Tracking #2009-00xxx
Adopted emergency 8/7/09, eff. 8/7/09

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[I:/09071501.doc]

(12 CCR 2509-1)

[Instructions:  insert before line 1585539.] 
Revisions to Sections 7.000.6 and 7.304.52 were adopted on an emergency basis at the 8/7/2009 State Board meeting (Rule-making#’s 09-5-21-1 and 09-7-15-1), with an effective date of 8/7/2009. Statement of Basis and Purpose and specific statutory authority for these revisions were incorporated by reference into the rule. These materials are available for review by the public during normal working hours at the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Boards and Commissions, State Board Administration. 

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[Instructions:  replace lines 1035654 through 1035705.] 
7.000.6  COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES [Rev. eff. 8/7/09]
A.  County departments of social services shall administer social services programs in compliance with State Department fiscal and program regulations.
B.  County departments shall use forms, and report on the Department's automated reporting system as specified, when required by the State Department (Section 26-1-111(2)(e), C.R.S.).
C.  County departments shall take reasonable efforts to advise county residents of services available to target groups through the department by means of such methods as press releases, presentations, pamphlets, and other mass media.
D.  When a social services recipient leaves the original county of residence that county department shall close its case file with exceptions found in individual program areas (e.g. Program Areas 2 and 5). Recipients are to be advised on the state prescribed notice of social service action form.
E.  Requests for services from agencies, including other county departments or states, shall be responded to with the same level of attention and to the same extent as requests received from within the county, and as specified in each of the program areas.
F.  The county departments shall report to the State Department at such times and in such manner and form as the state department requires, including through the Department's automated reporting system.
G.  Social service staff shall make a personal, telephone, or written contact within five (5) working days of an application or other request for services or as otherwise specified for target groups within program areas.
H.  The county department shall refer, within ten (10) working days, to the appropriate investigatory agency and the district attorney any alleged discrepancy which may be a fraudulent act or suspected fraudulent act by a recipient or provider of services. The county department shall seek recovery for the total amount of services costs if the county departments finds the individual was not eligible for the service or if fraud is established.
I.  County departments shall take whatever action is necessary to recover payments when recipients and/or providers owe money to the Department because of overpayments, ineligibility and/or failure to comply with applicable state laws, rules or procedures.
J.  Social service staff shall advise applicants/clients in writing and orally of the client's responsibility to report within thirty (30) calendar days, changes of circumstances affecting their eligibility and provide them with a state prescribed change of circumstance form.
K.  County department staff shall advise clients of their responsibility to cooperate and participate with the county department in planning for services needed and requested, and engaging in appropriate activities to resolve problems or concerns of common interest and that failure of clients to participate or cooperate may result in modification or termination of services.
L.  County departments shall use volunteers to the extent feasible and practical in the administration and delivery of social services to enhance agency programs.
M.  The county department shall ensure that newly hired social caseworkers who work with children, youth and families complete the Child Welfare Training Academy as a condition of their continued employment. This training must be completed and State certification received prior to assuming their primary duties on an independent basis, as prescribed by the State (reference Section 26-5-109, C.R.S.).
N.  The county department shall ensure that newly hired or promoted social services supervisors, who have responsibility for supervising social caseworkers who work with children, youth and families, complete the Child Welfare Training Academy supervisory training as a condition of continued employment. This training must be completed and State certification received prior to assuming primary duties on an independent basis as prescribed by the State (reference Section 26-5-109, C.R.S.).
O.  The county department shall work with the State to ensure that all newly hired social caseworkers who work with children, youth and families successfully complete the Child Welfare Academy structured on-the-job training. 
P.  The county department shall ensure that county staff who supervise newly hired or promoted social services supervisors complete the Child Welfare Academy structured on-the-job training. 
Q.  The county department shall ensure that all experienced social caseworkers who work with children, youth and families complete at least six (6) hours of ongoing in-service training per year.
R.  The county department shall ensure that all personnel who supervise or provide professional services in child welfare and adult protection services possess the following minimum qualifications: 
1.  Professional Entry (Training) Level Position
A Bachelor's degree with a major in a human behavioral sciences field.
