1. Screening for Economic and Concrete Needs
Key Activities
Case Planners should:
Consider economic and concrete resources and support (ECRS) an integral part of case management, which can impact the success of the child welfare or youth justice case.
Begin identifying ECRS needs as early as possible during involvement with an ACS program.
Screen for ECRS needs including: food, clothing, public benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, SSI/SSD, etc.), housing, utilities, transportation, documents (birth certificate, social security card, etc.), health insurance, taxes, education, employment, finances, other life needs, and legal support. The ECRS Needs Screening Checklist offers more detail on each category.
Confirm ECRS needs at regular intervals throughout the case until you refer the family or young person to a Navigator.
For any ECRS needs that should be addressed by a Navigator that is not in-house, collect the family or young person’s written consent for a referral (see ECRS Referral Consent Form).
Document ECRS needs identified and resources and supports attempted or secured into case notes throughout the case, including updates from Navigators (see Data Reporting).
Report all ECRS activities to ACS through the ECRS Data Reporting Form (see Data Reporting for more context).
Jump to: Guidelines Tools
Guidelines
Your organization can design its own methods for engagement and documentation. Consider the following:
I. Clearly explain the purpose of screening.
“Families… consistently tell us this is not that hard. Talk to people respectfully. Explain to us why you want to know the information. It's the same thing that most of us want to know if we're asked for personal information.”
- Case Planner
Consider saying something like:
"This is something we're trying out with the families we work with. We know that people experience challenges that can make it hard to take care of themselves or their families in the ways they want to. There are different resources and benefits we might be able to connect you to that could help address some of those challenges. For anything you identify, we can connect you with a Navigator who might be able to help. Nothing we discuss will impact your ACS case. This is a new initiative, so we might also ask for your feedback about it in a few weeks.
Can I show you a worksheet to help identify needs we might be able to help with?”
II. Create context that enables openness.
"'Is there anything that you need support around?'.... If I'm coming in with a set of priorities, that's what I'm most going to talk about.... Down the line, if that [other] option is still available and that's something that I need, then okay, let's talk about [it].”
- ACS-connected family member
Child welfare cases can put people on edge. Families and young people are more willing to accept support when they feel trust and agency.
Lead with respect, patience, and clarity. Families and young people are wary of opening up to people who seem judgmental, impatient, or bossy.
Frame screening as universal. Present it as something offered to all families to reduce stigma and reinforce that these conversations are meant to support, not judge.
Recognize the value of shared identity. Families often feel more comfortable with and trusting of people from shared backgrounds—people who understand what it's like to be in their shoes.
When possible, match families with staff whose stories might be familiar.
Acknowledge shared experiences—or where experiences diverge—when it feels relevant and appropriate.
Make participation voluntary. Offer explicit permission for them not to share information they're uncomfortable sharing. Explain that screening is voluntary and they can skip any questions.
Center their priorities. Focus first on what they want help with.
Explain why you're asking. Be clear about why questions are being asked and how the information will be used.
Protect their privacy. Be explicit that you will not share information about their economic or concrete needs without their permission.
III. Keep screening lightweight at the outset.
Gather only enough information for the Case Planner to either (A) address a need or (B) make a referral to a Navigator, who will conduct a more thorough assessment. Below are guidelines and tools depending on when it makes sense for your team to conduct screening.
During Intake
If conducting economic needs screening during intake—with an intake worker, when many other pieces of information are being requested—consider using the lightweight ECRS Needs Screening Worksheet. It offers an easy entry point with icons and simple language that doesn't overwhelm or overpromise. It also lets families and young people prioritize which needs they want support with first. Pass the screening worksheet—or the needs prioritized from it—on to the Case Planner.
During Case Work
If ECRS needs screening is not part of intake or conducted by an intake worker, the case planner can still use the ECRS Needs Screening Worksheet while explaining the purpose of screening.
Regardless of whether preliminary screening happens during intake, the Case Planner should conduct more directed screening to identify the need to refer to a Navigator.
If building on intake screening, the case planner might say: "During intake, you identified some needs you could use help addressing. I'd like to see if it makes sense to connect you with our resource support team. Could I ask a little more about those needs?"
Consider using the ECRS Needs Screening Checklist to work through screening with the family or young person.
The checklist can be visually reviewed and completed together, not just administered orally.
You can build the checklist to be administered digitally on a tablet if you prefer—though many families and young people expressed preference for reviewing and completing it on paper for easy visibility and fewer technical difficulties.
