Critical Thinking in Safety Decision-Making: Evaluating Information Sufficiency Reconciling and Validating Information Applying the Safety Threshold Criteria.

Florida Department of Children and Families

Critical Thinking in Safety Decision-Making:Evaluating Information Sufficiency

Reconciling and Validating InformationApplying the Safety Threshold Criteria

Module Objective

Saf

e?

Yes

No

KNOW THE

FAMILY

D1:Extent of

Maltreatment

D2: Surrounding

Circumstances

D3: Child

Functioning

D4: Adult

Functioning

D5:General

Parenting Practices

D6:Discipline or

Behavior Management

Module Objective

List the criteria for sufficient information

Explain what reconciliation and validation are in information gathering and analysis

Apply the safety threshold criteria

When you have finished this module, you will be able to:

Review of Information Standards

Information standards

Six Information Domains

D1:Extent of

Maltreatment

D2: Surrounding

Circumstances

D3: Child

Functioning

D4: Adult

Functioning

D5:General

Parenting Practices

D6:Discipline or

Behavior Management KNOW

THE FAMILY

Safe or Unsafe?

Safe?

Unsafe?

or

D1:Extent of

Maltreatment

D2: Surrounding

Circumstances

D3: Child

Functioning

D4: Adult

Functioning

D5:General

Parenting Practices

D6:Discipline or


THE FAMILY

When is it Enough?

?

Why is Sufficiency Important?

Judging Sufficiency of Information

Five essential criteria:

1. Describes the domain (by definition) in full and acceptable ways, so that a picture of what has or is happening can be understood


D1:Extent of

MaltreatmentD2:

Surrounding Circumstances

D3: Child

Functioning

D4: Adult

Functioning

D5:General Parenting

Practices

D6:Disciplinary

Practices


2. Is relevant to the domain only



3. Is pertinent to gaining a full understanding of the domain

D

O T E C T I V E

D A N G E R

VULNERABLE

C H I

P

PAC

TY

TH

EATS

U N S A F

SAF


4. Is adequate… enough information to have confidence about conclusions we reach


C


5. Covers the principal or core issues associated with the domain


Reconciling and Validating

Qualitative Judgment About the Information

Information collection with the child victim

Other siblings

Non-abusing parent

Alleged perpetrator

Process of Reconciling and Validating

Reconciling and Validating

Reconciling & Validating

Reconciling &

Validating




Reconciling &

Validating

D1:Extent of

Maltreatment

D2: Surrounding

Circumstances

D3: Child

Functioning

D4: Adult

Functioning

D5:General

Parenting Practices

D6:Discipline or


THE FAMILY

Example: Adult Functioning

Goal of Reconciling and Validating

Present or impending danger threats

Child vulnerability

Caregiver protective capacity

=Safe

or Unsafe+/- +/-

Safety Threshold Criteria

Threshold Criteria: Out of Control Behaviors, Circumstances and Conditions

DANGER THREAT?

1. Immediacy 2. Severity 3. Out of Control 4. Vulnerable Child 5. Observable

Threshold Criteria #1: Immediacy?

Immediacy

WITHOUT DELAY

OCCURRING IN NEAR FUTURE

Immediacy

Threshold Criteria #2: Severity?

Severity

SERIOUS INJURY

DEBILITATING PHYSICAL HEALTH

SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT/ACUTE SUFFERING

TERRORIZING/LIFE THREATENING

Severity

Out of Control

Threshold Criteria #3: Out of control?

Immediacy

NOT SUBJECT TO INTERNAL INFLUENCE

UNRESTRAINED/UNMANAGED

WITHOUT LIMITS

Out of Control

Threshold Criteria #4: Vulnerable Child?

Severity

Vulnerability

Immediacy

DEPENDENT ON OTHERS FOR PROTECTION

INDIVIDUAL CHILD FACTORS (AGE, PHYSICAL ABILITY, COGNITIVE ABILITY, DEVELOPMENTAL STATUS AND MORE . . .)

ALL CHILDREN IN HOME

Vulnerability

Out of Control

Threshold Criteria #5: Observable?

