Relisha Rudd Report Recommendations Status Update as of February 27, 2015

Recommendation
1.1. Develop and implement policies and
procedures requiring case workers to review all
historical information.

1.2. Establish a policy and train social workers on

the criteria and protocols for when it is appropriate
to involve the D.C. Superior Court in in-home
child welfare services.
2.1. Review policies and practices to ensure that
assessments and treatment planning for families
with multiple members involved in care are
[coordinated]with the human service providers
treating other immediate family members.
2.2. Formulate a common approach to client
engagement, teaming, assessment, planning,
intervening and tracking and adjusting across all
human service agencies.
3.1. DCPS [to] clarify and standardize the
reporting requirements under D.C. truancy law so
that each school is reporting in strict compliance
with the law.
4.1. Revise the Child and Youth, Safety and Health
Omnibus Act of 2004 to include screening of the
Child Protective Registry for all staff members
who may interact with minor children, including
all staff who work at shelters involving families.

Update
Ongoing Progress:
- All agencies have policies in place regarding review of case files and
documentation.
- In addition, all child serving agencies will use the Child and Adolescent
Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) to assess functional impairment
in youth attributed to behavioral, emotional, psychological and
substance abuse disorders.
Completed: The CFSA/OAG community papering work group has developed
criteria and protocols for elevating voluntary cases to the Family Court for
oversight. CFSA began implementing the new community papering protocol in
October 2014.
Ongoing Progress: CFSA, DHS and DBH have developed a unified case
planning process which will be tested in March 2015.

Ongoing Progress: CFSA, DHS and DBH have developed a unified case
planning process which will be tested in March 2015.

Completed: Training on truancy law requirements was provided to principals,

school operations staff (registrars, deans, school operation directors, etc.) and
social workers, attendance counselors, and attendance counselor designees.
The Bowser Administration is reviewing this recommendation to determine
next steps.

Recommendation
4.2 The Executive should submit any legislative
proposals to strengthen applicable policies or
practices referenced herein.
5.1. The Community Partnership for the
Prevention of Homelessness shall provide
evidence of changes in fraternization policy and
procedures.
6.1. Increase the number of on-site case managers
to identify and engage those families who are
difficult to serve and who do not follow through
with services and support needed.
6.2. Locate CFSA in-home services social workers
at DCG shelter.
7.1. Provide additional annual mandated reporter
training.

Update
The Bowser Administration is reviewing this recommendation to determine
next steps.
Completed: TCP revised their policy to require that shelter employees report
any information or knowledge that they have about other employees preexisting or new personal relationships. Any reports are documented in writing
and tracked as unusual incidents.
Completed: DHS and TCP provide case management services to all families in
shelter. In addition, the Bowser Administration recently announced the creation
and funding of housing navigators who will be responsible for specifically
assisting families with their housing needs, allowing case managers to focus on
other issues.
Completed: As of June 2013, two CFSA in-home services social workers are
located at DCG shelter to work with families who are involved with ongoing
child welfare services.
Completed: CFSA provided additional mandated reporter training opportunities
to DCG staff, DCPS social workers District agencies with mandated reporters
and mental health providers.
Completed: DHS, DCPS and DBH monitor that contractors and their staff
receive mandated reporter training.

7.2. DHS, DCPS and DBH will ensure that all

contractors have all their staff trained as mandated
reporters.
8.1 Strengthen policy and practice guidance and
Completed:
training for staff on how to appropriately identify
- In August 2014, CFSA engaged a national DV consultant to review
and address domestic violence and substance abuse
cases, advise on DV practice, and provide technical assistance.
within families.
- Existing regulations and policy cover substance abuse and domestic
violence.
- DHS has worked with Domestic Violence Partners agencies, The
Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the District Alliance for Safe
Housing (DASH) to determine how best to support families and staff.

Recommendation
9.1. DBH [to] standardize the risk assessment
requirements through regulation or policy.

