Adapting Practice During a Public Health Crisis: Guidelines for Public Child Welfare Intake/Hotline Assessment and CPS Investigation Pre-Commencement

During a Public Health Crisis, circumstances change rapidly.  As the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed our social environments through social distancing and isolation policies to control the spread of infectious disease, public child welfare agencies remain steadfast in working to ensure child safety. In practical terms, with respect to being responsive in day-to-day service delivery, social distancing requires public child welfare agencies to think critically about how to maintain the highest standard for assessing and managing child safety, while accounting for caseworker and community safety. 
 

Public child welfare agencies are compelled to consider the distinction between essential and non-essential functions. Many child welfare workers and supervisors have been identified as essential personnel in a large majority of the country. This webinar and related resources provide support for intake/hotline information collection and investigation/assessment pre-commencement considerations to inform initial contact with children and families. During this period of heightened social distancing, these materials are intended to assist hotline/intake workers, CPS investigators, and case managers in sufficiently assessing and planning for initial contacts with children and families.

Duration: 60 Minutes