Revised 3-26-10

1.  Children and Family Services Division (CFSD) Placement responsibilities.  In order to respond expediently to the volume of placement requests for children, the CFSD Placement Section:

(1) completes a daily review of children's cases received by CFSD Residential and Placement Services Unit via the KIDS Above TFC screen;

(2) assesses each placement request and notifies the Child Welfare (CW) county of jurisdiction worker and supervisor of receipt of the request;

(3) completes a daily review of the facility bed vacancy reports submitted daily by CW contract liaisons and Community-Based Residential Care (CBRC) providers;

(4) evaluates the treatment and behavioral needs of children on the waiting list and identifies each child for referral to the appropriate CBRC placement vacancy as beds in CBRC facilities become available;

(5) makes the referral for placement to the CW worker assigned as the liaison to the designated CBRC facility when an appropriate CBRC facility is identified and notifies the child's CW county of jurisdiction worker and supervisor of the referral, and, when requested, the county director and CW field liaison (CWFL);

(6) documents, on KIDS Placement Authorization screen, information used in reaching the placement recommendation and documents compliance with applicable laws and policies;

(7) completes documentation related to the placement episode when notified by the contract liaison that the child is placed; and

(8) maintains a working placement case record until the end of the year the child reaches majority.

2.   Psychiatric admission.  Admission of a child to an acute psychiatric facility or a psychiatric residential treatment center (RTC) is made by the CW county of jurisdiction worker following the behavioral health gatekeeping referral process.  Refer to ITS # 5.

(1) The CFSD Placement Section provides consultation to the child's CW county of jurisdiction worker and supervisor regarding the identification of appropriate placement resources for a child discharged from inpatient psychiatric care.

(2) Discharge planning and the identification of an appropriate placement following discharge from inpatient psychiatric care begins when the child enters inpatient psychiatric care or immediately following admission for monitoring purposes.  Refer to ITS # 5.

3.   Dual adjudication placement.  A child who is adjudicated deprived and in need of supervision (INS) or delinquent is placed in accordance with OAC 340:75-6-46.

4.   Placement priority for a child in OKDHS custody.

(1) The child's treatment needs, placement history, current location, and readiness for placement determine placement referral priority.

(2) Priority is given on the waiting list when a child is:

(A) ready for discharge from an inpatient psychiatric treatment facility;

(B) in a community-based residential care (CBRC) facility who needs a more or less restrictive level of CBRC care; or

(C) in an Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) operated emergency shelter that is over the licensed capacity.

(3) CFSD Placement Section establishes the waiting list according to the:

(A) level of care the child requires;

(B) child's current location;

(C) date of the placement request; and

(D) child's permanency plan.

(4) The CW county of jurisdiction worker's supervisor facilitates assignment of the placement request to Placement Section by approving the KIDS Placement Recommendation screen that indicates his or her review of Form 04KI010E, Placement Worksheet, for completion and accuracy.  Refer to OAC 340:75-11-233 Instructions to Staff.

(5) The CW county of jurisdiction worker is responsible for:

(A) faxing or electronically providing to CFSD Placement Section initial and updated collateral case information needed to justify CBRC placement, including, but not limited to, residential diagnostic and evaluation assessments, documentation of previous placement episodes, psychological evaluations, hospital letters, facility progress reports, critical incident reports, and discharge summaries.  Placement Section maintains all information in the working placement case record; and

(B) maintaining regular and ongoing contact with CFSD Placement Section to inform of any changes in the child's location or need for CBRC placement.

5.   Report of vacancies.  The contract facility liaison or the provider reports CBRC vacant beds to CFSD Placement Section either by fax or e-mail immediately when a bed becomes vacant or in advance when a planned discharge results in a vacant bed.

6.   Placement procedures.  When the CW county of jurisdiction worker receives the referral, the worker:

(1) immediately contacts the CBRC facility and assigned contract liaison where the child is referred;

(2) makes arrangements for transportation and ensures the child is placed, per OAC 340:75-11-238, within no more than two business days of the referral for level E and three business days for Level D+ and C; and

(3) documents the placement in the child's KIDS Placement screens.  Authorization of the placement episode by Placement Section unlocks the KIDS Enter-Exit screen.

7.   Behavioral Health gatekeeping process.  The process of placing a child in an acute psychiatric facility or a RTC is begun by contacting APS Healthcare at 1-800-762-1560 to complete the gatekeeping referral process.  Necessary paperwork is faxed to APS Healthcare at 1-800-762-1639.

8.   Placement request for a child in inpatient treatment.

(1) The CW county of jurisdiction worker immediately initiates a placement request on KIDS Placement Recommendation screen, for any child in OKDHS custody who is placed in inpatient psychiatric care for treatment and whose discharge plan recommends placement in a CBRC facility.

(2) The CW county of jurisdiction worker and supervisor ensure Form 04KI010E, Placement Worksheet, is updated to reflect inpatient treatment history and discharge recommendations.

(3) The CW county of jurisdiction worker provides information to CFSD Placement Section on the child's projected length of stay as authorized by the APS Healthcare inpatient reviewer or as determined by discharge planning by the treating facility.

9.   Admission to a psychiatric facility.  If a child is admitted to a psychiatric facility from a CBRC placement, the CW county of jurisdiction worker initiates a new placement request on KIDS Placement Recommendation screen to reflect inpatient admission.  CFSD Placement Section authorizes a child's return to the same CBRC facility or refers the child to another CBRC setting upon discharge from inpatient care.