1.  (a) Family Functional Assessment (FFA) foundation.  Form 04KI028E, Family Functional Assessment, is the most important step in the permanency planning process.  Information obtained during the Assessment of Child Safety (AOCS) is the foundation for the behaviorally-focused individualized service plan (ISP).

(b) When reunification is not the permanency plan.  When the initial permanency plan is not reunification, such as when a petition includes a request for immediate termination of parental rights or a court finds reasonable efforts to reunite are not required, a FFA of the child is conducted rather than of the family.

(c) Case review.  Prior to initiating the assessment, the Child Welfare (CW) specialist reviews the entire CW record, including previous child abuse or neglect investigations, reports to the district attorney, and all other previous Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) history with the family.

2.   Assessment procedure.  The assessment is conducted in the family home no later than 60 days from removal or 60 days from date the petition is filed, or sooner when the family is willing to begin the process earlier.

(1) The assessment is completed with as many members of the household present as possible.

(2) A child in placement may be brought to the home for the assessment when case circumstances and safety permit, affording an opportunity to observe parent-child interaction.

(3) Assessment information is obtained from immediate family, extended family, tribes, placement providers, service providers, schools, other Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) units or divisions, and the Office of Juvenile Affairs, when applicable.

(4) The assessment assists in establishing rapport and learning the family's history and current functioning patterns to identify resources, support systems, and strengths that support the family's ability to protect the child and meet the child's needs.

3.   Assessment results.  The assessment provides a list of the safety threats to the child.  The interventions needed to best address the safety threats are incorporated into the parent's individualized service plan along with desired results that demonstrate the parent has corrected the conditions that posed a safety threat to the child and developed the protective capacities necessary to keep the child safe.

4.   (a) Establishing rapport.  To establish rapport during the assessment process, the parent is informed that the initial goal of the process is to assist the parent in developing the ability to protect and care for the child in order for reunification to occur in a timely manner.  The CW specialist:

(1) informs the parent that CW will assist in obtaining the required services and encourages the parent to access needed services immediately;

(2) discusses with the family the importance of the court and permanency planning process; and

(3) provides the parent with OKDHS Publication No. 99-27, Away From Home, A Parent's Guide to Out-of-Home Placement, that explains what happens with the child, the parent's rights, and what is expected of the parent.

(b) Problem resolution.  When the parent and the CW specialist disagree and the CW specialist is unable to resolve the parent's complaint, the CW specialist:

(1) advises the parent that staff performance and other staff-related complaints are addressed within the Field Operations Division chain of command; and

(2) provides the parent information regarding reporting complaints to the Office of Information and Referral.

5.   Helpful assessment tool.  Form ODH 347, Medical and Social History Report for Adoption, is a tool that assists in the assessment process and is an essential piece of concurrent planning.  Form ODH 347 helps identify child and family needs and facilitates the identification and documentation of relative resources. 

The CW specialist:

(1) requests current addresses and phone numbers for relatives identified during completion of Form ODH-347; and

(2) removes the first page of Form ODH 347 that refers to adoption and files the page in the paper case record when reunification is the permanency plan.

6.   (a) Subsequent family functional assessments.  When a child moves from temporary to permanent custody, a subsequent family functional assessment is conducted of the child to identify specific services and activities to enable completion of the child's permanency plan.  An additional assessment is completed when needed, such as when there is a substantial change in the family structure or safety threats continue to affect the child.

(b) Pregnancy and newborns in an open or closed permanency planning case.

(1) A newborn is at serious risk of harm when:

(A) reunification of a sibling currently in out-of-home care is not recommended;

(B) there is a pending request for termination of parental rights to a sibling; or

(C) termination of parental rights to a sibling has occurred and there is no evidence of a correction of the conditions that caused parental rights to be terminated to the sibling.

(2) When a CW specialist learns of a pregnancy involving a mother or father who is a party to an open permanency planning case, the CW specialist:

(A) requests the mother or father provide the name and phone number of the mother's physician and requests the mother sign a release of information for the CW specialist to consult with the physician. When the mother or father refuses to provide the information or the mother refuses to sign the release of information, the CW specialist contacts the district attorney to request a court order to obtain the physician's information and allow the CW specialist to release information to the physician;

(B) contacts the physician and provides pertinent information regarding the mother's or father's CW history;

(C) requests the mother or father and physician notify the CW specialist immediately upon delivery of the child;

(D) establishes contact with other known family members or service providers who may provide information about the birth of the newborn when the mother or father refuses to disclose or provide information and the district attorney declines to request a court order;

(E) maintains weekly contact with the mother or father during the month prior to delivery;

(F) When at any time during the pregnancy, the location of the mother or father is unknown, requests a protective service alert, per OAC 340:75-3-10.1 Instructions to Staff (ITS) # 17;

(G) upon delivery of the newborn, immediately makes a referral for an investigation, per OAC 340:75-3-6.1.

(i) The safety threats for the referral and investigation are based on the CW history of the mother, father, or both.  New allegations are not required to initiate court intervention on behalf of the newborn.

(ii) Inclusion of information regarding the newborn on Form 04KI009E, Court Report, or 04KI014E, Individualized Service Plan (ISP) Progress Report, is not sufficient and does not replace the need for an investigation and a determination of child safety and the need for court involvement; and

(H) documents all contacts in the KIDS Contacts screen.

(3) When a CW specialist becomes aware of a pregnancy involving a mother or father who previously participated in a permanency planning case where reunification was not successful, the CW specialist follows OAC 340:75-6-40.3 ITS # 6(b)(2).