Los Angeles County’s temporary emergency shelter providing 24 hour care, supervision and multidisciplinary assessment services for children who have been removed from their parents or guardians and are in need of temporary shelter pending suitable placement.

A report of alleged child abuse, neglect or exploitation which has been transmitted to DCFS via U.S. Mail.

Mandated Reporter (PC 11165.7)

A person who, pursuant to the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, is required to report knowledge or reasonable suspicion of child abuse which is obtained while acting in a professional capacity or within the scope of his or her employment. Such persons include: a teacher, instructional aide, teachers aid, public school employee, an administrative officer or supervisor of child welfare and attendance, public or private day camp administrator, an employee of a county office of education, an employee of a licensed community

care or child day care facility, a head start teacher, licensing worker, public assistance worker, child care institution employee, social worker, probation officer or parole officer, school district employee, district attorney, peace officer, firefighter, physician, surgeon, psychiatrist, medical examiner, public employee, medical examiner, coroner or other person who performs autopsies, animal control officer and a clergy member.

See "Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP)."

See "Model Case Format."

See "Model Case Format."

See "MacLaren Children’s Center."

See "Model Case Format."

See "Multidisciplinary Assessment" and "Family Preservation Program."

Includes dependency upon internal feeding tube, total parental feeding, a cardiorespiratory monitor, intravenous therapy, a ventilator, urinary catheterization, special medication requirements including injections, aerosol treatment, and intravenous or oral medication, or ministrations imposed by tracheotomy, colostomy, ileostomy, or other medical or surgical procedures rending the child dependent upon ongoing health care and assessment.

See "Model Case Format."

State computer for Medi-Cal care records and care issuance system.

Children with special health care needs as defined by Assembly Bill 2268. These children have medical conditions and symptoms that require special procedures, may be temporarily or permanently dependent upon medical equipment and/or devices, therapies and may require ongoing medical care and assessment as determined by the child’s physician. The caregiver must have been trained to provide the specialized in-home health care to these children. See "Special Health Care Needs."

Medical care organizations that contract with the State Department of Health Services to provide medical care to eligible clients. The Health Plans are paid a set monthly fee by the State for each client who is enrolled and are responsible for providing all necessary health care to the enrollees. These plans are also known as Managed Care Plans (MCP), Prepaid Health Plans (PHP) or Primary Case Care Maintenance Provider (PCCM).

In the context of specialized care rate Schedule F, activities which must be performed by a caregiver, as necessary, based upon the child’s diagnosed condition and instructions from the child’s attending physician or from Regional Center.

See "Substance Abuse Testing."

See "Psychotropic Medication."

See "Medi-Cal Eligibility Data System."

See "Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)."

Outpatient treatment services which include diagnostic assessments and the development of treatment plans which may include prescribing and dispensing of medication. In the FPP, these services are provided by the CFPN or linkage in County mental health funded programs under the direction of a multidisciplinary team, including State-licensed psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers and nurses.

See "Teen Pregnancy Disincentive Program, The."

See "Teen Pregnancy Disincentive Program, The."

The document on which the Clerk of the Court records the findings and orders of the court from a specific court hearing.

An open case in which at least one service child is in the Permanent Placement (PP) program and there is at least one sibling who is also a service child who is in the Emergency Response (ER), Family Maintenance (FM), or Family Reunification (FR) program.

When more than one service component is to be provided to members of the same family group (FM/FR/PP/Voluntary).

A program of mutual preparation and selection which uses the teamwork approach between foster and adoptive parents and the agency to prepare foster and adoptive parents for the experience of parenting children with special needs, such as those supervised by DCFS. The program incorporates self-assessment, mutual decision-making and experiential preparation for foster and adoptive planning to help parents decide if their expectations and abilities match the realities of foster and adoptive parenthood.

The protocol for filing all hard-copy case-related forms, documents and information in an organized, uniform system of Master Case and Case Segment Folders.

1. Additional Services Documentation Folder

   The red letter-size folder in which all hard-copy documents not consistent with the content/purpose of any other forms filed in any other case segment folder are filed.

2. Adoption Folder

   The dark blue letter-size folder in which all child/birth family documents which must be retained by Adoptions Division are filed.

3. Applicant Folder

   The manila letter-size (1" expansion) folder in which all documents pertaining to adoption applicants are filed.

