STRTP Discharge Planning and Transitions 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Discharge planning for an STRTP resident should begin:
- At or shortly after admission (Correct answer)
- Only when the placing agency requests it
- During the final 30 days of placement
- When the resident turns 18
Correct answer: At or shortly after admission
Best practice and regulatory standards require discharge planning to begin at or near admission so that the entire placement is oriented toward a successful transition.
Question 2: Which of the following is a key component of an effective STRTP discharge plan?
- Identification of a less restrictive living arrangement with wraparound community supports (Correct answer)
- Identification of a more restrictive placement for continued treatment
- Automatic return to the family home without community services
- Transfer to another STRTP without any transition planning
Correct answer: Identification of a less restrictive living arrangement with wraparound community supports
An effective discharge plan aims to move the resident to the least restrictive appropriate setting while providing adequate community supports to sustain gains.
Question 3: The transition from an STRTP to a community-based setting is most likely to be successful when:
- Wraparound services and family engagement are established before discharge (Correct answer)
- The resident is discharged abruptly to prevent over-reliance on residential care
- All services are terminated simultaneously with discharge
- The resident is given only a list of community resources without coordination
Correct answer: Wraparound services and family engagement are established before discharge
Successful transitions require coordinated wraparound services and active family engagement to be in place before the resident leaves the STRTP.
Question 4: Who is typically the primary coordinator of an STRTP resident's discharge plan?
- The placing agency social worker in collaboration with the STRTP clinical team (Correct answer)
- The STRTP administrator alone
- The resident's school counselor
- The residential care director without placing agency input
Correct answer: The placing agency social worker in collaboration with the STRTP clinical team
The placing agency social worker has primary responsibility for coordinating discharge, working collaboratively with the STRTP's clinical and care team.
Question 5: A 'step-down' placement in the context of STRTP discharge planning refers to:
- A less restrictive, community-based residential or family setting (Correct answer)
- A more intensive inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
- Transfer to a juvenile correctional facility
- An out-of-state group home placement
Correct answer: A less restrictive, community-based residential or family setting
A step-down placement moves the resident to a setting with less intensive supervision and greater integration in the community.
Question 6: When a youth is transitioning out of an STRTP toward independent living, which service is specifically designed to support this transition in California?
- Transitional Housing Program (THP) and Transitional Support Services (Correct answer)
- Emergency Protective Services
- County Jail Diversion Program
- Short-Doyle Mental Health Clinic
Correct answer: Transitional Housing Program (THP) and Transitional Support Services
California's Transitional Housing Program and related transitional support services are designed to help older youth in foster care move to independence after residential placements.
STRTP Discharge Planning and Transitions 1
Discharge planning for an STRTP resident should begin: