REFUGE HOUSE, INC.

PURPOSE

This policy establishes Refuge House's commitment to comprehensive permanency planning, continued stay evaluations, and trauma-informed discharge processes for all children in foster care placement. We recognize that transitions represent critical moments in children's lives requiring careful planning, coordination, and support to ensure successful outcomes.

POLICY STATEMENT

Every child deserves a permanent, safe, and nurturing home. Refuge House is committed to pursuing permanency from the moment of admission through successful discharge. Our approach integrates T3C System requirements, Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) principles, and regulatory standards to ensure transitions support each child's well-being and long-term success.

PROVISIONS

1. PERMANENCY PLANNING

Permanency planning begins at admission and is incorporated into every service plan, with specific goals and action steps designed to support the child's permanency outcome. Refuge House actively works toward:

• Reunification with biological family when safe and appropriate
• Adoption when reunification is not possible
• Permanent placement with relatives or kinship caregivers
• Another planned permanent living arrangement for older youth

Planning activities include:

• Regular assessment of permanency progress
• Active family engagement and support
• Collaboration with DFPS/SSCC on permanency goals
• Documentation of all permanency efforts
• Removal of barriers to permanency achievement

2. CONTINUED STAY EVALUATIONS

Regular evaluation of continued placement need ensures children receive appropriate levels of care without unnecessary restriction. Reviews occur:

• At the cadence established in FC-CSR-01 Continued Stay Review Policy (generally every 90 days; every 60 days for Treatment Foster Family Care)
• When significant changes occur in the child's needs or circumstances
• Prior to extending placement beyond expected Service Package duration

Continued stay determinations are based on:

• Current CANS 3.0 Assessment results
• Progress toward service plan goals
• Availability of less restrictive alternatives
• Child and family preferences
• Clinical recommendations from the treatment team

3. DISCHARGE CATEGORIES AND PROCESSES

Refuge House recognizes two primary categories of discharge:

• Planned Discharge: Includes achievement of permanency goals through reunification, adoption, permanent placement with relatives, or another planned permanent living arrangement
• Emergency Discharge: Includes hospitalization, detention, court-ordered removal, immediate safety concerns, disruption due to placement breakdown, or DFPS-initiated discharge without advance notice

Disruption Mitigation Process. Discharge is a last resort. Refuge House maintains a formal, named Disruption Mitigation Process that must be exhausted before any non-emergency removal or discharge is requested — reviewing and evaluating alternatives to a potential disruption, documenting at least 30 days of placement-maintenance efforts, and engaging the SSCC in a stabilization staffing (2INgage Provider Manual, Rev. 1.2026, §4 Placement Stability/Discharge — "All Providers will be required to create a 'Disruption Mitigation Process'"; EMPOWER Provider Manual, Rev. 1.2026, §4 Placement Stability — parallel requirement; OCOK Network Management Operations Manual, Rev. 7-1-2025, p.40 — Network Providers submit a Disruption Mitigation Plan; 4Kids4Families Joint Operations Manual, Dec 2025 — in-state Disruption Mitigation Plan; Belong Stage I & II Provider Manual, Aug 2025, p.15 — Placement Stability/Disruption: foster-parent support, 1-business-day contact, 30-day documentation; Saint Francis (SFCS) Affiliate Provider Agreement, Region 1, Oct 8 2019 — placement-change notification + smooth-transition + placement-stability Performance Measures; the named Process + SSCC Master Contract govern where the 2019 base agreement is silent). The Process integrates the agency's upstream prevention measures (FC6-01 stability-focused matching and move-minimization, Crisis Management 24/7 response, and FC18-01 respite) and is operationalized in FC4-01.1 (Discharge & Permanency Planning Procedure §3).

