On March 8, 2023, UPE met with the County regarding the above policy and procedure.
This was a meeting to codify an existing practice into policy and give UPE an opportunity to ask questions and attempt to mitigate the impact it may have on our members. There were issues surrounding documentation and diagnosing medical conditions that UPE voiced would be best if left up to a medical professional; the County was amenable and agreed that Social Workers should not be diagnosing medical conditions but rather observing and recording. Other requests made by UPE included combining the new Expectant and Parenting Youth (EPY) CFT with regular CFTs, defining the barriers with regards to access to care, making sure that Social Workers are not interfering with any decisions made by the youth/NMD, and making sure that all Social Workers will get training on the changes. Surprisingly, the County agreed to make most of the changes we requested.
Once a final policy and procedure and a final EPY CFT have been produced, the County will provide a copy to UPE before its implementation.
Thank you for advocating
Sarah Singleton