4. Case Activity Recording Folder

   The green letter-size folder in which all hard-copy documents pertaining to referrals, historic service activity logs, visitation exceptions, case plans/case plan updates (except as noted below) and reports to/from law enforcement are filed.

   Note: Court reports substituting for case plan/case plan updates are filed in the Court Documents Folder, not the Case Activity Recording Folder.

5. Case Segment Folders

   The color-coded folders in which case documents of similar content/purpose are filed.

6. CIS Documents Folder

   The orange letter-size folder in which all of the historic Children’s Information System (CIS) source, input, confirmation and Financial Authorization Documents (FADs) are filed.

7. Court Documents Folder

1. Court Documents Folder Grid

1. Due Diligence Folder

   The folder initiated by the Dependency Investigation Assistance (DIA)/Search Clerk in which all documents related to the due diligence search for an individual are filed. The individual Due Diligence Folders are filed in the Search Folder.

2. Health and Education Passport

   The folder that contains copies of all medical information pertaining to the child(ren) in out-of-home placement and is retained by the current foster caregiver as long as the child remains in out-of-home placement. When the child is moved from one placement to another, the folder goes with the child. The Medical Record Folder is included in the Master Case Folder only when placement services are terminated.

3. Master Case Folder

1. Regular Master Case Folder

   The manila letter-size (1" expansion) folder used for filing the case segment folders.

2. Expanded Master Case Folder

1. Master Case Folder Grid

   The grid on the front of the Master Case Folder in which the case name, case number, court number, name(s) of service children, service status, transfer/closing dates of individual children, all active case folders, and case transfer summary data are recorded.

2. Placement Information Folder

   The light blue letter-size folder in which all placement agreements, documentation of placement-related activities, child’s needs assessments, Out-of-County and Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) Home Studies/Agreements, information provided to caregivers and foster home certification documents are filed.

    

    

    

    

    

3. Psychological/Medical/Dental/School Reports Folder

   The purple letter-size folder in which all accident, injury and death reports, medical consents and authorizations and psychological, medical, dental, school and regional center reports are filed.

4. Search Folder

   The grey letter-size folder in which all Due Diligence Folders is filed.

5. Services Eligibility Folder

A DCFS representative {CSW, caregiver or another representative approved by DCFS or the court} present throughout a visit with a child who will intervene to stop or redirect the visit whenever it appears that the child is being verbally abused, harassed or is suffering any harm as a result of the questions, discussion or situation. A qualified monitor is able to accomplish the following: maintain neutrality, observe the verbal and non-verbal interaction between the child and the visitor, ensure there is no discussion of allegations, control the direction of the visit or contact, use good judgment under pressure, remain sensitive to the child’s moods and needs, and comply with confidentiality issues affecting the child’s specific situation. See "Monitored Visits."

1. Neutral Setting

   In the context of monitored visitation, the site, location or place determined to neither favors nor disadvantages the involved parties.

2. On-Site Monitored Visitation

   Visitation which takes place between the child and parent(s), legal guardian(s), sibling(s), grandparent(s) and/or other authorized person(s), in the presence of a monitor and within a specified and limited location because of potential danger to the children and/or other individual(s), or because of threats of abduction.

3. Open Monitored Visitation

See "Reimbursement" under Voluntary Family Reunification (VFR)."

See "Reimbursement" under Voluntary Family Reunification (VFR)."

1. Birth Mother

   The woman who gave birth to the child.

2. Surrogate Mother

A formal request by any party (parent, child, legal guardian, or their attorney, or the attorney for DCFS) for reevaluation of an order or decision made by the same judicial officer. See "Rehearing."

See Minor Parent Services under "Teen Pregnancy Disincentive Program, The."

Medical Review Officer. See "Substance Abuse Testing."

Typically includes a physical, psychosocial and developmental evaluation of the child, as well as an assessment of the family’s ability to function and provide a safe home environment. The assessment is conducted by a Multidisciplinary Assessment Team, which is comprised of professionals from medical, mental health, child welfare and legal disciplines. An example of a state program that requires a multidisciplinary assessment is the Interstate compact on the Placement of children:

• Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children

See "Hub Services: King/Drew Medical Center."

See "Hub Services: King/Drew Medical Center" and "Multidisciplinary Assessment."

See "Family Preservation Program."

See "Hub Services: King/Drew Medical Center."