Evaluation Proposal

Running heading: Evaluation Proposal/Charleston County DSS 1

Charleston County DSS 2

Evaluation Proposal/Charleston County DSS

Winthrop University

Ashley Cooper

Introduction

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is a cabinet agency and the head of state is appointed by the Governor of South Carolina with the recommendation and consent of the Senate. The mission of the Department of Social Services is to provide services to South Carolina by promoting the safety, permanence, and well-being of children and vulnerable adults, helping individuals achieve stability and strengthening their families. DSS provides protection services, adoption and foster care services for children and vulnerable adults. It administers federal welfare services under Title IV-B and foster and adoption assistance programs under Title IV-E. In addition, the department is the administrator of the Interstate Child Placement Contract. The agency also establishes standards and licenses for childcare providers and children’s family homes. DSS, through its Department of Economic Services, manages financial assistance programs, including the federal temporary assistance program for families in need, which provides employment and training for people receiving cash assistance. The department manages food aid programs in every county in South Carolina. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal benefit designed to help low-income people buy food. In addition, the commodity plans to distribute supplementary food through the food bank network. Other food programs provide financial assistance to child and adult care providers, homeless shelters and children’s summer feeding facilities. The department also manages the implementation plan for child support under the federal IV-D title, and manages other child support services, including birth planning.

With all that the department of social service has to offer, the assessment department still suffers in staff members. With serving such a growing population daily, this is a big concern. Proposing the question, what can the agency as a whole do to ensure that each family receive what is needed for the necessary life changes? For the system promotes and implement service to meet individual’s needs, yet the population being serve enter a system to where it’s a generation of family involvement. The assessment division, is part of DSS and is responsible for investigating reports of abuse and neglect of children by parents, guardians and caregivers. The best hope is to ensure the safety of children so that they can stay with their families in their own homes. Even if there are some concerns, DSS can work with family members to ensure the safety of children at home. Child safety has always been the primary task of child protection services. DSS helps families (parents, guardians or other caregivers) build strength and support in various ways. DSS may as so recommend services to family members to improve parenting ability, help them get what they need or help family members to build a safe network of family and friends. If you are concerned about the safety of your child, DSS may ask someone (such as a relative or family member) to temporarily move into the house as a protector to ensure the safety of the child. If the safety of the house cannot be guaranteed, DSS will ask if the child can stay in someone else's house (relative care) until their own house can safely return home. If the family is unable to provide safety for the child, the Child Protection Service may file a lawsuit with the court and ask the judge to bring the child into a foster care facility to protect the child. As an assessment worker, in is important to know after receiving a report on child abuse or neglect, intake reviews all available information and determines whether the report meets state law's definition of child abuse and / or neglect. If this is the case, it is forwarded to the survey in order to evaluate the family. Researchers need to find answers to the following questions, what are we worried about the safety of children, how can families keep children safe in the past, and what needs to be done to make the children safe at home. In many cases, a safety plan can be developed and equipped with a protector or relative caregiver to ensure the safety and well-being of the child, and working with family members in DSS can reduce risks and improve family members' protection capabilities.

Important/Potential Implications

Having the knowledge, that change doesn’t come easy and adjustment can be hard. Creating new plans or making suggestions is never a bad idea. Carrying the burden of your daily life can sometimes be a struggle, while managing others. One potential suggestion can be putting a cap on the numbers of cases that assessment workers receive. Although having the understanding that, in this line of work a normal shift is unusual. Being over worked opens a door to lack of sleep, while servicing a population that seeks guidance. While all case are entitled to equally be assess properly, one fines them self-prioritizing due to being overwhelmed with trying to meet deadlines. Resulting in individuals falling short of help. Though the assessment workers sets the foundation when gathering key information for clients. One wonders, what is really broken in the system.

Another suggestion, can be having caseworker assign to geography location. With implementing geography location, one will get better acquainted with the communities and have knowledge of what in needed to advocate for change. Lastly limiting the amount of requirements, that is asked of an assessment worker prior to moving a case to the next department. In Charleston County, an assessment worker is required to assess the situation, and place safety measures in the home as needed. Complete all documentations, paper and computer. The worker to must make all referrals for the client, and try to get the individual actively engage in services. While it may seem like little, this can be a hassle with juggling multiple cases and meeting deadlines. Meanwhile this is only a stepping stone in the direction to making improvements. I feel that the population in which the agency service changes daily. DSS as a whole must be consistent in evaluating an evolving system.

Reference

https://dss.sc.gov/about/