Tennessee's Children Deserve Safe and Stable Homes
In Tennessee, the work of protecting children is rapidly becoming more responsive, more involved, more holistic – and more effective.
The centerpiece of this effort is the Multiple Response System. Tennessee and many other states are moving from a “one-size-fits-all” method of investigating allegations of abuse and neglect to a method that allows for a more customized approach to helping families and their children.
Traditionally, when child protective services case managers arrive on a family’s doorstep, there’s the implied or explicit threat that a child will be placed in out-of-home care. The situation can immediately become confrontational.
Now, with the Multiple Response System, child protective services case managers are required to offer a variety of approaches that can be more helpful to families and promise more lasting change.
A core value of the Multiple Response System is that most parents love their children and want them to be safe. But sometimes parents need help to make that happen.
Let’s be clear: Some parents are not able to keep their children safe. For all reports of severe abuse, a traditional investigation will still take place. Law enforcement will be asked to assist in cases where severe abuse has been reported. This Investigative Approach is focused on finding out what happened to a child that caused the incident to be reported. It seeks to find out who was responsible and what steps need to be taken to ensure a child’s safety.
For many of the families we encounter at DCS, there are plenty of other, less adversarial ways we can help, particularly for the low-to-moderate risk cases. That’s where the three-track Multiple Response System steps in. It offers two other approaches in addition to the investigative.
The Assessment Approach seeks to understand the underlying conditions and factors that could jeopardize a child’s safety. The focus becomes not just the child but the entire family and its identifiable strengths. By building on those strengths and figuring out a family’s needs, DCS can help families avoid the pitfalls that may have previously put their children at risk.
The Resource Linkage Approach is primarily for families where there is no immediate or current safety risk. Lots of times, these families could really use some of the help that’s available to them in their local communities, be it through government programs, non-profit organizations or counseling services. DCS can best help these families by putting them in touch with a variety of resources, all with the aim of keeping kids safe and helping families grow stronger.
|
