1.  (a) Recording delivery of child welfare (CW) services.  Delivery of CW services is recorded by:

(1) entry into the KIDS system;

(2) storage of documents and digital images into the KIDS application file cabinet; and

(3) maintaining a paper case file of all related case documents and information.

(b) Purpose of CW case record.  Child Welfare (CW) workers use the CW case record to document demographic information, decisions, and actions made with or on behalf of the children and families CW serves.  All notes and phone messages are maintained in the paper case record and are not destroyed.  The case record serves as:

(1) a tool to assist the CW worker in developing a clear understanding of the client's situation and a basis for planning client services;

(2) evidence the client has been offered, requested, or needed services and is receiving services through staff delivery, purchase of services, or referral;

(3) documentation of the services goals;

(4) documentation that Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) responsibilities are fulfilled;

(5) evidence the client's eligibility has been satisfactorily determined or redetermined;

(6) a reference for CW workers to obtain OKDHS CW client history, as needed;

(7) an aid in the supervision and evaluation of the CW worker's performance; and

(8) a source for social and economic studies and surveys performed by OKDHS to identify program planning needs.

(c) Paper case record.  The majority of direct service CW case information is entered into the KIDS system.  A paper case record is established to maintain case related documents that are not in KIDS, are not generated by CW, or require signatures and dates when submitted to another entity such as the court or client.  As applicable, the CW paper case record includes:

(1) all legal and court documents;

(2) birth verifications, per OAC 340:75-13-9;

(3) Social Security cards or information;

(4) death certificates for any deceased parent, per OAC 340:75-1-26.2;

(5) Form 04KI003E, Report to District Attorney;

(6) Form 04KI030E, Assessment of Child Safety;

(7) Form 04MP054E, Immediate Protective Action Plan or Voluntary Safety Plan;

(8) Form 04KI028E, Family Functional Assessment;

(9) grievance forms;

(10) psychological evaluations;

(11) medical information from providers;

(12) Form 04FC011E, Placement Agreement for Out-of-Home Care;

(13) appropriate child support forms;

(14) Form 04KI002E, Eligibility Determination;

(15) Form 04KI004E, Placement Provider Information;

(16) Form 04KI005E, Placement Plan;

(17) Form 04KI008E, Treatment Plan, or 04KI012E, Individualized Service Plan (ISP), or both;

(18) Form 04KI011E, Preadjudication Court Report;

(19) Form 04KI009E, Court Report;

(20) Form 04KI014E, Individualized Service Plan (ISP) Progress Report;

(21) Form 04KI013E, Individualized Service Plan (ISP) Dispositional Report;

(22) Form ODH 347, Medical and Social History Report for Adoption;

(23) Independent Living Life Skills Assessment;

(24) Form 04AN022E, Child Profile Assessment for Adoption;

(25) Form 04AN006E, Affidavit of Information Disclosure for Adoption;

(26) Form 04AN024E, Placement Recommendation Worksheet; and

(27) other forms or data pertinent to the CW case record, such as correspondence, police reports, and Department of Corrections reports.

(d) Case record security.  Paper case records are filed in locked file cabinets, according to case status, active or closed.

(1) Case records are stored in locked file cabinets in the county office, until the requirements for storage are met per OAC 340:75-1-26 Instructions to Staff # 1(h).

(2) Special circumstances require additional security, such as case restriction.  A CW case is restricted in KIDS when:

(A) an OKDHS employee or relative of an employee is involved;

(B) the case is highly publicized; or

(C) the case involves a public figure.

(3) The CW supervisor determines when a case is restricted.  Most CW cases do not require restriction.  The county director maintains restricted paper case records in a secure file separate from the county record files.

(e) Transfer of electronic and paper case records.

(1) Timeliness.  Timely transfer of cases is necessary to continue service provision to the child and family.  Services to the child and family are not delayed by non-receipt of the paper case record, missing information in the KIDS case, or any other issue. CW supervisors discuss areas of concern, coordinate, and communicate with each other to resolve issues to avoid delay of services.

(A) Prior to case transfer in KIDS, the receiving county is notified of the transfer by phone or e-mail and provided information about the family.

(B) When the initial transfer notice is provided via e-mail, the initiating county CW staff contacts the receiving county CW staff by phone to discuss current case circumstances no later than five business days after the transfer.

(2) Primary case transfer.  The primary CW supervisor transfers primary case responsibility in KIDS no later than five business days after:

(A) county of jurisdiction changes;

(B) a youth attains the age of majority, is in voluntary placement in a county other than the county of jurisdiction, and no other child is being provided services in the case; or

(C) a family receives family-centered services or Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) case services from another state and the family moves.

(3) Transfer of primary paper case record.  The corresponding CW paper case record is sent within ten business days of the change in case status to the other county with Form 04AD002E, Transfer Between Counties.

