AFCARS Assessment Review Improvement Plan

AFCARS Assessment Review Improvement Plan - Foster Care Elements
State: New Mexico
AFCARS Element	Factor	Task	Date Completed	Comments/Notes
#5 Most Recent Periodic Review Date	2	Add a parameter that will prevent review dates from previous removal episodes from being extracted.	blank cell	blank cell
Race: #8 Child; #52 1st Foster Caretaker; #54 2nd Foster Caretaker a. American Indian or Alaska Native b. Asian c. Black or African American d. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander e. White f. Unable to Determine	2	Map missing data to blanks. Address training of workers to ensure that they are selecting the correct combination of races for an individual. State may want to reconsider its methodology for collecting race information in the system. ACF will provide the State with examples of how other States record multi-racial information.	blank cell	blank cell
#10 Has Child Been Diagnosed with Disability? 1=Yes 2=No 3=Not yet Determined	2	Re-design the screen to allow workers to select the options "yes," "no," or "not yet determined." Submit screen-print and program code to ACF once change has been completed. Map missing data to blanks. State should eliminate the double entry of the disability information on two different screens. The State can either: 1) Program the system to automatically populate the second screen; or 2) Eliminate the foster care selection from the "certification of special needs" screen. Provide ACF with screen prints, if applicable, and program code when release 3.1 is implemented. State should consult disability resource table on AFCARS web site.	blank cell	blank cell
#11 - #15 Disability Information 0 = Does not Apply 1 = Applies #11 Mental Retardation #12 Visually/Hearing Impaired #13 Physically Disabled #14 Emotionally Disturbed #15 Other Diagnosed Condition	2	Add additional training for workers to ensure that this information is updated. If the edit in the program code overwrites a workers' response to whether a child has been clinically diagnosed from a "yes" to a "no" if none of the disability categories are selected, then modify the edit to set both fields to blanks to mark this as an "exception" for follow-up. State should contact ACF to further discuss.	blank cell	blank cell
#16 Has Child Ever Been Adopted? 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	2	Map missing information to blanks. Modify the screen to allow the worker to select "yes," "no," and "unable to determine." Submit screen print to ACF once change has been completed.	blank cell	blank cell
#23 Date of Placement in Current Setting	2	Modify the program code to not select dates that reflect a change in status of the foster family (i.e., when a foster family becomes a pre-adopt family or changes in therapeutic levels).	blank cell	blank cell
#24 Number of Previous Placement Settings in This Episode	2	See tasks for "current placement setting," element #41. Modify how the program code counts placements once "trial home visit" and "runaway" are added as options for worker to select for the current placement setting. Ensure that the program code does not count the following situations for this element: Trial home visits, runaway, or respite placements. When a placement setting changes its status (a foster home becoming a pre-adoptive home-the caretaker is staying the same) If the payment changes because the level of care changes, then the number of placements does not change. If a child returns to the same placement setting from a trial home visit or runaway. Short-term hospital stays. State must implement a method to collect the actual placement setting of children placed with contracted placing agencies and count the moves between settings in these agencies. Update the number of placements in the current episode including those prior to 1997.	blank cell	blank cell
#41 Current Placement Setting 1 = Pre-Adoptive Home 2 = Foster Family Home (Relative) 3 = Foster Family Home (Non-Relative) 4 = Group Home 5 = Institution 6 = Supervised Independent Living 7 = Runaway 8 = Trial Home Visit	2	Modify program code to extract "trial home visit" or "runaway" when they are selected by the caseworker as reasons for an end to a placement.	blank cell	blank cell
		Modify program to ensure that the extraction will count "trial home visits" of an unspecified period as discharges at six months.	blank cell	blank cell
		Add training for caseworkers instructing them that for a placement end reason of "trial home visit" or "runaway" to not select "is this an end to all placements" question.	blank cell	blank cell
		Correct the program code for the State's values of: 17 - Guardianship (relative), and 18 - Guardianship (non-relative).	Completed 4/18/02 Program Code Approved 6/2002	The program code now maps "17 - Guardianship (relative)" to "foster family home (relative) and "18 - Guardianship (non-relative)" is now mapped to "Foster family home (non-relative)."