Discharge planning is conducted in accordance with TBRI principles to support felt safety during transitions, incorporating:

• Age-appropriate preparation for the child
• Trauma-informed transition rituals
• Communication that supports the child's emotional regulation
• Appropriate transfer of attachment relationships
• Maintenance of important connections

Documentation and Information Transfer ensures continuity of care through:

• Comprehensive discharge summaries
• Complete medical, dental, and mental health records
• Educational records and portfolios
• Medication information with clear instructions
• Contact information for all providers
• Recommendations for ongoing services and supports

All discharge actions fully comply with:

• T3C Blueprint requirements
• TAC §749 Minimum Standards
• RCC Contract requirements
• SSCC Contract requirements (where applicable)
• TBRI® principles and practices

4. RCC DISCHARGE NOTICE, DOCUMENTATION, AND TRANSITION REQUIREMENTS (FY26 §§8000–8300)

This section states the DFPS 24-Hour RCC discharge-notice minimums; the operational steps are in FC14-01.1 §9. In Community-Based Care areas, the SSCC discharge channels in §3 above (TPG submission; SSCC discharge mailboxes) apply in addition to, and per the SSCC contract in place of, the legacy §8200 routing.

Discharge-approver designation (RCC FY26 §8000). Refuge House "may not discharge a Child without following the procedures in this section" and "must inform the DFPS residential contract manager in writing of the names of employees who may approve discharge. DFPS must receive notice within 10 days of staffing changes" (RCC FY26 §8000).

Form 2109 Discharge Notice (RCC FY26 §8200). Every discharge notification is made using Form 2109 Discharge Notice, which "documents the reasons for the discharge and the provider's recommendations regarding a future placement for the Child" (RCC FY26 §8200). "Form 2109 is also submitted if a Child-Placing Agency is moving a Child from one foster home to another within the same agency" — intra-agency home-to-home moves included (RCC FY26 §8200). Refuge House "sends Form 2109 to the CPS Caseworker, the CPS Supervisor, and the Regional Placement unit for the Child's legal region" using the DFPS regional placement-request mailbox (RCC FY26 §8200).

Notice types (RCC FY26 §8220). In addition to the 24-hour (jail/psychiatric admission where the child will not be accepted back) and 30-day (best-interest / cannot meet needs) notices, Refuge House uses:

• 72-Hour Discharge Notice — "when a Child or youth is absent from the operation without permission and it is not suspected that the Child will return in the foreseeable future. If the Child or youth returns to the operation before the 72-hour discharge expires, then the provider must allow the child to remain at the operation and the discharge notice is no longer in effect" — the notice is voided on return (RCC FY26 §8220).
• Fourteen Day Discharge Notice — only when "a Psychiatrist, licensed Psychologist, physician, LCSW or LPC has provided documentation showing that the Child consistently exhibits behavior that cannot be managed within the provider's licensed Programmatic Services" (RCC FY26 §8220).

Psychiatric admission (RCC FY26 §8230). When "a physician determines that a youth poses a danger to self or others and the Child is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the Provider immediately notifies the CPS Caseworker." If Refuge House determines the child cannot return after stabilization, it "emails Form 2109 and the physician's documentation to the CPS Caseworker, CPS supervisor, and the appropriate discharge mailbox." "A Medical Consenter who is not a CPS employee may not request or consent to the admission of a Child to a psychiatric facility" (RCC FY26 §8230).

Jail/detention and runaway (RCC FY26 §§8231–8232). Written notice to the CPS Caseworker and CPS Supervisor "must state if the provider will accept the Child back into placement" upon release or return. DFPS bed-hold payment (up to 14 days for a non-emergency-shelter provider) is conditioned on: the provider planning to accept the child back to the same placement; for detention, "frequent Face-to-Face contact with the Child on a regular basis as allowed" at the facility and active engagement "in communicating with the facility care team regarding the Child's progress and discharge plan" (RCC FY26 §8231); and for runaway, written DFPS approval of the timeframe and active engagement "in efforts to locate the Child, in cooperation with the CPS Caseworker and law enforcement" (RCC FY26 §8232).

Discharge documentation (RCC FY26 §§8240–8241). Upon the effective date of each discharge Refuge House provides the CPS Caseworker and CPS Supervisor "the completed Placement Summary (Form 2279)," the child's service plans, the Education Portfolio, and all items belonging to the child referenced in Form 2279; and within 15 calendar days after the discharge provides "Discharge summary information not provided in the Placement Summary form; Education records received after the Child's discharge; and any other information or items that belong to the Child that were not provided to the Department at the time of discharge" (RCC FY26 §8241).

