Child Protective Services case workers are not overloaded by the standards of a national advocacy group, although there are a number of problems that need to be addressed so that case managers may better perform their jobs, the Arizona Auditor General states in a report.

“Despite average caseloads being 12 or fewer [per case worker], there are several indications that CPS case managers are not able to effectively perform their jobs,” states the 94-page audit, which was released Oct. 23.

The agency had 6,561 cases as of June 30, 2001, and 8,562 cases as of June 30, 2003.

The audit also states that case loads examined between June 2001 and June 2003 were inflated by cases that had been completed but that hadn’t yet been designated as formally closed by Child Protective Services.

The Child Welfare League of America, described in the audit report as “oldest and largest nonprofit national organization developing and promoting policies and programs to protect America’s children and strengthen its families,” recommends that child-welfare workers at any given time handle no more than 12 cases in making initial assessments and investigations.

The Auditor General’s report states that while Child Protective Services workers have average caseloads that meet that standard, other problems exist with managers who supervise the workers.

The audit report makes four findings:

• Several changes are needed to accurately project how many case managers are needed;

• Although time devoted to training has increased significantly, auditors found from interviewing case managers and manager trainees that CPS needs to devote more time in the training classrooms to operating the computerized case management system, writing court reports, making referrals for services and conducting interviews.

• Better supervisory oversight of the case managers is needed;

• Although CPS recognized the value of concurrent case planning as early as April 2001, the agency has failed to implement it.

Concurrent case planning is a practice of simultaneously examining whether a child who has been taken out of a home because of neglect or abuse can be reunited with his or her family or should be placed with a guardian or adopted. Considering all the alternatives at once means that the time a child spends in foster care will be reduced, the audit report states.

David Berns, director of Child Protective Services, stated in his formal response that the agency agrees to most of the 18 recommendations in the audit report. The one exception is the first finding on projecting the number of case managers that are needed.

The auditors included supervisors and specialists in determining the caseload, Mr. Berns said, which artificially lowered the staff-to-case ratio.

Mr. Berns stated, “When these managers are required to carry a caseload, the entire organization suffers from not having adequate oversight of staff.” —