Statewide Quality Assurance Report

Florida Department of Children and FamiliesCase Management Services - 2009-2010 Quality Assurance ReportExit interviews are one method of assessing the provision of services from the viewpoint ofthe child. Florida Administrative Code requires that an exit interview be conducted when a child“leaves licensed out-of-home placement if the child resided in that placement for thirty days ormore.” These interviews are conducted by a case worker. Exit interviews are also conductedwith age appropriate youth when he/she is moved from one group home to another even if thegroup homes are overseen by the same provider. The interview is not to be conducted in thehome the child just exited, but in a setting where the child feels comfortable and theconversation is private. For each qualifying placement, the QA reviewer must review the exitinterview document and ensure it was completed and any concerns were acted upon.Progress reports are another method of assessing service delivery. The case worker mustprovide progress reports to document the effectiveness of service interventions, and shareinformation with providers regarding significant changes in the family’s situation. The tragicdeath of Gabriel Myers underscored the need for providers to communicate and shareinformation, functioning as a unified team. The Gabriel Myers Workgroup noted this as a criticalgap that that needed to be addressed to ensure sharing of information among all stakeholdersresponsible for a child’s care. All provider contacts should be purposeful and directed towardachieving the case plan goal. Case workers must facilitate and lead communication among localservice providers about services for the child and other case participants. The case workershould address progress on the case plan tasks on a routine basis. Quality of practice datademonstrates the need for continued attention to these initiatives. Local action should be takento explore ways to improve communication and share information and to ensure case workersconduct exit interviews with children.Quality of Practice for Child Exit Interviews and Sharing InformationStd# Standard # Cases Yes No# of ApplicableCasesPracticeRating17In cases involving a child in a licensed placement setting, an exit interview wasconducted with the child when moved from one placement to another, andappropriate action was taken if the exit interview documented a concern.1575 222 61 283 78%25The services worker communicated with service providers about theeffectiveness of services for involved case participants.1575 973 497 1470 66%Table III c-2Office of Family Safety | Page 16