		Submit an explanation for the State's codes "12 - 16" regarding JJD placement that are listed in the mapping document. Are these codes actual selections the worker can choose? If so, and if they also would reflect placement of those child welfare children in a juvenile justice placement, they need to be included in the program code mapping.	blank cell	blank cell
#43 Most Recent Case Plan Goal (core) 1 = Reunify with Parent(s) or Principal Caretaker(s) 2 = Live with Other Relative(s) 3 = Adoption 4 = Long Term Foster Care 5 = Emancipation 6 = Guardianship 7 = Case Plan Goal Not Yet Established	2	Map "other" to blanks.	Completed 4/23/02	Program Code Approved 6/2002
		Map missing data to blanks.	Completed 4/23/02	Program Code Approved 6/2002.
		Correct the program code to correctly map "planned permanent living arrangement."	Completed 4/23/02	Program Code Approved 6/2002
		Map the State code "14, placement with a fit and willing relative" to AFCARS values "live with other relatives." Correct program code to not map any of the "reunification" codes to zero. Remove the State's inactive goals of "remain in home," "maintain at home," and "relative placement" from the program code. Modify the program code to set "not yet established" to "missing" at the end of a 60-day window. Or, add a reminder for workers to update the case plan goal plan, if applicable, at 60 days from the date of removal.	blank cell	blank cell
#44 Caretaker Family Structure 1 = Married Couple 2 = Unmarried Couple 3 = Single Female 4 = Single Male 5 = Unable to Determine	2	Map "other" and missing information to blanks. Train workers to select "unmarried couple" for same-sex couples. Map sibling caretakers to AFCARS values of either "3" or "4." Please respond to ACF as to whether case workers can select an option of "unable to determine?"	Completed 4/18/02	Program Code Approved 6/2002. 2001A resubmitted file reflects change.
#47 Mother's Date of TPR #48 Father's Date of TPR	2	Remove the State's codes of "13, request for termination of parental rights," "14 and 15, motion for termination of parental rights" from the program code. Change program code and/or screens so that the State code "22, post TPR/freed for adoption" is not used.	blank cell	blank cell
#49 Foster Family Structure 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Married Couple 2 = Unmarried Couple 3 = Single Female 4 = Single Male	2	The State's codes of "49, unable to determine" and "other" should be mapped to blank. Implement a method to obtain information on foster parents from contracted agencies and enter the information into FACTS.	blank cell	blank cell
#62 Title IVD Child Support	2	Implement a method to collect whether child support payments are a source of income for a child until the SACWIS title IV-D interface is completed. Provide training and instruction to caseworkers to enter this information on the child's assets screen.	blank cell	blank cell
#66 Monthly Amount	2	Modify code to compute the recent full monthly (calendar month) payment on behalf of child. If there is a partial payment, modify code to report zeros.	blank cell	blank cell
#17 Age at Previous Adoption 0 = Not Applicable 1 = less than 2 years old 2 = 2-5 years old 3 = 6-12 years old 4 = 13 years or older 5 = Unable to Determine	3	Map missing information to blank.	Completed 4/17/2002 Approved 6/2002	Is there a typo on the third line of the revised code (change number 20)? Should it read "move spaces to age-adopted-out," instead of "move unable-to-determine to age-adopted-out?"
	3	Add additional training for workers to ensure entry of this information.	Completed 4/17/2002 Approved 6/2002
#18 Date of First Removal from Home	3	Clean up the data in the records that were open at the time of conversion. See tasks in the General Requirements.	blank cell	blank cell
#19 Total Number of Removals from Home	3	Train caseworkers to check the box that indicates the placement reflects a removal from home. Ensure that emergency removals that extend beyond 24 hours are indicated on the screen as a removal. Clean up the data in the records that were open at the time of conversion. See tasks in "General Requirements" regarding conversion.	blank cell	blank cell
#20 Date of Discharge from Previous Episode	3	Clean up the data in the records that were open at the time to conversion. See tasks in "General Requirements" regarding conversion.	blank cell	blank cell
#21 Date of Latest Removal (core)	3	Clean up the data in the records that were open at the time to conversion. See tasks in "General Requirements" regarding conversion.	blank cell	blank cell
#42 Out of State Placement 1=Yes 2=No	3	Train workers to ensure that correct addresses are entered for placement settings. Check the quality of this data to ensure its accuracy..	blank cell	blank cell
#50 1st Foster Caretaker's Birth Year	3	Since this information is entered twice and may be contributing to lower data quality, consider having this information automatically populating subsequent screens. Ensure that information on contracted therapeutic foster parents gets entered into the system.	blank cell	On 4/19/02 State modified code to include the ages for relative and non-relative guardianships.
