Open CINA Cases
The ONC Social Services Department handles Child in Need of Aid (CINA) cases, stemming from Protective Service Reports (PSRs) that become CINA cases. The PSRs are generated to the ONC Social Services Department from the State of Alaska, Office of Children’s Services (OCS).
Through the ONC ICWA Advocate’s involvement with the CINA cases for which our department intervenes on behalf of our members with OCS involvement, we work on ensuring family placement preferences with extended family members. We follow the required policies and procedures of doing background checks on family members who are 18 years old or older and conducting home studies when considering placement of our children that are placed under temporary state custody with the Office of Children’s Services (O.C.S.).
Parent(s) with open CINA cases are required to complete a safety plan or case plan, depending on whether the children are placed within the family (open case, OCS custody with no removal) or outside the family unit into foster care when the OCS assumes temporary custody – which is up to 2 years.
During this time, it is the parents’ responsibility to follow through on either the safety plan or case plan and the recommendation(s) made by the Tribal Court Judge(s), if under ONC Tribal Court Jurisdiction, or by the OCS state-assigned caseworker.
Safety plans or case plans can vary, depending on the type and severity of the substance use, domestic violence, or other safety issues that a family unit may be experiencing that cause a PSR to be generated by OCS. It is up to the parent(s) to engage in the services they agree to.
In this two-year timeframe, whether the parent engages in services recommended or not will determine whether or not the parent(s) will be working towards reunification with their child/children. If parent(s) do not engage in services being recommended, it usually turns out that the parent(s) will be facing Termination of Parental Rights (TPR), which is usually the last resort; but the State/OCS moves forward with this when parent(s) do not engage with services or do not follow through on recommendations that are made and they have agreed to.
Reunification of families is what we strive for and is the main goal, but it is ultimately up to the members/parent(s) with open CINA cases that are responsible for moving forward with this goal and to work on becoming healthy – for themselves and their family.
Our department will work with the family/members involved with open CINA cases. We can help with referrals or Healthy Family Sessions and Qaruyun – Dealing with Grief.
