April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We all have a responsibility to do everything we can to reduce the instance of child abuse and neglect in our communities. The Adoption Exchange’s Colorado staff was particularly impressed by the amazing strides that Eagle County has made to address the problem of child abuse and neglect before it occurs. In the blog post that follows, Eagle County Department of Family Services’ Tracey Branch shares the processes and programs her county has implemented to this end.
Eagle County Department of Human Services takes great pride in offering a wide array of prevention services in the community. This has been achieved through valuable partnerships with community organizations, as well as utilizing a family-centered approach.
With the adoption of the Family First Prevention Services Act, Eagle County has been able to implement many new strategies in order to be more proactive in keeping children in our community safe. This family-centered strategy allows families to receive preventative services in their homes while still maintaining child safety as the top priority. Eagle County engages each family with a less punitive approach and, instead, focuses on areas of improvement and how community resources can meet that specific need. We recognize that each family is unique in their needs and deserves creativity, empathy and support as they navigate the complexities of raising children.
There are, unfortunately, still situations in which children are not safe with their primary caregiver(s) and intervention is needed. While still maintaining our family-centered approach, caseworkers work tirelessly to find kinship placement options for children. As a community, we strongly believe that children do best when they are with their own family – meaning blood relatives, emotional relatives, or other adults that play a major role in that child’s life. Eagle County will exhaust all kinship options before considering foster care, which helps families utilize their natural supports.
We have also been extremely fortunate to have partnered with The Adoption Exchange to provide extra support to our Eagle County families. The Adoption Exchange offers Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) training to professionals and families, in-home coaching, and group support for families. The Adoption Exchange can play a pivotal role in children achieving permanent, safe homes by teaching caregivers how to best meet their children’s needs.
A major preventative measure Eagle County has been able to successfully utilize is the Colorado Community Response (CCR) program. Families who are referred to the child welfare system for concerns of abuse or neglect, but do not meet the criteria for an assessment to be performed, are referred to CCR. Caseworkers support families on a voluntary basis to help them get connected with essential resources and services to prevent re-entry into the child welfare system in the future. Specifically, caseworkers work alongside caregivers to set and accomplish goals to increase financial stability and mitigate barriers. The implementation of the CCR program in Eagle County is ensuring that a majority of families are served and assisted to overcome challenges.
Eagle County also frequently utilizes Individualized Service and Support Team (ISST) meetings to address the unique needs of each family which are a service of the Collaborative Management Program (CMP). This meeting includes the family, the Eagle County caseworker, and two or more of our community partners. These meetings allow families that are involved with multiple systems to meet all together to set goals, problem-solve, and ensure continuity of services.
Furthermore, within the Eagle County Department of Human Services, another collaborative meeting is frequently used. The Integrated Customer Support Team (ICST) meets every two weeks to discuss families involved with multiple systems within DHS. This team includes members of each department to ensure every family is having their needs met effectively and in a timely manner. Eagle County has adopted a “no wrong door” approach in order to eliminate the siloing that can inadvertently occur within government agencies.
As a community, we have also been able to implement Differential Response (DR) into our child welfare system. DR is best described as a shift from a mostly punitive approach to a family-centered approach. Caseworkers are now encouraged to partner with families to facilitate sustainable behavioral change within a family. Colorado Department of Human Services describes the DR approach as follows:
Within DR a multi-track assessment approach can be used. One track called Family Assessment Response (FAR) for low to moderate risk referrals can be offered as an alternative to the traditional investigative approach, High Risk Assessment (HRA). These tracks are only for accepted reports of child abuse and neglect by counties who have completed the required training and been approved by the Executive Director. FAR may be utilized to assess child safety by focusing on the environmental context and broader issues of family well-being, along with the incident of abuse or neglect, through the solution focused family centered practice supported by DR. The labels of perpetrator and victim are removed and the determination, or finding, that is often required by statute is not required in DR.
This shift has allowed caseworkers to be more approachable, trusted, and impactful with families in our community. Not only has this made many positive changes throughout the state of Colorado, but it has specifically improved the child welfare system in Eagle County.
Eagle County remains committed to providing high-quality care, services, and assistance to the families in our community through a proactive, preventative approach.