Assessor Training Requirements

Assessor Roles and Responsibilities for Foster Care and Adoption
 
​Qualifications of assessors
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Verification of Adoption Assessor Qualifications
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Who qualifies?


Someone who is an employee of, appointed by, or under contract with a court, public children services agency, private child placing agency, or private noncustodial agency.

Must be one of the following:
  • A licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent social worker, social worker, independent marriage and family therapist, or marriage and family therapist licensed under Chapter 4757 of the Ohio Revised Code.
  • A psychologist licensed under Chapter 4732 of the Ohio Revised Code.
  • A student working to earn a four-year, post-secondary, or higher degree in a social or behavior science, or both, and who conducts Assessor duties under the supervision of a licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent social worker, social worker, independent marriage and family therapist, or marriage and family therapist licensed under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code or a psychologist licensed under Chapter 4732. of the Revised Code. A student is eligible under this division only if the supervising professional has completed Assessor training in accordance with the rules of the Ohio Revised Code.
  • A civil service employee engaging in social work without a license (See ORC 4757.41 (A) (5)).
  • A former employee of a public children services agency who, while so employed, conducted the duties of an Assessor or the duties of a PCSA caseworker or PCSA caseworker supervisor
  • An employee of a court or public children services agency who is employed to conduct the duties of an assessor.
  • A PCSA caseworker or PCSA caseworker supervisor as defined in Ohio Revised Code 51253.01.
  • An individual who holds at least a bachelor's degree in a human services fields and has at least one year of experience working with families and children. A list of qualifying degrees can be found in Ohio Revised Code 3107.014. 
  • The individual must complete training in accordance with rules adopted under 3107.015 of the Ohio Revised Code.
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Responsibilities of an Assessor
 Assessors who are responsible for, but not limited to, performing the following duties: works with parents, guardians or persons having custody of a child who express the intent to surrender their child for adoption, persons seeking to adopt or provide foster care for a child, with the child in permanent custody of an agency to prepare them for adoption, initiates and or supervises the foster care or adoptive placement.
Completes the following forms:
  • 1616    Social and Medical History
  • 1673    Assessment of Child Placement
  • 1385    Assessment for Child Placement Update
  • 1692    Application for Adoption of a foster child
  • 1530    Large Family Assessment
  • 1699    ODJFS Prefinalization Adoption Assessment form
  • 1673-A Child Characteristics Checklist
  • 1698    Step-Parent Adoption Homestudy  ​
 
Training Requirements
  • The individual must complete the following training requirements (time frames are prescribed by OAC 5101:2-48-06)
    • Complete Tier I Assessor training within one year taking first Assessor training session. 
    • An Assessor who fails to complete the Tier I training within one year of the start date of the Tier I Assessor training is not authorized to perform any assessor duties until the Tier I Assessor training has been completed. 
    • Complete Tier II Assessor training  within three years of completion of Tier I.  
    • An Assessor who fails to complete the Tier II training within three years of the completion date of the Tier I Assessor training is not authorized to perform any assessor duties until the Tier II Assessor training has been completed. An extension of no more than one year may be granted by the director of the agency or court due to justifiable organizational circumstances that impede the ability of the assessor to attend offered training. The extension shall be documented on a signed JFS 01680 "Verification of Adoption Assessor Qualifications."
    • If an assessor fails to complete Tier II after the one year extension, the assessor shall immediately cease completing assessor duties and repeat the Tier II training in its entirety within one year of the start date of Tier II.  The assessor shall not commence assessor duties until Tier II is completed.  If the assessor cannot complete Tier II in its entirety in one year, the assessor must repeat the entire training process, beginning with Tier I.   

Six-Hour Ongoing Training Requirement
  • Assessors must take six hours of training on adoption or foster care related issues within two years of the completion date of the Tier II 
  • Assessors must take an additional six hours of ongoing adoption or foster care training within each subsequent two year period from the completion date of the previous six hours of training. This is a rolling date.
  • An assessor may choose to re-take any of the Assessor Tier I or Tier II courses and have that training count towards their ongoing six-hour requirement.
  • Assessors who fail to complete the training within any two year period must immediately cease performing the duties of an assessor until the six hours of foster or adoptive training have been completed.
  • Any assessor who is no longer employed as an assessor may choose to continue completing the six hours of foster or adoptive training every two years, so that once they regain employment, appointment, or contract as an assessor they may resume assessor duties immediately upon hire.  ​

Refresher Training
  • Assessors who had a break in employment as an assessor and are no longer current with their six-hour ongoing training requirements are required to attend the 12-hour Refresher course upon returning to employment as an assessor.
  • A prerequisite for the course is completion of Tier I and Tier II Assessor training in compliance with rule 5101:2-48-06. 
  • Agencies can require the Refresher course for assessors or assessors may choose to take the Refresher course even if it is not a requirement for them.  In these instances, the Refresher course can count towards the ongoing six-hour requirement. ​

Assessor Form
Assessors are required to submit to the JFS 01680 ODJFS WITHIN TEN BUSINESS DAYS after completion of:
  • Tier I
  • Tier II
  • Six hours of training on adoption or foster care related issues
  • 12-hour Assessor Refresher training (if applicable)

The JFS 01680 is to be updated and sent to ODJFS when:
  • The assessor terminates his employment or contract with the PCSA, PCPA, PNA, or court.
  • The assessor begins employment or enters into a contract with a PCSA, PCPA, PNA, or court.
  • The assessor is no longer employed with the PCSA, PCPA, PNA, or court but plans to continue to complete the six hour training requirement. 
  • The original JFS 01680 shall be kept in the assessor’s personnel file with a copy provided to the assessor.  The assessor must be able to produce a copy of the completed JFS 01680 upon request.
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Additional Information
It is recommended assessors keep personal copies of their JFS 01680 and all supporting documents.

                                             This information is current as of June 2022, however laws and rules change frequently.