Severity

Immediacy

Observable

CAN BE SEEN AND DESCRIBED

HAS BEEN OBSERVED BY FAMILY AND OTHERSPERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

FEELINGS OR PERCEPTIONS EVIDENCED BY SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS, SITUATIONS

OR VERBAL STATEMENTS

Critical thinking Five criteria for evaluating information sufficiency Importance and process of reconciling and validating

information Safety threshold criteria

Summary

Discussion Guide and Quiz

Q1: Sufficient information is:

a. Information that gives us a full pictureb. Is relevant to the particular information domainc. Is pertinent to the information domaind. Is adequate and gives us confidence about conclusionse. All of the above

Q1: Sufficient information is:

a. Information that gives us a full pictureb. Is relevant to the particular information domainc. Is pertinent to the information domaind. Is adequate and gives us confidence about conclusionse. ALL OF THE ABOVE

The correct answer is (e) all of the above. Information sufficiency is dependent upon these four standards and a fifth one – being able to describe principal or core issues associated with each domain - being met which ensures you that you have all the necessary information you need to make the appropriate safety decision.

Q2: Which is the typical sequence followed in the information collection protocol:

a. Other children in the home, victim, non-abusing parent, alleged perpetrator

b. Alleged perpetrator, victim, other children in the home, non-abusing parent

c. Victim, other children in the home, non-abusing parent, alleged perpetrator

d. Victim, non-abusing parent, other children in the home, alleged perpetrator

Q2: Which is the typical sequence followed in the information collection protocol:

a. Other children in the home, victim, non-abusing parent, alleged perpetrator

b. Alleged perpetrator, victim, other children in the home, non-abusing parent

c. VICTIM, OTHER CHILDREN IN THE HOME, NON-ABUSING PARENT, ALLEGED PERPETRATOR

d. Victim, non-abusing parent, other children in the home, alleged perpetrator

The correct answer is (c). Because of a combination of factors - safety concerns, children generally being more open and honest, or at least easier to recognize when they are being deceptive, we almost always interview all children in the home prior to the adults. And, the last adult we want to interview is the alleged perpetrator so we can be as prepared as we can with the most information available to us at the time of that interview.

Q3: Reconciling information means:

a. Quoting exactly what the parents said

b. Knowing only what maltreatment occurred

c. Determining the evidence that is necessary for prosecution

d. Settling or resolving differences in information in order to have a true understanding of each information domain

e. None of the above

Q3: Reconciling information means:

a. Quoting exactly what the parents said

b. Knowing only what maltreatment occurred

c. Determining the evidence that is necessary for prosecution

d. SETTLING OR RESOLVING DIFFERENCES IN INFORMATION IN ORDER TO HAVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF EACH INFORMATION DOMAIN

e. None of the above

The correct answer is (d): settling or resolving differences in information in order to have a true understanding of each information domain. Remember, the foundation for all quality decision making is the accuracy of the information upon which the decision is based so it is essential for you to resolve all critical discrepancies in what has occurred regarding the maltreatment and in what you know about the family in terms of their day to day functioning which reveals impending danger.

Q4: Which of the following is not one of the safety threshold criteria:

a. Immediate

b. Potentially Severe

c. Out Of Control

d. Protective Capacity

e. Observable

Q4: Which of the following is not one of the safety threshold criteria:

a. Immediate

b. Potentially Severe

c. Out Of Control

d. PROTECTIVE CAPACITY

e. Observable

The correct answer is (d) protective capacity. The other four choices, along with vulnerable child, are the five safety threshold criteria. Protective capacity, on the other hand, has to do with an adult caregiver’s ability to protect a child from an identified danger threat in the household in which the caregiver and child reside. It is a key component in the determination of safe or unsafe but is not one of the safety threshold criteria in identifying whether a present or impending danger threat exists or not.

Q5: The threshold criteria “observable” means you have personally witnessed the action or behavior:

a. Trueb. False

Q5: The threshold criteria “observable” means you have personally witnessed the action or behavior:

a. Trueb. FALSE

The correct answer is (b) false. In terms of the safety threshold criteria “observable” simply means someone in the family or any second party observer, neighbor, teacher, or any collateral contact has personally seen the action, behavior or circumstance being described. Skilled investigators and case managers try to validate this information from another source whenever possible.

Module Three: Critical Thinking in Safety Decision Making

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Critical Thinking in Safety Decision-Making: Evaluating Information Sufficiency Reconciling and Validating Information Applying the Safety Threshold Criteria.

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