Foster Care - Case Referrals

Introduction

 

This article is meant to assist you with Case Referrals.

 

 

Demo

 

 

Referral Screen Layout

 

  • Status: Default is Pending – could be “Rejected” or “Accepted”. Accepting a referral turns the referral into a case
  • Program: Program associated with this referral
  • Funding Organization: The name of the organization paying for foster care services
  • Funding Case #: Identifier assigned to this case by the funding organization
  • Referral Source:  Where did the referral come from? This list of referral sources starts off empty and is “self-building”. As you add new referral sources (using the “+” icon) the referral source will be added to the drop-down list for subsequent referrals
  • Referring Worker: Name of the worker who sent the referral to your agency
  • Removal Date: The date the client was originally removed from their home and placed into foster care
  • Referral Reason and Additional Reason for Referral: These use standardized reasons for referral that are configured for the particular program. If you use the “+” button to add a referral reason – it will apply only for this referral and not appear in the drop-down list for future referrals
  • Referral Date/Time: When the referral was received at your agency
  • Who Took Referral: The name of the person who collected the referral information at your agency
  • Targeted Worker: Name of the caseworker who will most likely work with the case if it is accepted
  • Targeted Placement: A Targeted Placement is the name of the home where this case will most likely be placed. Placing the cursor or clicking on the magnifying glass of this field brings up the placement selection dialog box. Type the first couple letters of a home’s last name to narrow the list. Click on the name of the home to select a placement. This creates a “hold” on the home, but not a permanent placement in that home

If the status of the referral is “Pending” and a “Targeted Placement” has been identified, then the name of the pending referral will appear in the left column of the home screen as a “Targeted Placement”.

 

Image: “Targeted Placement Selection Screen”

 

Image: “Targeted Placement Identified Screen”

If a home has been targeted and you wish to clear the value, simply click the “Cancel” in the placement selection dialog box to set the value to nothing.

 

Creating a Referral

 

Your agency has the option of tracking referred cases that you accept, reject, or keep in a pending status. These referrals may arrive via phone, email, fax or electronical transmittal through extendedReach.

To add a new referral, choose “Referral” from the “Add Case” menu. If this is not an option then you must contact your agency administrator to turn on the “Track Pending and Rejected Referrals” option in “Organization Preferences”.

 

Image: “Add Referral” Drop-Down Menu

 

Image: “Case Referral” Screen

 

Image: “Referral Information”

 

HomeMatch Tool

 

After you have entered a referral, you can open the referral in “read” mode where you will see links for available homes on the left column. This will use our HomeMatch system to search for homes based on sibling group size, gender, and age.

 

Image: “HomeMatch/Available Homes Screen”

 

Sibling Groups

 

Siblings should be grouped by assigning them a unique “Sibling Group ID”. Last names or court #‘s make good sibling id #‘s. A Sibling Group links profiles, yet they are maintained separately.

 

Image: “Sibling Group ID Screen”

 

To quickly add referrals for a sibling group, type in a Sibling Group ID then click “Add Sibling”. By clicking on “Add Sibling”, you will automatically save the profile you have just created.

 

Image: “Adding a Sibling in the Sibling Group ID Screen”

 

This will copy much of the referral information and the Sibling Group ID to a new record.

 

Accepting or Denying a Referral

 

After you have entered your client as a referral, you can chose to accept or deny the referral by clicking on the tabs at the top of the page. You can then change the status by clicking on pending, deny, or accept.

 

Image: “Accepting a Referral Screen”

 

Image: “Denying a Referral Screen”

 

The “standard list” of denial reasons is controlled in your Organization Preferences. If you deny a referral and type a new value not in the standard list (by clicking the “green plus” icon), that denial reason will remain in the drop-down for 6 months since its last usage. To remove non-standard reasons from the drop-down, change the non-standard reasons of denied referrals over the past 6 months to a reason from the standard list.

 

Opening a Case from a Referral

 

If you determine you are able to take on a client, you will then open a case by clicking on Open Case tab at the top of the screen.

 

Image: “Opening a Case from a Referral Screen”

 

Revert an Open Case to a Referral

 

If you need to change an open case back to a referral, click on the discharge button and select “Move Back to Referral”. This will maintain the documents that have already been completed for the case.

*NOTE: This option is only available if the case was never placed in a home.

 

Image: “Change Open Case Back to Referral”

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