Child and Family Services Policy > Section XV - Miscellaneous > XV. C. Inter-District Coordination and Transferring of Cases

PHILOSOPHICAL BASE

Transfer decisions and coordination between districts will maintain a family focus and will be guided by principles of child safety, permanency and well being. For children in custody, consideration will be given to the goal of returning children to their home districts and communities whenever possible and appropriate. Customer service will be emphasized.

Ø	In making a decision to transfer we will consider the existing relationships between our staff and the child and family, as well as the issue of staff travel relative to distance.

2.	Transferring cases to another district may be necessary when:

Ø	A family receiving OCFS services moves to another district.

Ø	A child in the Department’s care or custody moves to another district.

Ø	Staff changes occur necessitating reassignment.

Ø	Reports at Intake involve family members with shared custody.

Whenever these changes occur, the Department ensures an appropriate transfer of responsibility, so that it can continue to carry out its responsibilities in a best practice approach to these children and families

PRACTICE STANDARDS

Receiving districts should expect a good work product from the sending district. Sending district staff will be expected to work jointly with staff of the receiving district to fill in any gaps in work product, to assure the best possible service to the child and family. It is expected that supervisors will identify and negotiate assignment of the steps needed to successfully transfer cases. Staff in the two districts will work cooperatively to carry out the steps.

1. Request for Short-Term Assistance/Services

a.	Assistance may be requested when the assigned caseworker needs short-term assistance from another district.

b.	Requests go through supervisors in the receiving district and may be written or oral, with consideration given to reasonable timeframes for completion of the task.

Such situations can include:

1.	Assistance in making an emergency or short term placement.

2.	Follow-up contact/case management in a short term placement.

Limited follow-up contact/case management in a longer term placement (i.e., in a treatment facility).

Request to do part or all of a kinship study or a study on a non-custodial parent.

3.	Requests for assistance in visitation plans. May include assistance with transportation and supervision of visitation.

4.	Requests for courtesy interviews or home visits with child or family members.

2. Transferring Cases

Reports

In cases of reports involving shared custody, multiple incidents across district lines or other cross-district issues. Intake will send the report to the district that would appear to have the most involvement. It will be the supervisor and PA responsibility to communicate with the other district if a change in assignment is considered.

Intake only needs to be re-contacted if there is an error in the address and the report is actually in another district.

Assessment Cases

When a family move during an open case or assessment, the assigned (sending district) caseworker and supervisor will review the case to determine any continuing protective needs. If none, the case will be closed.

Districts should manage open assessments, until the decision of whether the family is in need of services. Any exceptions can be made with the concurrence of the receiving supervisor. It is expected that courtesy interviews be completed by the receiving District to assist the sending District in making its decision.

If there are continuing protective needs:

a. The sending supervisor will contact the receiving supervisor by phone for notification, discussion, and if necessary to arrange for a case conference. The open, updated Child Protection Assessment or the case will be transferred to the receiving unit via MACWIS within three work days of the decision.

As part of initiating the transfer request, a transfer summary will be completed in MACWIS Narrative (secondary tool bar) by the sending caseworker and approved by the sending supervisor. It should include identifying information; the address in the receiving district; the specific reasons for transfer; identification of assessment components completed and incomplete; decisions regarding safety and severity; services provided to date and goals of these services; status of Family Team Meetings; and attached should be a completed Inter-District Transfer Checklist (see Appendix 1), signed by both the worker and the supervisor.

b. Should there be disagreement at the case conference concerning content of records or case ownership, the Program Administrator or designee will be informed by the next work day.

Services Cases/Court Cases

When a case is identified for transfer the Program Administrator or designee of the sending district contacts the Program Administrator or designee of the receiving district to discuss transfer possibilities.

As part of initiating the transfer request, a transfer summary will be completed in MACWIS Narrative (secondary tool bar) by the sending caseworker and approved by the sending supervisor. It should include identifying information; the family’s new address; the specific reasons for transfer; the permanency goal, the strengths and challenges of the placement; caseworker safety issues; services provided to date and goals of these services; progress on court orders; status of Family Team Meetings; and attached should be a completed Inter-District Transfer Checklist, signed by both the worker and the supervisor.

b.	A decision will be made by the receiving PA or designee about whether to accept the case as a transfer within five work days, and district PA, and supervisor of the receiving district. Sending supervisor will contact receiving supervisor to schedule a case conference.

c.	A case conference will be held within the next 5 work days of contact between supervisors, sending staff, and receiving staff to work out the details of the steps needed to promote a smooth transition.

