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Home My WebLink About20041903 RESOLUTION RE: APPROVE REVISION TO OPERATIONS MANUAL, SECTION 2.000, SOCIAL SERVICES DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and WHEREAS,the Board has been presented with a Revision to Section 2.000,Social Services Division Policies and Procedures, for the Department of Social Services Operations Manual, and WHEREAS,after review,the Board deems it advisable to approve said revision, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, ex-officio Board of Social Services, that the Revision to Section 2.000, Social Services Division Policies and Procedures for the Department of Social Services Operations Manual, be, and hereby is, approved. The above and foregoing Resolution was,on motion duly made and seconded,adopted by the following vote on the 12th day of July, A.D., 2004. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ��"'�► WEL COUNTY, COLORADO • atait/i i"�.ccs"%/ . .� Robert D. Masden, Chair ,Roy I l. =��p un Clerk to the Board Willi m . Jerke, Pro-Tem ® eputy Clerk to the Board M. Jr... ^ ce Adi O D AS M: j`° David E. Long my Attor y �,� g Glen as �_ Date of signature: _ 7 2004-1903 SS0031 ()0 ; SS © 7-02j-o4{ L3/4.3/443/4% :\\ DEPAR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES P.O. BOX A GREELEY,CO. 80632 VI D' Website: www,co.wetd.co.us Administration and Public Assistance(970)352-1551 Child Support(970)352-6933 O • MEMORANDUM COLORADQ: Robert D. Masden, Chair Date: July 8, 2004 Board of County Commissioners / FR: Judy A. Griego, Director, Social Services JM,1,0(,(,� (t �� RE: Revisions to Section 2.000, Social Services'Division Policies and Procedures,Weld County Depattuient of Social Services Operations Manual Enclosed for Board approval are revisions to Section 2.000, Social Services Division Policies and Procedures, Weld County Department of Social Services Operations Manual. These revisions were reviewed at the Board's Work Session held on June 14, 2004. The revisions are necessary to: 1. Clarify that the County's Critical Care designation for a foster care home and the subsequent rate provisions will not be provided to foster care homes who have children in pre-adoptive placement. Accordingly, Section 2.308.2, Critical Care Foster Care Program,has been revised and reflects these revisions. 2. Reimburse County Certified Foster Care Home Provider for any Medicaid co-pay for developmentally delayed children from the age of 19 to the last day of his or her 20th birthday. Section 2.321.11,I, County Certified Foster Care Rate, has been revised to reflect these changes. 3. Clarify the definition of the last day of service by a County Certified Foster Care Home Provider for reimbursement purposes. Accordingly, Section 2.321.11, County Certified Foster Care Rate,reflects this revision. 4. Add a criminal background record check policy and procedures for County Certified Foster Care and Adopting Home parents in compliance with HB03-1024 and conforming State rules. Section 2.301.5, Criminal Background Record Check Policy and Procedures for Foster and Adopting Parents,has been added. 5. Add a criminal background record check policy and procedures for clients of the child welfare system in compliance with HB03-1024 and conforming state rules. Section 2.101.5, Criminal Background Record Check Policy and Procedures for Clients, has been added. If you have any questions,please telephone me at extension 6510. 2004-1903 Social Services Division Policies and Procedures 2.308 Critical Care Foster Care Program Revised 3/29/99 Critical Care Foster Care Program is provided for children who have special needs and cannot have their needs met through services described in Sections 2.320.1 - 2.325.12. These children require more intensive and professional services to prepare children for reunification with the family, adoption, and other permanency goals. 2.308.1 Children Who are Eligible for Critical Care Foster Care Revised 3/29/99 A child who meets the definition of special needs as described in Volume VII, must be assessed and approved to enter the Critical Care Foster Care Program by the Placement Review Committee. The child must have more than one special needs factor that is special, unusual, or significant as follows: A. Physical disability such as hearing, vision, or physical impairment, neurological conditions, disfiguring defects, and heart defects. B Developmentally disabled such as developmental delay or disability, perceptual or speech/language disability or metabolic disorder, except those children defined in Section 2.322. C. Emotional disturbance documented by a psychologist. D. Hereditary factors documented by a physician or psychologist. E. High risk infants such as HIV-positive, Drug or Alcohol Exposed. F. Conditions that pose a serious barrier to the child's adoption, reunification with parents, and other permanency goals including keeping a sibling group intact and behavioral conditions. Behavioral conditions are those that will not allow child or youth to be placed in a less restrictive setting. 