Receiving-provider duty (RCC FY26 §8242). When Refuge House is the receiving contractor, "within five calendar days of the Contractor's receipt from the Department of the Form 2085-FC authorizing the placement," it provides a copy of Form 2085-FC or 2085-LR and a written request to the Discharging Contractor for information not already received, updates to the Education Portfolio, and a copy of the ECI Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) if applicable, plus "an opportunity, if necessary, to communicate with the Discharging Contractor about the needs of the Child" (RCC FY26 §8242).

Transition from substitute care (RCC FY26 §8300). For children 14 and older, transition planning is documented in the CPS Transition Plan (Form 2500), and Refuge House and the caregiver ensure the child "has access to the Transitional Living Services web page of the DFPS public website" and "access to the Texas Youth Connection website," including the computer access required for job search activities, career research, Texas Youth Connection, and approved social media (RCC FY26 §8300).

PACKAGE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

The requirements below are stated at the governing level. The per-package continued-stay review cadences and written-confirmation requirements are governed by FC-CSR-01 Continued Stay Review Policy; the mandatory aftercare service models by FC-AF-01 Aftercare Services Policy; and the operational steps (Who/How/When matrices, forms, and templates) by FC14-01.1 T3C Discharge and Permanency Planning Procedure.

Enhanced Service Packages (Mental & Behavioral Health, IDD/Autism, Substance Use, Treatment Foster Family Care)

Children discharging from an enhanced Service Package require: (a) enhanced continued-stay review with written confirmation by the Program Director and Treatment Director at the cadence set in FC-CSR-01 (generally every 90 days; every 60 days for Treatment Foster Family Care), documented to SSCC/DFPS within 15 business days; (b) a warm clinical handoff to receiving providers — transferring the treatment summary, crisis/safety plan, effective interventions, medication regimen, and STAR Health coordination; and (c) mandatory six-month aftercare per FC-AF-01 (twice-monthly minimum contact; for Treatment Foster Family Care, weekly contact in the first month then twice-monthly in months 2–6), with monthly documentation to SSCC/DFPS.

Short-Term Assessment Support Services

This package does not discharge to permanency; the child transitions to an appropriate ongoing Service Package based on assessment findings, with a comprehensive Transition Summary and a warm handoff to the receiving Case Manager. Maximum stay is 30 days for children age 5 and under and 45 days for children over age 5, each with one 15-day extension on Program Director written approval. Continued Stay Reviews and aftercare do not apply to this package — the receiving Service Package provides ongoing services and any applicable aftercare.

T3C Treatment Foster Family Care

Treatment Foster Family Care is time-limited to a maximum of 365 days (a 274-day standard period plus up to a 91-day clinically-justified extension) per Texas Family Code §264.1073 and the T3C Blueprint; an individual child cannot be served under this package beyond 365 days. Step-down planning begins at admission and is integrated into every 60-day Service Plan Review, with preliminary step-down goals in the initial Service Plan. The agency and the foster home maintain dual credentials (Treatment Foster Family Care and Basic) to enable same-home step-down. Step-down readiness is assessed at each 60-day continued-stay review (FC-CSR-01), and discharge carries the intensive six-month aftercare model (FC-AF-01).

Transition, Kinship, and Pregnant & Parenting Youth Add-On Services

Discharge planning for add-on services additionally addresses the youth's add-on-specific needs: independent-living readiness, housing, education/vocation, PAL connection, and essential documents (Transition); kinship caregiver support, ongoing supervision needs, and permanent managing conservatorship (Kinship); and safe housing, parenting support, childcare, and healthcare for parent and child (Pregnant & Parenting Youth). Operational detail is in FC14-01.1.

Concurrent Planning Integration

Continued-stay review outcomes directly inform the discharge and transition timeline: where continued stay is justified, the placement is maintained and interventions are intensified to address barriers for the next review period; where the child is near step-down readiness, transition and aftercare planning begin with a target discharge in 30–60 days; and where the child is ready for discharge, full discharge procedures and the aftercare plan are activated with a target discharge within 30 days. For placements exceeding 150% of the expected length of stay the Program Director develops a written action plan, and placements exceeding 200% receive an Executive Director quarterly review (FC-CSR-01).

