1201 Child Placement Services

E. The Distinction between Permanency Planning Action Teams and Community Assessment Teams

A Community Assessment Team is a tool for meeting the vision of “one coordinated assessment process” for every child served by the child welfare system. Community Assessment Teams are described in detail in Section 1201, the Yellow Pages.

Generally, the size and scope of a Community Assessment Team is broader than a Permanency Planning Action Team. For example, Community Assessment Teams often convene prior to a child coming into agency custody, while reviews by Permanency Planning Action Teams are required only for children in custody. Furthermore, Community Assessment Teams often include more service providers, family and kin, and community members than the minimum required participants for the Permanency Planning Action Team.

County departments of social services may use the Community Assessment Team in meeting the case review requirements. In fact, many counties have discovered the benefit of using their Community Assessment Team for case planning and case reviews. When this is done, the Community Assessment Team shall include participants that are required for the Permanency Planning Action Team reviews and shall meet the required time frames for reviews.

The Community Assessment Team approach is used to empower the family and community as true partners in assessment and case planning. Additional community and agency members, as well as additional family members and family support persons are invited and participate in Community Assessment Teams. By involving the child’s family, relatives, foster parents and all of the agencies involved with the child and family, everyone has the opportunity to understand clearly the reasons for placement and the issues that need to be resolved. Everyone involved contributes to the plan for permanence for the child and can clarify what each person is expected to do to contribute to that plan.