Day 2 of Asher's Journey - Friday, December 9th

FRIDAY MORNING

A screening report is assigned to the Columbia County Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare Branch.

The night before, after receiving the call from the teacher, the ODHS Child Welfare Hotline screener documented the given information and reviewed history for the family, as well as other reports of concern to make a determination if the report should be assigned to a Child Protective Services Worker for assessment.

The report was also sent over and cross reported to the appropriate Law Enforcement agency.

Asher had gone home yesterday after school and was thankful that Dad was not home. Mom greeted Asher and fixed dinner, but Asher could tell that Mom had been crying and was tired. Asher didn’t want to upset Mom any further by telling her about the shoulder pain or what had happened that morning. After dinner Asher and Mom had gone to their rooms. Asher tried to do homework and go to sleep, but remained anxious about what would happen when Dad returned.

FRIDAY - MID-MORNING

At School today, Asher was pulled out of class by a Child Protective Services Worker, they met in an office at the school and the worker told Asher that their job is to keep kids safe.

The CPS Worker asked Asher all sorts of questions about their life and interests and what happens at home.

Asher was anxious about speaking to this new person and was fearful of getting Dad and Mom in trouble. Dad had always said CPS was bad and takes kids away. Asher doesn’t want to be taken away from home and Mom.

Asher did tell the CPS worker that their shoulder hurts, and explained that Dad was yelling and hitting them. Asher still didn’t talk about what happens to Mom, or the hurtful things Dad says. The CPS worker asked Asher if they have any marks or bruises, Asher does not at this time.

FRIDAY - LATER THAT DAY

Asher goes back to class, not knowing what is going to happen.

Asher is anxious and has a difficult day at school.

While Asher is in school the CPS worker connects with Law Enforcement and goes out to the family home to interview Mom and Dad. Dad is not home at this time but the investigators are able to meet with Mom.

FRIDAY -

THAT AFTERNOON

Mom shares limited information as she is also fearful about what may happen to her family, but understands that there is now a concern that Dad has hurt Asher.

She will do everything she can to make sure Asher is safe and that they get to stay together.

The CPS worker puts a safety plan in place for Mom and Asher to go stay with a family friend while the investigation happens. The CPS and Law Enforcement team inform Mom that they will be making a referral to a place called the Amani Center who can provide assessment services for Asher and a medical exam for Asher’s shoulder. They let Mom know she should be receiving a call soon and that she needs to schedule the appointment as soon as possible.

DAY 2 - LATE AFTERNOON

After leaving the family home CPS and Law Enforcement have so many more tasks to do: documenting conversations, making reports, preparing plans, checking on safety service providers to make sure they are safe and able to help, and so much more. But before the end of their day they call the Amani Center and speak with Intake Coordinator Kimmy. They provide Kimmy with the screening report and contact information for Mom and the initial details of the case.

Kimmy immediately begins to gather information, connecting with both Law Enforcement and DHS, pulling historical information, immunization records and more. Even though we’re heading into the weekend, Kimmy takes a quick moment to connect with Mom to let her know she’ll be following up on Monday morning and see if there is anything she needs at this moment.

DAY 2 - CONSIDERATIONS

Families who speak a language other than English or that have limited English proficiency are often faced with challenges communicating or delays in response times as investigators secure a translator or wait for the availability of bilingual staff.

The Amani Center uses Linguava Interpretation services to assist in providing assessment services for the children and to assist parents with family support.

We also have Brandy, our bilingual Spanish-English program manager, who is able to assist families directly. Interpretation costs vary depending on the length of time needed and if a family needs an interpreter for the caregiver and the child. In the last fiscal year, the average cost of translation services was $430.00 per family. Your financial contributions help covers costs such as these that are not always reimbursed through medical billing or grant funds. To support services like these, click on the “Support our Services for Asher” button above.

If you have questions about our program, please don't hesitate to reach out to Beth or Amelia at info@amanicenter.org. We are happy to discuss what the Amani Center does for the children in our community.