Investigations and Interviews

How to ensure GALS are getting the best information from the

correct sources

Your Investigation- Main Goals

1) To make an investigation to determine the facts, the needs of the juvenile, and the available resources within the family and community to meet those needs.

2) To conduct follow-up investigations to ensure that the orders of the Court are properly executed.

3) To report to the Court when the needs of the juvenile are not being met.

4) To protect and promote the best interest of the juvenile until formally relieved of responsibility by the Court.

Your Investigation- Habits

What does a good GAL do?– Sees their child at least once a month– Has questions, gets them answered– Ensures orders of the Court are being followed– Does not let a roadblock (i.e. flighty social

worker) stop them from getting the information they need

What does a not-so-committed GAL do?– Sees the child one time before the hearing– Call the social worker the week before court to

see what’s new– Doesn’t know what the Court ordered– Thinks second-hand information is adequate

Your Investigation- Starting

Where to begin….. Read the case file, speak to the social worker, find

out who the players are Know the orders of the Court Areas you’ll address in every court report

– Location and status of child– Education– Medical– Psychological – Visits– Other

Davidson County Guardian ad Litem PO Box 9, Lexington, NC 27293 (336) 242-6719; www.gal22b.org

THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS

1. READ OVER THE CASE FILE The GAL office will provide you with a case file that includes all of the pertinent documents needed to become familiar with the case. This information includes the petition, any DSS and GAL reports, any medical reports, placement and contact information for the child, and copies of your appointment order signed by the Judge. Read over these documents carefully before starting the next step!

2. CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (DSS)

The name and phone number of the Social Worker assigned to the case will be in the file. Contact the Social Worker to discuss your impressions of the case and get their insight into the parents’ situation and the child’s needs. You should have continual contact with the Social Worker and work as a team (if possible) to best serve the child.

3. FIND OUT WHO THE PLAYERS ARE Ask the Social Worker and placement who is involved in the child’s life. Examples of people you want to get contact info for include therapists, doctors, teachers, daycare providers, family members, and family friends. Make sure to get as much contact information as possible for each of these players.

4. CONDUCT INTERVIEWS Use the “Interviews” sheet and court report template to figure out who you need to talk to and what questions you want to ask. Don’t worry if you forget to ask someone a question…you can always call them back.

5. SPEAK WITH SOCIAL WORKER After you conduct your interviews and before you write your report, share the information you have learned about the child’s case with the Social Workers. Many times you will be giving them information that is new to them. That information may make a difference in their recommendations. Always ask the Social Worker what they will be recommending in court.

6. PREPARE YOUR COURT REPORT Follow the court report template and address all of the sections. You might want to talk to your GAL supervisor about your recommendations before you start your report. If it is your first time writing your report, come into the office for one-on-one help from staff! If you want to attach a picture of the child to the report you can.

7. ATTEND THE COURT HEARING It is important to the Judge and to the child that you try to come to court for the hearing if you can. If you are not able to attend, let the GAL staff know beforehand.

8. FOLLOW UP! Make sure that DSS is enforcing the orders of the court and the child is receiving proper services. Speak with the child each month and stay in touch with the Social Worker and other players. The court will review each child’s case every 3 or 6 months.

Your Investigation- Spider Web

Child

Educational

Medical

Psychological

Visits

Social

Home

Your Investigation- Contacts

Who should you talk to?!?

child(ren)parents

caretakers

social worker

teacher

tutor

house parent

therapistmedical provider

mentor

relatives

principal

neighbors

psychologist

foster parents

Your Investigation- More Web!

Child

Educational

Medical

Psychological

Visits

Social

Home

Doctor

Placement

Teacher

PrincipalPlacement Social

worker

Placement

Teacher

Supervisor

ParentsTherapistPlacement

Your Investigation- Information

Some info is good, some bad If one party believes there is a

need, talk to the other parties about it

Ask individuals about all child’s needs, not just their specialty

Don’t wait for court to get services in place!

Your Investigation

Child

Educational

Medical

Psychological

Visits

Social

Home

Doctor

Placement

Teacher

PrincipalPlacement Social

worker

Placement

Teacher

Supervisor

ParentsTherapistPlacement

Baseball teamTutor

IEP

Braces

Occupational therapy

New Meds

More visits

Unsupervised visits

Your Investigation- Records and Reports

NCCourts- Pending hearings www.nccourts.org ACIS- Automated Criminal Infraction System NCDOC- Active time www.doc.state.nc.us Civil records- Restraining orders, Child support,

etc. Reports from doctors, therapists, teachers,

etc.

