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Section 4000: Placing Children in DFPS Conservatorship
4000 Placing Children in DFPS Conservatorship
4110 Actions Required Before Making a Placement
4111 Identify the Need for Initial or Subsequent Placement
4111.1 Seek Regional Placement Team Assistance If Needed
4112 Notify the Current Caregiver of the Planned Placement Change
4113 Gather Information and Recommendations to Select a Placement
4113.1 Review the Permanency Goal
4113.2 Check IMPACT Records for Siblings
4113.4 Consult the Child or Youth
4113.5 Consult the Attorney Ad Litem, Guardian Ad Litem, and CASA Representative
4113.6 Review Additional Information about the Needs of the Child or Youth
4113.7 Review Information from the Current Caregiver
4113.71 Caregiver-Initiated Placement Move
4113.72 DFPS-Initiated Placement Move
4114 Required Factors to Consider When Evaluating a Possible Placement
4114.1 Preference for Relatives and Other Connections
4114.11 Placement with Noncustodial Parents
4114.12 Placement with Relatives and Fictive Kin
4114.13 Placement with Former Foster Parents
4114.14 Placement with Adoptive Parents of Siblings
4114.15 Continuing Obligation to Make Kinship Placements
4114.21 Separating Siblings in Paid Foster Care
4114.22 Separating Siblings for Safety Purposes
4114.23 Siblings of Youth in Extended Foster Care
4114.3 Ensuring Educational Stability
4114.31 Placement Considerations
4114.32 When Placement in a New School is Necessary
4114.4 Preference for the Least Restrictive Setting
4114.5 Placing the Child Close to the Child’s Home
4114.6 Substitute Caregiver’s Circumstances
4115 Prohibited Considerations Based on Race, Color, or National Origin
4116 Additional Requirements Based on Specific Placement Type
4117 Specific Placement Considerations for Children or Youth Who Have Primary Medical Needs
4118 Additional Actions for Placing Children with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
4118.1 Assessing the Need for Facility Placement
4118.2 Home and Community-Based Services (HCS)
4118.3 Obtaining CPS Associate Commissioner Approval to Place a Child or Youth in a Facility
4118.4 Emergency Placement Approval Process
4118.5 Requirement to Continue Seeking Less Restrictive Setting
4118.6 Additional Requirements for Specific Facilities
4120 Actions Required After Selecting a Placement
4121 Prepare the Child or Youth and Caregivers for the Move
4121.1 Prepare the Child or Youth for the Move
4121.2 Prepare the Current and New Caregivers for the Move
4121.3 Complete the Placement Summary Form
4121.4 Update the Child or Youth’s Medical and Educational Information in IMPACT
4122 Schedule and Conduct a Pre-Placement Visit
4122.1 Pre-Placement Visit for Emergency Placement
4122.2 Before the Pre-Placement Visit
4122.3 During the Pre-Placement Visit
4122.4 After the Pre-Placement Visit
4123 Complete Authorization Forms Provided at Time of Placement
4123.1 Complete the Placement Authorization Form
4123.2 Complete the Medical Consenter Form
4123.3 Complete the Education Decision-Maker Form
4124 Provide Advance Notice to AAL, GAL, and CASA
4130 Actions Required When a Child Moves
4131 Gather the Child or Youth’s Personal Belongings and Important Documents
4131.1 Durable Medical Equipment
4132 Transport the Child or Youth to the Placement
4133 Provide and Discuss the Placement Summary (Form 2279)
4134 Complete the Placement Authorization and Consent Forms
4135 Provide the Child’s Plan of Service and Discuss Services
4136 Provide Additional Documentation
4137 Provide Critical Documents to the Kinship Caregiver
4140 Actions Required After a Placement Change
4141 Make a Referral to the Kinship Development Worker
4142 Enter the Placement Change Information in IMPACT
4143 Provide Required Notifications
4143.2 Notify the AAL, GAL, and CASA of an Emergency Placement
