home Approval Documents Folder (Dark Blue)

DCFS 9-16, ICWA Folder (Yellow)

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