New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 18 - DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter II - Regulations of the Department of Social Services
Subchapter C - Social Services
Article 2 - Family and Children's Services
Part 428 - STANDARDS FOR UNIFORM CASE RECORDS AND FAMILY AND CHILD ASSESSMENTS AND SERVICE PLANS
Section 428.7 - Plan amendments (status changes)

(a) The purpose of a plan amendment is to describe and document certain significant changes in the status of a case and to direct a reassessment of the family and/or child's situation so that any necessary revisions to the service plan can be made.

(b) Changes in case status that require a plan amendment include, but are not limited to situations where:

(c) If a status change occurs prior to the completion of the initial family assessment and service plan as required in section 428.3(f)(4) of this Part, the change must be documented in a progress note entry.

(d) If a status change occurs subsequent to completion of the initial family assessment and service plan, it must be documented and approved by the social services district having case management responsibility for the case within 30 days of the change, except for the changes designated in paragraphs (b)(3) and (4) of this section which must be documented and approved by the social services district having case management responsibility for the case within seven days of the change. Except for the status changes set forth in paragraphs (b)(5) and (7) of this section, if any status change occurs at the time of, or within 60 days prior to, the due date of the next family assessment and service plan, the status change may be documented and approved as part of the next family assessment and service plan. Documentation within the family assessment and service plan must include all information regarding the status change required by OCFS. Such documentation must be provided in the form and manner as required by OCFS and, where appropriate, or where a child has been removed from his or her home, must include a visiting plan and an update of the service plan for the family.

(e) All plan amendments must include the signature(s) or electronic equivalent(s) of the case planner, the case planner's supervisor and the case manager, and where required pursuant to section 432.2(b)(5) of this Title, the signature of the child protective services monitor.

(f) When services are started for a family member previously not receiving foster care or other placement related services or when preventive services are started in an existing case, the case initiation date for the case will remain the date that was previously established for the case according to the requirement of section 428.2(a) of the Part.

(g) In manner consistent with article 27-F of the Public Health Law regarding HIV confidentiality, within 10 days of the preparation of the complete plan amendment prepared for a child who enters or reenters foster care, a copy of the following components of that document must be given to the child's parent(s) or guardian, counsel for such parent(s) or guardian, and the child's law guardian, if any: the most recently prepared family and children's service plan as described in section 428.6(a)(1)(vii) and (viii) of this Part, the visiting plan, including any modifications to such plans necessitated by the placement or replacement, and those parts of the uniform case record where the information described in section 428.6(a)(2) of this Part are contained.