4143.3 Notify Secondary and Ancillary Workers of a Subsequent Placement
4144 Request Day Care for the Placement
4145 Request an Initial Service Level or Service Level Change if Needed
4146 Discuss Medical and Dental Appointments with the Caregiver
4147 Follow Up on Education-Related Issues
4150 Special Circumstances Affecting Placements
4151 Court-Ordered Placements in Unapproved Facilities
4152 Involving State Office in a Placement Search
4152.1 Plans for a Child or Youth When Placement Is Unavailable
4152.2 Meeting the Needs of a Child or Youth without Placement
4152.21 Food for a Child or Youth without Placement
4152.22 Medication for a Child or Youth without Placement
4152.23 Toiletries, Linen, and Bedding for a Child or Youth without Placement
4152.24 Supervision for a Child or Youth without Placement
4152.25 Education for a Child or Youth without Placement
4152.26 Entertainment and Recreational Activities for a Child or Youth without Placement
4152.27 Additional Support and Services for a Child or Youth without Placement
4153 Placements Outside the Region or State
4153.1 Out-of-State Placements
4153.2 Out-of-Region Placements
4153.3 Requesting Placements Across Regional Lines into Community-Based Care Catchment Areas
4160 Placements and Child Safety
4161 Safety and Related Concerns for Placements
4200 Foster and Licensed Facility Placements
4210 The Regional Placement Team
4211 Seeking Placement Through the Regional Placement Team
4211.1 Caseworker Notifies Regional Placement Team
4211.2 Placement Team Searches for Placement Options
4211.3 Placement Team Confers with Providers and Communicates Options to Caseworker
4211.4 Caseworker and Supervisor Make Placement Selection
4211.5 CPU or RPC Provide Confirmation of Selected Placement
4211.6 Placements into Operations on Heightened Monitoring (HM)
4220 Placements into Facilities Regulated by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
4221 Abuse and Neglect Investigations of Placements
4221.1 RCCI Notifying CPS of Alleged Abuse or Neglect in Foster Homes
4221.3 CPS Protocol During an Investigation Involving a Child in Conservatorship
4221.4 Using Intermittent Alternate Care and Respite During an Abuse and Neglect Investigation
4221.5 How CPS Conducts Safety Checks or Other Safety Measures
4221.6 CPS Actions When Abuse or Neglect Is Alleged to Have Occurred in a Foster Home
4222.1 Disallowing Placements into a Foster Home
4222.2 Re-Allowing Placements into a Foster Home
4223 General Residential Operations
4223.1 Restrictions on the Length of Stay in GROs Providing Emergency Care Services
4230 Facilities Under the Authority of Other State Agencies
4232 Reporting Problems to Other State Agencies
4240 The Intensive Psychiatric Transition Program
4241 IPTP 60- to 120-Day Limit
4242 Eligibility for IPTP Placement
4243 Referring a Child for IPTP Placement
4243.1 Referral Process and Required Documentation
4244 Planning for Discharge from IPTP Placement
4244.1 Submitting the Child’s Service Level Request
4244.2 Discharge from IPTP Placement
4245 Requesting Extension of an IPTP Placement
4250 Intense Foster Family Care Services
4251 Requesting Intense Foster Family Care Placement
4260 Treatment Foster Family Care (TFFC) Program
4261 Treatment Foster Family Care (TFFC) Time Frames
4262 Eligibility for TFFC Placement
4263 Referring a Child for TFFC Placement
4265 Requesting an Extension of a TFFC Placement
4270 Placements and Living Arrangements for Youth and Young Adults
4280 Temporary Absence from Paid Placement
4281 Criteria for Paying for Foster Care During a Child’s Absence
4282.1 Emergency Care 4282.2 Foster Care
4283 The Plan or Intent for the Child or Youth to Return
4284 When the Caregiver or Provider Does Not Agree for the Child or Youth to Return
4300 Unauthorized Arrangements of Youth in DFPS Conservatorship
4400 Texas Service Levels System
