Background: Establishing risk status of foster care children by foster care public health nurses (FCPHNs). Methods: The Special Needs Risk Factor Scale (RFS), comprised of three categories: child’s medical risk, child’s family medical risk and agency involvement category, results in a numerical score (the higher the score the greater the risk). Training sessions were held with FCPHNs on using the scale and obtain suggested adaptations for their needs. Guiding principles were developed from these sessions and employed to standardize use of the RFS. The team reviewed 50 cases, with ages ranging from one month through adolescent years. Results: Of the 50 cases, the mean score was 16.2 with a median score of 15.0. The range of scores varied from 3 (lowest possible score and considered low risk) to 32 (highest risk). Among the three scored categories, the child’s medical and family risk factor categories scored the highest with mean scores of 6.4 and 6.0 respectively. The agency category had a mean score of 3.8. Conclusions: The special needs risk factor scale was adapted to the needs of the FCPHNs. Numerical scores were more objective in establishing risks among foster care children. Guiding principles were used to standardize the RFS as well as be used as a tool for orienting new FCPHNs to the system. This scale was useful in determining caseload acuity levels for individual FCPHNs.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. Identify the three components of the Special Needs Risk Factor Scale 2. Evaluate the need for an objective system for identifying risk among foster care children 3. Prioritize foster care children according to their risk score
Keywords: Special Populations, Risk Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.