DEFINITIONS

CANS 3.0 Assessment: A multi-purpose tool used to support decision-making, including identifying the optimal Service Package for T3C and planning, facilitating quality improvement initiatives, and monitoring outcomes of children in care.

Continued Stay Guidelines: Criteria used to determine a child's continued need for placement beyond the expectation established for the individual Service Package, typically reviewed in conjunction with regular service plan reviews.

Discharge: The termination of a child's placement with Refuge House, whether planned or emergency.

Emergency Discharge: Unplanned discharge due to hospitalization, detention, court order, immediate safety concerns, disruption, or DFPS-initiated discharge without advance notice.

Permanency Planning: A systematic process that begins at admission to identify and achieve a permanent living situation for a child that promotes safety, well-being, and lifelong connections.

Planned Discharge: The coordinated termination of placement that results from achievement of permanency goals or a determination that the current placement is no longer necessary or appropriate.

TBRI® (Trust-Based Relational Intervention): An evidence-informed approach designed for children who have experienced relationship-based traumas, focusing on building trust and secure attachments through three principles: Connecting, Empowering, and Correcting.

Aftercare Services: Post-discharge support services required for specific T3C packages (Mental & Behavioral Health, IDD/Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Treatment Foster Family Care) that include case management, crisis support, and service coordination for a minimum of 6 months following discharge.

Permanency Goal: The court-ordered long-term plan for a child's permanent living arrangement (reunification, adoption, permanent managing conservatorship, or another planned permanent living arrangement).

Service Package: The specific T3C-defined level and type of foster care services a child receives based on their assessed needs.

Transition Planning: The comprehensive process of preparing a child, family, and support systems for discharge from foster care.

Recovery Environment: A substance-free living environment that supports ongoing recovery from substance use disorder, including secure medication storage, absence of alcohol and illicit substances, and caregiver understanding of recovery-supportive approaches.

Service Package Transition: The process of moving a child from Short-Term Assessment Support Services to an ongoing T3C Service Package based on comprehensive assessment findings.

Step-Down: Planned transition from a higher-intensity Service Package (such as Treatment Foster Family Care) to a lower-intensity placement (such as Basic Foster Family Home) based on treatment progress and reduced clinical need.

Time-Limited Service: A Service Package with defined maximum duration, including Short-Term Assessment (30-45 days + extension) and Treatment Foster Family Care (365 days maximum).

REFERENCES:

• T3C Blueprint Standards:
  • Pages 47-55 (Basic Foster Family Home)
  • Page 71 (Treatment Foster Family Care aftercare requirements)
  • Pages 78-86 (Mental & Behavioral Health, including p.85 continued stay and p.86 aftercare)
  • Pages 123-135 (IDD/Autism, including p.133-134 continued stay and p.134-135 aftercare)
  • Pages 148-164 (Add-On Services requirements)
• TAC Chapter 749 Minimum Standards:
  • §749.503 (Discharge Planning Requirements)
  • §749.665 (Quality Assurance)
  • §749.673 (Service Planning Reviews)
  • §749.1361-1363 (Discharge Documentation)
• DFPS 24-Hour RCC Requirements (FY26): §7000 (Transferring a Child); §8000 (discharge-approver designation, 10-day staffing-change notice); §8200 (Form 2109 Discharge Notice; Regional Placement unit; intra-agency moves); §8220 (24-hour, 72-hour, 14-day, 30-day notice types); §8230 (psychiatric admission); §§8231–8232 (jail/runaway notices and bed-hold conditions); §§8240–8242 (Form 2279, 15-day supplemental window, receiving-provider 5-day request); §8250 (information transfer); §§8300–8500 (Transition/Form 2500, NYTD, Extended Foster Care)
• SSCC — 2INgage Provider Manual (Rev. 1.2026): §4 Placement Stability/Discharge (Disruption Mitigation Process); §5 Tier Rating (Disruption Mitigation Plan) — operationalized in FC4-01.1 §3
• Evidence-Informed Treatment Model Requirements (TBRI)

SSCC alignment (FY-26): Reviewed against the 2INgage Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026; aligned — 2INgage provider-specific provisions were captured in the prior reconciliation pass; no further changes required. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC coverage tracker (temporary-reference/fy26-sscc-joint-monitoring/sscc-alignment/).