IV. Move at the speed of trust.
“I feel like sometimes… they want to know too much. We’re here for a specific reason. You don’t need to know everything that goes on in my household. ”
-ACS-connected family member
Some families and young people will be willing to discuss any ECRS needs if there's potential for support. Others will have only specific needs they wish to discuss. Screen for as many needs as they're willing to talk about. Focus on their priorities. Further needs can be surfaced later as more trust is built. Validate their priorities and don't fixate on other needs. The task is only to gather enough information to know if a referral to a Navigator is needed (for more on that process, see Step 2).
V. Address in-scope needs immediately.
Case Planners should address concrete needs—such as groceries for the current week, cleaning supplies, or clothing—and consider making referrals to a Navigator (see Step 2) for more financial or sustained support. Some organizations may also empower Case Planners to address a limited number of economic needs directly.
To support in addressing concrete needs, ACS provides funding across several programs to help families and young people access concrete goods and services that support safety, stability, and basic needs. While staff in ACS FSU/FPP offices and contracted provider organizations can use these funds to secure items and services for the families they serve, the types of allowable supports and payment mechanisms vary by program. Below is an overview of what is generally available.
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Prevention providers may use their “Client supply and activities fee line” to purchase goods and services directly for families.
The ACS Family Services Division (FSD) Resource Team supports providers in coordinating larger tangible supports, such as:
Beds
Cribs
Cleaning services
Extermination services
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Concrete funds are primarily intended to support foster parents and the children or youth in their care. These funds can be used to cover items such as:
Transportation
Tutoring
Beds for larger sibling groups
Special payments ($350/child) are avaible to support each child when they are first placed in a foster home to help meet immediate needs like backpacks and clothing.
Discharge Grants (up to $2,000/child) are available to reunifying families and youth transitioning out of foster care. Allowable items include, but are not limited to:
Groceries
Limited-trip OMNY cards
Furniture
Lamps
Bedding
Clothing
Toys
Books for children
Toiletries
Household items like cookware, flatware, towels, cleaning products, and appliances
Electronic devices like mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and Kindles
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Funds may be used to address urgent and practical needs, including:
Emergency food and groceries
Essential emergency items like rain boots or a pair of glasses
Diapers/formula
Clothing/school uniforms/shoes
Beds (twin and full sized)
Cribs and toddler beds
Strollers
Window guards and safety gates
Heavy-duty cleaning services
Extermination services
Limited-trip OMNY cards
VI. Continue screening throughout the case.
Unless you've already referred to a Navigator, re-confirm screening responses at regular intervals throughout involvement with an ACS program. Here are suggested screening points for different programs:
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First Opportunity: Intake for preliminary screening. Full screening during the first meeting with family or first home visit.
Reassessment Opportunity: If you haven't made a referral, check in at the 30-45 day conference/STC Service Termination Conference/FTC Family Team Conference/FASP Family Assessment Service Plan.
Latest Opportunity: 4-6 weeks before case closure, so the Case Planner still has a few visits scheduled and the Navigator has options for participating in a joint call.
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First Opportunity: 60-day permanency conference
Reassessment Opportunity: 12-month permanency conference, home visits
Latest Opportunity: Trial/final discharge conference
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First Opportunity: Joint transition conference, PD warm handoff to FSU/FPP
Reassessment: 45-day conference, FSU case referral to PPRS
Latest Opportunity: 8 weeks before case closure (possibly the 60-day conference)
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First Opportunity: Joint transition conference, Protective Diagnostics (PD) warm handoff to FSU/FPP
Reassessment Opportunity: Home visits, third week meeting
Latest Opportunity: 45-day conference, FPP case transition back to the PD unit
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Opportunity: Staff interviewing family for ATP eligibility may identify a need and flag for provider, or when referred to prevention program.
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First Opportunity: During intake or when referred to prevention program
Latest Opportunity: 30 days before closure (no closure meeting)
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First Opportunity: Home visit time for assessment
Reassessment Opportunity: Second pre-release conference
Latest Opportunity: Prior to release conference
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First Opportunity: Intake
Latest Opportunity: 4-5 weeks before trial begins (Note: NSD may not be long enough for 4-5 weeks.)
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Opportunity: 30 days before closure (no closure meeting)
Note: ATD engagements are typically very short, which might make connecting families to ECRS resources difficult. Consider a referral tool with resources they can self-refer to.
Tools
Consider using or adapting these tool templates. Clicking a link for a template will download it.
ECRS Needs Screening Checklist
The checklist assists Case Planners in screening each of 14 ECRS needs. It also offers language that introduces each topic and explains the reason for screening around it.
ECRS Needs Screening Worksheet
The illustrated worksheet can 1) be used during intake for lightweight screening and prioritization of needs, or 2) help families and young people follow along with the checklist, quickly identifying topics they wish to discuss.
ECRS Data Reporting Form
This Airtable form should be filled out separately for every date that Case Planners complete any part of Step 1.