2.308.2 County Certified Foster Care Homes that Qualify and are Selected for Critical Care Foster Care Program Revised 2/1/00 County Certified Foster Care homes that qualify for Critical Care Foster Care Rates are defined as follows: A. The County Certified Foster Care home must have the initial education or experience as follows: Adm\manss56.jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures 1. Both parents must have more than five consecutive years of foster care experience, no negative licensing actions for the last ten-year period, met yearly minimum training requirements for foster care parents for the five-year period, or 2. Both parents must have more than three consecutive years of foster care experience, no negative licensing actions for the last ten-year period, met yearly minimum training requirements for foster care parents for the three-year period and have ten (10) additional training credit hours from education or other training specific to child welfare. All training hours to be approved by Resource Services' staff, or 3. Both parents must have more than one year of foster care experience, no negative licensing actions for the last ten-year period, met yearly minimum training requirements for foster care parents for the one-year period and have twenty(20) additional training credit hours from education or other training specific to child welfare. All training hours to be approved by Resource Services' staff, or 4. At least one parent must have a bachelor degree in one of the human behavioral science fields with one-year full-time professional position in a public or private social services agency in an assignment appropriate to foster care and meet the criteria for a County Certified Foster Care home. B. A County Certified Foster Care Home cannot participate in the Critical Foster Care Program if they are providing kinship care. Added 7/1/2004 C. Children placed in foster homes as pre-adoptive placements will not qualify the home for critical care payment regardless of the level of need for the child. If other beds in the home are available for placement of non pre-adopt children, consideration may be given for needs based critical care payment if the home meets the critical care criteria. Added 7/1/2004 D. If, during the placement of a pre-adoptive child, the court changes the permanency designation of a child from adoption to permanent out-of- home placement, consideration will be given to a needs based critical care rate of payment if the home meets the critical care criteria. Adm\manss56.jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures Added 7/1/2004 E. If, during the placement of a qualified critical care child, the Court changes the permanency designation to adoption, the payment rate will be reduced to the regular foster care rate. F. The County Certified Foster Care Parent(s) shall commit to certain conditions to continue to qualify for Critical Care Foster Care Program as follows: 1. Must participate in the County Certified Foster Care Home Consultation Program as described in Section 2.307. 2. Maintains the home's good standing as a County Certified Foster Care Home by adhering to all requirements for permanent certification, having no negative licensing actions, and meeting yearly minimum training requirements of twenty hours as required by the Resource Services Unit. 3. Participates in other special training as required by the Resources Services Unit. 4. Submits a request, qualifies, and is approved by the Resource Services Unit, as either a two-bed critical care home or a four-bed critical care home. G. The Critical Care Foster Care Program is part of the Foster Care Program only and will not be considered a source for permanency. H. Reimbursement provided under the Critical Care Foster Care Program is not guaranteed by the Department for the duration of a child's placement. The Department provides the reimbursement only during the child's eligibility, as determined by the Placement Review Committee. If the reimbursement changes and the definition of critical care foster care is not met, the bed converts to a non-critical care bed. 2.308.21 Two-Bed Critical Care Foster Care Home Revised 3/29/99 A two-bed Critical Care Foster Care Home is defined as follows: A. Meets all licensing requirements. The County Certified Foster Care Home may be licensed to have up to four children placed in the home; however, only two of the placements are authorized for children in the Critical Care Adm\manss56.jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures tuberculosis testing is at a cost of$60 per person or less in the County Certified Foster Care Home, excluding the foster child/ren. The maximum reimbursable amount under the contract for a calendar year is $7,000. 2.321.11 County Certified Foster Care Rate is the Basic Maintenance Rate for All Foster Care Facilities Effective 1/1/99 A. The County Certified Foster Care Rate is a flat grant that pays for the basic maintenance needs for a child placed in any foster care facility. The basic maintenance needs include food, clothing, shelter, education, personal supplies and allowance. Effective 1/1/99 B. A Respite Care Allowance is paid for each child placed in a County Certified Foster Care Home or a Child Placement Agency, and in certified kinship care homes. It is not paid to a Specialized Group Home or Center, or for Independent Living. Effective 1/1/99 C. The County Certified Foster Care Rate is used as the basic maintenance rate (flat grant portion) when computing the rate in Receiving Homes, Group Homes/Centers, Independent Living and Subsidized Adoption Homes. Effective 1/1/99 D. Foster Care facilities are reimbursed by the Department