These guidelines articulate the meaning of comprehensive family assessment, the need for more focused attention in this area, the foundations of the principles of quality practice, the fundamentals and purposes of assessment, what and who is to be assessed, the specifics of the assessment process with concrete case examples, the utilization of assessment information for case decision-making, and the administrative supports necessary for conducting and utilizing comprehensive family assessment.
The development of the guidelines will be followed by strategies to disseminate them widely and facilitate their utilization. The involvement of the Children's Bureau, state and county child welfare administrators, tribal organizations, regional offices of DHHS, national resource centers, and others will be crucial to promoting their utilization. As knowledge is gained from programs which have effectively implemented comprehensive assessment models, these guidelines will be updated to include lessons learned.