After the question of potential transfer is resolved, the change of venue will be the responsibility of the sending district and filed prior to transfer. If the change in venue is not successful, decisions to transfer will be made case by case. The Guardian ad litem is to be informed when a case is transferred within two work days.

e.	Case/Assessment records in MACWIS will be brought up to date and hard copy records will be sent to the receiving supervisor within two weeks of the date the decision is made to transfer.

To facilitate the transfer and review the plan, a joint caseworker transfer visit for both child and family shall be scheduled within these two weeks or earlier depending on the needs of the family to promote a smooth transition and transfer. Case transfer will occur through the Family Team Meeting process

g.	Any pending Child Plans, Family Plans, Reunification Plans and Legal Summaries that are due within 30 days of the transfer date (or overdue) will be completed prior to the transfer.

h.	Should agreement not be reached regarding the steps to be taken to complete the transfer, the supervisors in the two districts will involve their respective Program Administrators

3.	Coordination by Child Welfare Program Administrators

Supervisors will be expected to resolve all issues. When disagreements arise that they cannot resolve, they will discuss with each other the need to involve their respective PA’s before the PA is notified. Differing opinions or concerns about the condition or contents of case records will be brought to respective Child Welfare Program Administrators for resolution when supervisors are unable to come to resolution independently.

b.	In situations where Program Administrators are unable to resolve transfer disputes, they will contact the District Operations Manager who will make necessary decisions.

c.	Steps to resolve performance issues or disputes shall not impede timely service delivery to children and families.

APPENDIX 1

INTERDISTRICT TRANSFER CHECKLIST

Case/Assessment Name:______________________________________________________

Case/Assessment Number:____________________________________________________

Child’s Name:________________________________________________________________

_____Profile Windows:

_____Case Members Entered/Screened

_____Updated Addresses/Phone Numbers

_____Primary Caregiver Designated

_____In-Out of Home Status Entered for Each Case Member

_____Guardian Ad Litem

_____Address Directions, if necessary

_____Demographics

_____Legal Status _____AFCARS Plus _____Race/Ethnicity

_____NA Indian _____Hispanic Origin _____Living Arrangements

Other:

_____Employment-Verification Requested: _____

_____School

_____Special Needs

_____Criminal Record – Date SBI Requested:_____

_____Birth History

_____Verifications of Birth, Marriage, Death

_____Narrative Log Completed

_____Case Types Listed

_____Updated Roles/Status

_____Relationships

_____Services Entered and Approved

_____Removal Screens Completed

_____Placements Entered and Approved

_____Relationship

_____Caregiver Needs/Arrangements

_____Reason

_____Per Diem/Allowances Entered and Approved

_____Boarding Agreement/Treatment Approval Letter Signed

_____Visitors/Visit Plan

_____Service Elements

_____Hearings

_____PPO Entered

_____C-1/Summary Preliminary Hearing Entered

_____C-2/Jeopardy Hearing Entered

_____JR’s Entered

_____C-3/Termination of Parental Rights Entered for Both Parents

Terms of Court Order (For Any Orders Entered)

_____Court/Judge

_____Order Date

_____Effective Date

_____Contrary to the Welfare

_____Reasonable Efforts to Prevent Removal

_____Terms of the Court Order

_____Event Tracking

_____Court Petitions

_____Proofs of Service

_____Legal Summaries

_____Confidential Information Form

_____Passport

_____Child Health History

_____Biological Family Medical History

_____Date of Last Family Team Meeting

_____Date of Last Child Plan Completed and Approved

_____Religious Preference Forms Completed

_____SWSS 14 Completed and Approved

_____SWSS 15 Requested/Date:_____

_____Case Conference in Narrative

_____Date of Last Safety Assessment Completed and Approved

_____Date of Last CFA Completed and Approved

_____Date of Last Review and Family Plan Completed and Approved

_____Date of Last completed Child Safety Well-Being Review

_____Adoption Split Completed

_____Base Case # in Narrative Log

_____Hearings History entered into Base Case

_____Transfer Summary Completed and Approved

Caseworker:_____________________ Date:_____________

Supervisor:______________________ Date:_____________