2.  Professional Journey Level Position
This position has obtained the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform duties at the full independent working level through experience and education.
a.  A Bachelor's degree with a major in a human behavioral science field and one year of professional caseworker experience acquired after the degree in a public or private social services agency; or,
b.  A Bachelor’s of Social Work degree with a major in public child welfare and successful completion of an approved field placement in a county department of social/human services; or, 
c.  A Master's degree in social work or human behavioral sciences field.
3.  Life Skills Staff Position
This position has obtained a high school diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) and six months full time public contact in human services or a related field. Substitution for public contact is successful completion of a certificate program and/or college course equivalent to public contact in human services or a related field.
4.  Casework Supervisor Position
a.  A Bachelor's degree with a major in a human behavioral sciences field (no substitution ) and three years professional casework experience at the journey level obtained after the degree; or,
b.  A Master’s degree or higher in social work or human behavioral sciences field and two years professional casework experience at the journey level obtained before or after the advanced degree.
5.  Education Requirements
In order to meet the minimum educational requirements of a human behavioral science degree, the applicant must have a degree with major course work (equivalent to 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours) in either development of human behavior, child development, family intervention techniques, diagnostic measures or therapeutic techniques such as social work, psychology, sociology, guidance and counseling, and child development.
6.  Waiver Process
If proven recruitment difficulty exists, county departments may request a waiver of these requirements by submitting a request to the State Department of Human Services, either the Division of Child Welfare Services or the Aging and Adult Services Adult Protection and Elder Rights Unit.  Justification shall include: 
a.  For Initial Hiring 
1)  Documenting the recruiting effort;
2)  Identifying specific services to be provided by the position (such as Core Services or case management) where alternative qualifications are being proposed;
3)  Identifying the specific position concerned by position number, title, and name of incumbent, if position is filled;
4)  Justifying why the candidate would be acceptable as a training level caseworker; and,
5)  Including a plan on how and when the candidate will meet the requirements contained in this rule.
b.  For Training Academy Certification
1)  Documentation of previous child welfare training with description of the training and documentation of training completion; 
2)  Documentation of previous child welfare experience; 
3)  Completion of the initial Colorado computer based training and demonstration of proficiency in minimum competencies defined by the Training Academy; 
4)  Identification of how the candidate will be integrated into Colorado child welfare practices. 
c.  For County Directors 
County directors who also provide direct supervision of child welfare services and who do not meet the minimum qualifications for the casework supervisor position must apply for a waiver to provide these services. 
S.  The county shall ensure supervision of casework and case management staff through:
1.  Review of individual and family assessments; 
2.  Family Service Plans;
3.  Records maintenance and documentation, including updated information in the Department's automated reporting system; and,
4.  Plans for termination of services.
These review findings shall be documented in writing by supervisory personnel and provided to the social service staff and state staff upon request.
T.  All current and prospective employees of the county department, who in their position have direct contact with any child in the process of being placed or who has been placed in out of home care, shall submit a complete set of fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that were taken by a qualified law enforcement agency to obtain any criminal record held by the CBI.
1.  The person's employment is conditional upon a satisfactory criminal background check; and subject to the same grounds for denial or dismissal as outlined in 26-6-104(7), C.R.S., including:.
a.  Checking records and reports; and
b.  Individuals who have not resided in the state for two years shall be required to have a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint-based criminal history.
2.  Payment of the fee for the criminal record check is the responsibility of the individual being checked.
3.  Prospective employees who are transferring from one county department to another are not required to be re- fingerprinted if they complete the following process:
a.  New employees must obtain their CBI clearance letter or a photocopy of their processed fingerprint card from their former employer. They must attach it to a new fingerprint card, with the top portion completed.
b.  The new fingerprint card must include the new employer's address. “Transfer-County Department” must be inserted in the “Reason Fingerprinted” block.
c.  The CBI clearance letter (or photocopy of the old fingerprint card) and the new fingerprint card must be sent with money order payable to the CBI.
d.  County departments that have accounts with CBI are not required to send the money order, and they shall enter their CBI account number in the OCA block of the new fingerprint card.