Lesson 6 Handout

1. COMPREHENSIVE
FAMILY ASSESSMENT
CHILD WELFARE LESSON 6
2
Assessment Questions
CONTENTS
3
Assessment Types
4 - 6
Trauma Screening and
Assessment
At a Glance:
Comprehensive family
assessment goes beyond the
investigation to permit the
identification and provision of
services that are specifically
targeted to address the family’s
needs and problems and ensure
the child’s safety, well-being, and
permanency.

2. Questions for Assessment
What is the exact nature of the abuse and/or neglect?
For how long has the abuse and/or neglect occurred, and what
has been the impact on the child’s functioning and
development?
How do the parents and the children view their current
situation?
What in the parents’ past and current experiences contributes to
the family’s needs and problems?
In what ways have the parents adequately provided for their
children and what are their strengths?
What previous efforts have been made by the parents to meet
the child or youth’s needs and resolve the family’s problems?
What kinship resources are available, including resources of the
tribe or clan to which the family belongs?
What specific services are needed by the child and the child’s
parents to resolve the problems that
are requiring protective services?
What considerations impact the
decision to select a specific
permanency plan?
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3. Example Assessment Types
Educational
Medical and Child Forensic Abuse Evaluations
Developmental
Functional
Domestic Violence
Psychological Evaluation
Parenting Capacity Evaluations
Sex Offender Specific Evaluations
Adult Mental Health/Substance Abuse
Trauma Screening and Assessment
3

4. Trauma-Related Needs of
Children and Families
4
Identify and understand
how families have been
impacted by trauma
Trauma Screening
and Assessment
Note: Important for
service referrals
and service plans

5. Trauma Screening and Assessment
Assessment Examples in Detail
Brief, focused inquiry to determine whether an individual has
experienced specific traumatic events or reactions to trauma
Done by front-line workers such as child welfare workers
Usually includes questions regarding exposure to trauma and
related symptoms
Assists workers in understanding the child’s and family’s
history and potential triggers
Directs trauma-informed case planning
Positive screen may trigger referral for comprehensive
trauma mental health assessment
Psychological
Evaluation
Trauma
Assessment
Trauma
Screening
5
Designed to answer
a specific referral
question and
conducted by court-
approved evaluator
In-depth
assessment of
trauma symptoms
and psychosocial
functioning
completed by a
mental health
provider
Universally
administered by
front-line worker to
determine a child
or parent’s trauma
history and related
symptoms

6. Designed to help child welfare workers make more
trauma-informed decisions about referral to trauma-
specific or general mental health services
Is completed by the child welfare worker through record
review and interviews with key informants (e.g., parents,
caregivers, older children)
Documents the history of exposure to a wide variety of
traumatic events and indicates age(s) at which exposure
occurred
Collects information about the severity of the child’s
traumatic stress and other emotional and behavioral
reactions
Child Welfare Trauma Referral Tool
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