Attachment E: Decision Making - Investigative Conclusions

This attachment provides guidelines for decision making, reaching an investigative conclusion, and determining the level of intervention.

When beginning the investigation, the worker should ask himself/herself four questions.

1. What has actually happened to the child;
2. How serious is the current situation;
3. What is the risk of future harm to the child; and,
4. Based on the answers to the above three questions, what level of intervention is indicated?

In order to address these questions, the worker should consider the following:

• The description of the incident and presenting problem which resulted in the report;
• The physical/psychological/intellectual/social characteristics of the child;
• The physical/psychological/intellectual/social characteristics of the parent/caretaker;
• The family dynamics, as determined by the patterns of family behavior and family history;
• The presence of domestic violence in the family;
• Long term and situational family stressors, i.e., interaction, economic, social;
• Conditions of the physical environment in which the child lives, including the home and neighborhood;
• Indicators, as developed through observations and interviews with collaterals and subjects;
• All credible, verbal, and physical evidence collected/obtained; and
• The level of risk of future harm to the child.

Chapter Memoranda History: (prior to 1/31/07)

CD04-79, CD05-35

Memoranda History: