Alabama Administrative Code › Title 660 - ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES › Chapter 660-5-50 - VISITING › Section 660-5-50-.07 - Worker Visits

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) The
			 Department of Human Resources must maintain contact by visiting frequently, but
			 not less than once a month, with children to help ensure child safety, contact
			 with family, a good working relationship with the family and foster family, and
			 to help maintain best case practice.
(a) In
			 on-going protective services, children should be seen by their social worker at
			 least once a month in the child's home setting. An exception to this visitation
			 timeframe may occur if their ISP states that visitation should be more often;
OR
, if a child in an on going protective
			 services case has been assessed as not being at risk of serious harm or
			 maltreatment.
(b) Children in
			 out-of home care should be seen by their social worker at a minimum of once a
			 month or more often if stated in their ISP. Telephone contact with the social
			 worker and child is encouraged but
will
			 not
take the place of face to face contact. Opportunities
			 for private discussion should be made available to the child, with their social
			 worker, and these visits should be of substance to help the child and to help
			 ensure the social worker's awareness of the child's well being, circumstance,
			 and safety.
(c) Children who are
			 diagnosed as being Severely Emotionally and Behaviorally Disordered (SEBD) and
			 are placed in treatment facilities must be visited monthly in the facility in
			 which they are placed. Any exception to this visiting policy would require
			 consultation and clearance with a consultant from the Office of County Systems
			 Support.
(d) Children with special
			 health care needs who have chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or
			 emotional conditions may be medically fragile. Children who are medically
			 fragile should have a face to face visit monthly and quarterly
			 communications/contact with health care providers are required.
(e) Children who are placed in ICPC
			 (Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children) placements in Alabama by
			 other states must be visited in the home once a month. Children placed in other
			 states by Alabama should be visited once a month in order to assess safety,
			 well being and whether the placement is in the child's best interest. The
			 Department should request that the other state's workers visit Alabama's
			 children once a month.
(f) Children
			 who are in adoptive placements must be visited a minimum of twice during the
			 first three (3) months after the child is placed. Best practice is for all
			 adoptive family members to be present and for a separate interview to be
			 conducted with the child that has been placed. Once the Interlocutory Order has
			 been issued, two (2) more supervisory visits are required before the Final
			 Report to the court is made.
(g)
			 Workers have an obligation to visit with parents and caregivers to help
			 determine planning, decision making and to help ensure overall safety for the
			 family and their children. Office visits can be convenient or helpful, but they
			 shall not serve as a substitute for the home visit. Social workers will visit
			 families, who are receiving on-going protective services, in their homes at
			 least once a month or more frequently when directed by the ISP. Parents or
			 caregivers of children who are in out-of home care with a plan of reunification
			 will be visited on a monthly basis or more often if directed by the ISP. It is
			 important that either reunification or other permanency plans be established
			 within a time frame that is established by ASFA and other policy. Visiting with
			 parents and caregivers allows this planning to take place.
Author:
Jerome Webb