Safety Assessment and Family Evaluation

A Program of ACTION for Child Protection

The Safety Assessment and Family Evaluation Model (SAFE) was designed and piloted in 1987 and has been successfully utilized in case practice during the past decade and a half. It is the prototype from which other models have been developed. SAFE or a modified version of SAFE is currently being used in a number of states. This comprehensive safety assessment and planning approach focuses on specific threats to child safety and considers in-home and out-of-home solutions among both professional and non-professional service resources. It empowers effective safety management throughout the CPS process and is easily integrated into other decision-making models and approaches.

SAFE Training

A 4 Day Workshop for Caseworkers

This 24 hour workshop is available to caseworkers and supervisors. It is an extensive practice training in safety concepts and application which considers essential decision-making and intervention issues. The SAFE Model is presented in such a way as to enable participants to be field ready upon completion of the workshop. Emphasis is given to safety management throughout the case process including managing legal concerns, placement and reunification. Participants leave with enhanced skills, useful resource materials and the SAFE Model.

A 1 Day Workshop for Providers

This workshop introduces both professionals and non-professionals to SAFE and concepts associated with effective safety evaluation and planning. Family conditions related to safety are explored in respect to identification, understanding and management. Distinctions are drawn between safety and treatment intervention. Roles and responsibilities are emphasized. Questions of accountability, liability, risk, danger and collaboration with CPS are addressed. Situational/behavioral assessments and intervention/behavior management are covered.

Workshop for Training of Trainers

Some agencies prefer to build their own capacity to promulgate advancements in their program. An excellent way to do this is to create a battery of competent trainers who can develop knowledge and skill in the agency staff. This can be accomplished through a five day workshop for potential trainers of SAFE.
Fronted by a thorough review and coverage of the conceptual and practice side of effective intervention, this workshop reviews in detail all aspects of safety evaluation, planning and management. The SAFE Model is scrutinized carefully so that participants are skilled users as well as trainers. This workshop moves from practice to training preparation by providing state-of-the-art curriculum, teaching approaches and other aspects to assure effective training.

SAFE - Key Points

• First in the field; history of use; field tested
• Developed by professionals
• Flexibility in implementation with or without other decision-making systems
• CAPTA identifies as one of the state grant purposes: "enhancing the general child protective system by improving risk and safety assessment tools and protocols..."
• CAPTA requires assurances from each state "that it has in effect or is operating a State program relating to child abuse and neglect that includes:....procedures for safety assessment..."

SAFE -Training Focus

• Identifies threats to safety; safety influences
• Encourages rigorous safety evaluation
• Comprehensive safety planning
• Necessary assurances to successful safety plans
• Distinction between safety planning and services and treatment planning and services
• Identifying and creating a safe environment
• Managing the safety continuum
• Evaluating safety at reunification
• Conditions for return
• Safety oriented court orders
• Reasonable efforts
• Family maintenance agreements
• Evaluating the meaning of family responses in respect to threats to safety: remorse, passive denial, overt denial, justification, manipulation, false explanation, guilt, blaming, and anger
• Evaluating and addressing family responses related to a safety plan: motivation, participation, acceptance
• Family enlistment in safety plans
• Protection as a family function
• Safety and performance
• Integration of safety intervention into the broader CPS intervention