Revision Date: 03-26-2026
In addition to the information listed in previous parts of this chapter, the following section pertains specifically to Family Centered Services (FCS) and Alternative Care (AC) case management.
It will be necessary to utilize the following recording guidelines to organize the information collected by the worker. FACES data entry refers to the written documentation compiled and included in the case record to describe casework activity. This documentation should be clear, concise, and completed timely. Documentation should describe the efforts to address and eliminate the safety concerns placing the child(ren) at risk of abuse or neglect and all activities completed throughout the case.
5.2.8.1 Family Centered Services
Opening Summary: The opening summary is required on every Family Centered Services (FCS) case. The purpose of the opening summary is to provide a brief description of the facts and circumstances that led to the opening of the case and relevant information on the family.
The opening summary must be entered by the worker and approved by the supervisor within three (3) business days of the FCS case opening for services.
Specific requirements to include within the opening summary, include:
- Case Open Reason;
- Relevant Prior History of the family;
- Cultural Diversity of the family;
- Identified needs of the family;
- Documentation of any American Indian heritage, including the specific tribe;
The opening summary is entered within the case narrative section of the FCS case. The narrative summary type should be ‘opening summary.’ The date of the case open is the ‘date from’ date and the date of the opening summary is the ‘date to’ date.
Case Contacts: The purpose of a case contact is to document the activities that occur during the day-to-day course of service provision and case management. This documentation should be clear, concise while staying observational and behaviorally specific. The documentation should be relevant to the case work and provide a thorough description of the progression of the case. Case contacts shall be entered within seven (7) days of the contact occurring.
Quarterly Summary: The quarterly summary is required on every Family Centered Services (FCS) case each quarter. The purpose of the quarterly summary is to provide a general update on the case. The quarterly summary should summarize the progress of the family and should include the following topics:
- Progress on implementation of the safety goals;
- Appropriateness of the goals and case plan;
- Parent well-being; and
- Child well-being.
The quarters are defined as follows:
|
Quarter |
Date Covered |
Date Summary Due |
Supervisor Alert |
|
1st |
January 1st-March 31st |
April 1st |
April 16th |
|
2nd |
April 1st-June 30th |
July 1st |
July 16th |
|
3rd |
July 1st-September 30th |
October 1st |
October 16th |
|
4th |
October 1st-December 31st |
January 1st |
January 16th |
Quarterly Summary 1
Note: If a case has been opened at or near the end of a quarter, a summary is still due for that case. It is recognized that in this event, the summary will be brief; there is no need to repeat case opening reasons as this is recorded in the opening summary.
For a contact entry to count in FACES as the quarterly summary, it must have the purpose of “Quarterly Summary” and be dated within the date range the summary covers. For example, a worker receives an alert on January 1 about the previous quarter (Oct-Dec). The worker writes a contact entry on that day. The contact must have a purpose of “Quarterly Summary” and be dated October 1 to December 31.
It is suggested that if the summary is written after the alert date, then the date of the last day of the quarter be used on the contact (Dec 31 in the previous example). If the summary is written prior to the alert, use the date the summary is written. If the summary is written too far prior to the end of the quarter, the information will not be as current and therefore it is more likely key information could be missed.
FACES Entry:
- Case Management Screen—> Family Centered Services (FCS) Monitoring
- Enter the contact using the Contact Communication Log
-
- Purpose: Quarterly Summary
-
- Individuals Involved: Supervisor, Case Worker, and any other individuals who directly participated in the quarterly summary, such as a worker who is shadowing.
-
- Associated Functions: All applicable functions should be selected
Transfer Summary: The transfer summary is required when a case is transferring from one county to another. The purpose of the transfer summary is to provide a brief summary of the case progression, including safety goals and current status of the case. Upon transfer of the case, the CD-175 must be completed in addition to a contact note entered into the system of record at the time of transfer. See CWM 5.4.1 Specifics on Case Management Documentation for more information on how to transfer a case from one county or circuit to another.
Closing Summary: The closing summary is required on every Family Centered Services (FCS) case. The purpose of the closing summary is to provide a brief overview of the conditions that were present at the time of the case closure.
The closing summary must be entered by the worker after a closing supervisor consult has occurred and the case closing has been authorized by the supervisor. The closing summary must be entered at the time of the FCS case submission for closing.
Specific requirements to include within the closing summary, include:
- Reason for Referral
- Summary of service provided
- Family system dynamics and composition
- Internal family interaction
- Family interaction with outside system
- Physical and behavioral changes within the physical environment
- Changes in health, physical appearance and behaviors
The closing summary is entered within the case narrative section of the FCS case. The narrative summary type should be ‘closing summary.’ The date of the case closing consult is the ‘date from’ date and the date of the opening summary is the ‘date to’ date.
For guidance related to supervisor case consult and responsibilities, see CWM 3.2.6 Family Centered Services (FCS) Supervisor Consult and Responsibilities.
5.2.8.2 Alternative Care Case Management
Opening Summary – Must be completed prior to the 72-hour meeting occurring.
The opening summary must be completed on each case to summarize the family information, history, reason Children’s Division was given custody, and needed interventions to move them toward permanency. Information for the summary may be derived from a variety of sources, including but not limited to reports related to the case opening, family history, and information gathered from the family.
Case Contacts – Must be entered within seven (7) calendar days of the contact occurrence.
Case contacts are written descriptions of the activities, topics, and discussions that occur during the day-to-day course of service provision and case management. This documentation should be brief, clearly expressed and be relevant to the family’s case. Reference CWM 5.2.2 (Contact Entries); CWM 5.2.4 (Policy Requirements Related to FACES Recording)
Transfer Summary – Must be completed prior to case transfer.
A transfer summary is a detailed summary of case activity up from case opening/prior transfer to the point of case transfer. Paying close attention to detail when writing the summary is important, as this summary will be the reference point of historical and current case situation for the receiving case management staff.
Closing Summary – Must be completed within two (2) business days of the Court releasing custody of the child.
A closing summary must be completed when terminating services with a family and includes information about the reason for referral, summary of the family’s progress, family dynamics and composition, family interactions, changes made.
For guidance related to supervisor case consults see the following policies:
Section 4, Chapter 10, Subsection 4 (Alternative Care (AC) Supervisor Consults and Observations)