Safe Futures A Plan for Program Improvement - Department of ...

support for additional staff who will respond with law enforcement on DV calls and make a decision of whether a case is (1) assigned
for further CPS investigation, (2) is referred for early intervention services or (3) determine there is no DV concern. It is anticipated
that this funding will help overcome the previously identified barriers to accomplishing the steps of this section. These were the
workload size and the turnover rate of staff. Both high caseloads and lack of experience will hurt the results that the state is trying to
accomplish.
2 nd Quarter Federal Response: How does the State plan to fully accomplish this goal?
3 rd Quarter Georgia Reply: The pilot for family assessment and family team meeting is only in nine counties. The pilot for domestic
violence response is in two counties. Both require funding. Family assessment and team meeting procedure require a phased-in
implementation. It is known that it took Alabama several years to phase in a similar assessment and family team meeting process. It
cannot be a statewide reality for Georgia by 2004; however, it is anticipated that information will be available by then from the pilot to
help determine how well this process is working in Georgia and how soon it can become a statewide reality. The two counties in the
domestic violence pilot are receiving $60,000 each for the yearlong pilot. Increased funding in any program is currently difficult to
find. Georgia has 159 counties. Based on the findings from the two pilots, it will likely be necessary to draw conclusions about some
of the most important findings and make decisions on which enhanced practices in these areas can be expanded to all counties with a
minimum of available funding.
2 nd Quarter Federal Response: State indicated that they have fully achieved the benchmark in January 2003, but now list all these
barriers. Has it been fully achieved? How do we know?
3 rd Quarter Georgia Reply: The benchmark is mostly achieved, but not fully. Attachments support achievements to date. An
achievement date was recorded by mistake.
4 th Quarter Federal Response: Training sessions are on hold, because of the directive for immediate statewide mandated safety and
risk training for all CPS staff. The State comments in the third quarter report indicate funding issues. Is this still an issue? If so, how
will it impact this segment of the PIP?
5 th Quarter Georgia Reply: State DFCS reorganization is changing the size of state office, with many of those who have previously
trained being assigned back to counties or to other programs. Much of the training that had been planned was to be presented by
persons who now have other assignments. The Education and Research Section (formerly Professional Development Section) is
responsible for training and continuing to develop new worker core training and other more specialized training modules.
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Safe Futures – A Plan for Program Improvement
Georgia Department of Human Resources
March, 2004 Quarter 5 - Work Plan B Page 5