Comprehensive Clinical Family Assessment

The Comprehensive Clinical Family Assessment (CCFA) identifies and consider factors that impact children, youth, and their families. Each family member is evaluated individually to examine and evaluate any possibly mental health and behavioral health deficits and collectively to observe and assess family culture, cohesiveness, and possibly dysfunction. It is important to note, that several factors, including the child’s safety, the risk of future maltreatment, parental protective capacity, and child well-being must be accurately assessed on an ongoing basis; this assessment is primarily formulated to assist with child placement. This assessment is usually recommended as a support tool, when the judicial system or and social services are determining if the child should return to the care of a specific caregiver. Within appropriate consent, this evaluation also allows review of legal, mental health/medical/substance use history and interviewing of “collateral contacts”. “Collateral contacts” can be practically anyone, such as daycare, family friends, employers, therapists.

Critical evaluative points:

• When families are presented with new challenges
• When there are safety concerns for the child or other family members
• When decisions must be made about the need for services or the appropriate type and intensity of interventions or supports
• When reviewing service effectiveness and case progress

The comprehensive family assessment is guided by principles of family-centered, culturally competent practice. Whenever possible, families are seen as providing the best care and protection for their children, family represents the focus of all work, and family members are actively involved in the development and implementation of any plan. The family’s culture, race, ethnicity, values, and customs must be respected and carefully considered.

 CCFA consists of the following elements:

• Identification, screening, and assessment of child abuse and neglect
• Safety and Risk Assessment
• Needs and Strengths-Child
• Needs and Strengths-Parents and Caregivers
• Family Progress and Permanency Options
• Cultural Issues
• Sources for Tools, Instruments, and Measures
• Diagnoses