4534. Crisis Residential Center (CRC) Placement

Approved by: Natalie Green, Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare Division

Original Date: December 12, 1996

Revised Date: July 1, 2024

Policy Review: July 31, 2028

Purpose

Crisis Residential Centers (CRC) are short-term, semi-secure or secure facilities for runaway youth and adolescents in conflict with their families. CRCs provide resources for emergency, temporary residence, assessment, and referrals to services for youth ages 12-17.

Scope

This policy applies to caseworkers.

Laws

RCW 13.32A.030 Definitions

RCW 13.32A.080 Unlawful harboring of a minor

RCW 43.185C.305 Youth Services-Crisis Residential Services-Removal From-Unauthorized leave

RCW 43.185C.310 Youth services-Crisis residential centers-Removal to another center or

secure facility—Placement in Secure Juvenile Detention Facility

RCW 74.14A.020 Services for Emotionally Disturbed and Mentally Ill Children, Potentially Dependent Children, and Families-In-Conflict

RCW 74.13.031 Duties of Department-Child Welfare Services-Children's Services Advisory Committee.

RCW 74.13.035 Residential Centers Annual Records-Multiple Licensing

Policy

Accessing Placement in a CRC
Caseworkers must:
1. Follow policies:
  1. Intake Process and Response or Family Reconciliation Services for service requests for non-dependent youth requiring placement.
  2. Indian Child Welfare Reason to Know if there is reason to know child or youth is an Indian child
2. Send a Child Information and Placement Referral form DSHS 15-300 to the CA placement coordinator for dependent youth. The CRC will make the final determination whether to accept the placement request and priority will be given to:
  1. Youth who have run from out of home care; or
  2. Youth whose health and safety is at risk and a short-term placement is needed until an alternative is found.
Placement in a CRC
Caseworkers must:
1. When a child is not in DCYF placement and care authority (PCA) and is placed in a CRC:
  1. Contact the youth within 24 hours of placement, excluding weekends and holidays and:
    1. Identify the youth’s critical needs.
    2. Obtain legal authorizations for placements lasting longer than 72 hours, if needed.
  2. Verify placements in a CRC do not exceed 15 calendar days; the placement should not be longer than it takes to facilitate family reconciliation, return of the youth to the youth's home, or to develop an alternative long-term placement plan.
  3. Verify a youth’s length of stay in a juvenile detention-based secure CRC does not exceed five calendar days. NOTE: For youth moving between CRC and Secure CRC, the youth’s stay cannot exceed 15 calendar days total.
2. When a child is in DCYF’s PCA and placed in a CRC:
  1. Schedule a Family Team Decision Making or Shared Planning Meeting within 72 hours of placement, excluding weekends and holidays.
  2. Authorize emergent medical and dental care.
  3. Transition the youth within five days of the discharge placement being identified.
  4. Relocate all dependent youth who have reached the maximum length stay of 15 calendar days for CRC or Secure CRC not located in a detention center, 5 calendar days for Secure CRCs that are located in a detention center, or 15 calendar days total CRC and Secure CRC.
3. Document case coordination in FamLink.
Information Sharing with CRC Staff
1. For dependent youth in a CRC caseworkers will provide and exchange the following information, if applicable, per RCW 74.13.280 and as outlined in the Notification of Court Hearings, Providing Reports to Court, and Information Sharing with Out-of-Home Caregivers policy. Information includes, but is not limited to:
  1. Name
  2. Date of birth
  3. Gender
  4. Behaviors
  5. Risks
  6. Special needs
  7. Sexually Aggressive/Physically Aggressive Assaultive Youth (SAY/PAAY) history
  8. Offense history