Caseworker Actions
At the time of a child’s discharge from substitute care, the child’s caseworker takes the following actions.
Provide Information to the Receiving Family
The caseworker makes sure that the family receiving the child has been given all of the following:
- Information on the child’s care and current needs.
- Placement authorization forms, if DFPS is placing the child with someone other than the parent.
- Any pertinent court orders.
- Documents from the case record, including medical and school records.
- Details on Texas Health Steps, the Medicaid program provided under contract with the Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Other items accumulated during the child’s stay in substitute care. See Appendix 6000-1: Discharging Children from Substitute Care.
Transfer the Child’s Benefits to the Receiving Family
The caseworker makes sure that the child’s benefits have been transferred to the new caregiver, when appropriate. A child’s benefits may include Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), bank accounts, and so on.
If an SSI application was started, the caseworker makes sure to complete it. The caseworker contacts the regional SSI coordinator with any questions about SSI.
If the new caregiver needs to apply for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to insure an uninsured child, the caseworker confirms that the caregiver knows how to apply and, if not, offers to help.
See:
1563 Management of Children’s Savings Accounts
1583 Child Receiving SSI Not in Paid DFPS Care
Document the Case in IMPACT
The caseworker documents discharge tasks in IMPACT by doing the following:
- Completing a Closing Summary.
- Completing the pages for Placement Detail and Removal.
- Filling in the discharge planning document.
- Clearly documenting the child’s new address.
If the court dismissed DFPS as conservator, the caseworker, or the caseworker’s designee, must document the change according to 5251 Entering a Change in Legal Status or Legal Action into IMPACT.
Conservatorship cases are closed by the end of the month following the month of termination of DFPS’s legal responsibility for the child. The only exception is for youth who turn 18 years old while in DFPS conservatorship. Those SUB stages remain open for trial independence or extended foster care.
See:
10500 Trial Independence and Return for Extended Foster Care
10400 Extended Foster Care for Youth Who Are Age 18 or Older
Trial Independence and Return Before Turning 21 Resource Guide
Extended Foster Care Resource Guide
More Information
For information about special issues related to discharges from substitute care, see:
6452 Personal Documents Provided to Youth
For details on providing discharge services with permanency planning goals, see 6200 Case Planning for Positive Permanency.
For a list of the information and materials to give the family at discharge, see Appendix 6000-1: Discharging Children from Substitute Care.
To learn more about Texas Health Steps, see the Texas Health Steps section of the Medical Services Resource Guide.
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