(4) Secondary case transfer.  When a child is placed or the parent resides outside the county of jurisdiction, the CW supervisor of the primary case makes the secondary case assignment in KIDS no later than five business days after placement or notification of the parent's location.  The corresponding CW paper case record is sent within ten business days, when not provided at the time of the child's placement, to the other county with Form 04AD002E.

(5) Case content.  Cases scheduled for transfer are updated with current information, including, but not limited to:

(A) child's custody status and any upcoming hearing dates;

(B) client information, such as address, phone number, employment, and placement;

(C) data regarding visits with parents, relatives, siblings, and other family members;

(D) scheduled or canceled visits;

(E) recent contacts with clients and collaterals; and

(F) services scheduled, offered, or provided to a child, family member, and caregiver with type of service, date of service, and name of service provider.

(6) Completion of services in secondary county.  When services are completed or are no longer needed in the secondary county, the CW supervisor of the:

(A) secondary case:

(i) returns the secondary county paper case record to the primary county within ten business days, using Form 04AD002E; and

(ii) end dates the secondary assignment in KIDS.

(B) primary case, upon receipt of the secondary paper case record:

(i) reviews the secondary paper case record for records that are not filed in the primary case record;

(ii) files these records in the primary case record; and

(iii) prepares the duplicate case record for security destruction per OKDHS:2-21-55 and 2-21-57.

(7) Closed case transfer.  The county requesting a closed CW paper case record stored in another county office requests transfer of the case using Form 04AD002E.  The corresponding CW paper case record is sent to the requesting county no later than two business days following the request.

(f) Documentation of race and Hispanic or Latino origin.

(1) The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) is a federal data collection effort that provides child-specific information on children covered by Title IV-B and Title IV-E of the Social Security Act.  The collection of uniform data on race and Hispanic or Latino origin is an important piece of AFCARS documentation in the case record.

(2) Race and ethnicity information is based on a client's perception of himself or herself, or in the case of young children, how the person responsible for the child identifies the child.  The CW worker asks adults and, if age appropriate, children to identify all applicable racial categories to which they belong.  Additionally, the CW worker asks if the adult or  child is of Hispanic or Latino origin.  U.S. Census Bureau standards indicate children of Hispanic origin may be of any race.  Self-identification or self-reporting is the preferred method of gathering information on race and Hispanic or Latino origin.

(A) American Indian or Alaskan native persons have origins in any of the original peoples of North or South America, including Central America, and maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.

(B) Asian persons have origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

(C) Black or African American persons have origins in any of the original peoples of Africa.

(D) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander persons have origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

(E) White persons have origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

(F) Unable to determine is a valid choice for race or Hispanic or Latino origin when:

(i) a child is very young or a child or adult is severely disabled and there is no person available to identify the child's or adult's race or Hispanic or Latino origin;

(ii) an adult or, if age appropriate, a child refuses to identify his or her race or Hispanic or Latino origin; or

(iii) a parent, relative, or guardian refuses to identify the child's race or Hispanic or Latino origin.

(g) Document and photograph storage.  WORD documents and digital images are stored in the KIDS File Cabinet.

(1) Saving documents to KIDS.  Refer to the File Cabinet How To found in KIDS/Help/How To's for instructions on saving documents.

(2) Storing digital images and photographs.  The CW worker stores all photographs as taken.  Due to legal issues, no enhancements, such as color, brightness and contrast, or editing of photographs are permitted.  Refer to Storing Photographs and Images How To, found in KIDS/Help/How To's for instructions on using a digital camera and saving digital images and photographs.

(h) Case closure.

(1) Termination of services to clients may occur according to plan, by client's decision, or by court order, contrary to the CW worker's recommendation.  When the CW worker determines other services are needed, the worker makes diligent efforts to refer the client to another agency or resource and documents the concerns. 

(2) A CW case is closed in KIDS when there are no outstanding ticklers or actions associated with the case, each client in the case has an OKDHS client number, and there are no open lines of service.  The CW worker enters the date and reason for closing the case and a closing summary describing the services provided to the child and family. Reasons for closing the CW case include, but are not limited to:

(A) mutually agreed-upon goals are completed;

(B) the protective capacities of the person responsible for the child are adequate and the child is safe;

(C) services needed are outside the scope of CW; or

(D) the court case is dismissed or closed.

(i) Paper case record storage and retrieval.

(1) Closed paper case records are stored locally in locked file cabinets until:

(A) the youngest child in the case reaches age 18 and no longer receives services;

(B) there has been no activity on the case for a minimum of two years; or

(C) a decision is made to send the case to OKDHS Records Management Section for central storage.

(2) When a case meets requirements for storage, the file is sent for storage or retrieval per instructions on the OKDHS Support Services Division records website.