#51 2nd Foster Caretaker's Birth Year	3	Since this information is entered twice and may be contributing to lower data quality, consider having this information automatically populating subsequent screens. Ensure that information on contracted therapeutic foster parents gets entered into the system.	blank cell	blank cell
#53 1st Foster Caretaker's Hispanic Origin #55 2nd Foster Caretaker's Hispanic Origin 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	3	Ensure that information on contracted therapeutic foster parents gets entered into the system.	blank cell	blank cell
#56 Date of Discharge	3	Ensure that information on contracted therapeutic foster parents gets entered into the system. Add training to ensure that the workers select the option that closes all placements for discharged cases.	blank cell	blank cell
#58 Reason for Discharge 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Reunification with Parent(s) or Primary Caretaker(s) 2 = Living with Other Relative(s) 3 = Adoption 4 = Emancipation 5 = Guardianship 6 = Transfer to Another Agency 7 = Runaway 8 = Death of Child	3	Add training to ensure that the workers select the option that closes all placements for discharged cases, and selects a discharge reason.	blank cell	blank cell
#64 SSI	3	Add training to ensure that this information is on the assets screen.	blank cell	blank cell

AFCARS Assessment Review Improvement Plan - Adoption Elements
State: New Mexico
AFCARS Element	Factor	Task	Date Completed	Comments/Notes
Race: #7 Child; #25 Adoptive Mother; #27 Adoptive Father a = American Indian or Native b = Asian c = Black or African American d = Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander e = White f = Unable to Determine	2	Map missing data to blanks. Address training of workers to ensure that they are selecting the correct combination of races for an individual. State may want to reconsider its methodology for collecting race information in the system. ACF will provide the State with examples of how other States record multi-racial information.	blank cell	blank cell
#10 Primary Basis for Determining Special Needs 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Racial/Original Background 2 = Age 3 = Membership in a Sibling Group 4 = Medical Conditions or Mental, Physical or Emotional Disabilities 5 = Other	2	Modify program code to map "medically fragile" to AFCARS value "5, other. "State should re-evaluate use of "other." If "other" can be further broken down into specific reasons, map the reasons to the appropriate AFCARS value. Remove the program code that sets element #10 to medical, etc. if it finds any of #11-15 as "yes," regardless of what the worker selected as the primary basis. Remove the hierarchy that is set by the system to determine the primary basis of special need. Extract what the worker selects as the primary basis.	blank cell	blank cell
#11 Mental Retardation #12 Visually/Hearing Impaired #13 Physically Disabled #14 Emotionally Disturbed #15 Other Diagnosed Condition	2	See tasks for foster care elements #11-15. Map "mental disability" to AFCARS element #14. Map "medically fragile" to #15. Map "learning disability" to element #15. Remove the default that if medical conditions, etc. is selected, and categories in elements #11 - 14 are zero, then "other diagnosed condition" is set to "yes." This should be set to blank.	blank cell	blank cell
#16 Mother's Birth Year #17 Father's Birth Year	2	Ensure that the link to the foster care case to get data on biological parent's year of birth is working properly. ACF will look for data on subsequent submission (2002A).	blank cell	blank cell
#18 Mother Married at Time of Birth 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	2	Map "undetermined" to blank. Once the case-link is implemented, the State may want to have any information entered in foster care automatically populate the adoption record.	blank cell	blank cell
#22 Adoptive Family Structure 1 = Married Couple 2 = Unmarried Couple 3 = Single Female 4 = Single Male	2	Remove "other" as an option and include the marital status that most accurately reflects the family structure. Otherwise, map "other" to blank.	blank cell	blank cell
#35 Receiving Monthly Subsidy 1=Yes 2=No	2	Modify program code to pick up Medicaid-only cases and other sources of funding (e.g., State funds).	blank cell	blank cell
#36 Monthly Amount	2	Remove the program code that calculates this element. Extract the actual agreed-upon amount between the agency and the family.	blank cell	blank cell
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired	3	Add training to ensure workers update this information and enter it in a timely manner.	blank cell	blank cell
#30 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Other Relative 0 = Does not Apply 1 = Applies	3	Train workers that more than one selection may be made and to record the information consistently.	blank cell	blank cell
#31 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Foster Parent 0 = Does not Apply 1 = Applies	3	Train workers that more than one selection may be made and to record the information consistently.	blank cell	blank cell
#32 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Other Non-Relative 0 = Does not Apply 1 = Applies	3	Train workers that more than one selection may be made and to record the information consistently.	blank cell	blank cell