Comprehensive Family Assessment Model
in Child Welfare
Model Overview
The Ramsey County Comprehensive Assessment Model of Practice is a conceptual map and organizational ideology that includes definitions and explanations regarding how staff partner with families, service providers, and other stakeholders in the delivery of services to achieve positive outcomes for youth and their families.
The values and principles that serve as foundation of the Comprehensive Family Assessment model of practice are:
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Engagement and relationship building
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Involvement of families and youth in identifying their own strengths and need
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Cultural grounding
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Family is a system
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Identifying and including extended family and service providers
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Individually tailored approach for families
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All children are individualized
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Empathy, authenticity, and transparency
Jenny Gordon, the CFA Project Manager at Ramsey County Community Human Services discusses the project in the short video below:
The Comprehensive Family Assessment Guidelines for Child Welfare developed by Patricia Schene, PhD, and the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice (2005) provides a thorough explanation of comprehensive family assessment. Information about the CFA guidelines can also be found at the Child Welfare Information Gateway of the Administration for Children and Families of the USDHHS.
These links will provide more information about Ramsey County's CFA model.
Guides
for Traditional Intake and Case Management:
A
Supervisory Guide for Intake
A Guide
for Workers in Intake
A
Supervisory Guide for Case Management
A
Guide for Workers in Case Management
Guides
for Family Assessment (Alternative Response):
A Supervisory Guide for Family Assessment
Flowchart of Family Assessment Case Management
Soon to be released: A Guide for Workers in Family
Assessment/Alternative
Response
A Comparison of Comprehensive Family Assessment with Signs of Safety©
