{"report_id":355,"form_id":"22","user_id":81,"organization_id":13,"question_id":"318","question_type":"Free_Text","text_answer":"Debrief information\u00e2\u20ac\u201c Local Rationality - Knowledge factors, strategic factors, and attentional dynamics\r\nThe worker received this family assessment assignment on a Friday, and felt the family assessment went as good as it could have. The worker works a four 10 hour shift (Tuesday-Friday) every week, with Monday off.  The worker's perception is that this was a routine assessment in that after assignment, he\/she cross reported the case to law enforcement as Family Assessment workers always do per local agency norm. Law enforcement combines their investigative\/assessment efforts with the worker depending on the allegation type, and\/or if there is extensive historical law enforcement contacts with a given family, and\/or if there are other safety risks posed to the worker. The worker noted the working relationship between his\/herself and LE is good.\r\nThe worker did not anticipate LE would want to attend the home visit\/initial face to face contact for this case as it was for neglect \u00e2\u20ac\u201c inadequate supervision to 9 and 6 year olds.  Law enforcement did not join the FA worker for the initial contact with the family. There is a mutual understanding between this experienced (30 years) Family Assessment worker and local law enforcement. If the worker does not hear from Llaw enforcement after he\/she makes the cross report, the worker moves forward without them - making meeting timelines a top priority. In some situations the worker will check in with them after making initial face to face upon their request to report any concerns. The worker noted an advantage of having experience working with local law enforcement as she knows the types of situations they typically want to jointly assess\/investigate.   \r\nThe worker noted there is a 5 day expectation to meet face to face timelines for family assessments, but prefers to reach out by noon each day to schedule a time to meet with caregivers for each new report she receives. This worker prefers to make face to face contact as soon as possible for each report. This worker was able to connect with the mother and scheduled a time to meet at the home the afternoon of the same day the report was received. The worker noted the mother was not guarded, she was cooperative, answered her call and scheduled with her for the same day. The mother allowed her to come into the home, speak to the children, and observe the 2 year old's body without resisting the worker's request to do so. From the worker's years of experience, the mother was forthcoming with information and appeared genuine in her responses. The worker credits comforting approach of using a telephone call to present his\/herself in a cordial manner when setting up a time to meet with the caregiver as being most helpful in gathering trustworthy information from caregivers.\r\nThe worker observed marks and bruises to the 2 year old and asked the mother about all of them.  There was a \u00c2\u00bd-inch scratch on his forehead and a 2-inch scratch mark on his back, which Mother said that he got it from his dad's when he was there on January 20th \/ 21st and that he fell out of a high chair.  Mother didn't really know how he fell out, but he had the scratch mark when he returned to her care on the 21st.  The 2 year old also had a huge egg on his head. Father told the babysitter, that the subject child fell out of the high chair and his back fell onto a metal dry crate. Father told the mother that he fell out of the high chair. Mother is not going to allow the child to go to his father's home anymore because of this incident with the high chair.  \r\nThere was a quarter-sized bruise on the right side of his forehead and 1-inch scratch mark on the right side of his face. Mother did not know how he got those marks.  Subject child also had a quarter-sized and dime-sized bruise on the left side of his face.  Mother said that he got the dime-sized bruise on Tuesday or Wednesday when her live-in boyfriend gave the subject child a bath and he hit the soap dispenser when he kept trying to stand up in the bath.  \r\nSibling sister reported the subject child had fallen down the steps on Wednesday (two days prior) at supper time.  Sibling brother reported subject child \u00e2\u20ac\u0153head butts\u00e2\u20ac\u009d his sibling brother.    \r\nAs part of the safety assessment, the worker took photos of the marks and bruises observed on the 2 year old and uploaded them to the agency's electronic file system. Other professionals who have rights to the electronic file system can access the photos, and other \u00e2\u20ac\u0153hard file\u00e2\u20ac\u009d documents stored on the electronic file system. The agency does not have paper copied of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153hard files\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. The worker noted it is not always the practice norm to take photos of scratches\/bruises.  He\/she explained in this case, the scratches\/bruises raised concern that he\/she wanted to have them documented and saved for the safety assessment.   \r\nWhen considering the potential of possible abuse\/neglect during an open family assessment, if the worker believes the level of injury meets criteria for a making a new allegation\/CP report, the worker can consult with peers, his\/her supervisor and\/or the intake.  The worker will most often use supervisor consult first, and of it is then believed that potential for abuse\/neglect meets criteria to make a CP report, the supervisor and worker will decide with intake if a new allegation warrants a new report. The worker did not feel the injuries warranted making a new Child Protection Report after asking the mother and siblings about the 2 year olds scratches\/bruises. \r\nAlthough the worker noted caseload size depends on many variables, the timing of this Family Assessment came at a time when caseload sizes typically increase between February \u00e2\u20ac\u201c April.  Yet, the worker indicated caseload size always feels manageable to him\/her. There are 13 staff who take Family Assessment type cases. During these busier months of February \u00e2\u20ac\u201c April it is not uncommon for FA workers to receive 8-12 new cases a month. \r\nWhen the allegation of physical abuse for the 2 year old child came into Child Protection during the open Family Assessment, this had the most significant impact on his\/her work.  The Family Assessment work with the family ended sooner than the 45 day timeframe, since the investigation into the near fatal injury to the 2 year old took precedence. The worker consulted with his\/her supervisor and completed dictating her contacts for the case so the dictations could be sent in for transcription.   \r\nContact with non-custodial parents who do not reside in the same home as the child is guided by a County Attorney's Office protocol.  The protocol recommends the family assessment worker make contact with the alleged perpetrator, and non-custodial parents of identified victim children in the family assessment because they have the right to know about allegations. There is an exception for some domestic violence situations, but in this case the mother was compliant with providing the names and contact information about all the children's fathers. \r\nIt is important to note that the 2 year old child observed to have scratches and bruises was not an alleged victim of the Family Assessment allegation of neglect\u00e2\u20ac\u201c inadequate supervision.","created_by":81,"updated_by":81,"updated_at":"5\/26\/2021 2:05:35 pm","created_at":"5\/26\/2021 2:05:35 pm","id":35755}