Qualified Individual: Getting Started

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), in partnership with the UC Davis Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice, invite you to attend a training on the role of the qualified individual.

In an effort to ensure appropriate placements of youth into congregate care, the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) requires the creation of a new role, called the Qualified Individual (QI), beginning on October 1, 2021. This training will provide an introductory overview of the role of the QI in assessing the need for a placement of a child or youth into a short-term residential therapeutic program (STRTP), which includes determining if the child’s needs can be met with family members, in a family home or in another approved setting.

Training Goals

• Understand the purpose of the QI
• Understand the role of the QI and the intersection with the Child and Family Team
• Understand the QI process and how it will operate in California

Who Should Attend
Staff who will function as the QI, and County Mental Health Plan Directors, Children’s Deputy Directors, and Juvenile Probation Chiefs.

Cost and Registration
There is no cost to attend this training.