Statewide Quality Assurance Report

Florida Department of Children and FamiliesCase Management Services - 2009-2010 Quality Assurance Reportdeveloping resources to serve children and families and providing oversight and guidance to casemanagement organizations. There are noted strengths in many case management service areas. Thesestrengths include:• Providing interventions that successfully prevented re-abuse of children;• Developing appropriate case plan goals;• Identifying, recruiting, and ensuring timely approval of adoptive families;• Keeping placements stable and placing children close to their parents;• Keeping the courts informed of placement changes; and• Providing independent living case workers who are engaged with youth and are helpingthem prepare for transition.There are five key areas that require further attention to improve practice. Family engagementis an area that is critical to the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and is the core ofgood child welfare practice. Because many of the quality of practice standards are tied to familyengagement activities, full implementation of the Family Centered Practice Model should result inimprovements to casework practice. The areas needing improvement are:1. Full development and implementation of the Family Centered Practice model (impacts manychild welfare practice areas)2. Ensuring local systems of care provide appropriate healthcare and dental care to children.3. Ensuring appropriate educational assessments and services are provided to children.4. Improving communication with local service providers.5. Ensuring supervisors have leadership skills and the breadth of child welfare knowledgeneeded to coach caseworkers.Detailed QA reports for individual CBCs are located at Florida’s Center for the Advancement of ChildWelfare Practice: http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/qa/QA_Reports/Forms/AllItems.aspxOffice of Family Safety | Page 3