65C-30.018. Out-of-County Services

(1) When children and young adults and/or their parents or caregivers relocate to a county outside of the county of jurisdiction, out-of-county services will be provided when requested for:

(a) Completing a home study of an other parent, relative, nonrelative, or prospective adoptive family.

(b) Assisting with case supervision of judicial or nonjudicial cases in accordance with Chapters 65C-28, 65C-30, and 65C-35, F.A.C. The primary case manager will contact the out-of-county case manager every other month, at a minimum, to ensure all F.A.C. requirements are in compliance and collaborate to resolve any barriers. If there is an emergency safety, permanency, or well-being issue that must be addressed, the out-of-county case manager will contact the primary case manager within 48 hours.

(c) Providing and coordinating supervision and/or services to children and young adults receiving Independent Living Services as defined in subsection 65C-30.001(60), F.A.C., to include Postsecondary Education Services and Support (PESS), Extended Foster Care and Aftercare Services. Service Portability for young adults participating in PESS and Aftercare Services is addressed in Section 409.1451(5), F.S.

(2) Procedures shall be developed through a statewide working agreement that is updated as necessary between the community-based care (CBC) lead agencies regarding the request, timely processing, coordination of any services (including requests for home studies and case supervision), and on-going communication. The statewide agreement must be followed by all agencies.

(3) Home studies of other parents, relatives, or nonrelatives shall be conducted as outlined in Rule 65C-28.012, F.A.C. With the exception of adoption home studies, the county completing the home study is responsible for the appoval or denial of the homestudy.

(4) Adoption home studies shall be:

(a) Requested and initiated at the time a petition for termination of parental rights is filed; and,

(b) Conducted as outlined in Rule 65C-16.005, F.A.C.

(5) If the receiving county is recommending a denial of the adoption home study, the case will be reviewed by an Adoption Applicant Review Committee (AARC) in the county of jurisdiction, in accordance with subsection 65C-16.005(9), F.A.C. If the AARC determines that the home study should be approved, the home study must be updated in the Florida Safe Families Network (FSFN) by the receiving county, showing the home study as approved based on the recommendation of the AARC.

(6) Supervised Living Arrangements for young adults in Extended Foster Care shall be assessed as outlined in Section 39.6251(4), F.S.

(7) If supervision services will be requested following completion of a home study the receiving contracted service provider shall be provided an opportunity to visit the placement and review the home study prior to a recommendation being made to the court in the sending county. If the sending and receiving counties are not in agreement, the dispute resolution procedures in subsection (9), of this rule, will be followed.

(8) Once a request has been accepted, communication regarding the case shall be made directly between the contracted service provider service units in the two (2) counties involved.

(9) When disputes arise between the county of jurisdiction and the receiving county and the individual contracted service providers or CBC lead agencies cannot reach a resolution, the regional liaison within the region or the liaisons in the two (2) regions involved shall assist in reaching a resolution. When necessary, the CBC lead agency chief executive officers, or their designees, will be consulted in seeking a resolution. As a last resort, the Regional Family Safety Program Office shall be consulted in reaching a resolution.

(10) Once case supervision and/or coordination of services for the child, young adult, or any other case participant have been accepted by the contracted service provider in the receiving county, the case manager or child welfare professional in the receiving county shall perform all required case supervision and documentation, including providing information for safety planning, case planning, and judicial reviews to the case manager or child welfare professional in the county of jurisdiction.

(a) The responsibility to perform these duties shall continue until the child’s case is closed, the person receiving services is no longer a case participant, or the child moves from the service area.

(b) The case manager or child welfare professional in the county of jurisdiction shall retain primary responsibility and accountability for the case as long as the case remains open in that jurisdiction.

(11) The case managers or child welfare professionals in the county of jurisdiction and the receiving county shall collaborate and reach an agreement prior to taking any significant case actions. If the sending and receiving counties are not in agreement, the dispute resolution procedures in subsection (9), of this rule, must be followed. Significant case actions include the following:

(a) A transfer of jurisdiction to the receiving county. A case may be considered for a transfer of jurisdiction when:

1. It is in the best interest of the child; and,

2. The receiving jurisdiction agrees to the transfer.

(b) Case closure.

(c) A change in permanency goals.

(d) Other actions requiring court approval in a judicial case.

(12) The case manager in the county of jurisdication shall notify the case manager or child welfare professional in the receiving county within two (2) business days of the court’s oral pronouncement granting termination of parental rights. The case manager in the county of jurisdication shall provide the case manager or child welfare professional in the receiving county a copy of a court’s signed termination order no longer than 30 days from the order being signed.

Rulemaking Authority 39.012, 39.0121(13) FS. Law Implemented 39.521, 39.6011, 39.6012, 39.701 FS. History–New 5-4-06, Amended 2-25-16, 12-24-17.