Las Colinas Liaison

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

The combination of child welfare cases and parental incarceration is a growing concern for child welfare and related professionals. The introduction of coordinating services between child welfare and a detention facility provides an opportunity for incarcerated parents to actively participate in reunification efforts. In May 2017, to give incarcerated mothers a direct link to Child Welfare Services (CWS) and their cases, the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency and Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility introduced a new service — stationing CWS Protective Services Worker at Las Colinas.The purpose was to provide a CWS link to incarcerated mothers who had active cases with CWS. With increased education and communication, the CWS liaison can help create stronger case plans and decrease the likelihood of duplication of services between the various systems. The increased communication allows everyone to stay informed, enabling the women to take control of their situation while strengthening their family unit. Ultimately, we know if the mothers can stay connected to their families while incarcerated, it will increase the likelihood of a successful reentry back into the community.