CSI Intact Family Recovery

This grant award will have an initial period of performance starting in FY27 (07/01/2026 (or upon execution of the agreement) through 06/30/2029). A budget should be submitted for FY27 only.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Provider, in partnership with the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Agency, will deliver services to families in three phases, with a different intensity of service provided during each phase. The Provider will provide the majority of home visits, with the aim of assuring child safety, while improving family functioning. This intervention model provides coordinated child welfare and substance abuse treatment supports to the intact family geared toward preventing the need for progression to substitute care placement. The child welfare agency will also be responsible for meeting all DCFS and project specific data and reporting requirements. Reports will be based on the child welfare worker’s own observations as well as information gained from the AODA provider, during the period when the caretaker is in AODA treatment.

Aside from arranging for substance abuse treatment, funded through the DHS – DCFS Family Recovery Partnership, Medicaid, and DHS grant monies, the AODA provider, through subcontract, provided to this Agreement, will provide transportation, parenting services, enhanced outreach, early childhood and family life education, home visits to families, extended case management during treatment, and extended aftercare services. The AODA provider will also submit
written reports on IFR clients as necessary.

Either the Provider or AODA Agency will have the ability to provide family therapy, psychological and psychiatric assessments (either through community linkages, internally, or through sub-contracts), and brief therapy when indicated by the needs of a particular family or client.

Early intervention for age-appropriate children and family planning information will also be provided, either through community linkages or by one of the entities in the partnership.

The Intact Family Recovery model is designed to deliver full case responsibility casework services, including AOD treatment and child welfare services to those families, reported to the Department for the birth of a substance-exposed infant or risk due to ongoing substance abuse, where the decision has been made that the family can safely remain intact.

Time frames and phases of the program are based on the individual family’s needs. However, program experience and best practice indicate that the time periods and program phases will be the expected time frames for
most program families. IFR staff will document a parent’s movement through the program phases (in both directions) on the IFR form established to track the parent’s current phase of services. These completed forms shall be placed in the
case file.
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REFERRAL DECISION-MAKING CRITERIA

The Intact Family Recovery (IFR) child welfare agency must agree to accept, on a no-decline basis, all cases referred to them
by the Department. The IFR Supervisor, will contact and discuss referrals with the referring Department Supervisor or worker, in
person or by telephone within 24 hours of receiving a referral. The discussion or handoff will review the investigation, address clients’ current situation, and designate a time for all parties to meet in the family’s home, within 72 hours of referral to the IFR program.

This transitional meeting may also take place at a hospital or treatment facility if either mother or infant have been released. At
this meeting, the findings of the investigation will be discussed with the family, the IFR program and the Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) will be explained. During the transitional visit, if the home situation has deteriorated, the safety of the children
will immediately be reassessed by the Child Protection Service Worker (CPSW). At this point in the referral process, all placement decisions will be made by Department’s child protection staff.
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STAFFING QUALIFICATIONS

Direct Service:
The caseworker position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, or other appropriate fields. One to three
years child welfare experience is strongly preferred.

Supervisory:
The supervisor is expected to have a Master’s degree in a Social Services field, with an MSW strongly preferred. The supervisor should have two to five years child welfare experience
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MINIMUM STAFFING EXPECTATIONS

Each child welfare contractor will dedicate one supervisor and five caseworkers to the program. Each caseworker is expected to maintain a caseload of 10-12 families at any one time. The contractor also maintains one AOD supervisor and 3 AOD workers.
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TARGET POPULATION

Client: A client is an intact family case. Intact family services are voluntary services provided to families who have been
referred from an abuse/neglect investigation.

Inclusions:
Families who have open cases with the Department and who are approved for referral by the designated Department staff person. To be eligible for this program, a family must have an open case with the Department, and the decision must have been made by the Department, based on the information gathered at the time of the investigation, that with services, the family can safely remain intact. Families reported to the Department for the birth of substance exposed infant, or where substance abuse is identified as a significant barrier to the safety and wellbeing of the children will be served by this program.

Exclusions:
Clients whose referrals have not been approved by the designated Department staff person.

Client Capacity Under DCFS Agreement: TBD
Capacity at Any Given Time: TBD

Client Capacity Under Program: TBD
Capacity at Any Given Time: TBD

Average Length of Services: 18-24 months

The provider must obtain prior authorization from DCFS to serve clients outside of the program plan parameters.
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PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND METRICS

Child welfare outcomes
• It is expected that 90% of mothers will not give birth to a subsequent substance-exposed infant while actively involved in the IFR program.

Family outcomes
• 100% of IFR involved minors will have current immunizations prior to case closing, unless extenuating circumstances exist, e.g., religious beliefs, medical complications, etc.
• It will be requested and encouraged of parents that 100% of eligible children will be enrolled in early learning activities unless scheduling conflicts prohibit attendance or affordable programs do not exist in reasonable proximity to the child(ren)’s primary residence.
• 100% of mothers will be encouraged to receive regular medical care, so that chronic health problems will have been managed and acute medical problems will have been resolved. If necessary, client will be encouraged to seek medical attention and will be referred for a postpartum health screening. These efforts will be documented by workers on a SACWIS case note.
• 100% of mothers will receive written information regarding family planning services and assistance with referrals for services when requested. Clients will also be provided with the Department’s “Back to Sleep” pamphlet as well as other materials regarding infant and child safety at the transitional visit. All will be documented with a case note entry in SACWIS.

Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes
• Eighty percent of mothers will successfully complete an appropriate level of drug treatment prior to case closure and or maintain a minimum of six consecutive months of negative toxicology screens. Data will be maintained by the AODA supervisor and submitted to its child welfare partner and the Department on a quarterly basis.
• The Department may add further outcomes during the course of the program.
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GEOGRAPHIC/SERVICE PROVISION AREA(S)

1. $1,093,692 – Cook County (North)
2. $1,093,692 – Cook County (South)
3. $1,083,240 – Cook County (Central) Administered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services via the Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA 418-00-3590).