Opinion ID: 2555358
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: DFS's Reunification Efforts While Brown Lived In Delaware

Text: To help reunite Brown with Daniel, DFS offered to assist Brown with her substance abuse and mental health issues, and referred her to SODAT Delaware, Inc., a rehabilitation center (SODAT). Between January 17 and January 31, 2008, Mullens drove Brown to both of Brown's SODAT evaluations, and arranged two visits for Brown with Daniel. On January 31, 2008, DFS transferred the case to its treatment division and assigned Christy Diffendall as Brown's case treatment worker. Diffendall prepared a case plan with the goal of reunification, and met with Brown four separate times between February and March 2008 to discuss the plan. Brown, however, was very confrontational and hostile, and refused to sign the plan. Under that case plan, Brown would have been required to address her pending Connecticut criminal charges; secure a safe and stable housing environment; comply with mental health and substance abuse treatment; complete an anger management program and parenting courses; and secure sufficient income to provide for Daniel. To help Brown comply with the case plan, Diffendall referred Brown to the New Behavioral Network (NBN) for parenting and reunification services. NBN created a service plan for Brown, which included completing a parenting course and working with a parent aide, applying for appropriate social service programs and community resources, and completing an anger management class. The parent aide was willing to transport Brown to classes, [5] but Brown only attended three of the eight required parenting classes before being discharged in August 2008 for non-attendance. Although Diffendall also referred Brown to anger management classes at Catholic Charities, Brown refused to attend. DFS also tried to help Brown secure suitable housing and employment. Diffendall contacted several transitional housing programs on Brown's behalf, and furnished Brown a list of housing programs and shelters. The NBN parent aide drove Brown to different apartments and housing authorities, and helped her fill out housing applications. The parent aide also transported Brown to various job training and employment opportunities. The NBN case manager wrote a letter on Brown's behalf, seeking to move her name further up on the subsidized housing waiting list. In addition to the car rides, DFS gave Brown bus tickets to help Brown attend her appointments, her visitation meetings with Daniel, and Daniel's medical appointments. Brown did manage to obtain employment as a janitor at a local school, but that job ended in March 2008 and Brown was unable to secure further employment. Brown also refused to enroll in SODAT's substance abuse treatment program. Although she met with a SODAT doctor to help with her mental health issues, Brown was not entirely candid with the doctor. Specifically, Brown did not tell the doctor that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for over a decade. The SODAT doctor recommended that she receive individual counseling, and accordingly, DFS provided Brown individual counseling sessions with Dr. Harry Gardner. On April 2, 2008, Brown met with Patricia Evans, SODAT's director of clinical compliance, to discuss SODAT's recommendations for substance abuse treatment and reunification services. During that meeting, Brown told Evans that she could not commit to the treatment program because she was returning to Connecticut to address her pending criminal charges. Evans encouraged Brown to consult with DFS before leaving the state. Although Brown stated that she would contact SODAT after resolving her legal charges in Connecticut, she never contacted SODAT to schedule an appointment.