Individual Service Plan
SAFE Client # 030303030* Madeline Ortiz(MO),23,
mother to: BO, male age 7; FO, male aged 4; and JO, female age 16 months
Referral
Source
The Ortiz
family’s SCF (Supervision in Substitute Care, AKA foster care) case was opened on 12/12/08 after a call from MOs mother, GM, who had been taking care of the children during
the months leading up to the call but was no longer able to. After the case was
opened, MO completed a Substance Abuse assessment at the Division of Substance
Abuse Assessment and Education center and was offered Family Drug Court services
by her CPS caseworker, CW, but refused services and opted for out-patient drug
treatment. During the ensuing four months MO has been unable to complete the necessary
steps to reunify with her children with the amount of support she has been
receiving, and has continued to use drugs and was terminated from her treatment
program, The Promise of Women and
Families (Promise), for failing to appear without cause 3 times in a row. MOs
caseworker recently revisited the idea of Family Drug court, and arranged for
MO to speak with the head of the DCFS Family Drug Court team, Matt Johnson, who
agreed to continue with the referral to Family Drug Court if MO would agree to
sign up for the program. Due to spaces in the program, MO was able to access
Drug Court services despite having previously turned them down. MO appeared
before Judge 22 today, 04/01/09, in 4th District Juvenile Court to
sign up for services. A Staff member from Promise
and representatives from DCFS, including the author, were in attendance.
Presenting
Problem
MOs mother called
DCFS on 12/12/08 and asked them to take custody of her three grandchildren, who
were staying with her. According to the
referral, MO would constantly drop off the kids at her mothers and then leave
for days without being reachable. The
day before the referral she left the kids “just to get a pop” and didn't come
back. GM then told her to come and get them and MO said to meet her at the
hotel and MO never showed. GM has to work full time (M-F 10 hr days) and cannot
always be responsible for the kids, and cannot afford to take care of them. GM
told MO that she's just abandoning her kids and she's not doing anything to
change. GM reported that MO has neglected them since they've all been born, was
homeless, and didn’t have a job. GM said that she thinks MO was just partying constantly
and that she needed some help, maybe counseling.
According to SAFE, drug and
alcohol use was determined to be a contributing factor to MOs SCF case;
particularly alcohol and methamphetamine. As previously mentioned MO failed to
complete the required treatment at Promise
and has admitted to using heroin, alcohol, methamphetamine, and various
prescriptions during the tenure of the SCF case and particularly during the
past month. MO is still homeless and jobless. Considering MOs continued drug
use, CW decided to re-evaluate MOs situation and referred her once again to
Family Drug Court.
Client
Strengths
When speaking
before Judge 22, client took responsibility for her actions, and was honest in
admitting her current drug use despite the possibility of time in jail. MO
admitted to daily heroin, methamphetamine, and xanax use for the past several
weeks. MO was emotional about the situation, seemed to recognize the severity
of her position, and expressed a genuine desire to allow services to help her. MO
is signing up for the program even though she realizes that the terms and
consequences of Family Drug court are more intensive and severe than drug
treatment services through DCFS. MO admitted that this was her “last chance to
get my kids back.” She realizes that she was unable to successfully reach her
goals with the level of support she had, and is willing to take more risks to
get the help she needs to reunite with her children. MO was adamant in
expressing her belief that she can stop using; Judge 22 was considering putting
MO in jail to help her go clean, but MO convinced the Judge to allow her to
prove she could do it on her own. MO was arrested for shoplifting in January 09
and spent a weekend in jail, which she said “motivated and scared her.” MO understands fully the consequences of a
dirty drug test, and is more actively motivated to avoid jail time after
disliking her experience with it so much.
According to the
SAFE database, MO was a victim of severe abuse and neglect victim and was in
foster care for much of her childhood. Although MO has had difficulty
physically taking care of her children, MO has no allegations or indications
that she has ever actively abused her children. Although MO has had a serious
substance abuse problem, MO would drop her children off at her mothers, where
she knew they would be safe, rather than using drugs around them. MO has
overcome much from her past, and can use it as a source of strength and
motivation. The SAFE database indicates
that there were 4 documented cases of Domestic Violence between MO and the
father of her fist child. MO was able to leave that abusive relationship. MO
has shown through past actions that she is capable of overcoming difficult
obstacles. She appears to have a good awareness of her situation and a plan of
how to get to where she needs to go.
