The Kinship Support Unit is composed of 4 Senior Social Caseworkers who have additional therapeutic training. This has been a CORE program. Each worker is capped at ten cases to enable weekly contact with the children, kin providers of care and parents. Each worker is required to meet weekly face-to-face with the children and kin provider. They meet at least monthly with the parent if they are available. They teach parenting skills, provide individual and family therapy, connect the kin provider with resources within Denver Human Services and in the Community and teach special skills needed by kin providers as determined by the study done by the State Department of Human Services using their curriculum.

The caseworker must also make collateral contacts with therapists, schools, treatment facilities, landlords, probation officers, housing people, substance abuse programs, Denver Human Service personnel, and search out whatever other resources needed by the family. Each worker must maintain written record of all contacts.

The caseworker writes treatment plans, court reports and maintains the client files in the manner prescribed. The worker collects medical and school information for the records. Paperwork necessary for the department to track services such as QWESTS, FSP’s, MOE forms, and referrals for case service aides, psychological evaluations, substance abuse evaluations, Family Group Conferences, PPT, and others are maintained by the worker.

The caseworker must continually assess the progress of the parents, the safety of the children and the needs of the kin provider. She/he must testify to the status of the children and the case in court. He/she also attends whatever staffings are held for the children or the parents. When additional information is generated the caseworker investigates, writes a report and does whatever legal procedures are warranted. She/he has to know all the federal, state and local regulations as well as the policies of the City and County of Denver as well as the Department of Human Services.

The Kinship Support Unit workers are required to attend weekly clinical meetings prepared to staff assigned cases as to the needs and current services including mental health and cultural issues. The worker must attend 24 hours of additional training yearly.

These requirements were created following standard social work practice guidelines, ASFA and MEPA regulations, Denver’s settlement agreement, CORE requirements and all other state and county policies and procedures.