4410 Service Level Determinations and Reauthorizations
4411 Authorizing Service Levels
4411.2 Moderate, Specialized, Intense, or Intense Plus Service Levels
4411.3 Intensive Psychiatric Transition Program (IPTP) Service Level
4411.4 Treatment Family Foster Care (TFFC) Service Level
4420 Caseworker Responsibility for Timely Determinations
4421 Application for Placement
4422 Obtaining an Initial Authorized Service Level (ASL)
4422.1 Submitting Information to the Third-Party Contractor (Youth for Tomorrow)
4423 Obtaining a Scheduled or Nonscheduled Review of a Service Level
4423.1 Requesting a Review of a Service Level by Preparing a Complete Clinical Record
4423.2 If a Complete Clinical Record Is Not Available When Requesting a Review of a Service Level
4424 Guidelines for Expired Service Level Authorization
4425 Retroactive Service Level Authorization
4425.1 Obtaining a Retroactive Service Level
4430 When Authorized Service Levels and Billing Service Levels Are Not the Same
4431 Requesting a BSL That Is Lower Than the ASL
4432 Requesting a BSL That Is Higher Than the ASL
4433 Role and Responsibilities of the State Office Foster Care Billing Program Specialist
4434 Appealing Disagreements with ASLs
4434.1 Service Level Peer Review Committee
4510 Placing Children Outside of Texas
4511 Documenting a Request to Place a Child Outside of Texas
4512 Expedited ICPC Home Screening
4512.1 Criteria for an Expedited Home Screening
4512.2 Initiating an Expedited Home Screening
4513 Placing a Child with an Out-of-State Caregiver
4513.1 Placing a Child with an Out-of-State Non-Custodial Parent
4513.11 Assessing the Non-Custodial Parent
4513.12 If the Caseworker Does Not Have Concerns With the Placement
4513.13 If the Caseworker Has Concerns With the Placement
4513.14 Issues to Address Before Dismissal and Placement With the Non-Custodial Parent
4513.2 Placing a Child with an Out of State Custodial Parent
4513.3 Placing a Child with a Relative Out of State
4513.4 Placing a Child With a Foster Family Outside of Texas
4513.5 Placing a Child With an Adoptive Family Outside of Texas
4513.6 If a Texas Caregiver Moves to Another State
4513.61 If the Caregiver Is a Foster Family
4513.7 Placing a Child in a Residential Treatment Center Outside of Texas
4513.8 If a Juvenile Probation Officer Requests Placement in a Licensed Residential Facility
4514 Obtaining the Other State's Decision on an Interstate Placement
4514.2 If Permission Is Denied
4514.3 If Permission Is Granted
4515 Placing the Child in the Other State if the Placement is Approved
4515.1 Notifying the Receiving State
4515.3 Canceling a Placement Request
4515.4 Out-of- State Placement Disruptions
4520 Placing Children From Another State In Texas
4521 Illegal Interstate Placements
4522 Accepting Requests From Other States to Place With a Non-Custodial Parent Living in Texas
4522.1 Completing a Home Screening When a Child From Another State Is Placed in Texas
4523 Notification and Supervision
4524 Requirement That the Court Retain Jurisdiction After Making an Interstate Placement
4525 If a Caregiver Moves During the Supervision of an ICPC Case
4525.1 Caregiver Moves Within Texas
4525.2 Caregiver Moves Outside of Texas
4526 Interstate Placement Disruption
4527.4 Ending the Placement in IMPACT
4531.1 When a Child is Missing from Their Approved Placement in Texas
4531.2 Notification Requirements When a Child is Missing
4531.4 When a Missing Child Is Recovered
4600 Heightened Monitoring (HM)
4610 Criteria for Placing an Operation on HM
4621 Operation’s HM Assessment
4623 Duration of HM and Monitoring after HM
4630 Role of the CPS HM Program
4631 Stages of Heightened Monitoring
4632 HM Coordination and Responsibilities
4633 Heightened Monitoring Visits by CPS
4634 Foster Home Placement Review and Child Placement Review
4640 HM Monitoring Evaluations