Differential Response – Path One

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

The Differential Response – Path One (DR Path-1) Services is a pilot study created by the Orange County Social Services Agency’s (SSA) Department of Children & Family Services (CFS). DR Path-1 is designed to provide services to at risk families after information pertaining to suspected child abuse that has been received by the Child Abuse Registry (CAR) and when the information provided to the hotline does not meet legal definition of child abuse. Differential Response (DR) refers to a multiple-path strategy developed to improve outcomes for families in crisis by strengthening communication between agencies within the child welfare system and the community in an effort to identify and prevent child abuse by offering preventative services. The DR Path-1 Services is a collaborative between the SSA and Community Based Organizations (CBO) in an effort to prevent child abuse delivered via a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). DR Path-1 is not funded by the County of Orange. DR Path-1 Services are free for the identified families and it is a voluntary program. The CBOs are not government based; and therefore, less threatening to families. In 2011, 575 DR Path-1 referrals were initiated, indicating the success of this program.