Sec. 07.02.01.07. Families Now

A. Families Now is a voluntary non-entitlement program to families whose children are at risk of removal from their primary home, or have recently been removed from the home and the plan is rapid reunification. Families Now Levels I, II, III, and IV are developed as separate service provision units with varying degrees of intensity and time allotments.

B. General Scope of Services.

(1) Services provided in any of the Families Now support programs include those listed in Regulation .03 of this chapter.

(2) Services shall meet the standards listed in Regulation .06E(4) of this chapter.

(3) Services may be continued beyond the maximum times specified only upon written authorization of the director of the local department or director's designee.

C. Application Procedures.

(1) Families are referred to Families Now by another unit within the local department or another agency that has been providing service.

(2) Within 24 hours of the referral to Families Now, at least one member of the unit shall review the referral and collateral information to determine the appropriateness of the program.

(3) An initial, face-to-face contact with the family shall be made within the following time frames:

(a) 24 hours from the receipt of the referral in Level I; or

(b) 5 working days from receipt of the referral in Levels II, III, and IV.

(4) If both the caregivers and the children are not available for face-to-face contact, written documentation of all efforts within the required time frame shall be maintained in the record.

(5) Each child shall be assessed individually for safety during the initial visit.

(6) During the initial contact, the family shall be actively involved in the assessment of both strengths and needs, and shall begin negotiation of the initial service agreement.

(7) By the end of the second face-to-face contact, the local department and the family shall have negotiated and executed a short-term, individualized service plan/agreement to cover a period of not more than 3 months. The agreement shall be:

(a) Reviewed, amended, modified, or updated if necessary;

(b) Signed by the worker, associate, family, and supervisor every 30 days until service termination; and

(c) Completed and maintained according to specific program regulations.

D. Families Now-Levels I, II, and III.

(1) Level I is the most intensive service level in the Families Now Program. It is most effective when a small caseload of a maximum of six families is maintained and is designed to assist families in which a child is at imminent risk of out-of-home placement or has been placed out-of-home within the past 7 days, with the intent to reunify at the time service begins. This is offered to families who would benefit from:

(a) A short-term, intensive, interactive service for up to a maximum of 90 days; and

(b) Up to 20 hours per week of face-to-face contact with the local department staff.

(2) Level II is designed to:

(a) Serve families whose children are at imminent or high risk of out-of-home placement or have been placed out-of-home within the past 7 days;

(b) Offer a moderate intensity of service of 1 to 2 visits per week; and

(c) Provide service to a family for up to a maximum of 6 months.

(3) Level III is designed to serve families:

(a) Whose children are at high risk of out-of-home placement or have been placed out-of-home within the past 7 days;

(b) Who would benefit from long-term intervention of not more than 1 year;

(c) Who can sustain a moderate intensity of 3 to 4 visits per month;

(d) Where there is some resistance to service on the part of one or more household members;

(e) Who may be involved with the court as a result of abuse or neglect issues; and

(f) Who may have been served in a short-term, intensive voluntary program with limited success.

E. Families Now-Level IV/Out-of-Home.

(1) Families Now-Level IV/Out-of-Home is designed to serve parents and children while the children are in out-of-home placement in order to expedite reunification or an alternate permanency plan.

(2) Families are eligible for service if:

(a) Their children have been in out-of-home placement for less than 6 months;

(b) The primary permanency plan at the time of the referral to Families Now is reunification;

(c) Reunification is expected to occur within 6 months of the referral;

(d) None of the circumstances detailed in COMAR 07.02.11.16 exists which would indicate a permanency plan other than reunification;

(e) There are indications that intensive family preservation services would reduce the child's length of stay in out-of-home placement; and

(f) There is information to believe that there is willingness on the part of the family to actively work towards reunification.

(3) Services may be provided for up to 9 months from the date that the case is accepted for service.

(4) All services provided in Families Now-Level IV are regulated under COMAR 07.02.11.03B(46).

F. Redetermination.

(1) All families in the Families Now program shall be formally reassessed at the end of each 90 days of service.

(2) The review requirements of COMAR 07.02.11.18 apply to families and children served in Level IV.

(3) When it is jointly determined between the social worker and supervisor that an extension for service is warranted, a formal, written request shall be made to the director or director's designee at least 14 days before the determined closure date. Each request shall contain:

(a) A review of why the family is receiving the present service including issues of safety for all children in the home;

(b) A review of service provided and justification why all goals were not met; and

(c) A new service plan identifying goals, the services to be provided, and the estimated length of time needed in order to complete the service.

(4) Written authorization by the director or director's designee shall be provided in order for the family to receive service beyond the mandated time frames designated in Regulation .05D of this chapter.

(5) The maximum time limit for any Families Now service is 1 calendar year within a 3-year period.

(6) If further service beyond a maximum of 1 calendar year is determined to be essential, a referral to another unit within the Department shall be made.

G. Case Closure.

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

(a) Safety of the children is assured;

(b) Service objectives have been achieved;

(c) The family no longer wants the service;

(d) The family is not actively progressing toward meeting the objectives of the service agreement;

(e) Agency related court involvement has been terminated;

(f) The family cannot be located;

(g) The family has moved to another jurisdiction, and the local department refers them for service or closes the case with no further follow-up; or

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

(2) When the plan is to close the case, the worker shall offer the family an interview to discuss:

(a) The reason for the closing;

(b) A review of any safety planning made for the child;

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

(d) Continuing or any other further needs or concerns;

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

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