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Components of Comprehensive Family Assessment
The circumstances that bring child welfare agencies into the homes and lives of children, youth, and families are often complex and challenging. Because of the combination of their physical, emotional, and social circumstances, these families often present challenges to agency staff. The agency is asked to make decisions constantly, sometimes based on the best information available at that time. The decisions based on that information will have important, long-term consequences for the safety, permanency, and well-being of the children, youth, and their families.
The decision-making process is more effective when staff work in collaboration with families and other community partners to gather information.
Developing a Comprehensive Focus
Areas of assessment
A comprehensive family assessment for families dealing with child maltreatment incorporates the information gathered during any safety and risk assessments, but goes beyond these assessments to explore internal and external factors that may be affecting the family's ability to keep the child or youth safe.
In addition, a comprehensive family assessment identifies historical patterns and the family environment that led to the current situation as well as the potential impact of the maltreatment on the child's future well-being.
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Categories of Family Assessment
The following are characteristics or problem areas most commonly associated with families in the child welfare system:
Categories of Child and Youth Assessment Children and youth who are maltreated experience a variety of stressors that impact their ability to develop appropriately. The focus of the comprehensive family assessment of children and youth is on gathering information that will assist in deciding what are the actions required to keep the children safe, in a permanent living situation, and in a state of well-being. Depending on the age and developmental level, environment, and family culture, it is necessary to get information on the strengths and needs of the child or youth related to:
Categories of Youth Assessment For youth, assessment takes yet another focus. Not only must assessment provide information on the youth's safety, permanence, and well-being while in care, it must also focus on the young person's safety, permanence, and well-being as he/she develops skills needed as an adult. Necessary information on the strengths and needs of youth includes:
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Targeting assessments
Whether reviewing previous records, through observations, talking informally with the family, the youth, the child, other service providers, or using specific assessment instruments, the comprehensive family assessment routinely gathers information about. all family members and their entire living situation. This includes the subject child and other children and youth living in the home; parents or other caregivers who are significant in the life of the child; the family's culture, and the environment(s) which the family, the youth, and the child frequent (for example, school, job, or religious institution).
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Who Is Assessed?
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Identifying Strengths and Protective Factors
Comprehensive family assessments identify individual and family strengths and protective factors. The continuous exploration of the family's ability to address their problems is important because recognizing strengths can help families realize their capacity to change. In addition, the identified protective factors can assist in mitigating the needs identified and mobilizing and/or expanding the resources that the family can use to help meet their needs.
Strengths are those positive qualities or resources present in every family. Protective factors are the resources and characteristics of the family members that can directly contribute to the protection and development of the children. It is important to note that the assessment of protective factors is not simply a listing of positive qualities and resources; the protective factors must be relevant and dynamically involved in offsetting the risks related to abuse/neglect. For example, a mother may be a fine artist, which would be generally positive attribute, but this “strength” would not compensate for the lack of a protective factor such as the capacity to recognize her own need to change. The protective factors often have to be deliberately mobilized to play a relevant role within the service plan.
The following are some individual factors contributing to protection: good cognitive and social skills, a positive self-perception, motivation to change, a willingness to seek support, an awareness of the threats to safety, ability to take action to protect children, self-discipline, and focus on acquiring knowledge and skills.
The following are some environmental factors contributing to protection: support from family and friends, stability of the living environment, positive interactions with others, and a connection to the community.
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Protective Factors
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Obtaining Information and Evaluations from Other Sources
As stated previously, at the point of undertaking a comprehensive family assessment, initial assessments of safety and risk have been completed already or are underway concurrently. The comprehensive family assessment is not meant to be an alternative or substitute for these assessments, but builds upon them and other information to obtain a more complete picture of the family within the context of their involvement in child welfare.
In some cases, the safety and risk screenings or the initial interviews for a comprehensive family assessment indicate the need to gather specialized information that will help the caseworker and the agency understand the needs of the family, the youth, and children. Examples include psychological and educational tests, evaluations of mental, physical and neurological status, substance abuse and others. Information from collateral contacts, involvement of other agencies, and Comprehensive Family Assessment Guidelines 21 information from previous CPS involvement either have been collected or become a part of what is now gathered. The comprehensive family assessment incorporates the results of these specialized assessments and other relevant information to determine the nature of the family's needs, resources and circumstances and to act as the basis for the type and frequency of interventions and services that will be needed.