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — EMPOWER: EMPOWER Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 — aligned (parallel template to 2INgage); EMPOWER provider-specific provisions captured in the EMPOWER pass; no additional changes required. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — OCOK: OCOK Network Management Operations Manual Rev. 7-1-2025 — reviewed; OCOK provider-specific provisions are carried in the companion procedure/policy (see the FY-26 SSCC variance matrix). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — 4Kids: 4Kids4Families Joint Operations Manual (Dec 2025) / Subcontractor Agreement — reviewed; 4Kids provider-specific provisions carried in the companion procedure/policy (see the FY-26 SSCC variance matrix). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — Belong: Belong Stage I & II Provider Manual (Aug 2025) / Provider Services Agreement — reviewed; Belong provider-specific provisions carried in the companion procedure/policy (see the FY-26 SSCC variance matrix). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — SFCS: SFCS Placement Provider Manual (July 2020, publicly-sourced) / 2019 Affiliate Provider Agreement — reviewed; SFCS provider-specific provisions carried in the companion procedure/policy (see the FY-26 SSCC variance matrix). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

RELATED PROCEDURES:

• FC14-01.1 T3C Discharge and Permanency Planning Procedure
• FC3-01.1 Individual Service Planning Procedure
• FC15-01.1 Aftercare Services Procedure
• FC7-01.1 Family Connections and Engagement Procedure
• FC-T3C-01 T3C Basic Foster Family Home Support Services (Comprehensive Snapshot — canonical; standalone procedure consolidated)
• Package-specific procedure documents for Mental & Behavioral Health, IDD/Autism, and Treatment Foster Family Care

FORMS/ATTACHMENTS:

Core Forms (All Packages):

• Discharge Summary Form
• Discharge Notification Form
• Form 2109 Discharge Notice (DFPS — RCC FY26 §§8200, 8220)
• Form 2279 Placement Summary (DFPS — RCC FY26 §8241)
• Form 2500 CPS Transition Plan (DFPS — RCC FY26 §8300)
• Discharge Checklist
• Clothing and Personal Items Inventory
• Service Plan T3C Supplement Form (includes Continued Stay Evaluation)
• TBRI Transition Support Guide - Professional Staff Version (FC14-03A)
• TBRI Transition Support Guide - Foster Parent Version (FC14-03B)

Digital Forms at previewforms.refugehouse.org:

Continued Stay Evaluations:

• Enhanced Continued Stay Confirmation Form (Mental & Behavioral Health - REQUIRED per T3C Blueprint p.85)
• Enhanced Continued Stay Confirmation Form (IDD/Autism - REQUIRED per T3C Blueprint p.133-134)

Aftercare Documentation:

• Aftercare Services Plan (REQUIRED for specified packages per T3C Blueprint)
• Contact Log Entry Form (for all aftercare contacts)
• Service Refusal Documentation (if applicable)
• Aftercare Monitoring Dashboard (compliance tracking)

Package-Specific Dashboards:

• Package-Specific Monitoring Dashboard (Mental & Behavioral Health and IDD/Autism)
• Youth Transition Support Dashboard (Transition Support Add-On)
• Kinship Caregiver Resource Dashboard (Kinship Add-On)
• Pregnant & Parenting Youth Resource Dashboard (Pregnant & Parenting Add-On)

Substance Use Discharge Forms:

• Recovery Support Transfer Summary
• Recovery Environment Assessment for Receiving Placement
• Relapse Prevention Plan Transfer Document

Short-Term Assessment Transition Forms:

• Service Package Recommendation Form
• Assessment Transition Summary Template
• Assessment Documentation Transfer Checklist

Treatment Foster Family Care Forms:

• Step-Down Readiness Assessment (for each 60-day review)
• Step-Down Planning Worksheet
• Treatment Gains Transfer Summary
• Behavioral Intervention Transfer Guide

This policy document establishes the governing principles for T3C Discharge and Permanency Planning. The corresponding procedure document (FC14-01.1) operationalizes these principles by providing specific implementation details (who, when, where, and how). While policies require Board approval and remain relatively stable, procedures may be updated by the Executive Director to adapt to regulatory changes, technological advancements, or operational improvements without requiring Board approval, provided such changes maintain alignment with the policy's intent.