Sec. 07.02.01.06. Intensive Family Services (IFS)

A. Description. IFS is a short-term, highly intensive, non-entitlement in-home service for families whose children:

(1) Are at imminent or high risk of out-of-home placement; or

(2) Have been emergently placed outside of the home within 7 days of service, with the intent of reunification when service is initiated.

B. IFS uses a social worker, or social worker and parent aide team approach that is most effective when a caseload of six families is maintained per worker or team to provide assistance after a mutually agreed upon service agreement has been developed between the family and the local department team.

C. Eligibility for Services.

(1) Families are served without regard to income.

(2) Families are eligible for services when they:

(a) Are facing crises or problems that will affect the well-being of their children and the stability of the family without assistance;

(b) Have children:

(i) In the home that may or may not have been determined to be at significant risk of maltreatment; or

(ii) In voluntary out-of-home placements needing assistance returning home;

(c) Are likely to benefit from a short-term, highly intensive in-home service to avert an out-of-home placement;

(d) Are likely to benefit by achieving reunification before the adjudication hearing;

(e) Are actively willing to accept assistance to reduce the identified risk or safety factors, or have at least one caretaker who is willing to actively work toward mutually agreed upon goals in an effort to reduce the identified risk factors;

(f) Have been assessed by a previous unit or agency to be eligible for the service, with an appropriate safety plan in place for all children determined to be at risk of maltreatment; and

(g) Have not been served for the same presenting problems within the past 18 months by the local department or a vendor associated with the local department.

D. Application Procedures.

(1) Families are eligible for IFS only after an initial assessment has been completed and the eligibility criteria are met.

(2) Within 24 hours of the referral for service:

(a) The case shall be reviewed by a locally sanctioned, formal review system to determine eligibility and appropriateness of the family for IFS, another In-Home Family Service Program, or service either within the local department or another outside agency resource; and

(b) A screener shall assign or transfer the referral for service.

(3) Within 24 hours of a family's assignment to a worker or team, and not longer than 48 hours from the initial referral:

(a) One or more members of the team shall:

(i) Review the referral information, including the previous service provision and plan;

(ii) Visit the family's home;

(iii) Interview the family members;

(iv) Reevaluate all children for risk and safety within their environment;

(v) Identify with the family the length of service being provided;

(vi) Mutually assess the most immediate service needs; and

(vii) Initiate a preliminary written and signed service agreement; or

(b) If the family is not available at the time of the home visit, a team member shall fully document the attempt to make the home visit or the reason why this effort was not made.

(4) At the first meeting, the family shall sign a preliminary service agreement to acknowledge acceptance of service and a willingness to actively participate in working towards safety, stability, and health.

(5) Within 7 working days of case assignment, the team and the family members shall negotiate and execute a short term, individualized service plan/agreement to include obtainable goals, tasks, and expected dates of accomplishment within the 90 day service duration.

E. Scope of Services.

(1) IFS is most effective when the team maintains a small caseload of a maximum of 6 families.

(2) Depending upon the family's individual needs and progress in the treatment process, there shall be up to 20 hours per week of face-to-face contact with a family.

(3) Any of the services listed in Regulation .02 of this chapter may be provided.

(4) Services provided directly by the IFS team shall be:

(a) Safety focused;

(b) Support based;

(c) Accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by either direct service staff or a local departmentally sanctioned after-hours caseworker;

(d) Available to all family members;

(e) Designed to include the family as team members in planning, developing, implementing, and monitoring the service agreement;

(f) Intensive;

(g) Goal-oriented;

(h) Developed to build on family and community strengths;

(i) Culturally sensitive; and

(j) Provided directly through a vendor-supported provider or purchased with flex funds.

F. Duration of Services.

(1) IFS may be provided for up to 90 calendar days from the date of the family's acceptance for service.

(2) Services may be extended a maximum of 90 additional days only upon:

(a) Written request by the team, which shall include the:

(i) Reason for the extension;

(ii) Specific goals and tasks to be identified for both the team and the family members; and

(iii) Estimated length of time needed to address each additional goal;

(b) Formal review of the request by an endorsed panel within the local department or the director or director's designee; and

(c) Written approval of the extension and length of time approved for continued service from the director of the local department or director's designee.

G. Case Closure.

(1) Services shall be discontinued and the case closed before the time limits specified in §F of this regulation when:

(a) The safety of the children is assured;

(b) The service objectives have been achieved;

(c) The family no longer wants this voluntary service;

(d) The family cannot be located;

(e) The family moves to another jurisdiction; or

(f) A change in the family's circumstances requires a referral to another service program such as Continuing Protective Service or Out-of-Home Placement.

(2) When the plan is to close the case, the worker shall offer the family a face-to-face contact to discuss:

(a) The reason for the closing;

(b) A review of the family's progress;

(c) Continuing or further needs or concerns;

(d) Referrals made or to be made to other programs or resources; and

(e) Other resources and options available to the family if, in the future, the family has a need.