Foster Care Manual: Mental Health & Residential Rehabilitation

This information has been excerpted from materials specific to one state. Be sure to check with your Foster Care Specialist for details in your state, county, or province.

SITTER SERVICES
CRR sitters must be qualified and have knowledge in mental health (MH). An adult at least 18 years of age may sit for a CRR client for short periods (several hours only) on an irregular basis. For all other sitting, including overnights, the sitter must be 21 years of age and qualified as a CRR parent. That is, the person must have background checks, physical, 36 hours of MH-related training, etc.

OVERNIGHTS
CRR clients must be supervised by CRR-certified provider parents on all overnights. The exceptions are when a CRR client is away on an approved overnight visit with parents, guardian, agency staff, other providers, or community organizations such as school, church, etc. This means that a CRR client cannot spend overnights at friends’ homes unless they are qualified sitters or CRR-certified provider parents.

EMPLOYMENT, CLIENT
CRR clients are in the program to receive treatment services because they have serious MH problems. However, sheltered employment should be tried with all eligible clients. The goal is to have all CRR clients engage in independent living skills training as they become age appropriate. All job efforts should be recorded as a goal in the Residential Service Plan.

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, HOST PARENT AND REGULAR SITTERS
All host parents and regular sitters are required to have thirty-six (36) hours of mental health or mental health-related training annually.

QUALIFICATIONS, HOST PARENTS
All host parents and regular sitters are required to have thirty-six (36) hours of MH training, initial and bi-annual physicals, initial police and Childline checks, acceptable references, and experience as a foster parent (sitters do not need prior foster parenting experience). Refer to the CRR (5310) regulations, and FCS application materials for a complete listing of qualifications.

RESIDENTIAL SERVICE PLAN (RSP)
The CRR treatment plan (RSP) is required within five (5) days of admission. The initial plan is good from admission date for the next thirty (30) days. The plan is updated at 60-day intervals thereafter. A report summarizing treatment is done annually. It is imperative that all written goals be measurable.

CLIENT CONTACT
CRR is an intensive treatment program. The particular needs of each client will determine the frequency of contact, but under no circumstance will contact average less than weekly.

PROGRESS NOTES
All activity is recorded in the form of a progress note. Notes are required each time there is activity involving the client. Direct and indirect contact between CRR client and client supervisor is recorded in the progress notes using Data/Assessment/Plan (DAP) format.

CLIENT FUNDS
Children in our CRR program who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have their room & board, clothing, and other expenses paid from these funds by their representative payee who may be a provider parent, the Agency, or a natural family member. When a provider parent or natural family member is representative payee, that individual pays a monthly room and board bill to the Agency and makes the client’s funds available for clothing, spending money, and other expenses. When the Agency is representative payee, provider parents make purchases and request reimbursement as described in the next paragraph. The representative payee is accountable to the Social Security Administration for the client’s funds.

Children in our CRR program who do not receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have their room & board, clothing, and other expenses funded by the referring county children & youth agency. FCS bills the county and the county’s payment is included in the CRR program funds. From this payment, about $4.50 per day is available to the child for clothing, spending money, entertainment, cultural activities, personal items, etc. Provider parents may submit reimbursement claims to their client supervisor for the child’s expenses. They may also submit bills for payment and may request weekly spending money checks to be mailed to their home. A computer listing is provided monthly showing the clothing and maintenance allowance through the last end of month and expenses recorded to date. Add $4.50 per day for the current month’s allowance. Please direct questions to your client supervisor. In the absence of funding described above, the biological parents/guardians are responsible for the purchase of all clothing and other personal items. This applies to children in Mental Health Respite Care funded by the county MH/MR and Respite Care for Children funded by Catholic Charities. These programs are sometimes used to transition children into CRR.

CLOTHING FOR CHILDREN IN CRR REFERRED BY CHILDREN & YOUTH OR PROBATION
Please refer to Chapter 3 for policies and procedures concerning clothing maintenance requirements and the initial clothing allowance. (Click here to go to Chapter 3)