Goals
Judge 22 and MO agreed on several short and
long term goals. MOs most immediate and primary goal is to stop using all
substances. MO also agreed to be on the yes/no system of drug testing and take
and pass all required drug tests. MO will also call Promise within 24 hours and make an appointment for an assessment. MO
will undergo another substance abuse evaluation and a recommendation for level
of treatment will be made. MO, DCFS Drug Court team, and the recommended
treatment program will cooperate to enroll MO in treatment as soon as possible.
MO’s other short term goals include finding a drug-free living arrangement and
looking for employment. These two pursuits may be unnecessary, though, if
residential treatment is recommended for MO. MO will appear in court in
front of Judge 22 to report on her progress in one month; Judge 22 stressed
that even if MO had failed a drug test or failed to comply with a requirement,
appearing in court to deal with the consequences was the most important
goal. MO’s children have a permanency
hearing in two months, and MO understands that she needs proof of her
good-faith efforts to effectively complete treatment steps. Longer term goals
include MO’s successful completion of a Drug-treatment program, finding
employment and housing, living a drug-free life, and reunification with her
children.
Services
MO currently is
accessing SCF services through the Division of Child and Family Services. MO
has a caseworker
assigned to manage her family’s case, and is working with CW to arrange
meetings with her children and work out a treatment plan. MO is now utilizing
Family Drug Court services, a collaborative effort
among the 4th District Juvenile Court , the Office of the Attorney General,
Office of the Guardian Ad Litem, Office of the Public Defender, DCFS Western
Region, and the Utah County Division of Substance Abuse. MO is accessing drug treatment services through
Utah County Division of Substance Abuse, The Promise for women and families
program, who up until recently were providing intensive outpatient drug-treatment
services to MO. Promises is a potential inpatient or outpatient treatment
choice for MO, although she has expressed a desire to receive services
elsewhere if at all possible. MO
needs housing assistance and assistance finding a job. Unfortunately, MO is
ineligible for an emergency housing grant from the State because her children
are not residing with her. Judge 22 recommended she visit the Food and Care
Coalition to explore emergency housing voucher options and to receive further
guidance on employment assistance.
Service
Provider:
Case management/tracking
·
Orem Juvenile Court (Family Drug Court services)
o Address: 99 E Center Street, Orem UT, 84057
o Phone: (801)
764-5820
o Hours: M-Th 7-6
o Assigned
Provider: Judge 22 (801)-693-9385
o Cost: Free
·
Division of Child and Family Services, Orem (SCF/case
management/Family Drug Court)
o Address: 1106 N
1200 W Orem, UT 84057
o Phone: (801) 224-8575
o Hours M-Th
7-6
o Assigned
Provider: Caseworker CW (801)-739-2985
o Cost: Free
Substance
Abuse Treatment
·
Utah County Division of Substance Abuse—The Promise of women and Families
program, North (assessment, drug treatment)
o Address: 151 South University Avenue, Provo, UT 84601
o Phone: (801) 851-7696
o Hours: M-Th 8-6
o Cost: Variable, sliding scale
·
Utah County Department of Human services, Work Care occupational
Health (Drug Testing)
o Address: 601 N
1200 W Orem, UT 84057
o Phone: (801)224-4211
o Hours: 8-6 M-F
o Cost: $11.00 for 8 panel drug test
Emergency
Housing/Food
·
Food
and Care Coalition, Provo (hotel vouchers, free meals)
o Address: 60 N 300 W Provo, UT
84603
o Phone: (801) 373-1825
o Hours: Office—8:30 am – 5:30 pm M-F Meals: 8:30- 9:30 am M-F, 12 -1 pm &
4:30- 5:30 pm M-Sat, 1-2 pm Sun, 12-1 Holidays
o Cost: None, must meet
eligibility
Heidi McLaren, DCFS Intake Intern
04/01/09
