Browsing by Subject "Child Protective Services"

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    Child Protective Services Guidelines for Substantiating Exposure to Domestic Violence as Maltreatment and Assigning Caregiver Responsibility: Policy Analysis and Recommendations
    (Sage, 2021-11) Victor, Bryan G.; Rousson, Ashley N.; Henry, Colleen; Dalvi, Haresh B.; Mariscal, E. Susana; School of Social Work
    The purpose of this study was to examine the range of policy approaches used by child welfare systems in the United States to guide workers in classifying and substantiating child exposure to domestic violence (CEDV) as an actionable form of maltreatment. To that end, we conducted a qualitative document analysis of child protective services (CPS) policy manuals from all state-administered child welfare systems in the U.S. ( N = 41). Our findings indicate that a majority of state-administered systems (71%) have adopted policy requiring workers to demonstrate that children have endured harm or the threat of harm before substantiating CEDV-related maltreatment. Many state systems (51%) also include policy directives that require workers to identify a primary aggressor during CPS investigations involving CEDV, while far fewer (37%) provide language that potentially exonerates survivors of domestic violence from being held accountable for failure to protect on the basis of their own victimization. Based on our findings and identification of policy exemplars, we offer a recommended set of quality policy indicators for states to consider in the formulation of their policy guidelines for substantiating children’s exposure to domestic violence that promotes the safety and wellbeing of both children and adult survivors of domestic violence.
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    Prevalence and context of firearms-related problems in child protective service investigations
    (Elsevier, 2020-09) Sokol, Rebeccah L.; Victor, Bryan G.; Piellusch, Emily K.; Nielsen, Sophia B.; Ryan, Joseph P.; Perron, Brian E.; School of Social Work
    Background: Despite the significance of firearm safety, we need additional data to understand the prevalence and context surrounding firearm-related problems within the child welfare system. Objective: Estimate proportion of cases reporting a firearm-related problem during case initiation and the contexts in which these problems exist. Sample and setting: 75,809 caseworker-written investigation summaries that represented all substantiated referrals of maltreatment in Michigan from 2015 to 2017. Methods: We developed an expert dictionary of firearm-related terms to search investigation summaries. We retrieved summaries that contained any of the terms to confirm whether a firearm was present (construct accurate) and whether it posed a threat to the child. Finally, we coded summaries that contained firearm-related problems to identify contexts in which problems exist. Results: Of the 75,809 substantiated cases, the dictionary flagged 2397 cases that used a firearm term (3.2 %), with a construct accuracy rate of 96 %. Among construct accurate cases, 79 % contained a firearm-related problem. The most common intent for a firearm-related problem was violence against a person (45 %). The co-occurrence of domestic violence and/or substance use with a firearm-related problem was high (41 % and 48 %, respectively). 49 % of summaries that contained a firearm-related problem did not provide information regarding storage. Conclusion: When caseworkers document a firearm within investigative summaries, a firearm-related risk to the child likely exists. Improved documentation of firearms and storage practices among investigated families may better identify families needing firearm-related services.