Your Investigation- Tips

Time Saving Solutions– Set a time and date for visit each month with kids (i.e. first

Friday of each month). – Find out who therapist, teacher, and other service providers

are right away…GAL office will fax appointment.– Tell SW and service providers to email you!– If your case is continued, make one more round of phone

calls and give updated info to GAL office. – Call or email service providers once a month. Get them to

give you reports to attach to your report….remember they’re in it to help kids too!

Your Interviews- Keys

Personal contact Factual observations To Consider

– Location of interview– History with party– Ability to assess needs

Feelings expressed Stages

– Greeting– Opening– Body– Closing

Interviewing- Preparing

Go in to an interview prepared Have questions you want answered Be prepared to put the pen down

and just talk Don’t use leading questions Take good notes whether it’s during

or after

Davidson County Guardian ad Litem PO Box 9, Lexington, NC 27293 (336) 242-6719; www.gal22b.org

INTERVIEWS The following guidelines will help you make the most of your interview

THE SOCIAL WORKER It may be most helpful to make this your first interview and is best done right after you receive your case. During this interview, gather current information about the child and his or her family including: Reasons the child came into DSS custody Name, location, and contact info for parents Status of the Case Plan they develop with

parents Services that have been provided for the child What DSS will be recommending at the hearing

THE CHILD

You must have a face-to-face meeting with the child regardless of the age of the child. Get to know the child by talking about their home life, goals, needs, and desires. Remember you are their voice in court.

THE PARENTS

Speaking with the parents is important because they have invaluable information about their child. Questions for the parents should include: Their version of why DSS took their child(ren) Information about the parents’ concerns,

hopes, and plans for the child Information about the parents’ home status and

long and short term-plans Compliance with court orders and DSS case

plan Conversations with parents may be conducted by phone.

THE PLACEMENT Children will be placed with a relative, family friend, or in a foster or group home. Make sure to cover the following with the placement: Your role as the GAL Their compliance with the orders of the court Their thoughts on the best interest of the child The child’s progress and needs while in their

home.

SCHOOL/CHILD CARE PERSONNEL School and child care personnel can be excellent sources of information about the child. Interview the child’s teachers and gather information about: Classroom behavior Academic achievement and needs Social skills Changes in demeanor or personality Their concerns about the child Remember to give these professionals a copy of your appointment order signed by the Judge.

SERVICE PROVIDERS These may include: Medical providers Psychologists Therapists The information you will want to gather from these individuals include: The type of services provided Dates of service Outcomes of service Recommendations of continued service or other services Any other relevant information (progress, attendance) Remember to give these professionals a copy of your appointment order signed by the Judge.

RELATIVES AND OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED

When you meet with the child and his or her parents (both birth and foster) try to determine who else plays a significant role in the child’s life. This may include: Relatives who visit often Neighbors who know the family or the child well Any other people important to the child Use these interviews to help you gain a clearer picture of the child and his or her family. These interviews may be conducted by phone.

Interviews- Getting the Most Out of Them

Observe all communication types– Spoken, written, listening, eye contact, body

language, tone of voice, silence

Use clarifying statements– It sounds like…, my impression is…, I get

the feeling that you…

Build trust and rapport…it will be different for each party

DATA COLLECTION Child(ren)’s Name: _________________________________

Date: ________________________ Location:____________________________ Caretaker at Visit: _____________ Relationship to Client: ________________

Current Location and Status of Children: _________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ School Progress/Concerns/Needs: ______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Medical Concerns/Needs: _____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Psychological Concerns/Needs: ________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Davidson County Guardian ad Litem PO Box 9, Lexington, NC 27293 (336) 242-6719; www.gal22b.org

Davidson County Guardian ad Litem PO Box 9, Lexington, NC 27293 (336) 242-6719; www.gal22b.org

Status of Visits with Parents/Siblings/Family: ______________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Other Pertinent Information: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Parents’ Status/Compliance with Orders of the Court: _______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Concerns: _________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Davidson County Guardian ad Litem PO Box 9, Lexington, NC 27293 (336) 242-6719; www.gal22b.org

Don’t Forget!

A proper investigation cannot be made without regular contact with the child

Each case is unique…you may take a different path each time

Have a plan before you conduct an interview Get all the information you can, give out as little as

possible Speak to Seth, Rene, Christy, and Laura about what

is going on!

Questions?

Comments?

Concerns?