10.1. DBH [to] review its representative payee

policies and develop clear criteria when a
representative payee is required for a family.
11.1. Ensure that client/family assessments are
current and [comprehensive].

11.2. CFSA [to] continue its current work to

expand and improve implementation of evidencebased practices used to assess safety and risk with
ongoing cases.
12.1. Standardize documentation requirements
across all District government health and human
service agencies, schools and contracted providers.
13.1. DHS [to] require its contracted shelter
operators to conduct and document nightly
accounting of whether the children are residing in
the family shelter.
14.1. DCPS should review the current information
captured in their data and case management
systems and ensure that they are consistently
documenting case practice with children and
families.

Update
Completed: DBH is utilizing the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment
Scale (CAFAS) for youth (ages 8 -20). The Preschool and Early Childhood
Functional Assessment Scale (PECFAS) will be utilized for younger children.
DBH completed the CAFAS Policy and CAFAS was implemented on
November 1, 2014. Through the System of Care grant, all youth-serving
agencies agreed to use the CAFAS/PECFAS) to assess functional impairment
in youth attributed to behavioral, emotional, psychological and substance abuse
disorders.
Completed: DBH reviewed the Social Security regulations and consulted with
the local SSA office to develop clear guidance to providers on the criteria for
applying for representative payee in the absence of consumer consent.
Ongoing Progress: All child serving agencies will use the Child and Adolescent
Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) to assess functional impairment in
youth attributed to behavioral, emotional, psychological and substance abuse
disorders.
Completed: CFSA is incorporating the Functional Family Assessment tool as
the basis for the in-home case planning and monitoring process. Staff have been
trained on the tool and full implementation will begin in conjunction with
CAFAS roll out.
Ongoing Progress: CFSA, DHS and DBH have developed a unified case
planning process which will be tested in March 2015.
Completed: Shelter operators conduct nightly censuses and follow up with
families for which children are not accounted.

Ongoing Progress:
- DCPS partially transitioned to a new student information system
(Aspen) in August 2014.
- DCPS has compiled some preliminary recommendations for clarifying
and simplifying the documentation collected and retained by mental
health providers (social workers and psychologists).
3

Recommendation
Update
14.2. All District Local Education Agencies
Ongoing Progress:
(LEAs) should develop policies clarifying how and
- DCPS Attendance counselors and/or designees have been trained on
when school staff must record interactions with
appropriately capturing all attendance related information in DC
students and their families and monitor records for
STARS/Aspen.
compliance.
14.3. All District LEAs should review the range of Ongoing Progress:
services and social supports that need to be
- There is a Homeless Liaison at each DCPS school, who is tasked with
available, particularly in schools with high
ensuring students who are homeless receive the supports they need.
concentrations of homeless children and make
- Additional training was provided to staff the schools which were
necessary staffing and resource commitments.
identified as having large numbers of students who are homeless
enrolled.
14.4. All District LEAs must ensure that student
The Bowser Administration is reviewing this recommendation to determine
records related to attendance/truancy and other
next steps.
pertinent information from closed schools are
promptly transferred and/or available to
receiving schools.
15.1. DGS [to] conduct weekly on-site inspection
Completed: The MOU between DHS and DGS requires weekly on-site
of the shelter facilities...[track] work orders to
inspections of shelter facilities as well as a process for notifying DGS of issues
ensure that they are responded to in a timely
and for tracking work orders to ensure they are responded to in a timely
manner.
manner.
15.2. Increase private security staff inside the
Completed: Security has been increased inside the shelter and patrols have been
shelter and the Protective Services Police Division increased around the shelter entrance. In addition, cameras have been replaced
(PSPD) and MPD officers should increase patrol
or installed to monitor activity.
around the shelter entrance.
15.3. DHS and DGS will transmit a plan by
Completed: The plan was submitted as planned and is currently in progress of
September 30, 2014, to the Mayor detailing the
being implemented.
necessary steps with appropriate timelines for
developing alternative smaller shelter options for
homeless families.