as stated in Colorado State Rules, Volume VII, and according to this Weld County Manual. Facilities must be licensed or certified in order for the Department to be reimbursed by the State. The foster care facilities are reimbursed for the day in which the child is placed in the home, but are not reimbursed for the day the child leaves it, unless the child was placed and removed on the same day. Effective 1/1/99 E. All certified foster care facilities will sign and use the relevant provider contract when they are certified and recertified. Effective 1/1/99 F. When a child is placed, the information shall be entered on the CWS-7B Child Placement Log by the Department caseworker and the provider and copies of the updated log shall be maintained in the provider file and by the provider of the facility. Revised 8/01 G. An annual clothing allowance of$200 may be made at the time of placement out of the home to ensure that the child has an adequate beginning wardrobe and annually thereafter for the primary purpose of preparing the child for the initial start of the school year. A clothing adm\manss.jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures allowance is the property of a specific child who is in the custody of the Department and is to be spend for the benefit of that child only. All clothing purchased with these funds must follow the child upon discharge from the foster home. Admission and discharge clothing inventories, with the exception of expendable items, e.g. diapers, may be requested by the Department. Original receipts must accompany any claims for reimbursement. If a child's wardrobe is lost, stolen, or destroyed, the Department may again approve an additional clothing allowance, the reason for which shall be thoroughly documented in the child's record. The clothing allowance may be made for children in County certified foster care homes, when the Department has legal authority for placement, and expressly pre-approved in writing by the Director. Added 5/00 H. Transportation reimbursement is available to foster parents as mileage Revised 1/1/02 reimbursement. The mileage reimbursement for visitation must be: Revised 3/04 1. For mileage not covered by other resources. 2. For non-Medicaid mileage when the foster parents are not involved in family counseling. 3. Limited to out-of-county travel. 4. In-county travel as approved for special circumstances with prior approval of the casework's supervisor. 5. Reimbursed at two cents per mile below the standard mileage rate allowed,pursuant to 26, U.S.C. 162 of the IRS regulations as amended. 6. All requests for mileage reimbursements must be received in the Department by the 25`h calendar day following the month the expenditure occurred, for the expenditure to be considered for reimbursement. If the 25th falls on a weekend or holiday, then the following work day. 7. All mileage reimbursement requests must be done on Form S315 County Expense Account sheet. Added 7/2004 I. County certified Foster Care Providers will be reimbursed for any Medicaid co-pay for developmentally delayed children from the age of 19 to the last day of his or her 20th birthday. This co-pay will be reimbursed the following month after the provider pays the co-pay if the following terms are met: 1. An original receipt is turned in listing the co-pay amount(s) and child's name; and 2. The receipt was turned in the 4th calendar day of the month after adm\manss.jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures the co-pay was paid, along with the provider roster. Added 7/2004 J. County certified Foster Care Providers will be reimbursed the following month after the service was provided for the last day the child or adolescent was in the home if the following terms are met: 1. The child or adolescent was in the care of the provider until 11:00 a.m.; and 2. The child was placed in his or her permanent placement. 2.321.12 Temporary Absence Effective 1/1/99 The Department, as allowed by the State Department, will reimburse a foster care facility for a period not to exceed seven days of a child's temporary absence from a foster care facility. Only one such seven-day reimbursement will be made for absences that occur within 30 calendar days. For children enrolled in the Children's Habilitation Residential Program Waiver, the Department, as allowed by the State Department, will reimburse the foster care facility for all absent days. 2.321.13 30-Day Absence Leave Due to Hospitalization When a child is absent due to hospitalization and if the plan is for the child to return to the foster care facility immediately following the hospitalization, and if the Department documents in the child's record the fact that the bed space will be kept open for the child during the absence, the foster care facility may be paid its full regular rate during the first 30 days of hospitalization. In cases of children enrolled in the Children's Habilitation Residential Program Waiver, the Department may pay the full daily rate for medical services, approved by the Waiver Administrator for days 15 through 30 only. The provider of these children will be receiving the equivalent of the maximum Federal SSI monthly benefit that will assist to defray expenses for the first fourteen days of hospitalization. At the end of 30 days, the child's situation will be documented in writing to the Foster Care Program Manager to obtain approval to continue to hold the space in the facility. Approval of continued reimbursement will be reviewed by the State Department. The State Department will notify the Department of the State's decision. adm\manss.jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures 2.301.5 Criminal Background Record Check Policy and Procedures for Foster and Adopting Parents Added 7/04 In conformance with C.R.S. 26-6-104 and conforming to Volume VII, 7.0006 S, the Department requires criminal background record checks for County Certified Foster Care and/or Adopting Homes. 2.301.51 Requirements of Prospective or Adopting Parents Added 7/04 A. A criminal record check is required for anyone eighteen years old or older who lives in the prospective County certified foster or adopting home. The criminal record is to be made with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). B. Fingerprints will be taken to the Weld County Sheriff's Department. The fingerprints shall be taken on the APPLICANT card, which will be supplied by the Department Foster Care Coordinators. There may be a fee for taking the fingerprints. C. The completed APPLICANT card including the fee is to be returned to the Foster Care Coordinators. The Department will reimburse such fees. D. Each completed fingerprint card must accompany the fingerprints. The fee is to be paid with a money order or cashiers check only, and made payable to the Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI). Personal checks are not accepted. It is acceptable to combine the fee for two persons on one money order. E. The Department has an account with CBI and is not required to send a money order. The CBI account number and statute code must be entered on the card or CBI will return it with the fee. The following numbers are required on the card: a. OCA number: COMCG 1517 b. Reason for fingerprint: 26-6-104 F. If the individual has lived in Colorado fewer than 24 months, the criminal record check must be made with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) as well as CBI. If an FBI check is made, the total payment for CBI and FBI can be sent as one payment. The entire fee is to be made payable to the FBI(money order or cashiers check only). It is acceptable to combine the fee for two people on one money order or cashiers check. Adm/manss21jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures G. If mailing the fingerprint card, caution must be used to avoid damage to the fingerprints. If the card must be folded, do so only along the heavy blue line. Adm/manss21jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures 2. Identify the names of each child in the foster care home and the names of the assigned caseworkers, through the Child Welfare Clerical Unit. 3. Initiates the investigation of the County Certified Foster Care Home. 4. Notify the caseworkers, in writing, of the status of the County Certified Foster Care Home, if negative licensing procedure is initiated. 2.101.5 Criminal Background Record Check Policy and Procedures for Clients In conformance with C.R.S. 26-6-104 and conforming to 7.0006 S, Volume VII, the Department requires criminal background record checks for social services' clients. 2.101.51 Requirements of Client Criminal Record Check A. A caseworker suspecting that a client might have prior criminal history may request that a criminal background check be completed. 1. Colorado Criminal/Civil Court Record or Out-of-State Criminal/Court Record requests are done by the Department's authorized vendor. 2. Background checks require the client's name, last known address, date of birth and social security number. 3. Only designated Department staff is authorized to request background information. A signature is required for all authorizations. Department staff authorized include: a. Social Services Manager 4 b. Personnel Officer c. Legal Services Paralegal (personnel backup) 4. The background check is to be faxed to the Department's authorized vendor. In-state checks have a response time of 24 hours; out-of-state checks have a response time of 48 hours. Adm\manss41.jag Social Services Division Policies and Procedures 5. Fees: Colorado Criminal/Civil Court Record Searches: 2004 Authorized Vendor- Intermountain Background, Inc. All Colorado District & County Criminal Court $10.00 Convictions (same day) also includes a check of Greeley & Weld County Sex Offender Lists, updated monthly: Charge for spouse by same last name only, or if person $5.00 has an AKA/alias or is hyphenated: National Credit Report: $8.00 Out-of-State Criminal Records by state will vary in time $20.00 to return information and requirements of that state: Out-of-State Civil Records (Can be obtained by county $18.00 only): Social Security Number Trace/Verification(will be run $5.00 automatically if a Credit Request is returned as "no subject found"): Colorado Driving Record from Colorado Department of $7.50 Revenue (same day): Colorado Worker's Compensation Claims History $5.00 Records (24 hours): Special Employment Package: (includes Colorado $30.00 Criminal/Civil Court Records, Colorado Driving Record, Colorado W/C Claims, History, and Employment Credit Report) 6) Responses/invoices are to be distributed to the proper authorizing party: Child Welfare: SS Manager 4 Office Manager: Personnel Officer or designee Foster Care/Adoptions: Foster Care Coordinators Adm\manss41jag Hello