Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect

August 2005

What would make systems of care attractive to the child welfare system?

Child welfare has extremely clear mandates for serving children who are at-risk-of or have been abused and/or neglected. Contrary to popular belief, the primary goal of the child welfare system is not to remove children from their families. It is important as communities reach out to them as partners that this myth is dismissed early in the relationship. The public child welfare system is specifically responsible for ensuring the safety, permanence, and well-being of children in the following ways:

Responding to community-initiated reports of suspected abuse and neglect;
Assisting families to resolve the problems that cause abuse and neglect;
Preventing the separation of children from their families;
Ensuring that children are safe and secure whether living in their own homes or in substitute care;
Working with families so that their children can return home (if children have been separated from their families for safety reasons);
Ensuring that children receive adequate care while they are away from their families; and
Finding suitable permanent homes for children who cannot return home.

While children do not usually come into the child welfare system for mental health reasons, Child Welfare League of America’s (CWLA) data indicate that 40-70% of children in this system have needs related to mental health and/or substance use. Many system of care (SOC) communities have expressed a level of difficulty in maintaining a long term committed relationship with the child welfare system. ORC Macro, the SOC evaluator, has data that reflect that 20-40% of children served by systems of care are known to the child welfare system; earlier CWLA data suggests that child welfare is under represented.

These are some strategies that have worked in system of care communities that have maintained successful child welfare collaboration.

Explore with your child welfare partner what their unmet needs continue to be. Do not limit the exploration to mental health; look at the big picture with them. Safety will always be a need.
Incorporate/reflect that need(s) in mission statements, memoranda of agreements, all service planning documents, and meetings.
Whenever possible, co-locate a mental health professional in the child welfare setting.
Cross-train child welfare and mental health staff in order to clarify separate needs and cultures and to develop/discover common ground. This engenders cross-system respect and trust. Cross-training should include training in effective and evidence-based practices, as well as coaching at the child and family team level.
Involve court officers and family court judges on governance and advisory boards. These are child welfare’s ongoing partners, and they weigh heavily in achieving mandates.
Be aware of the status and content of child welfare Program Improvement Plans (PIP) that have resulted from Child and Family Services Reviews. Incorporate those mental health and family involvement goals in system of care strategic plans. Adherence to the PIPs drives future child welfare funding.
If your state has a child welfare consent decree or settlement agreement, learn the conditions and requirements for remedy, and treat them as you would a PIP (see above).
Unless prohibited by a court order, involve both the birth parent and the substitute caregiver in both the planning and the interventions on behalf of the child.
Document referral reasons, diagnosis, treatment plan, progress, safety issues, and outcomes. These are essential to both the court and good child welfare practice.
Seek out and incorporate effective or evidence-based mental health and/or substance use screening tools. Forty to seventy percent of the children and youth in the child welfare system have these needs and should be screened.
Develop the capacity of mental health providers to understand and to competently recognize and treat the trauma associated with abuse/neglect and multiple changes in living arrangements.
Collect correct, recognizable data that reflects the condition and progress of children and youth referred by child welfare. Check with child welfare for definitions; e.g., custody is not the same as living arrangement. This data is needed by child welfare to demonstrate accountability as well as support financing of system of care.

The child welfare system, like families, should be involved in every level of planning. If they recognize themselves in your system of care, they will both participate and contribute to sustainability through funding.

Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health

Child Welfare Frequently Asked Questions

August 2005

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	August 2005 What would make systems of care attractive to the child welfare system? Child welfare has extremely clear mandates for serving children who are at-risk-of or have been abused and/or neglected. Contrary to popular belief, the primary goal of the child welfare system is not to remove children from their families. It is important as communities reach out to them as partners that this myth is dismissed early in the relationship. The public child welfare system is specifically responsible for ensuring the safety, permanence, and well-being of children in the following ways: Responding to community-initiated reports of suspected abuse and neglect; Assisting families to resolve the problems that cause abuse and neglect; Preventing the separation of children from their families; Ensuring that children are safe and secure whether living in their own homes or in substitute care; Working with families so that their children can return home (if children have been separated from their families for safety reasons); Ensuring that children receive adequate care while they are away from their families; and Finding suitable permanent homes for children who cannot return home. While children do not usually come into the child welfare system for mental health reasons, Child Welfare League of America’s (CWLA) data indicate that 40-70% of children in this system have needs related to mental health and/or substance use. Many system of care (SOC) communities have expressed a level of difficulty in maintaining a long term committed relationship with the child welfare system. ORC Macro, the SOC evaluator, has data that reflect that 20-40% of children served by systems of care are known to the child welfare system; earlier CWLA data suggests that child welfare is under represented. These are some strategies that have worked in system of care communities that have maintained successful child welfare collaboration. Explore with your child welfare partner what their unmet needs continue to be. Do not limit the exploration to mental health; look at the big picture with them. Safety will always be a need. Incorporate/reflect that need(s) in mission statements, memoranda of agreements, all service planning documents, and meetings. Whenever possible, co-locate a mental health professional in the child welfare setting. Cross-train child welfare and mental health staff in order to clarify separate needs and cultures and to develop/discover common ground. This engenders cross-system respect and trust. Cross-training should include training in effective and evidence-based practices, as well as coaching at the child and family team level. Involve court officers and family court judges on governance and advisory boards. These are child welfare’s ongoing partners, and they weigh heavily in achieving mandates. Be aware of the status and content of child welfare Program Improvement Plans (PIP) that have resulted from Child and Family Services Reviews. Incorporate those mental health and family involvement goals in system of care strategic plans. Adherence to the PIPs drives future child welfare funding. If your state has a child welfare consent decree or settlement agreement, learn the conditions and requirements for remedy, and treat them as you would a PIP (see above). Unless prohibited by a court order, involve both the birth parent and the substitute caregiver in both the planning and the interventions on behalf of the child. Document referral reasons, diagnosis, treatment plan, progress, safety issues, and outcomes. These are essential to both the court and good child welfare practice. Seek out and incorporate effective or evidence-based mental health and/or substance use screening tools. Forty to seventy percent of the children and youth in the child welfare system have these needs and should be screened. Develop the capacity of mental health providers to understand and to competently recognize and treat the trauma associated with abuse/neglect and multiple changes in living arrangements. Collect correct, recognizable data that reflects the condition and progress of children and youth referred by child welfare. Check with child welfare for definitions; e.g., custody is not the same as living arrangement. This data is needed by child welfare to demonstrate accountability as well as support financing of system of care. The child welfare system, like families, should be involved in every level of planning. If they recognize themselves in your system of care, they will both participate and contribute to sustainability through funding.