Los Angeles County Self-Assessment Report

identified in Probation’s overall five-year plan and will be discussed in detail at the end
of this section.
DCFS Initiatives
Point of Engagement (POE):
POE is a DCFS service delivery system that is characterized by a seamless and timely
transfer of responsibility from front end investigations to actual service delivery in order
to provide more thorough investigations and needed services to children and families
within their homes and communities. This system utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach
that includes the family, avoiding, if possible, the removal of children from their homes.
Point of Engagement is a collaborative public and private initiative that provides a
community safety net for our children and families. POE was designed to provide a
faster response for the provision of services and, through the use of teams, an
emphasis on shared decision-making, comprehensive case evaluations and
investigations. POE utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach that includes the family in the
process of selecting and planning for the delivery of needed services. POE engages
various resources within the Department, other county departments, as well as
community-based and faith-based organizations in order to address the various needs
of children and families.
Key Elements of POE:
• Well-staffed and trained emergency response child abuse investigations units to
provide more thorough investigations and Intensive Services Workers to provide
timely provision of services.
• Use of other professionals within and outside of the Department to assess medical,
mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence and other issues that place
children at risk.
• Utilize a team decision-making approach to eliminate bias, promote cultural
sensitivity and to encourage collaboration between social workers, families and the
community to develop an appropriate safety and service plan that allows children to
remain safely at home and in their own communities.
• Inclusion of families, relatives, and community providers in the decision-making
process for the development of the family’s service plan and to identify relative
resources for respite or temporary placement.
• Timely collaboration and communication among social workers that investigate
referrals and those that provide services to ensure a smooth transition from frontend
investigations to services.
• Community outreach to identify collaborative community partners.
• Cultivation of change in established ways of thinking and providing services among
all levels of staff from administration to clerical.
• Provide a seamless delivery of services for our children and families.
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